My Union Square Greenmarket social media takeover today!

I was so honored to be asked to by Union Square Greenmarket to takeover this social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, tumblr and twitter) today! What a fun day!! Here are my posts from the day (the unedited version)!

Good morning, NYC! This is Christine from @conscious_cooking, graduate of both Parsons School of Design (a long time ago) and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (not so long ago), and proud founder of Conscious Cooking by Design LLC. I’m so excited to be here with you today for IG takeover @unsqgreenmarket for my #GMKTDayintheLife! As a private Health Coach, and as a mom who wants to provide the best nourishment for her family, coming to the greenmarket at least once a week is a necessity. I am grateful to @grownyc for giving us urbanites access to local farm-grown foods and for @unsqgreenmarket for being here 4 days a week. The produce is the freshest it can be; it’s healthy to be in alignment with nature by eating foods that are in season; and it’s healthiest for the environment to #eatlocal. I have so much respect for each of the farms that come out, especially during these winter months. Thank you!

One of the best things about the greenmarket for me is being able to give back to the earth with my weekly bag of compost to @lesecologyctr. Composting helps to enrich the soil and prevents pollution – better to have these nutrient-rich scraps help nourish the earth, rather than going towards a landfill! It’s so easy to just keep a bag of scraps in the freezer, and it teaches my kids to be environmentally aware as well! •  Next, I head over to Our Daily Bread for their Gluten-Free Bakery goodies, baked in a dedicated facility. Did you know that many people don't even realize they have a gluten-intolerance? While this does not mean that EVERYONE does, I’ve seen that by eliminating gluten, many health conditions, such as allergies, chronic sinus congestion, tummy fat, bowel urgency, joint pain, migraines, dandruff, sleeplessness, skin rashes, moodiness, and depression all disappear! Merely replacing bread with any factory-processed GF stuff isn’t the solution... but we can talk about this together another time. I am a strong advocate of cooking at home to eat for your health, but this bakery from upstate NY is as good as baking your own loaf! •  While I eat a plant-strong diet, my family eats meat, so the greenmarket is a perfect place to purchase pastured eggs, grass-fed meats and bones, and/or wild-caught fish and seafood. I can be assured that all these small farms raise their animals naturally and humanely and so that I can make these conscious choices for my family’s well-being. •  I love to wander around the greenmarket without any particular meals in mind, as I like to see what looks freshest. Also, there’s always something new to discover, like these gorgeous dried chili peppers from @oakgroveplantation which I saw for the first time today. And, look! Spring is in the air with these beautiful flowers from Phillips Farms! •  @conscious_cooking #GMKTDayintheLife #feelgoodaboutyourfood

Just look at the gorgeous farm-to-table goodness that I picked up today! This is what the greenmarket is all about for me! Every time I shop for produce, and what I recommend to all my clients, is to purchase vegetables in a spectrum of colors. Not only is this appetizingly cheerful and beautiful, it also ensures that your body is getting all the right nutrients. Consuming this variety can strengthen your immune system, reduce risk of diseases and illnesses, and build a strong body and mind which is particularly important in these winter months!  So I’m set for a few breakfasts this week with eggs from Lani’s, red spinach from @monkshoodnursery, tomatoes from Shushan Hydro Farm, GF bread from Our Daily Bread, and, because my daughter was with me, Andrew's Amazing Whipped Honey (with a name like that, and tasting samples, who can resist?!) Now I’m ready to prepare a of couple dishes with my cucumber from Shushan Hydro Farm, sweet potatoes from Lani's, and carrots, radishes, cabbage (a small one because a little goes a long way!), and purple potatoes (my favorite!) from Norwich Meadows Farm •  @conscious_cooking #GMKTDayintheLife #feelgoodaboutyourfood

Foods, especially vegetables, don’t have to be boring. It's amazing how herbs and spices can transform a food into distinct global flavors. I love creating and tasting the world within my own kitchen, especially when it’s too cold to go out, haha! Let’s get started with a bit of meal prep for this week. Aren't these colors amazing?!? #GMKTeattherainbow •  SESAME SLAW: Finely shred the cabbage and julienne the carrots (1 yellow, 1 orange) and radishes (1 green, 1 watermelon). In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing – ⅓ cup tahini, freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes, 3 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, 1 garlic clove, 1 inch stem of freshly grated gingerroot, 1-2 Tablespoons of finely chopped red onion, and ¼ tsp sea salt. This makes a lot, so I’ll dress some of it tonight, and have the rest throughout the week in salads, macrobowls, or even stir-fry it up. •  EASY ASIAN PICKLES: Cut 2 cucumbers lengthwise into quarters, and cut out the seeds. Cut each quarter segment in half, lengthwise again and then dice into ½” pieces. Set aside. In a bowl that will for everything, mix together 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and ½ tsp chili pepper flakes (or one of those Oak Grove Plantation dried chilis, chopped up – I should have bought some!) Stir to combine. Add the cut cucumber, mixing to coat. Cover and refrigerate a couple of hours. Scoop out of the liquid and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and chopped scallion (optional), to serve. Save the sauce to add to the slaw dressing or use for a stir-fry. •  @conscious_cooking #GMKTDayintheLife #feelgoodaboutyourfood

Finally, for dinner tonight, CURRY RATATOUILLE, an idea that I’ve been wanting to try, inspired by Ottolenghi’s “Plenty More” cookbook, but the way I make it in the summer, derived from the awesome Pixar movie “Ratatouille”. This classic recipe, and more, can be found here. This is a perfect weekend meal, especially to get the kids involved in the preparation – it’s my go-to dish when cooking with kids, even the pickiest of eaters! It’s helpful to choose the vegetables that are about the same circumference. Again, a little goes a long way for this recipe!  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, sauté ¼ of an onion, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, minced, and 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger root. Add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ - ½  teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy!). Sauté for a further minute or two, until fragrant.  •  Set aside and let cool slightly before blending with ½ cup water and ¼ tsp sea salt. Blend and pour this mixture into a baking dish.  •  Using a mandolin, or a really sharp knife, thinly and evenly slice 3 small purple potatoes, 2 scrubbed sweet potato, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, and another handful of cherry tomatoes, the thinner you can slice, the better! Make mini-stacks of the slices, in sequence. Arrange these stacks a few at a time into the prepared baking dish in a concentric circles from the outer edge to the inside, fanning them out ever so slightly. “Stand” them up a little, so that you can fit as many vegetable slices snugly in as possible. Save the smaller rounds for the middle circle. Randomly tuck in any leftover slices, if you can. Drizzle with the another Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit just inside the dish rim, directly on top of the vegetable arrangement. Bake for 40 minutes-1 hour (depending on how thick your vegetable slices are), until vegetables are soft, but not limp. Take it out of the oven and enjoy!  

I’ve had so much fun guest-posting here today! Hope you’ve liked my @conscious_cooking #GMKTDayintheLife #feelgoodaboutyourfood day! Feel free to contact me any time to talk about food, or about making healthy choices, or if you need a little jumpstart in the kitchen! Much love, C