By 11:30am, my stomach is growling and I’m already distracted by sweet dreams of lunch to come. I try to pack a lunch, but some days (ok… a lot of days!) I opt to spend five extra minutes hitting snooze in exchange for the mad hunt for lunch in a 5 block radius of the office. And now that spring is (supposedly) here, farmers markets are back in full force, which means the lunch options are endless! We all have hectic days, but if you happen to work near a farmer’s market, you can get a pretty amazing lunch in the same amount of time and money it would take you to peruse the shelves at Pret or yawn in the Chipotle line.
Here’s our guide to great lunching if you work near one of the 130+ farmers markets in New York City. And what’s even better is that if you go just once, you can pick up enough stuff for a couple of lunches, 4pm-hit-the-wall-snacks with friends, and dinner ingredients.
Union Square / Flatiron
The Market: Union Square Greenmarket is along the northwest section of Union Square.
Open: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
Estimated price for lunch: $3.75 – $9.00
Estimated time to purchase and prep: 15 minutes + travel. And you know you’ll wait just as long at one of the usual suspect restaurants in the neighborhood.
Pick up these ingredients to stack up a quick and delicious lunch
Apples and pears from Migliorelli Farm for less than $2 a pound
Bread Alone Organic Whole Grain Bread for $4.75
Organic Arugula at $4 for 1/4 pound
Gluten free bread options are also available!
Ham and cheeses from Millport Dairy for $6 each
Say hello to John from Millport Dairy when you stop by!
Stack this stuff, and pop it in the toaster oven for a few minutes, and voilà! You have a delicious lunch for less time and money than most takeout spots in the neighborhood, and all the ingredients are fresh, delicious, and from local farms.
Local Ham Sandwich
This local ham sandwich stacks:
You can also make a veggie version of this by stacking
- Arugula
- Pear
- Cheddar
- Honey + Mustard spread
- Whole wheat or Gluten free toast.
For the Mondays when you’re knocking over small children in a sprint to find lunch, you can grab one of Buon Pane’s Focaccia Pizzas. At only $3.75, it is one of the most affordable, balanced, fresh lunches around. Grab a few for the week while you’re there, like our beloved friend Matt does.
Buon Pane Focaccia Pizza
Farmers markets are open for lunch all over New York. So give that chopped salad a little vacation, head outside, meet some growers, and try out lunching at your nearest market!
Columbia University
Location: Broadway between 114th Street and 116th Street
Open: Thursdays
Easy lunch ingredients:
- Buon Pane focaccia pizza
- Yogurt from Hawthorne Valley Farm
- Beth’s Farm Kitchen for jams and chutneys, great to pair with breads from Hot Bread Kitchen
- Blocks of cheddar from Millport Dairy to top off greens (or just eat in delicious chunks!)
Midtown West / Columbus Circle
Location: 9th Ave and West 57th Street
Open: Wednesdays (Starting 5/7/2014!)
Easy lunch ingredients:
- Pears, apples, and a glass of cider from Breezy Hill Orchard
- Breads from Meredith’s Bakery to pair honey and fruit butter from Toigo Orchard
- Arugula from Morgiewics Produce to pair with a sharp cheddar cheese from Millport Dairy
City Hall
Location: Broadway at Chambers Street
Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, but there are more options on Fridays
Easy lunch ingredients:
- Focaccia pizza from Baker’s Bounty
- Greens from R&R topped with goat cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery
World Financial Center
Location: South End Ave at Liberty Street
Open: Thursdays
Easy lunch ingredients:
- Bread from Meredith’s Bread topped with jam from Beth’s Farm Kitchen
- Apples from Migliorelli Farm
- Yogurt or cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery
Brooklyn Borough Hall
Location: Court Street and Montague Street
Open: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Easy lunch ingredients:
- Bread from Baker’s Bounty topped with jam from Wilklow Orchards
- Delicious vegan turnovers from Body + Soul (Thursdays only!). Pick up an oatmeal raisin cookie for an afternoon treat. They are surely top 3 cookies in all of NY.
Do you have other great farmers market lunch hacks? Let us know here, on Facebook, or on Twitter! Can’t wait to see what you find. You’ll be able to share your finds on the Foodstand App soon. Make sure you are signed up to be the first to know when the app launches!