ISO: Odd herbs in NYC

[kayu]

I'm gathering the ingredients for a meal from the Noma cookbook. L'Epicerie and its ilk seem the best place to find things like gelatin sheets and lecithin, while Siggi's Skyr is available in stores around town; now I'm looking for a reliable source of fresh herbs in Manhattan.

Among other odd herbs, the Noma cookbook calls for woodruff, wood sorrel, sea buckthorn, chickweed, as well as more commonly seen (but still not typically found at Whole Foods) ones like lovage and nasturtium leaves. My recipe choices will be limited by what herbs I can find, so I'll take what I can get.

I spotted chickweed on the menu at Jimmy's No. 43 last night, so I imagine it can't be too difficult to procure herbs of its kind. My first thought is obviously the Union Sq Greenmarket. Are there any particular stalls I should look out for, or best days to look? Any suggestions for other markets or stores?

[GlorifiedRice]

http://www.silk.net/sirene/

Standard and Exotic Spices: alkanet, cubebs, galingale, grains of paradise, liquamen, long pepper, mace, saffron, saunders, sumac, and many more

Special Treats: candied violets, crystallized ginger, licorice root, more

Incense and Dyestuffs: frankincense, myrrh, madder root, cochineal, more

Historical Cookbooks: Ancient Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan

Cooking and Eating Tools: nutmeg graters, mortars and pestles, authentic reproduction spoons and tankards

The Unusual but Useful: inkwells, sealing wax, clay pipes, tea bricks

[kayu]

Hmm. Thanks for the reply, but it appears they only have dried herbs (and, lovage aside, none of what I'm looking for). Any other suggestions?

[Pan]

I'm gathering the ingredients for a meal from the Noma cookbook. L'Epicerie and its ilk seem the best place to find things like gelatin sheets and lecithin, while Siggi's Skyr is available in stores around town; now I'm looking for a reliable source of fresh herbs in Manhattan.

Among other odd herbs, the Noma cookbook calls for woodruff, wood sorrel, sea buckthorn, chickweed, as well as more commonly seen (but still not typically found at Whole Foods) ones like lovage and nasturtium leaves. My recipe choices will be limited by what herbs I can find, so I'll take what I can get.

I spotted chickweed on the menu at Jimmy's No. 43 last night, so I imagine it can't be too difficult to procure herbs of its kind. My first thought is obviously the Union Sq Greenmarket. Are there any particular stalls I should look out for, or best days to look? Any suggestions for other markets or stores?

←

Well, wood sorrel is something you could gather yourself. It grows very commonly. You could probably find some in a park. And if you can't find wood sorrel, sheep sorrel is an acceptable substitute and will probably be easier to find in a market (it's the main ingredient for Shchav). I know there's a booth that sells nasturtium flowers at the Union Square Farmers' Market. I'll bet you could ask them to bring in some leaves for you. I'm sorry, I don't remember more specifics on which booth that is, but others will.

[kayu]

I hadn't thought of actually foraging for these herbs myself. Intriguing suggestion!

Aside from wood sorrel, can any other herbs generally found in New York parks?

[Pan]

I hadn't thought of actually foraging for these herbs myself. Intriguing suggestion!

Aside from wood sorrel, can any other herbs generally found in New York parks?

←

Yep. For example, go to "Wildman" Steve Brill's website, click on "The 2008 Calendar," and click on any of the park names.

[pidge]

you can find chickweed and wood sorrel, as well as lovage and several other herbs at union square on saturdays. for the first two, try gorzynski's farm (near 16th st., west side of park), early. ask there if they have the others. lovage is pretty common in about a month in bunches throughout the market, but there is the lady with the organic herb plants who generally has everything. she should be on the west side of the square south of gorzynski, but with the new configuration, i'm not sure... good luck!

[scottie]

you can find chickweed and wood sorrel, as well as lovage and several other herbs at union square on saturdays.  for the first two, try gorzynski's farm (near 16th st., west side of park), early.  ask there if they have the others.  lovage is pretty common in about a month in bunches throughout the market, but there is the lady with the organic herb plants who generally has everything.  she should be on the west side of the square south of gorzynski, but with the new configuration, i'm not sure... good luck!

←

I think you're talking about Trina, who runs Silver Heights Farm. She has a huge catalogue of rare and heirloom plant varieties; what she brings to the market is a small selection of all the plants she grows at her nursery upstate.

The link has her email info; I bet if you emailed her with the herbs you require, she would have some if not all. You would probably get them as plants in a pot. And then you could always have them around, on your windowsill!

Trina is at the Union Square market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. With the new configuration, she is still on the west side near her old spot. You can spot her dark-green pick-up truck from a distance.