Autumn at the Union Square Market

Cold weather is a mixed bag for the produce enthusiast. There are definite limits to my locavore enthusiasm when the temperature drops. Still, it's hard for me to remain unmoved by the glorious autumn displays at the Union Square Farmers' Market.

Here are some highlights:

Purple Majesty at the Union Square Greenmarket

Fans of Prince and Alice Walker, rejoice! This is the season to celebrate the majestic results of blue-meets-red, aka Purple. 

In her essay, Color Meaning: Meaning of the Color Purple, Jennifer Bourn writes, 

The color purple is a rare occurring color in nature and as a result is often seen as having sacred meaning...Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.

Or it means lots of beauty and lots of anthocyanins.

Purple comes in many tones (this chart runs from Lavendar Mist to Dark Tyrian) - let's enjoy them all! This time of year the Union Square Farmers Market is positively awash in the color.

Signs from the Union Square Green Market

Some dismal weather last week had me yearning for the Union Square Farmers Market in its Spring and Summer glory.

The market is typically full of shoppers of all kinds, including chefs and buyers for restaurants, who sometimes lug enormous wagons to cart off inspirations for their menus.

I'm not the only one who finds the Market intriguing - here is it as a backdrop to a movie.

Elsewhere I've showcased some of the great produce of the Union Square Market. I also love its signs: encouraging, whimsical, informative, hectoring, boastful and sometimes just plain weird.

Maybe the most important sign of all