But no more. The most exciting food in New York, San Francisco and London isn’t happening in restaurants with Michelin stars, but on the streets. Independent producers fueled by both the economic recession and rise of local, artisan foods  have started producing exciting morsels to sell on the streets and at festivals.

Whether inspired by the food of their childhood – like Urvesh Parvais, who, with his mother Lalita Patel, developed Gujarati Rasoi to sell ‘traditional wholesome Indian food’ at three London street markets – or a love of a particular cuisine, you now can find everything from Vietnamese bánh mì to Mexican burritos during a stroll through your neighbourhood.

The young, educated and out-of-work seem to be the majority of vendors at Greenpoint Food Market, which is held on monthly Saturday mornings in Brooklyn’s Church of the Messiah. Each vendor pays $25 to $50 for a table, which goes to the church and the organiser. Any profit made on Korean dumplings or cupcakes is the vendor’s to keep.

Some products have already been snapped up by large retailers like Whole Foods. For dedicated food producers on a limited budget, this means they can develop a viable business without having to partner with a commercial food company which may not share their food values.

Petra Barran of Choc Star, which sells chocolate treats from a converted Scottish ice cream van, set up the website Eat.St as an online hub for those who already run, or want to start up their own mobile food business.

And while the movement is still in it’s early days, London is already about to host its second annual street food awards (10 – 12 September) judged by prominent British chefs like Mark Hix, Thomasina Miers and Marco Pierre White. New York’s ‘Vendy Awards’ have been going strong since 2005.

With street food enabling young entrepreneurs to start a profitable, ethical venture and provide consumers diverse, delicious and affordable food, the movement is one where everyone wins. Except the greasy hot dog vendors.

Useful websites:

Gujarati Rasoi – www.gujarotirasoi.com

Choc Star – www.chocstar.co.uk

Eat.St – www.eat.st

Gourmet magazine’s street food guide – www.gourmet.com/food/street-food-guide

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The market – renowned throughout the country as one of the top farmers markets to visit – is widely acclaimed for both the quality and diversity of its fresh farm products and artisan foods.  On any day, especially Saturdays, some of San Francisco’s best-known chefs, and most famous farmers, can be seen here.  More than just a place for trade, the market provides a forum for the 25,000 weekly shoppers to learn about food and agriculture.  
 
The farmers market is open three days a week—Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the smaller markets occupy the front of the building along the Embarcadero; on Saturdays, the much larger market is held both in front of the Ferry Building and on the rear plaza overlooking the Bay. 

Expect to find fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, meats and eggs from small regional farmers and ranchers, many of whom are certified organic.  A wealth of other products include regional artisan specialties such as breads, cheeses and jams.  The Thursday market  in addition features an array of artisan street food suchwood-fired pizza, grilled meats, sandwiches and tacos, while the Saturday market also includes local restaurants serving a variety of  delicious meals.

image: RunnerBeans

 What began over three decades ago with 12 farmers in a parking lot on 59th Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan has now grown to become the largest and most diverse outdoor urban farmers market network in the country, nearly doubling in eight years from 28 locations in 2002 to 50 today, with over 200 family farms and fishermen participating, and over 30,000 acres of farmland protected from development.

This unique relationship between farmers and city residents has not only changed the face of regional agriculture, it has also revitalized rural communities and urban spaces, improved consumer health, provided fresh and nutritious food to those most in need, encouraged crop diversity, educated school children and city residents about the importance of regional agriculture, inspired new culinary trends, and influenced chefs and eaters in one of the culinary capitals in the world.

Each of the NYC markets strives to be an anchor to their community providing not only fresh, locally-grown food, but a safe and fun gathering place were neighbors can come together to talk to farmers, share recipes, watch a cooking demonstration, take a tour with a chef and learn about local agriculture.

To find your nearest Greenmarket in Manhattan or Brooklyn click here.

It depends entirely on how you want to spend your break, of course! Jetting off to spend two days in a far-flung place with a punishing itinerary and more plans than time will never be very Slow Life, but if you’re lucky enough to have the time and resources to take a train ride somewhere relaxing, spend as long as you need getting to know that area and exploring by bike and on foot, you’re doing much better as a Slow Traveller.

The same goes for staycations. Many of us work all day every day for most of the year, and struggle to get things done around the home, leaving them to pile up until we feel emotionally weighed-down by an avalanche of incomplete jobs.

Sorting through a few of these jobs on a week off can leave you feeling refreshed: you might want to take some old clothes to a charity shop, or get around to building a compost heap. But the danger here is in thinking you’ll sort everything out on your staycation, leaving little time for fun or reflection.

If you are planning on taking a staycation, make sure you’ve set aside a few days just to chill out and take a step back from chores. Planning a few excursions should help you get into the holiday spirit, so have a look at what events are taking place within easy commuting distance and have fun discovering what’s on offer close to home.

The attitude you take with you on your holiday – whether at home or abroad – will be what makes or breaks it. If you’re going abroad, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time for the journey, and consider ‘slower’ options of transport. Once at your destination, be realistic about how much you can see, and don’t feel pressurised into ‘doing’ every tourist attraction going. It can be far more fun to discover a new location at your own pace.

If you’re staying home, remember you’re on holiday and don’t feel disappointed if you haven’t ticked off every DIY or gardening task on your list. Better still – don’t have a list! This time is all about re-charging your batteries, and whether that means having a few long lie-ins, reading the papers from cover to cover, catching up on some DVDs or visiting some farmers’ markets and museums, your body and mind will thank you for it. The last thing you want is your return to work being marred by thoughts of all the projects you started and failed to finish on your ‘relaxing week off’!

Image: Simple Tess

They displayed their produce on the tailgates of their vehicles, and to their delight, customers quickly arrived and parked their cars on a hastily created dirt parking lot in spaces designated with chalk, while the locals strolled among the trucks purchasing fruit, vegetables and flowers. This was the beginning of one of LA’s most famous landmarks, the Farmers Market.

Housed in a range of cream-colored buildings, the market consists of dozens of small stalls selling all kinds of local and artisan produce from home-made ice cream to freshly baked bagels and locally grown grapes, offering a wide range of delicacies and Slow Food products.

The Grove at Farmers Market, an 80,000 square foot retail and restaurant complex next to the original buildings opened in 2002, so there are also plenty of restaurants, grills and coffee shops for you to choose from should you work up a hunger from too much grocery shopping.

Frequented by tourists and Hollywood locals, you can even do some star spotting while stacking up on Slow Food goodies. Walt Disney sat at a Farmers Market table while he designed Disneyland, and it is said that James Dean ate breakfast here the day he died.

Monday-Friday, 9 am to 9 pm
Saturday, 9 am to 8 pm
Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm
Some merchant hours may vary

6333 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-9211
(866) 993-9211

A secret truth: although the taste is similar to the globe artichoke as noted by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1605, Jerusalem artichokes are not related, and aren’t even native to Jerusalem but the USA. So, what are they?

The flower this tuber bears looks like a sunflower (Italian: girasole) which is the common suggestion for how it received its name. New alternative names that are catching on today include sunroot or sunchoke.

Similar to ginger root in appearance, there are different varieties available with a skin colour ranging from white, red, pale brown and even purple!

Easy to grow, it requires digging and replanting to keep the flavoursome quality. You can plant them between February through to April and they are ready for your plate now!

Cooks beware in the kitchen and avoid serving in large quantities: the Jerusalem artichoke also goes by an underground name of “fartichoke”, due to the inulin (a carbohydrate great for the intestines with its prebiotic properties).

Jerusalem artichokes are great alternative to potatoes, particularly if you are dieting, as they have a high source of vitamin C, potassium, iron and phosphorus. But unlike potatoes, you can even eat them raw in salads. The flavour is that of a water chestnut with a delicate, nutty taste.

To prepare in the kitchen, treat Jerusalem artichokes like any root vegetable, leaving its nutritional skin on or peeling it off. Mashed, boiled, steamed, stir fried, they can be served as a side dish or as a dish in its own right. If you’re not so keen on the taste unaccompanied then try complementing the flavour with beetroot, mushrooms, thyme, spinach, carrot and nuts (such as hazelnuts or walnuts). The jorg&olif team feel they are best served up as a winter soup – cooked slowly for maximum taste!

Jerusalem artichokes are inexpensive and easy to eat in season, simply visit a Slow Food stall at your local farmer’s market or sign up for an organic veggie box delivery scheme.

Photo 1: net efkt
Photo 2: Laurel Fan