Regional growers sell farm-fresh produce downtown

It's Tuesday morning on Fulton Street. More than a dozen white tents have been set up in the center of the pedestrian walkway at the South Street Seaport, providing shade to baskets full of colorful fruits and vegetables. The Greenmarket Farmers Market has returned to Lower Manhattan after a yearlong absence, and these merchants are glad to be back in the area.

Business seems to be brisk. It's almost lunchtime on nearby Wall Street, and the market is picking up quite a bit of the Seaport's foot traffic. Residents and office workers wander attentively through the short aisles between the tables, perusing produce and other offerings ranging from muffins to potted ferns and lilies. Customers wait patiently in line, clutching their plastic bags filled with fruits and vegetables, as clerks weigh their items and ring up the tab.

No Thanksgiving is complete without fresh produce

For the merchants, who used to spend their Tuesdays at the World Trade Center Farmers Market at Church and Liberty Streets, this new location is serving as a nice homecoming of sorts. Some vendors shake hands with old customers and other friends.

"I recognize people from our World Trade Center stand," says Ron Samascott of Samascott Orchards. "There's one older gentleman who used to come by every week to buy a gallon of apple cider. He was here at eight this morning. I hadn't seen him since September 11th."

Harold Reed, a resident of the area, lives just two blocks away on Water Street, and the farmers' renewed presence appears to have put him in a buoyant mood. "I'm glad the market's here. I'll be coming back every week," he says, and then smiles. "It saves me a trip up to the Union Square Market every Saturday."

Picking the Perfect Apple

When shopping for apples, what should you look for to ensure the best taste? We asked Gary Samascott of Samascott Orchards at the Greenmarket at South Street Seaport.   When it comes to taste, a bigger apple is better Size:  "Try to get a relatively large apple, these generally taste better." Appearance: "Of course, no cuts or bruises. But it doesn't have to be perfect looking… A rough and bumpy appearance is still okay. Really, though, we try to pick our apples by taste rather than looks." Color: "With the Jonagold apples, you want to look for a good, rich yellow background behind the red. But color isn't all that important, either. Red Delicious apples, for instance, used to be delicious, but they've been trying to make them redder and redder, and now they don't taste like they used to."