Tiny Coyote Tomatoes Pack a Wallop of Flavor Pale yellow coyote tomatoes are not much bigger than a large blueberry, but they are little flavor bombs! Pop a single, tiny tomato in your mouth, and KAPOW! You’ll see what I mean. You can put them in salads or just pop them into your mouth. These ones are from Eckerton Hill Farm at the Union Square Greenmarket.  Just keep your eye out for them in markets throughout the city and the week. One small container packs a lot of flavor!

Rocket / Roquette / Arugula from Northshire Farm As much as I love root vegetables, I am looking forward to all the new and delicious produce coming into the farmers markets. This bunch of arugula, also known as Rocket or roquette, or Eruca sativa (thanks, Wikipedia), is such a welcome site from Northshire Farm in West Winfield, New York. The tender leaves and crunchy stems make a wonderful salad with a slightly peppery kick. Try it as a bed of salad for a fresh crab cake. On

A brisk, clear day at the Greenmarket in Union Square We are embarking on a brand new year! I know there are millions of visitors in the city right now, so here are some of the big year-round markets that are open this weekend. And we have one remaining Holiday Market open for their last weekend of the season!. Let’s enjoy the rest of our holiday because 2015 is waiting for us on Monday! Holiday Market: Winter Village at Bryant Park, Open through Sunday! Saturday, January 3,

NY1’s Kristen Shaughnessy and Karen Seiger talk about the holiday markets in and around NYC NY1 is airing my Weekend Feature segment about the city’s wonderful holiday markets all weekend! Check it out here. (You have to have Time Warner Cable to view it.) I want to thank these amazing vendors who partnered with me to feature their unique, handmade gift items to inspire viewers to do all their holiday shopping in the markets: Golly NYC: Make Your Own Vintage T-Shirt at Artist

Golly cuts out the image you’ve selected Despite his bad rap on “The Big Bang Theory,” Aquaman is the coolest superhero in my opinion. It’s not even an opinion. It’s a fact (he can talk to dolphins!). Part of his appeal for me, actually, is that one of the main illustrators for the series was a woman, Ramona Fredan, whom I met in person a few years ago. So when I found out about the Golly NYC‘s Design Your Own Vintage T-Shirt service, mine had to be Aquaman. Golly, AKA Keith

Late Summer Market Bounty If ever there was a time to shop as much as you can in your local farmers market, it is right now. James and I walked through the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday on the way back from lunch, and we ended up with an abundance of my very favorite fruits and vegetables, all in peak season. Our Market Haul: Luscious Seedless Watermelon from Michisk’s Farm Ripe, Red Tomatoes, Sweet Corn and a Mild Banana Pepper from Sycamore Farms (watch the Corn Star v

Happy Fourth of July! I get misty when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. Every time. So I thought I’d feature this very cool antique microphone that I came across at the Astoria Flea a couple of weeks ago. Bill and Sheila from Affordable Antiques told me it was an Electro-Voice Mercury multidirectional microphone. I didn’t think to look at the model, but I think it might be #911 from the 1950’s. I can imagine rock and jazz stars from the 1950’s performing with this microphone

Badass Knuckles Necklace by Father Panik Industries Is your dad a true badass? Or maybe an aspiring one? Either way, the place to go to get him a really great Father’s Day Gift is Father Panik Industries and Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg. Scott Machens, aka Father Panik, makes some of the coolest jewelry I’ve seen for both women and men. His rosary beads with brass knuckles or sharp miniature scissors at the end are as irreverent as they are unique. Then there’s the design

There is always talk amongst everyone selling products about how to provide outstanding customer service. This is a story about one artisan who delivered so much more to me than just a piece of jewelry. She turned a standard shipment and a cardboard box into a delightful experience. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t LOVE getting a box in the mail. Especially if it is a box with a handwritten label. A few weeks ago, I picked up this beautifully promising box at the Post Office.

The Bleecker Street Flea and Artisan Market is one of many markets now open for the 2014 Outdoor Season The Spring Outdoor Market Season is upon us! So without further ado, here are the Weekend Market Picks: Saturday, April 5, 2014 Brooklyn Flea Outdoor Season: OPENING WEEKEND! The Brooklyn Flea had a cozy winter season indoors, and now its time to bust out into the sunshine for the 2014 Outdoor Season! It is open Saturdays only in Fort Greene until May 4, when the Sunday mar

In December, I ran into my friend Nordea McCoy of Nordea Soaperie on a day where she wasn’t selling in a market. She was just a civilian shopper like me. She was carrying a plastic container, and she was hellbent on filling it up with something called “bruffins.” She told me that they were amazing, and she couldn’t believe I didn’t already know all about them. Well, you don’t have to tell me twice about something worth eating. And, of course, Nordea could not have been more r

“Risk It All” Lyric Pendant by Nadia Ackerman (Photo by NatchieArt.com) I found myself crying in a holiday market. With two other people I didn’t know. Who were crying too. But it was a good thing. We had all just met Nadia Ackerman at the Hester Street Fair Holiday Pop Up. We were looking up at one of her large original drawings on the wall above her table. It was a sweet image of a mother and her kids sitting around a dinner table, next to a large Christmas tree. Flying out

Madison Square Park had the very first public Christmas tree in the country 1912! You spent all season shopping for great gifts for everyone on your list. Well, now it’s almost New Year’s Eve, and it’s time to shop for yourself! Visit these markets for new jewelry, a new outfit, 0r something beautiful for your home for 2014! For me, the markets are a reason to get out of my jammies for a little while and work off some of the squijillion cookie’s I’ve recently savored. Markets

This intriguing, small enamel bowl felt lovely in the palm of my hand. It is part of a set of three little bowls made by Elissa Ehlin and James Leritz of Kiln Design Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was drawn into their beautiful and peaceful boutique at the Grand Central Holiday Fair. The copper enamel works of art by Kiln have so much depth and complexity. The colors range from natural tones to bright colors, and each piece is hand made and therefore has a unique color a

The skies may be grey in the late fall, but the farmers markets throughout the city are filled with amazing colors, like these plump heirloom tomatoes that taste even better than they look. I love seeing how the same vegetable can come in such a wonderful array of colors. I also feel like knitting again (quickly!), and I can assure you that the naturally colored yarns from Merino Sheep Farm are a joy to work with, as it glides easily on my aluminum or wooden needles. We know

Leaves just lend themselves to becoming jewelry, don’t they? They hang leisurely from their tree branches, swaying in the breeze and enhancing the tree for three wonderful seasons of the year. So naturally, Alyxia Leaf Jewelry caught my eye at Artists & Fleas. The soothing wooden and marble booth carefully displays their delicate jewelry designs, which include a striking collection of actual leaves that have been preserved in metals using a process called electroforming. Owne

My sister-in-law Marcy has an even bigger sweet tooth than I do. So whenever we visit each other, I know I’m in for lots of treats. No guilt, of course, because it’s only for a weekend, right? Marcy was in the city for business recently (she’s a phenomenal event florist at Dragonfly), and we wandered through the Union Square Greenmarket. Of course, she honed right in on Roxbury Mountain Maple’s cotton candy. They sell bags full of the maple fluff, and also containers if you w

I recently got wind of an amazing estate sale that I wanted to bring to your attention. It looks like there are some pretty groovy antique and vintage treasures from 1890’s to the 1980s to be found, such as: 1890 postal guides; stamps from the former Soviet Union 1930’s postal boxes military photos, personal correspondence an army helmet with bullet holes from WWII depression glass in mint condition apothecary bottles colorful book plates wood doors distressed lumber salvaged

Is it hot out? I hadn’t noticed. I’ve been busy dreaming about my next shaved ice from Ice Riders. This group of transplanted Texans are bringing eco-friendly, heat-busting, cowboy-hat-wearing frozen relief all summer long at the LIC Flea & Food Market. Jet, David and Chelsea are building their icy empire around a very cool, bike-powered shaved ice machine. Plus everything that isn’t edible is recyclable – cups, spoons and napkins. AND their flavors are certified kosher. As i

Roberta from Le Primitive, was in her usual spot, but she had some brand new designs at the Bleecker Street Market alongside Our Lady of Pompeii. I’ve loved her work with vivid glass jewelry, and now she and her sister have branched into silver and minerals. These pieces are all handmade and hand hammered into flowing statement pieces. Each one comes with soft, adjustable suede ribbon so that you can wear it at any length you choose. Roberta and Simonetta, originally from Rom