USFM

So far as I know, no one actually uses "USFM" as a legitimate acronym for the Union Square Farmers Market, however, I am huge on acronyms and abbreviations, so I often just make them up.

The USFM is an institution in New York, visited by many chefs (and their minions). It's open long hours and four days a week, which is pretty awesome. I used to go every Saturday morning, so being back was a bit nostalgic.

I think this purveyor is new, but I just loved their sign. Not just "I love bacon," but "I love YOU bacon." I have a feeling the piggies wish we loved pigs instead of bacon.

I love all the characters that frequent the USFM. Moms with babies, hipsters, married couples, and crotchety old ladies that have probably been living in New York longer than I've been alive.

One of the specific reasons I wanted to hit up the USFM was to get one of these babies. A beautiful and delicious cider donut.

I'm not sure I'll be able to find these out West, and I used to get them every week in New York. Maybe more than once a week. They have a cakey texture and aren't as sweet as normal donuts. The sugar on the outside gives them that extra bit of sweetness. John was especially jealous when I called him to rub it in that I was eating cider donuts. He was the one who introduced them to me. Good lil hubby.

I was there with my friend Amanda, and we were lucky enough to snag a table behind the market.

The table, however, had this imprinted on it. I'm assuming this table was meant to be reserved for a mom and her child...so which one of us was which?

I love that in all the parks in New York you are surrounded by high rises, so you get quite a view when you look around. Of course the view in Central Park is the best, but this is what I have a picture of, so deal with it.

Maple syrup and candy, straight from Vermont. Not going to find this at the farmers market in Cali.

The woman standing at the booth said it takes 40 gallons of sap from the tree to make 1 gallon of syrup. That's a pretty crazy ratio.

The pure maple candy was what I was after. I got a few pieces of different flavors - plain maple, pecan, and coconut.

The flavors were all pretty subtle - the main flavor was the delicious pure maple flavor with just a hint of coconut or pecan. And it just melts in your mouth. Man I love this stuff.

Anyone from New York might remember this bizarre building next to Union Square. Smoke (or steam?) comes out of the magic wand thing on the right and then there are a bunch of digital numbers racing away to the left. Amanda finally informed me what the heck those numbers mean (it's a clock with the date and it also has a countdown). So I guess the rumors of national debt, population, and other things aren't true. Learn something new every day.