It’s illegal to ship an “imperfect” tomato from Florida. A few years ago an innovative produce farmer, Joe Procacci, decided he would grow his tomatoes for flavor instead of shape. He developed a delicious, juicy tomato that he called UglyRipe. In 2004 the Florida Tomato Committee, appointed by the US Department of Agriculture, ruled that these tomatoes could not be shipped out of state. They said all tomatoes must be indistinguishable in appearance and shape from one another. In other words, all Florida tomatoes must be perfectly round and unwrinkled.

That news report about the Florida tomatoes stayed in my mind. Last summer I decided I would search out and photograph fruit and vegetable anomalies. Finding them was a challenging task. They don’t exist in supermarkets, and they’re even rare at farmers’ markets, because odd vegetables don’t sell and are separated out and left on the farm. I realized that I was going to need help. The first person I approached was Nevia No, who had a stand at the Union Square Farmer’s Market. She was amused by my idea, so she set aside as many odd vegetables as she could. Other friends helped, too, but I needed more.

One torturously hot Saturday I was dragging myself through the Union Square Market looking for a specimen or two but to no avail. I was hot and tired and ready to give up. Then I heard a shopper exclaim, “Wow, look at these amazing things. Right in front of me was a small display of strange veggies, the most amazing of which was a zucchini that looked like a duck.

“I’ll take them all.” I told the person at the cash register.

“Not for sale.” he said.

“How can that be?”

“The boss won’t let me sell them.”

“Where’s your boss?”

He pointed behind me. I saw a small, energetic Muslim woman who had been keeping half an ear to the conversation.

“Please,” I said.

“No.” She disregarded me completely and continued to refill a bin of tomatoes.

Then it occurred to me that she might know my daughter who worked for a restaurant that bought large quantities of vegetables at the market. “Do you know Molly Kaplan?” She looked up at me for the first time.”Does that count?”

There was a long pause. “You can borrow them, but you must bring all of them back to me at Thompkins Square Market by 10 am tomorrow.”

That’s how I met Haifa Amouri who loves these strange vegetables as much as I do.

When I’m lucky my refrigerator overflows with anomalous produce. And, yes, unless they’re loaners from Haifa, my subjects are also my dinner.

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- Carol Dragon

“Hey, tell me. How many women do you know who look out the window of their shop every day and see both of their ex-husbands walking by?”

Carmela Lucciola asked me this question as we sat drinking cappuccinos. I had spent the afternoon shooting pastries for the website she hoped to make.

It’s been a long haul, but Carmela has managed to triumph. Her cafe, Egidio Pastry Shop is known to have the best cannoli in the neighborhood. And when that neighborhood is Arthur Avenue, the lively, raucous Italian section of the Bronx, it’s no small matter.

Established in 1912 as a family business, the Egidio Pastry Shop has a history of women rising above the mistreatment of men. Carmela has had her own unfortunate share of that history, but she has triumphed with grace, willfulness and humor. Her hospitality is legendary. It doesn’t matter if she has known you for 20 years of if this is your first visit, she will treat you like a guest in her home. This has made her shop the nucleus for everyone who comes to gather the great Italian food that makes the neighborhood famous.

Carmela was born in Italy and brought to America by her husband, Paolo (Paul) Polombo, in 1973. In 1987 Paul bought Egidio’s Pastry shop and installed Carmella there. By now she had learned to speak English and Spanish by doing clerical work in the local Mount Carmel library. Paul was interested in developing a career in politics and saw the bakery as a stepping-stone; he wasn’t interested in the hard work required by the business. But Carmela was delighted. She was passionate about the bakery, the customers and the hard work, and everyone loved Carmela. As Paul developed his career, he also developed a taste for other women. The final straw came in 1995 when he announced that he was going on vacation with his girlfriend. She filed for divorce, and although Mr Palombo had a number of properties by then, all Carmela wanted was her bakery. It took her a year to win it. A few years later Mr. Palombo was found guilty of taking a bribe, was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and had to resign from his state job. He no longer had any businesses on Arthur Avenue. Carmela reigned.

In the mid-90’s Carmela married Raymond, the owner of Mt. Carmel Wines, a shop across the street from Egidio’s. Although they had been seeing each other for 4 years, the marriage, which to Carmela, was very happy, ended in 2 months when Raymond suddenly announced that he just couldn’t be married any more. Sitting with Carmela on one of her infrequent breaks, she looked up and said, “Ah, there’s Raymond walking by.” Shortly after that she pointed out Paul Polombo as he passed by. You see, several years ago he made it back to Arthur Avenue and opened Polombo Pastry several doors down from Mt. Carmel Wines.

Knowing a little about Carmela’s life, it’s easy to understand why she has her employees wear T-shirts that say: Life is uncertain, so eat dessert first.

Behind the scenes at Egidio’s:

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-Carol Dragon

Spring brought construction work to Union Square this year. On Greenmarket days, the farm stands are scattered into a confusing and unfamiliar pattern. Even in this bewildering jumble of white tents, it’s easy to spot Yuno’s Farm. The stand is teeming with shoppers who know where to find some of the best naturally grown vegetables in New York.

In early June I took the train to Bordentown, NJ to visit the farm. Nevia picked me up at the station, and we spent the afternoon touring some of the 100 acres. More than 150 varieties of vegetables and berries are grown using organic standards, natural fertilizers and manual weeding. Farmers must develop creative approaches to replace the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides. (However, the term “organic” is unofficial without State certification.)

  

Those sweet, juicy strawberries that we savored in June have a history. They are a highly vulnerable crop and exemplify the challenges of sustainable farming. An entire field can be lost overnight if insects attack the plants or if the flowers are exposed to a late spring chill. Kwang and Nevia have developed an approach that works for them.  

Before planting the strawberries a large amount of natural compost is incorporated into the soil to enhance its quality. Irrigation tapes are laid beneath the surface of the field, then it’s topped with dry bark. The bark keeps the surface dry and discourages insects. Any time frost or hail are predicted, row covers (large expanses of a fabric that resembles heavy-duty cheesecloth) must be laid on top of the plants and anchored in some way. As soon as the threat is over, it’s removed. Again and again. All of this just for strawberries when there are 149 more crops to grow. 

Post Script (3/11/10): Nevia now has her own farm. Bodhi Tree Farm will be covered very soon. You can find Bodhi Tree at Union Square on Friday and at Abingdon Square on Saturday.-Carol Dragon

On a chilly Sunday morning my friend, Betsy Weis and I took refuge at City Bakery, an old favorite of ours at 3 West 18th Street. We were tired and stressed and needed the comforting aroma of coffee and pastry. During the hour we spent having breakfast we talked to a number of people, both staff and customers. What was their experience of City Bakery? We made this slide show with their answers. Click the arrow on the left to play.

Going Fishing with PE & DD Seafood, Union Square Farmers’ Market

June 28, 2006. 4:00 AM, Riverhead, NY.

Wendy’s Deli is still in darkness. If you were to drive by on your own, you’d be certain it’s closed. But Wendy is behind a dimly lit counter in the back of the store making coffee and wrapping rolls.

5:15 AM, A perfect sunrise. Boarding the Brianna with Phil and Wade Karlin who sell their catch at PE & DD Seafood in Union Square, you congratulate yourself on having chosen the perfect day to go fishing.

A sea course is plotted, and the net is lowered. Now several drowsy hours must pass before the net can be hoisted. You begin to relax. Suddenly the sea heaves and with perverse timing the rain starts, slowly for the first haul then torrentially for the second. The rapid-fire job of sorting fish and throwing back the unwanted and undersized specimens becomes Herculean.

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Okay, now I understand what it takes to catch fish. But what does it take to sell them?

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Selling Fish at PE & DD Seafood

October 16, 2006. 6:00 AM, Union Square Farmers’ Market

A cold October morning. As black as squid ink. The streets have a tension as the early risers squeeze by the night crawlers on sidewalks narrowed by mounds of garbage.Nearing Union Square I hear the distinct clatter of metal poles and see waves of white as the farmers assemble their stands.

This is the 5th time I’ve been a Saturday fishmonger. I’m delighted because today Delores lets me make the sign: Flounder $11.00, Grey Sole $15.50, Squid, cleaned $6.50……..(I take it very seriously and hate seeing it get messy as we sell out of different fish.) Customers are straggling into the market. No one wants to get out of bed today. The slow pace makes it hard to warm up. As I stamp my feet and tuck my hands beneath my elbows, Wade watches and says I’m making him cold . He insists on giving me his jacket.

For the next 7 hours I meet the challenge of dealing with the customers. There are so many great people, willing to wait in a very long line for this bounty of fresh fish. Then there is human nature. But no matter how a person behaves, I am determined to be cheerful.

“Not that piece, that one. No, no, I don’t like that either. Can’t you find a nicer one?”

“You’re not digging down to get me a good one. I want a pink one. Yes, but that one has a little brown speck. Right there. Can’t you see it?”

“I want 4 oz exactly. No, that’s 4.5 oz. Cut another one.”

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I’m the first to leave when it gets slow. Exhausted, I emerge into a sea of distracted shoppers. Tonight I will eat porgy.

- Carol Dragon