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Maxwells Farm on M has great produce at great prices. Kernan Farms from NJ on W has also has great produce, check out the whole basil plants. Fabulous Farms on W, F and S has great plants, including great little cacti and succulents.

There are, however, some really good vendors that don't come to Union Square on Saturdays like Honey Hollow, Berried Treasures, and some of the seafood folks.

bread alone has wonderful whole grain breads. my current favorite is the harvest 9 grain. i also love the eggs at flying pigs farm, the norland potatoes {pink on the inside!} and shallots at paffenroth gardens, and anything that franca at berried treasures grows, particularly her raspberries, tristar strawberries, and sungold tomatoes.

@QueenAlli - I'm referring to seasonal produce, so it's silly for the reasons I stated: the same vendors can have inconsistent offerings based on the particularities of their location. One week one vendor may have the nicest x, y or z, the next they may be less appealing than someone else's. That's all. You have to shop around.

I know it's all about the farmer's market but you CANNOT miss the best "soutzoukaki" aka faggot in Thessaloniki at a little place called Vomvidia between Aristotelou and Ermou...oh and don't forget to put some lemon on it!

I spent a semester in Thessaloniki and lived just a few blocks from this market. These photos bring back great memories of fresh figs, pomegranates, and a vendor yelling "Good morning, American princess, would you like some pistachios?." Wonderful.

those little red fish that go for a whopping 28 Euro/KG are making me hungry. Barbounia/red mullet/rouget might be my favorite. I've noticed that they are really prized by the locals in greece, alexandria, italy, france, etc... i've seen them in pretty good quality at some of the better fish mongers in NYC. love them grilled with olive oil and lemon and eaten like corn on the cob. sigh

the way people detoxify fiddleheads in Japan:

boil water. add 1tsp of baking soda per 1l (about a quart) of water.
add fiddleheads, cook for 1-2 min.
drain and transfer fiddleheads into cold water (and you can keep them in the water, in the fridge- change water once a day)
after this, you can use it for whatever.

I've already commented this, but tempura is my most favorite way to eat spring vegetables. It just brings out the subtle flavors..

If you're near the Union Square Greenmarket, Berried Treasures had fiddleheads last week. This week they'll be there Wednesday and Friday. Also the Union Square and Tribeca Whole Foods have had them in small batches ($10 per pound) and last week Garden of Eden did too (but they were $16-17 per pound).

We have been privileged to have this wonderful market in GAP. I know how hard producers work and how high their overhead must be, but I am hooked on Madura's mushrooms ($20-40/lb.) and I love that spinach, but a pound ($4) barely serves two people. I just wish the cost of fresh produce were a bit more reasonable.

I can appreciate that Hannah. You know, everyone likes to talk about how the Obamas helped the movement for local and healthier foods. I'm down with that. Symbolism is important. On the local level, the Union Square Green Market is the presidential garden of green markets. They need to step up the efforts to get food stamps to that one. It's four days a week, absolutely packed on Saturdays, and it stands out as the one without food stamp support.

I don't think they were trying to trick you, it's quite uncommon to even attempt to grow them. Definitely check out that site. They are doing some amazing stuff.