Book Description The heart of this hardworking book is an encyclopedia of over 150 vegetables， fruits， flowers， and prepared foods sold at the New York farmers' markets. Each detailed entry is illustrated with a color photograph and includes information for selecting， storing， preserving， preparing， and serving each item. More than 100 easy-to-prepare recipes are featured， including several from award-winning New York chefs such as Michael Romano of Union Square Cafi， Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Vong， and Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern. The book also tells the story of Greenmarket， New York City's system of 24 farmers' markets， which was founded in 1976 to preserve farmland in the metropolitan area. The experiment was a huge success with the markets providing utterly fresh foods to New Yorkers and reinvigorating local farms. The farmers themselves are a wonderful part of the story， and Greenmarket includes mini-biographies of two dozen farmers， along with interesting anecdotes and advice from the growers. For the millions of people who shop the farmers' markets， here is a practical and thorough consumer-oriented guide.