It is my absolute pleasure to introduce Kamran Siddiqi of The Sophisticated Gourmet. As you can probably guess, I have a soft spot for over achievers, and Kamran definitely qualifies. Not only does he run an immensely popular food blog while finishing his senior year of high school, applying to college and taking AP tests, he also takes stunning food photographs using only a point-and-shoot camera.

Kamran lives in New York City and creates simple but sophisticated recipes that anyone can make at home. I asked him if he would show us around the best farmers market in Manhattan, Union Square.

Follow Kamran on Twitter @ksiddiqi92 and Facebook, and find his photography on Flickr.

Update: Kamran got a new DSLR camera! Congratulations K!

Farmers Market Update: New York Union Square

by Kamran Siddiqi

New York is teeming with food bloggers, chefs, lineage cooks, photographers, and food journalists who have a passion for everything food related. Many of these home cooks and food bloggers leave the huge lines at Whole Foods, The Garden of Eden and Trader Joe’s to experience something even more amazing. These foodies swarm the streets, trains, and buses every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, to smell, poke, and pinch at in-season fruits and vegetables from one of the greatest markets in the city–the Union Square Greenmarket.

At the city’s top Greenmarket, foodies have access to extraordinary produce, fresh eggs, honeys, cheeses, meats and baked goods. They also have access to the people behind this whole operation–farmers, bakers, acolytes of Alice Waters, and people who believe in sharing great, locally-grown food with others.

A great deal of the foodstuffs are local, organic, and much of it all is naturally grown. Some of the great things that you will see at the Greenmarket include (but aren’t limited to):

Several varieties of potatoes.

Luscious organic greens.

Bushels of heirloom pears and apples.

Pure raw honey.

Fresh eggs.

Edible flowers for decorating cakes, eating in salads, adding to drinks, and for adding to dishes.

Of course this great market has much more to offer! So, if you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop at the Union Square Greenmarket, for some great local produce that will have you coming back for more! Trust me, you won’t leave the market empty-handed!

Have you visited the Union Square farmers market in NYC?