Desserts

Lunchbox Hero: Easy Kid-Friendly Meals

If there’s a chance you’re stuck at home with kids this week, you may be running low on easy meals and snacks to get through the next few days. We’ve got your survival guide right here! 

Transform boredom snacking into healthy snacking with these Greene Grape picks. Matt’s Munchies and Effie’s Homemade Oat Cakes are better-for-you snacks that’ll satisfy the whole family. These whole grain peanut butter pretzels from Good Health will keep midday munchies on the healthier side, too. 

A favorite of Greene Grape owner Amy Bennett, our macaroni & cheese is made fresh in our kitchens with four cheeses, making it flavorful and rich. Pair it with our turkey meatballs or fried chicken for a big thumbs up at the dinner table! (Getting them to eat vegetables is on you, though.) 

For something hands-on to get everyone involved—and make dinner even easier—go old school and make homemade French bread pizza. All it takes is a baguette, your favorite tomato sauce, our house made mozzarella, and sliced molinari pepperoni (or steamed broccoli), combined into bubbling goodness. If time is so scarce you might owe Father Time a few minutes, pop some frozen Roberta’s pizza into the oven instead. 

No one wants to get sent to bed without dessert! Treat the kids—and yourself—with a bite-size take on ice cream with Bubbie’s Mochi, in four yummy flavors. For the family members less inclined toward dairy, Goodpop’s organic freezer pops will indulge any sweet tooth with all-natural fruit flavors.  

Carla Bueno-SandersLunchbox Hero: Easy Kid-Friendly Meals
read more

Not Just Any Hot Chocolate: Earl Grey Hot Chocolate

Image by David Dewitt

A chilly day framed in the window, a blanket over your lap, a hot mug of deliciousness held in both hands, and a solidly blank to-do list. That’s the dream, right? All the variables are up to you, of course, but when we’re looking for a comforting drink, sometimes we’re looking for something new. Our do-it-all Erin has been serving up this Earl Grey hot chocolate in our offices, and we think it’s so good you ought to try it too.

Ingredients:

2 sachets of Earl Grey tea
2 tbsp hot chocolate mix
4 oz water
4 oz milk (plant-based milks work fine too!)
Whipped cream for bonus points

Let’s Get Cooking!

  1. Bring water to a boil, and pour 4oz into your favorite mug (or fill your mug halfway). Place tea sachets in water to brew for 3-5 minutes—any longer and it will be bitter.
  2. While your tea steeps, heat your milk of choice in a small pot. This will be quick, so keep an eye on it!
  3. Remove tea sachets, and stir in hot chocolate mix until fully dissolved.
  4. Pour in your heated milk and mix until everything is incorporated.
  5. Top your hot chocolate with whipped cream, directly proportional to how cozy you’re feeling.
Carla Bueno-SandersNot Just Any Hot Chocolate: Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
read more

A Valentine Of Any Flavor

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a greeting card company holiday! Throw out those narrow definitions of who gets to be your Valentine, and choose whoever you like—including yourself. Likewise, Valentine treats don’t always have to be sweet, and we’re leaning into our salty side, too. This Valentine’s Day, we’re continuing our tradition of sourcing our collection from small, often local producers. No mass-produced chocolates in a heart-shaped box here!

For the Valentine who appreciates artistry and detail, these hand-painted chocolate roses from Maggie Louise Confections are sure to spark inspiration. Hailing from Austin, TX—considered by many to be one of Brooklyn’s unofficial sister cities—Maggie Louise Confections was founded by a New Yorker far from home, and each chocolate piece is crafted with singular care.

These Sweeter Cards dark chocolate bars are the perfect edible alternative to a greeting card. Each bar, filled with pockets of salted caramel, is made with Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients, like the cane sugar in their caramel. Small batches of caramel in copper kettles, stirred by hand, ensure the highest quality for the best expression of your sweetest feelings.

The Upper West Side’s own Treat House has stocked our shelves with their whimsical crispy rice treats! Bright pops of color bring the nostalgia, making it a perfect small gift for the Valentine you’ve known since back in the day.

Of course, we’ve also got plenty of classic Brooklyn favorites, like Fine & Raw, Eat Chic, and Raaka! Whatever flavor of feelings you indulge in this weekend—sweet, salty, and everything in between—we’re sure to have just the treats you and yours are craving. Shop our Valentine’s Day collection here!

Carla Bueno-SandersA Valentine Of Any Flavor
read more

Celebrating Black Tastemakers

We’re pleased to give a shout-out to some of our favorite vendors and tastemakers during Black history month—and all year round.

It’s Poppin’

We wrote about Smooth Pops when they debuted in our store this past summer, and they’ve been a hit ever since, selling daily even now in winter. Movitza Simmons is a New York mom who wanted wholesome summer snacks for her then-infant son. Disappointed by the preservative-loaded selection available to her, she set out to make her own. Now they make a delicious, whole-fruit treat for all ages! Just ask her son—he’s still Smooth Pops’ official taster.

Follow Smooth Pops on Instagram: @iluvsmoothpops

Vegan Vibes

If you’re a little too chilly to have a frozen treat right now, no worries. West African soups are an easy grab at Provisions! Egunsi’s vegan soups are a modern take on classic West African flavors. Founder ‘Yemisi Awosan’s hope is that not only will these soups bring her West African heritage the visibility it deserves, they’ll also inspire people to try their own hand at West African recipes.

Follow Egunsi Foods on Instagram: @egunsifoods

As for other producers in our store, we’d like to highlight Spicegrove’s spicy hibiscus drink, a mainstay in our beverage case. Its blend of spices and fruit make it as perfect for cooling off as it is for warming up, and it makes a great mixer too! As for Miss Marjorie’s plaintain chips, well, there’s never enough that can be said. Miss Marjorie’s plaintain chips—long-cut, steel drum plaintain chips—are a signature snack from the Seattle restaurant, and certainly a favorite amongst Provisions staff. We also stock fresh pecans, grown in Georgia by a grassroots organization, New Communities, that works to empower Black farmers and bring justice to the growing community.

Follow Spicegrove on Instagram: @spicegroveroselle
Follow Miss Marjorie’s on Instagram: @marjorieseattle
Read about New Communities here

To discover even more inspiring Black food personalities and emerging brands, follow @blackfoodfolks, a groundbreaking new organization founded by Colleen Vincent,
Director, Culinary Community Initiatives The James Beard Foundation @ms_collycol and noted photographer Clay Williams @ultraclay.

Carla Bueno-SandersCelebrating Black Tastemakers
read more

Chill Vibes Only: Frozen Treats with a Twist

While the record-breaking heatwave has abated, it’s still hot enough out to drive New Yorkers outside. Plenty of folks will be reveling in this weekend’s round of Summer Streets in Manhattan, or taking a good stretch with yoga in Fort Greene Park. Others might be looking to take it easier with a refreshing class at the Annex. Whether you need to cool off after a good workout or looking to chill out in the heat, we’ve got some fresh takes on classic frozen treats you’ll want to check out!

There’s no doubt that freezer pops are a summer staple, with their brightly-colored tubes cooling off kids and adults alike for generations. Those same bright colors, however, usually come from being loaded with artificial colors and stabilizers. Founded by a New York mom who wanted simple, wholesome summer treats for her six month old son, Smooth Pops bring all the nostalgia of freezer pops without all the baggage. Each small-batch variety blends whole fruit into delicious combinations full of bright flavor, and ingredients are seasonally sourced from local farmers whenever possible.

While Smooth Pops are brand new to our freezer, we’d like to shine the spotlight on another frozen treat that has been a Greene Grape mainstay since the brand’s debut in 2016. Noona’s ice cream is a uniquely Asian-American indulgence, with flavors ranging ranging from traditional black sesame to new twists like toasted rice and turmeric honeycomb. With local milk and organic ingredients, as well as non-dairy versions of some of their most popular flavors, Noona’s is truly a cut above!

Carla Bueno-SandersChill Vibes Only: Frozen Treats with a Twist
read more

Gotta Blame It On My Juice

While autumn’s first day might still be a ways away on the calendar, sweater weather has definitely arrived! The neighborhood is filling back up as folks make their return from nearby getaways and far-flung adventures, and families are bustling to get their kids ready for the first day of school. We’ve got our own back to school list ready, from after-school snacks to lunchbox essentials to easy dinners, that are sure to make the grade with everyone! 

Juice boxes have always been a lunchbox staple, but this season we’re upgrading the juice game. You’ll want to keep an eagle eye out for Lumi Juice, a new collection of cold-pressed juices. These are made from organic ingredients like beets, cucumbers, grapefruit, and granny smith apples, just to name a few. They’re sure to power up anyone’s lunch, whether in the school yard or the office break room, as well as fuel workouts and early grab-and-go breakfasts. Need something with a bigger kick to it to wake you up, and maybe even keep playground cooties at bay? Try Lumi’s health shots—the jalapeño shot is bound to kickstart your brain, while bringing something new to the shots scene. 

If you’re feeling more than just thirsty, few snack combos are as classic as juice and cookies. Try satisfying your sweet tooth with Makabi & Sons shortbread sandwich cookies, new to our shelves. We just can’t stop munching on them! Made by hand by founder Eiman Behmanesh in LA, these cookies bring new meaning to thinking globally and eating locally, infusing flavors from afar into buttery cookies and smooth creme. It’s hard to choose between spicy chocolate and cayenne, smooth and aromatic earl grey, and earthy matcha with black sesame. Our best recommendation is not to choose at all and stock up! Whether you’re sneaking one into a lunchbox or hosting a weekend shindig, you won’t regret treating yourself. 

Check out our back to school selection here!

Carla Bueno-SandersGotta Blame It On My Juice
read more

I Got It For My Mama!

We have a number of ways you can treat the moms, mothers and mamas in your life this Sunday!

Send her some love- we’re offering a special Mother’s Day Gift Basket that can be shipped nationwide or picked up right here in our shop!

Make breakfast in bed- create a custom menu with all of her favorite treats, or look around for suggestions at each of our counters.

Decorate a coloring page– our beautiful Mother’s Day coloring pages are available at the registers. Get creative, get expressive and don’t be afraid to color outside the lines!

Pick up some flowers– we will have gorgeous fresh bouquets available from Stem and for those looking for a more lasting gift, take home a paper blossom branch by local artist Bespoke Brooklyn.

We’re wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mom’s we see each day here at the shop!

 

If love is sweet as a flower,

then my mother is that sweet flower of love.” —Stevie Wonder

Greene GrapeI Got It For My Mama!
read more

Chill Out

Springtime brings a whole batch of fresh ingredients, in the produce section (ramps! fiddleheads!), meat case (house made chicken sausages!), and in our deli (fresh Sfoglini pasta with pesto!). The Spring inspired flavors in the Ice Cream case are probably our favorite, though!

Jeni’s never rests, always re-inventing her luxurious frozen delights. We’re excited to introduce her Apricot Yogurt, Raspberry Yogurt, and a new sandwich, the Orchid Vanilla. Made with Ugandan vanilla bean ice cream and dollop of black currant jam, between two almond macaroons, these are flying faster than you can say “Mothers Day.” We’ll have someone from Jeni’s handing out tastes on May 1st!

Paul from Adirondack Creamery has announced a new version of their coffee flavor, High Peak Perk. With flecks of coffee bean, their pure, locally made ice cream will keep you buzzing with glee.

Lastly, we’re really excited to announce that any day now, we’ll have three new offerings from Phin & Phebes. Their re-worked version of Coconut Key Lime is packed with graham cracker chunks, and for those who like a little salt with their sweet, Peanutty Pretzel and Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel is sure to delight.

Greene GrapeChill Out
read more

Dairy Queens


In honor of Spring finally here, we’ve got a double whammy of free tastings this Saturday with three amazing ladies.

First, from 11am-1, Jody from Kriemhild Dairy will be bringing their sun-drenched grass fed butter. Bright yellow from the grass’s natural beta carotene, and one of the highest butterfat contents we’ve ever seen (85%!), this butter is absolutely delicious shmeared on any of our local breads or fresh seasonal vegetables.  Come chat with the owner about the nutritional benefits this butter packs, and what it’s like to be a farmer in upstate NY!

After you’ve spent the day foraging around Brooklyn, come back at 3pm and cool off with a taste of Phin and Phebes  ice cream, made right here in our fair boro. Made with milk from the Quality Dairy Farms coop in NY state, these ladies offer some super creative flavors such as Banana Whama and Vietnamese Iced Coffee. And if you check out their site, you’ll discover some of their experimental ice cream float ideas with some of our favorite adult sodas. Yum!

 

Greene GrapeDairy Queens
read more