Ice Cream

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
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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
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Local Farms, Local Food

A few days ago, we shared the first half of our celebration of National Farmers Market Week, giving insight into the farms from which we get fruits and vegetables. But as we all know, farms bring us more than just apples and zucchini. Look around the store, and you’ll find great food grown by real farmers, whose food is always seasonal and fresh.

We’ve been lucky to score a few cases of honey made on the rooftops from Bed-Stuy Bees, and Pumpkin Village in VT hand-delivers raw honey and maple syrup every few weeks. In the dairy case, we source most of our yogurts from Hudson Valley, and all of our milk from Battenkill, Organic Valley and Natural By Nature, is from animals raised happily within 500 miles of NYC. Don’t forget the Adirondack Creamery ice cream!

Speaking of animals, our meat department sources whole animals from nearby farms, including Slope Farms, Kinderhook and Arcadian Pastures, who also bring us our pastured eggs. Be sure to stop off at our cheese counter for the freshest Cato Corner cheeses, which we pick up from the Fort Greene Greenmarket every Saturday. These get nestled into our case amongst the other farmstead cheeses, such as NY’s Sprout Creek, and VT’s Jasper Hill.

And if you crave something a little sweet, our wine shop proudly sells Fox Run Vineyards Riesling from the Fingerlakes, brought down with our weekly beef delivery! We admit, there’s nothing like being surrounded by the farmers market every weekend, but we’re proud to be the next best thing!

Greene GrapeLocal Farms, Local Food
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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
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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
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Blue Bottle for dessert?

If you find yourself craving for a little pick me up, you need Steve’s Ice Cream’s new flavor, NOLA Coffee and Donuts. Made with Blue Bottle Coffee, which is blended with chicory as in the New Orleans style, and organic sugar, for a distinct Southern style brew. Steve mixes in crumbled donuts for texture, Old Fashions, we think.

This pint’s probably got enough caffeine to keep the party going after a few pints of say, Brooklyn Chcoolate Stout, the star of BKLYN Blackout, another one of Steve’s creations.  Then visit The Annex for a hot cup of more Blue Bottle in the morning!

Greene GrapeBlue Bottle for dessert?
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