GreenMarket Fares Receive Rave Reviews

By BRIAN KIDWELL

Martha A. Halpin sat down for lunch Thursday in the Cornerstone Café at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg and immediately tucked into her vegetable lasagna, salad and brownie.

"It's very good," she said between bites of her lasagna. "And the vegetables, too. They're very, very good."

And very, very healthy.

Ms. Halpin, a cashier at the hospital, was one of several employees and visitors who dined during the Cornerstone's GreenMarket special. Meats and produce from local farms and sold twice weekly at the Ogdensburg GreenMarket in Library Park were included on the menu in a dual promotion of healthy eating and the area's farms.

"I think it's important to support our local farmers," said Jane E. Compeau, a Claxton-Hepburn financial counselor who dined with Ms. Halpin.

The menu, put together by Steven R. Hawes, the hospital's director of food service, consisted of vegetable lasagna, vegetable quesadillas, cream of potato soup, corn on the cob, tomato salsa, Greek and tossed salads and brownies.

Now, before wondering how a spartan, wholesome, produce-dominated luncheon could be topped off by such a notorious, high-calorie, sweet tooth killer of a dessert, it is important to point something out.

The key ingredient to these brownies was shredded zucchini.

No matter, the lunch went off with rave reviews from both the diners and the local farmers.

As a special concession to the homegrown luncheon menu, they brought the GreenMarket to the Claxton-Hepburn auditorium where there was a steady customer flow of hospital employees and people off the streets.

A nice show of support all the way around, Ms. Halpin thought. "It means a lot to me," she said. "To all of us."

Marie A. Cook loved it. With her husband, Clifton L., she runs C.L. Cook Farms in Heuvelton, which specializes in meats and produce. She was delighted with the day's events. "I think it's a wonderful idea," she said. "Where better to have healthy food than in a hospital?"

Another GreenMarket regular, Joseph R. Metz of Out House Farm in Waddington, was also enjoying himself. After selling some produce to Mr. Hawes, he marveled at how vegetables he picked Wednesday were being served from a menu on Thursday.

"I just didn't think that would be happening," Mr. Metz said.

Mr. Hawes was pleased with the lunch. "We will have it again," he said. "Definitely."

Mrs. Cook, meanwhile, left the GreenMarket and headed for the Cornerstone to try out some of that healthy food. She went for the vegetable quesadillas and a salad. "Excellent," she said. "Excellent."