A Fourth-of-July visit to the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket brings intriguing encounters with a host of independent-minded types. For instance, the fellow who rode this Danish-made Bullitt cargo bicycle across several European countries before heading to Prospect Park. He insisted it was a cinch to ride with one's stuff stowed down in front.
At the Long Island winery tasting table, the lovely Ann Marie Borghese was handing out samples of an apple-scented rosé produced at Borghese Vineyard out in Cutchogue. Yes, her husband is related to the cosmetics royalty, and yes, she used to be a model.
And at the cooking demo table, chef Jacques Gautier, owner of Palo Santo in Park Slope, was slurping an unctuous homemade mayo onto freshly mandoline-sliced zucchini studded with sliced garlic scapes; it made a nice appetizer spooned onto rounds of fresh baguette. 
"Couldn't you also use a vinaigrette?" asked a health-conscious observer. "Yes," he replied patiently while adding more mayo, "but it wouldn't be as delicious."
I didn't make it back to the park until about 10 p.m., on the way home from "First Night" at the Brooklyn Museum. Crowds were pouring out of the barbecue area near Parkside and Ocean Avenues, dragging an astounding array of cooking and picnicking gear into waiting cabs, vans, cars, and shopping carts for a weary and satiated trip home.
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