Category: Food: At The Market Reports

At The Market: Crab Apples
Recently, while selecting apples from the Foppema’s Farm display, I saw “Sweet & Crunchy” on the sign for Chestnut crab apples. I gamely added a few to my bag and was pleasantly surprised by their lovely nutty flavor.

A Useful Fruit

Most people who grow crab apples as a crop use them to make jelly, but originally they may have been planted when home cooks made their own pectin. Crab apples are high in pectin and can be boiled down, strained, and canned to make a supply of pectin for the next year’s jams and jellies of all types.

Cider and Scrumpy

Your favorite artisanal cider may have a dose of crab apple to achieve the right sweet/tart balance. In the British Isles, they have a cider made completely from crab apples and it’s called scrumpy.

My friend, Mick, who has enjoyed this drink at local pubs over there, says the best of it is made by “a guy down the road” and warned it may be very high in alcohol content. So far, I have not seen artisanal scrumpy in this country. If you know of one, please pass on the details.

Wikipedia has an origin for the word scrumpy. “The name is believed to derive from the obsolete West Country dialect term "scrimp," meaning a small or withered apple, which also gave rise to the verb "scrump," meaning to steal fruit.”

I also bought some of the more traditional, tart crab apples – a varietal called Siberian. These had a nice bit of crisp, green apple taste but were not sour or terribly tannic. I will even buy those again. And, I can because the farmers’ markets that bring these crops my way are still open and will be for some time.
What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
October 3, 2013
At The Market: Crab Apples
Recently, while selecting apples from the Foppema’s Farm display, I saw “Sweet & Crunchy” on the sign for Chestnut crab apples. I gamely added a few to my bag and was pleasantly surprised by their lovely nutty flavor.

A Useful Fruit

Most people who grow crab apples as a crop use them to make jelly, but originally they may have been planted when home cooks made their own pectin. Crab apples are high in pectin and can be boiled down, strained, and canned to make a supply of pectin for the next year’s jams and jellies of all types.

Cider and Scrumpy

Your favorite artisanal cider may have a dose of crab apple to achieve the right sweet/tart balance. In the British Isles, they have a cider made completely from crab apples and it’s called scrumpy.

My friend, Mick, who has enjoyed this drink at local pubs over there, says the best of it is made by “a guy down the road” and warned it may be very high in alcohol content. So far, I have not seen artisanal scrumpy in this country. If you know of one, please pass on the details.

Wikipedia has an origin for the word scrumpy. “The name is believed to derive from the obsolete West Country dialect term "scrimp," meaning a small or withered apple, which also gave rise to the verb "scrump," meaning to steal fruit.”

I also bought some of the more traditional, tart crab apples – a varietal called Siberian. These had a nice bit of crisp, green apple taste but were not sour or terribly tannic. I will even buy those again. And, I can because the farmers’ markets that bring these crops my way are still open and will be for some time.
What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
October 3, 2013
At The Market: Cheese from Local Farms

Artisan cheese is another reason to visit farmers' markets.

Cheesemakers like Smith's Farmstead Cheese, Narragansett Creamery, Crystal Brook Farm, Ruggles Hill Creamery, Fiore di Nonno, and Foxboro Cheese are among the cheese options you can find at Boston area farmers' markets.

Crystal Brook Farm offers a delightful goat cheese picnic lunch. The day we took this photo each bag included a container of their goat cheese with olive oil and herbs de Provence, french bread, trail mix, a plate, napkin, knife, and a dollar-off coupon for the next purchase.

In season right now!

This is the height of the harvest season. The stone fruit selection is glorious, the vegetables overflow their bins, and you enjoy each bite knowing this-or-that will soon be gone.

Get Some before it's gone!

Berries, stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes, and local honey – we've begun stockpiling our favorite from Foppema's Farm for winter.

Coming Soon!

Mums for fall planting, herbs for window sills, pumpkins, winter squash, late season apples.

Follow all of our Local Food/Farmers' Market and At The Market reports.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 12, 2013
At The Market: Cheese from Local Farms

Artisan cheese is another reason to visit farmers' markets.

Cheesemakers like Smith's Farmstead Cheese, Narragansett Creamery, Crystal Brook Farm, Ruggles Hill Creamery, Fiore di Nonno, and Foxboro Cheese are among the cheese options you can find at Boston area farmers' markets.

Crystal Brook Farm offers a delightful goat cheese picnic lunch. The day we took this photo each bag included a container of their goat cheese with olive oil and herbs de Provence, french bread, trail mix, a plate, napkin, knife, and a dollar-off coupon for the next purchase.

In season right now!

This is the height of the harvest season. The stone fruit selection is glorious, the vegetables overflow their bins, and you enjoy each bite knowing this-or-that will soon be gone.

Get Some before it's gone!

Berries, stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes, and local honey – we've begun stockpiling our favorite from Foppema's Farm for winter.

Coming Soon!

Mums for fall planting, herbs for window sills, pumpkins, winter squash, late season apples.

Follow all of our Local Food/Farmers' Market and At The Market reports.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 12, 2013
At The Market: Cheese from Local Farms

Artisan cheese is another reason to visit farmers' markets.

Cheesemakers like Smith's Farmstead Cheese, Narragansett Creamery, Crystal Brook Farm, Ruggles Hill Creamery, Fiore di Nonno, and Foxboro Cheese are among the cheese options you can find at Boston area farmers' markets.

Crystal Brook Farm offers a delightful goat cheese picnic lunch. The day we took this photo each bag included a container of their goat cheese with olive oil and herbs de Provence, french bread, trail mix, a plate, napkin, knife, and a dollar-off coupon for the next purchase.

In season right now!

This is the height of the harvest season. The stone fruit selection is glorious, the vegetables overflow their bins, and you enjoy each bite knowing this-or-that will soon be gone.

Get Some before it's gone!

Berries, stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes, and local honey – we've begun stockpiling our favorite from Foppema's Farm for winter.

Coming Soon!

Mums for fall planting, herbs for window sills, pumpkins, winter squash, late season apples.

Follow all of our Local Food/Farmers' Market and At The Market reports.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 12, 2013
At The Market: Sunflowers and Bees!

"I'll throw in the bees for free," said Simeon Cook as I alerted Ed to the bees buzzing the sunflowers around the Cook's Farm and Bakery stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

This time of year, markets are ablaze with the glorious glow of sunflowers. Anyone who's bought these beauties straight from the farm will tell you that, just like the other market goods, they last longer than their mainstream counterparts.

Have you ever dined on sunflower? We did a couple of years ago at Erbaluce. Wicked Tasty Harvest wrote about that dish here. You have probably also enjoyed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. Plus, you may have eaten Jerusalem artichokes – a species of sunflower.

This makes me wonder if some of the masses of sunflowers at the market are being turned into meals by savvy cooks. If you are tempted to try, please read the tips in the Wicked Tasty Harvest post.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager writes, "Just because the summer is almost over, don't think that the season is. The first few weeks of September are some of our farmers' most bounteous weeks, when they still have all that great summer produce like tomatoes and stone fruits, but are also starting to get those colder weather crops as well, like apples and broccoli."

Mass Farmers Markets September newsletter included this advice, "Instead of rushing through the market to stock up on the familiar corn, apples and tomatoes which are traditional and nutritious, think about adding items to your shopping list such as kohlrabi, husk tomatoes, purslane, and Brazilian cucumbers. These are just a few of the unique options available at a farmers market near you during the month of September. Give one or more of these a try this month, you it will be worth the adventure!"

In Season, Right Now!

Each week, more apple varieties appear. Be sure to talk with your farmer and try a few of the heirloom apples. They may not be as pretty but they are full of flavor. Have you tried a crab apple lately? They come in both tart and sweet varieties.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Tomatoes and Sweet Corn always disappear before I'm ready to give them up. This time of year, I buy some at each market.

Coming Soon!

Winter squash, potted herbs for winter windowsills.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino (from Cook's Farm and Bakery, and Siena Farms)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 5, 2013
At The Market: Sunflowers and Bees!

"I'll throw in the bees for free," said Simeon Cook as I alerted Ed to the bees buzzing the sunflowers around the Cook's Farm and Bakery stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

This time of year, markets are ablaze with the glorious glow of sunflowers. Anyone who's bought these beauties straight from the farm will tell you that, just like the other market goods, they last longer than their mainstream counterparts.

Have you ever dined on sunflower? We did a couple of years ago at Erbaluce. Wicked Tasty Harvest wrote about that dish here. You have probably also enjoyed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. Plus, you may have eaten Jerusalem artichokes – a species of sunflower.

This makes me wonder if some of the masses of sunflowers at the market are being turned into meals by savvy cooks. If you are tempted to try, please read the tips in the Wicked Tasty Harvest post.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager writes, "Just because the summer is almost over, don't think that the season is. The first few weeks of September are some of our farmers' most bounteous weeks, when they still have all that great summer produce like tomatoes and stone fruits, but are also starting to get those colder weather crops as well, like apples and broccoli."

Mass Farmers Markets September newsletter included this advice, "Instead of rushing through the market to stock up on the familiar corn, apples and tomatoes which are traditional and nutritious, think about adding items to your shopping list such as kohlrabi, husk tomatoes, purslane, and Brazilian cucumbers. These are just a few of the unique options available at a farmers market near you during the month of September. Give one or more of these a try this month, you it will be worth the adventure!"

In Season, Right Now!

Each week, more apple varieties appear. Be sure to talk with your farmer and try a few of the heirloom apples. They may not be as pretty but they are full of flavor. Have you tried a crab apple lately? They come in both tart and sweet varieties.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Tomatoes and Sweet Corn always disappear before I'm ready to give them up. This time of year, I buy some at each market.

Coming Soon!

Winter squash, potted herbs for winter windowsills.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino (from Cook's Farm and Bakery, and Siena Farms)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 5, 2013
At The Market: Sunflowers and Bees!

"I'll throw in the bees for free," said Simeon Cook as I alerted Ed to the bees buzzing the sunflowers around the Cook's Farm and Bakery stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

This time of year, markets are ablaze with the glorious glow of sunflowers. Anyone who's bought these beauties straight from the farm will tell you that, just like the other market goods, they last longer than their mainstream counterparts.

Have you ever dined on sunflower? We did a couple of years ago at Erbaluce. Wicked Tasty Harvest wrote about that dish here. You have probably also enjoyed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. Plus, you may have eaten Jerusalem artichokes – a species of sunflower.

This makes me wonder if some of the masses of sunflowers at the market are being turned into meals by savvy cooks. If you are tempted to try, please read the tips in the Wicked Tasty Harvest post.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager writes, "Just because the summer is almost over, don't think that the season is. The first few weeks of September are some of our farmers' most bounteous weeks, when they still have all that great summer produce like tomatoes and stone fruits, but are also starting to get those colder weather crops as well, like apples and broccoli."

Mass Farmers Markets September newsletter included this advice, "Instead of rushing through the market to stock up on the familiar corn, apples and tomatoes which are traditional and nutritious, think about adding items to your shopping list such as kohlrabi, husk tomatoes, purslane, and Brazilian cucumbers. These are just a few of the unique options available at a farmers market near you during the month of September. Give one or more of these a try this month, you it will be worth the adventure!"

In Season, Right Now!

Each week, more apple varieties appear. Be sure to talk with your farmer and try a few of the heirloom apples. They may not be as pretty but they are full of flavor. Have you tried a crab apple lately? They come in both tart and sweet varieties.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Tomatoes and Sweet Corn always disappear before I'm ready to give them up. This time of year, I buy some at each market.

Coming Soon!

Winter squash, potted herbs for winter windowsills.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino (from Cook's Farm and Bakery, and Siena Farms)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 5, 2013
At The Market: Mushrooms, Shallots, Sage & Granola…

No, that's not a recipe, but it is a list of some of the many things that caught our attention at the markets this week.

Lets's start with the granola. Over on the Chowhound Boston board someone announced to area food lovers what we have known for a long time. Cook's Farm & Bakery makes great granola.

"Chuck S" asked, "Granola as good as Cook's Farm?" This former granola abstainer was now addicted and wanted more sources of granola greatness.

Penny replied, "Another Cook's Farm fan here. Love the granola which I believe is sweetened with their own maple syrup. That may be part of the reason you enjoy it. Earlier this year, they had some granola bars that were wonderful and my husband is addicted to their oatmeal raisin cookies. Seems they have a way with oats!"

So, stop by this stand at Copley or any of the other markets where you can find them summer and winter. And, if you're in foliage country in the months ahead, visit them in Brimfield, MA or Newbury, VT.

Click on any photo for a larger version.

The rest of the title – mushrooms, shallots, and sage sauted with a bit of butter would make a great supper. You could deglaze the pan with some red wine and stock and serve it on toast or along side a prefectly grilled ribeye.

All three of these ingredients are from Siena Farms.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, manager of the Copley Square Farmers' Market, says, "Can you believe that farmers market season is half over. Now let's get to the good half! Having a job like this I am continuously amazed by how incredible nature can be: it seems like the heirloom tomatoes get bigger and juicier with each passing week. I've spotted the first shallots of the season as well as the first broccoli.

Small tart apples tumble by the bushel in rusted autumnal shades with old New England monikers like Russet Crab and Paula Red. Great for baking with!"

In Season, Right Now!

Apples, pears, and stone fruit. Enjoy them for snacks, desserts, and in cocktails.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries – Barbara Hamilton from Hamilton Orchards says the heat this week has ripened some of the late varieties and she may have a few for the next markets.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 29, 2013
At The Market: Mushrooms, Shallots, Sage & Granola…

No, that's not a recipe, but it is a list of some of the many things that caught our attention at the markets this week.

Lets's start with the granola. Over on the Chowhound Boston board someone announced to area food lovers what we have known for a long time. Cook's Farm & Bakery makes great granola.

"Chuck S" asked, "Granola as good as Cook's Farm?" This former granola abstainer was now addicted and wanted more sources of granola greatness.

Penny replied, "Another Cook's Farm fan here. Love the granola which I believe is sweetened with their own maple syrup. That may be part of the reason you enjoy it. Earlier this year, they had some granola bars that were wonderful and my husband is addicted to their oatmeal raisin cookies. Seems they have a way with oats!"

So, stop by this stand at Copley or any of the other markets where you can find them summer and winter. And, if you're in foliage country in the months ahead, visit them in Brimfield, MA or Newbury, VT.

Click on any photo for a larger version.

The rest of the title – mushrooms, shallots, and sage sauted with a bit of butter would make a great supper. You could deglaze the pan with some red wine and stock and serve it on toast or along side a prefectly grilled ribeye.

All three of these ingredients are from Siena Farms.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, manager of the Copley Square Farmers' Market, says, "Can you believe that farmers market season is half over. Now let's get to the good half! Having a job like this I am continuously amazed by how incredible nature can be: it seems like the heirloom tomatoes get bigger and juicier with each passing week. I've spotted the first shallots of the season as well as the first broccoli.

Small tart apples tumble by the bushel in rusted autumnal shades with old New England monikers like Russet Crab and Paula Red. Great for baking with!"

In Season, Right Now!

Apples, pears, and stone fruit. Enjoy them for snacks, desserts, and in cocktails.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries – Barbara Hamilton from Hamilton Orchards says the heat this week has ripened some of the late varieties and she may have a few for the next markets.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 29, 2013