Category: Food: Local/Farmers’ Markets

Everyone Will Be Buzzing about Edible Boston’s Fall 2013 Issue
Buzzing because the Fall 2013 issue of Edible Boston shines its spotlight on bees and beekeepers.

Features this time introduce you to: people who curate and sell honey, beekeepers, recipes that celebrate honey, urban beekeeping, restaurant beekeeping, why bees are important to us, and even "From Bees to Beer."

And, of course, there are a few more topics covered and enough resource lists to make this copy a keeper.

And, as always, the writing is from uber talented people like Brian Samuels and Leigh Belanger. The photography of Creative Director Michael Piazza is a visual class for anyone who loves to photograph people and food. Even the letter from publisher Ilene Bezahler is something I look forward to reading.

This month, she asks an imporant question, "Might the valuable lessons we've learned from the Local Food Movement be translated into more of our daily interactions?"

Yes, Ilene, perhaps they can – as long as we have people like you pose these questions.

How do you support the remarkably talented team at Edible Boston?

May I suggest that you:
- Let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine.
- Grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. (Here's where you'll find copies of Edible Boston)
- If you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about Edible Boston and link to them.
- Follow them on twitter, retweet their tweets.
- Like them on Facebook.
- Spread the word about this great asset to our community.
- And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can become an Edible Boston Member over on their website!
You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

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 6, 2013
Everyone Will Be Buzzing about Edible Boston’s Fall 2013 Issue
Buzzing because the Fall 2013 issue of Edible Boston shines its spotlight on bees and beekeepers.

Features this time introduce you to: people who curate and sell honey, beekeepers, recipes that celebrate honey, urban beekeeping, restaurant beekeeping, why bees are important to us, and even "From Bees to Beer."

And, of course, there are a few more topics covered and enough resource lists to make this copy a keeper.

And, as always, the writing is from uber talented people like Brian Samuels and Leigh Belanger. The photography of Creative Director Michael Piazza is a visual class for anyone who loves to photograph people and food. Even the letter from publisher Ilene Bezahler is something I look forward to reading.

This month, she asks an imporant question, "Might the valuable lessons we've learned from the Local Food Movement be translated into more of our daily interactions?"

Yes, Ilene, perhaps they can – as long as we have people like you pose these questions.

How do you support the remarkably talented team at Edible Boston?

May I suggest that you:
- Let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine.
- Grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. (Here's where you'll find copies of Edible Boston)
- If you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about Edible Boston and link to them.
- Follow them on twitter, retweet their tweets.
- Like them on Facebook.
- Spread the word about this great asset to our community.
- And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can become an Edible Boston Member over on their website!
You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

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 6, 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
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: Garlic

As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets.

Choosing Local Garlic

At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

Storing Garlic

You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

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 22, 2013
At The Market: Garlic

As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets.

Choosing Local Garlic

At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

Storing Garlic

You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

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 22, 2013