Category: Food: Local/Farmers’ Markets

Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015
Pull out your calendars and mark the dates when you can go and see our Boston area farmers market friends at their summer spots. Our Friday Link today is will take you to your favorite markets.
Here are the opening dates for some of our favorite markets. The links are to maps of the locations.
- Copley Square: May 12th (Tuesdays and Fridays)
- Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): May 13th (Wednesdays)
- Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May16th (Saturdays)
- Union Square, Somerville: May 16th (Saturdays)
- Central Square, Cambridge: May 18th (Mondays)
- South Station/Dewey Square: May 19th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Davis Square, Somerville: May 20th (Wednesdays)
- Cambridge/Charles Square: May 24th (Sundays), June 5th (Fridays)
- Boston Public Market on the Greenway: May 27th (Mondays and Wednesdays)
- Cambridgeport: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Kendall Square (500 Kendall Street): June 4th (Thursdays)
- Roslindale: June 6th (Saturdays) Back in Adams Park this year.
- Egleston Jamaica Plain: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Harvard University Farmers Market: Cambridge: June 9th (Tuesdays)
- Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 18th (Thursdays)
- Allston/Harvard Farmers Market: (N. Harvard St & Western Ave) June 19th (Fridays)
- Allston Village, 500 Cambridge St: June 20th (Saturdays)
- The year-round Boston Public Market will be opening in July.
If you have confirmed dates for your favorite farmers market, please tell us in a comment or send us an email and we'll add it as an update to this post.

We use and highly recommend a Rolser Shopping Trolley for your farmers market visits. It stands on its own and can haul your purchases over city sidewalks without a problem.

See our review of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes. It's full of chefs, farmers, and food producers you know, and we highly recommend it. Remember, always click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino
May 8, 2015
Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015
Pull out your calendars and mark the dates when you can go and see our Boston area farmers market friends at their summer spots. Our Friday Link today is will take you to your favorite markets.
Here are the opening dates for some of our favorite markets. The links are to maps of the locations.
- Copley Square: May 12th (Tuesdays and Fridays)
- Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): May 13th (Wednesdays)
- Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May16th (Saturdays)
- Union Square, Somerville: May 16th (Saturdays)
- Central Square, Cambridge: May 18th (Mondays)
- South Station/Dewey Square: May 19th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Davis Square, Somerville: May 20th (Wednesdays)
- Cambridge/Charles Square: May 24th (Sundays), June 5th (Fridays)
- Boston Public Market on the Greenway: May 27th (Mondays and Wednesdays)
- Cambridgeport: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Kendall Square (500 Kendall Street): June 4th (Thursdays)
- Roslindale: June 6th (Saturdays) Back in Adams Park this year.
- Egleston Jamaica Plain: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Harvard University Farmers Market: Cambridge: June 9th (Tuesdays)
- Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 18th (Thursdays)
- Allston/Harvard Farmers Market: (N. Harvard St & Western Ave) June 19th (Fridays)
- Allston Village, 500 Cambridge St: June 20th (Saturdays)
- The year-round Boston Public Market will be opening in July.
If you have confirmed dates for your favorite farmers market, please tell us in a comment or send us an email and we'll add it as an update to this post.

We use and highly recommend a Rolser Shopping Trolley for your farmers market visits. It stands on its own and can haul your purchases over city sidewalks without a problem.

See our review of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes. It's full of chefs, farmers, and food producers you know, and we highly recommend it. Remember, always click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino
May 8, 2015
Where to Dine on Mother’s Day, May 10th 2015 Around Boston

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Northeastern, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2015 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed and some lovely flowers.

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 10, 2015.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Our picks and, for us, al la carte Menus Get Our Nod

Bistro Du Midi has a prix fixe menu in their formal dining room but there are also offering an al la carte menu in the Cafe. With the Swan Boats and Public Garden across the street, this can be a wonderful choice for lunch and a stroll and family photos in a beautiful setting.

Lineage in Brookline is also on the a la carte option plan. Boston Chefs says, "Lineage will be open early for brunch and dinner this Mother's Day, offering up a special a la carte brunch menu, as well as, their regular dinner menu."

The Red Dory in Tiverton, RI: Like many Bostonians, we are long time fans of chef Steve Johnson and miss his food and smiling face at Rendezvous in Central Square. If a road trip to a waterfront destination would make your Mother's day perfect, head to his new place, the Red Dory. We asked about his Mother's Day plans and he wrote, "Open M'sDay/no special menu except many recent seasonal updates + including Sunday Tapas supplemental menu – Cheers!"

For something different take Mom out on Saturday. Would she enjoy afternoon tea at the Courtyard restaurant inside the Boston Public Library? They say, "Join us for a special Saturday opening for Mother's Day! Enjoy our Afternoon Tea Menu complete with savory tea sandwiches and sweet confections from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm."

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

If you are meeting people from outside the city, you might consider La Morra in Brookline.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

We also love the Island Creek Team spot out in the Fort Point neighborhood, Row 34. Here's our post on this great addition to the city's dining scene.

And, for the best gift, let Mom choose something from her Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

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SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

April 27, 2015
Where to Dine on Mother’s Day, May 10th 2015 Around Boston

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Northeastern, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2015 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed and some lovely flowers.

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 10, 2015.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Our picks and, for us, al la carte Menus Get Our Nod

Bistro Du Midi has a prix fixe menu in their formal dining room but there are also offering an al la carte menu in the Cafe. With the Swan Boats and Public Garden across the street, this can be a wonderful choice for lunch and a stroll and family photos in a beautiful setting.

Lineage in Brookline is also on the a la carte option plan. Boston Chefs says, "Lineage will be open early for brunch and dinner this Mother's Day, offering up a special a la carte brunch menu, as well as, their regular dinner menu."

The Red Dory in Tiverton, RI: Like many Bostonians, we are long time fans of chef Steve Johnson and miss his food and smiling face at Rendezvous in Central Square. If a road trip to a waterfront destination would make your Mother's day perfect, head to his new place, the Red Dory. We asked about his Mother's Day plans and he wrote, "Open M'sDay/no special menu except many recent seasonal updates + including Sunday Tapas supplemental menu – Cheers!"

For something different take Mom out on Saturday. Would she enjoy afternoon tea at the Courtyard restaurant inside the Boston Public Library? They say, "Join us for a special Saturday opening for Mother's Day! Enjoy our Afternoon Tea Menu complete with savory tea sandwiches and sweet confections from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm."

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

If you are meeting people from outside the city, you might consider La Morra in Brookline.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

We also love the Island Creek Team spot out in the Fort Point neighborhood, Row 34. Here's our post on this great addition to the city's dining scene.

And, for the best gift, let Mom choose something from her Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Related articles

SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

April 27, 2015
Edible Boston’s Spring 2015 Issue Is Available

Leave it to the team at Edible Boston to create a cover that perfectly describes our slow melt into spring.

My first stop when my preview copy of this publication arrives in the mail is to read publisher Ilene Bezahler's letter to her readers or family as she considers the local food community.

This month, she had something very important to say and I'm going to quote her message. It's something we've been writing about since the impact of this winter became apparent.

"This spring I would like to extend my family by inviting the members of the local food community to join me at an imaginary table.

Over the 9 years that I have been publishing the magazine I’ve enjoyed many a meal, a drink or just a relaxed conversation with these new family members. We’ve shared stories of our lives, daily events, troubles and accomplishments. And like families do, we have helped each out when help is needed.

Well, now is the time that our family needs help. This past winter has been brutal and the economic impact on the local economy is huge. Think about how many days stores and restaurants had to close due to snow. A closed business means no revenue, revenue that cannot be made up.

How can we help? Shop in your local store rather than online. Eat out a little more than usual. Pay full price for merchandise rather than waiting for a sale. Remember a little action on our part will have a big impact on our food family."

Edible Boston is a local business, too.

And, they can also use your support. Here's what I always say about that.

How do you support a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

Here's where you can pick up a copy.

May I suggest that you let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine and grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. Also, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

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Poppy Says, "Time to Get a Dog License!"

April 13, 2015
Edible Boston’s Spring 2015 Issue Is Available

Leave it to the team at Edible Boston to create a cover that perfectly describes our slow melt into spring.

My first stop when my preview copy of this publication arrives in the mail is to read publisher Ilene Bezahler's letter to her readers or family as she considers the local food community.

This month, she had something very important to say and I'm going to quote her message. It's something we've been writing about since the impact of this winter became apparent.

"This spring I would like to extend my family by inviting the members of the local food community to join me at an imaginary table.

Over the 9 years that I have been publishing the magazine I’ve enjoyed many a meal, a drink or just a relaxed conversation with these new family members. We’ve shared stories of our lives, daily events, troubles and accomplishments. And like families do, we have helped each out when help is needed.

Well, now is the time that our family needs help. This past winter has been brutal and the economic impact on the local economy is huge. Think about how many days stores and restaurants had to close due to snow. A closed business means no revenue, revenue that cannot be made up.

How can we help? Shop in your local store rather than online. Eat out a little more than usual. Pay full price for merchandise rather than waiting for a sale. Remember a little action on our part will have a big impact on our food family."

Edible Boston is a local business, too.

And, they can also use your support. Here's what I always say about that.

How do you support a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

Here's where you can pick up a copy.

May I suggest that you let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine and grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. Also, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

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What's Happening Around Boston in April 2015

Poppy Says, "Time to Get a Dog License!"

April 13, 2015
Book List: Morning Glory’s Farm Food: Stories from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen

My review copy of Morning Glory's Farm Food: Stories from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen by Gabrielle Redner was a pleasure to have had around during the summer farmers' market season. And, as the days grow colder, I'm thrilled to have this book to remind me of the warm September days we have spent on Martha's Vineyard.

Right about now, my favorite chapters are Pumpkins and Winter Squash: Late Harvest Great Food, and Root Vegetables: Treasure Hunting.

Most food lovers who have spent time on Martha's Vineyard have been enchanted by Morning Glory Farm. This book contains not only recipes straight from the farm's own chef Robert Lionette, but also from some of the great island home cooks who rely on local farms like Morning Glory for inspiring ingredients.

Here's a bit of the Publisher's Description of the Book:

"Morning Glory’s Farm Food brings you stories about how the local foods you love are grown and gives you 102 recipes straight from the farm kitchen overseen by Chef Robert Lionette. Morning Glory owner Jim Athearn also updates you on the local farm scene – and how it has changed in the forty years he’s been a farmer, including the most recent renewal of interest in growing food on small, sustainable farms."

Alison Shaw Photography

Beyond the wonderful memories and great recipes, the photographs by Alison Shaw will inspire any photographer.

Most of the photographs on the walls of our home are my own. But, I can glance over my shoulder from my desk and see one of Alison Shaw's early color photos. Also, Ed and I own and love one of her black and white prints of Squibnocket Beach.

Ed and I have followed her work from the days when we had a year-round subscription to the Vineyard Gazette where her photos were a highlight of each issue for us.

Obviously, I recommend this book for your own collection or as a gift for someone who loves great food, this wonderful farm, fabulous photography, and the magical Island of Martha's Vineyard.

Another Opinon from Megan

How do those recipes work out? Megan over at Delicious Dishings made the Roasted Winter Squash with Cranberry Sage Butter and had great results.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site! We think you would also enjoy two other cookbooks from this publisher: Morning Glory Farm, and the Family that Feeds an Island and Delish! The J.W. Jackson Recipes; A Martha's Vineyard Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: Alison Shaw photography, Courtesy of Vineyard Stories

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At the Market: Local Artichokes from Stillman's Farm

What's Happening Around Boston in November 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 Dining Out in Boston

Edible Boston's Winter 2015 Issue Is Available

December 8, 2014
2014-2015 Winter Farmers’ Market Schedule Around Boston

The open air farmers' market season is over, and it's time for us to start our list of the 2014-2015 Winter Farmers' Markets in the Boston area. We'll add to this list as we discover more markets opening.

Somerville Winter Farmers' Market

Winter Indoor Farmers’ Markets Around Boston

Boston/Egleston Winter Farmers Market, has a new location at the Urbano Project, 29 Germania St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 (map) Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, (Through February 2015, except Dec. 27th.)

Brookline Winter Farmers Market, Arcade Building, 318 Harvard Street, (map) Sundays
12:00 pm to 5:00 pm (11/02 to 06/01/15)

Cambridge Winter/Alexandria Technology Square Farmers Market
700 Technology Square Atrium, (map) Wednesdays, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (11/12/14 to 04/29/15)

Newton Winter Farmers' Market, 90 Lincoln Street-Hyde Community Center, Newton, MA 02461(map) Tuesday, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (November 18, 2014 to June 16, 2015)

Somerville Winter Farmers Market, 191 Highland Avenue, (map) Saturdays, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (December through March)

Cambridge Winter Farmers Market, 5 Callender Street, (map) Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
(01/03/14 to 04/25/15)

Dorchester/Codman Square Winter Farmers Market has moved to Fridays: 6 Norfolk Street, (map) Fridays, 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm (01/09 to TBA. Last year they stayed open through March)

Chelmsford Agway Winter Farmers Market, 24 Maple Road, Chelmsford, MA (map) Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (11/1 -2/28) Thanks to the reader who sent this one our way last year.

Update 12.8.14: (Thanks to Ben Sommer!)

Roslindale Winter Farmers Market, 30 Birch Street, Roslindale, MA (map) Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (1/3 – 3/28 2015).

Destination Markets Worth the Trip

Wayland/Russell's Garden Center Winter Farmers Market 397 Boston Post Road Rte 20 (map) Saturdays, 10:00am to 2:00pm, 01/10 to 03/14/2015

Newburyport Winter Farmers Market, Tannery Marketplace, 50 Water Street (map)
Sundays 9:00am to 1:00pm, Dec. 7 & 14, 2014, Jan. 4 & 18, Feb. 1 & 15, March 1, 15, & 29, April 12, 2015

Do you have a favorite place to shop for local foods in winter? Let us know!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 5, 2014
Old Friends Farm Organic Ginger Syrup

Tomorrow, at the Copley Farmers' Market, will be your last opportunity to stock up on Old Friends Farm Organic, Ginger Syrup. You'll find it and some of the local ginger that's used to make it at the Atlas Farm Stand.

I bought my first bottle a week ago and returned to the market on Friday to buy three more bottles to keep me sipping throughout the winter.

This is a simple mixture of organic sugar, organic fresh ginger, and organic lemon juice. It's made in small batches out in Amherst. I've transferred some to a glass dropper bottle and add a few drops to my seltzer in place of my usual bitters.

I've also used it to make a simple tisan by adding some to a cup of hot water. I like my tisan mild but you can make yours as gingery and sweet as possible.

Another early win for this product was drizzled over a scoop of a good vanilla ice cream. It seems that this will be the winter of experimenting with this lovely flavoring. I'm thinking up a salad dressing recipe as I write this post.

Ginger as a Tummy Soother

I also think that I'll be glad to have a supply of this when I have a tummy upset. Ginger is my tummy soother of choice. I have a supply of ginger gum, lemon ginger tea, and crystallized ginger for stomach upsets. I also think it might be a wonderful gift for someone undergoing chemotherapy.

But, and this is a BIG BUT, before you decide to use ginger as a form of alternative medicine, you must read all about it, the good and the bad, from a trusted source, and check with your own medical team to get their opinion. It does have side effects and can interact with other medications. It is not safe for everyone.

In additon to my doc, my trusted source for information on alternative healing substances is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Here's a link to their page on ginger. You will have to read their disclaimer and agree to it before you click through to the information.

Update 03/24/16 Online Ordering!

On their website, Old Friends Farm has a note on their specialty products page:

Now you'll find items from their farm including ginger syrup in their Etsy Shop.

Here from back in 2008 is our first post on Local Organic Ginger from Old Friends Farm.

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: ©2014 Penny Cherubino

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More on Those Local Artichokes from Stillman's

What's Open in Boston on Thanksgiving 2014, Plus MBTA Schedule Changes, Parking, Trash & More

November 24, 2014
More on Those Local Artichokes from Stillman’s

As I began to prepare the artichokes we told you about last week, I asked Ed if he wanted to see what they looked like inside. He came to the kitchen with his camera.

I’m glad he did, because now I can show you what these little beauties looked like when I cut off the top to expose the leaf structure. I have never worked with artichokes with such tight buds.

I found myself wanting to remove as little as possible to preserve as much of each artichoke as I could. My favorite tool for trimming the leaves are my Shun kitchen shears. (More about those in an upcoming post. For now, let me say this would be a great holiday gift for any cook who is struggling with less well-made kitchen shears.)

Since we wanted to really taste the fullest possible flavor of these artichokes, I decided to cut them in half and steam them.

I also removed the tiny chokes to make less work at the table. (When I can, I like to leave the messy jobs in the kitchen.)

Here’s a post from “Our Best Bites” showing how to remove the choke. This also shows the difference in store bought and local-from-the-farm artichokes. I’ve worked with many artichokes over the years that look just like those in that post.

Off to the cooktop in the steamer basket of my favorite, little, useful cooking pot.

Sorry, we didn’t take photos of the finished product. We tucked right in and soon the Stillman’s artichokes were just a pile of scraped leaves left behind by two diners with smiles on their faces.

Halley who staffs the Stillman’s stand at the Copley Farmers’ Market answered a question one of our readers asked in the last post.

Q:”…How are these being harvested in October? Is it because of our seasonally warm fall? Artichokes are a spring vegetable for sure.”

A: “So here’s the scoop on artichokes. Traditionally they are not a crop grown in New England because they produce during their second year and cannot survive our winters. It is possible to get production here but it takes A LOT of work. You have to start the seeds as transplants in the greenhouse very early in February, then you set up a “cold treatment” that tricks the seedlings into thinking that they have gone through a winter. After that they are transplanted into the field where they finally produce fruit at the end of the summer.

If your reader is looking for more information, they can reference the artichoke section from Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog.”

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: ©2014 Ed Cherubino

November 5, 2014