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At the Market: Saturn Peaches and a Lesson in Buying Local Fruit

We always try to alert you when we find local Saturn Peaches. These beauties are from Foppema's Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

These peaches are beautiful to us because they have fabulous flavor. We're more concerned with their taste than their appearance. A few spots, scales, and odd shapes won't faze us because we know that looks have little to do with taste.

Many things you buy at farmers' markets or directly from local farms last much longer than the same product from a supermarket. Greens, lettuce, and winter squash are a few examples. But, the "picked for sale, not for long transport and storage" objective that gives those items a long life can fool you when it comes to fresh fruit.

These peaches are left on the tree until they are almost ready to eat. That means when I choose them at the market, I select a variety of firmness options. I'll get a few that are starting to soften to eat today and some harder ones that are for the next couple of days.

We hadn't planned on going to the market on Friday but were nearby and wanted more of these lovely peaches. Unfortunatley, we didn't have our sturdy fruit containers with us to protect our bag of goodies. That meant a couple of the peaches didn't make it home in perfect condition.

With stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes, and some berries, it's a good idea to buy just what you can eat in a day or two. They were picked when ready for eating.

And, as far as looks go, we can always sort out the prettiest peaches in the bunch to pose for our readers.

Our Related Posts:

Here are more of our Local Food/Farmers' Market posts.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 28, 2014
Cafe Madeleine, Columbus Avenue, South End: A First Look

Monday morning, the food news crew over on Eater Boston announced that Cafe Madeleine was open. That gave us a route for our dog walk du jour.

As we approached from the shady side of Columbus Avenue, a chef in whites was visible in the doorway. That was the first indication that this was a place that takes pride in their food preparation.

The sandwich board sign tells the story of a place with some savory and some sweet items.

Inside, Penny spotted some of our favorite items from the shop owner's time at our favorite Cape Cod Cafe, BP Boulangerie in Wellfleet. We carried home three giant oatmeal cookies filled with dried fruit, two lovely croissants, and a lemon tart.

Many pastry chefs can make something look good, but it takes real talent to make it look good and taste wonderful.

Balancing the sweet and tart in something like this lemon creation is obviously not easy. Cafe Madeleine delivered a big punch of pure lemon zing with just enough sweet to balance it.

We will walk over often to get a few of these croissants.

This was opening day. They are learning their way around new suppliers, new equipment, a new kitchen, new ovens, and they're producing a great product. Just imagine what they can do when everything falls into place for them.

To the Cafe Madeleine team, we say, "Welcome to Boston." The staff was great! They had the answers to the questions Penny asked, and the service was prompt and professional.

You'll find Cafe Madeleine at 517 Columbus Avenue on the corner of Greenwich Park. (map)

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 26, 2014
Flavor Your Seltzer with Raspberry Infused Vinegar

Silferleaf Farm Raspberry Infusion Sweet Vinegar is a perfect flavoring for my home made Sodastream seltzer.

This is the same raspberry infusion I praised as a base for salad dressing, last week. I drink Sodastream seltzer all day long and flavor it with lots of different bitters or fruit. Also, I’ve been reading about shrubs which are an acidulated syrup with fruit and sugar. Well, that’s exactly what this organic local product from Concord, MA contains.

The side of the bottle lists the ingredients as: Organic Ripe Raspberries, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Cider Vinegar.

I put some of the Raspberry Infusion in an Amber Glass Bottle w/Glass Dropper that I found on Amazon and added it drop-by-drop until I found the perfect solution for me. I like just a hint of flavor and in this case a hint of pink!

Related Posts:

Flavor Your Home-Made Seltzer

Cool as a Cucumber Summer Sips

How Sodastream Set Me Free!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Flavoring Homemade Seltzer: An Archived Readers’ Choice

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August 25, 2014
Look Who We Just Met, Sunday Dog Monty!

We were sitting on a park bench last Sunday morning soaking up some lazy, August sunshine when along came Monty. This very friendly, curious five-month-old wanted to say hello to everyone and get some pats, which we happily supplied.

This handsome English Springer Spaniel is called Monty in memory of famed WWII British commander Bernard Montgomery. Although it’s hard to imagine our Monty with his own command, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear him occasionally bark out an order or two …

Springers are known for their intelligence along with a willingness to obey. They are confident, curious, like the water, and said to make fine family pets.

The name springer is said to refer to the act of “springing” game into the open. However, Monty is from a “show” line, not a “hunting” line, meaning he was bred to have a slightly different appearance including a longer coat.

Look closely and you’ll see that Monty is already starting to grow his “feathers” (as they’re called) on his legs – a feature that’ll also adorn his tail.

Great to meet you, Monty! You made our summer morning. Thanks for being this week’s Sunday Dog.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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 24, 2014
Lighthouse Lovers Resource from Boston Harbor Beacon, Our Friday Link

If you love lighthouses and would like to explore those around Massachusetts Bay, the site Boston Harbor Beacon has a guide for you.

A recent post, titled Lighthouses Along Massachusetts Bay, takes you on a tour that begins with, "The twin lights of Thacher Island sit about a mile off the Coast of Gloucester," and ends with, "Long Point: The end of the Cape!"

In all, 20 lighthouse views are covered in this piece. Photos and bits of information about each light are included. And, since this is a boating blog, the photos are often taken from the water which offers those of us who don't have regular access to a boat a new view of even a familar lighthouse.

We have awarded a previous Friday Link to this site when a collection of the boats you are likely to see in Boston Harbor were compiled and explained by the same crew.

Boston Harbor Beacon, Our Friday Link Takes You Boating

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot courtesy of Boston Harbor Beacon

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August 22, 2014
Fresh & Local August Tomatoes: Our Recipe & Tips Round Up

It’s the season to enjoy local tomatoes in New England. I’m carrying home bags of them from the farmers’ markets but I know some of you are fortunate enought to have them in your own gardens.

Last week, in response to a question, I shared a few of the posts we have in our archives with a small group of online friends. One of them said I should post the same information on BostonZest. Good idea! Here it is.

My First tip is to buy what you will use quickly and shop for them often while they are in season. Once you have them home, here’s the:

Best Way to Store Tomatoes via The Kitchn

They agree with me that tomotoes should not be refrigerated.

Even If You Don’t Cook

Sandwiches & More – Bread and tomatoes are perfect companions. You can make a real locavore BLT sandwich with a visit to the farmers’ market. Gather francese bread from Iggy’s, bacon from Stillman’s, tomatoes and lettuce from Silverbrook, and you have the makings of a great sandwich.

If you only have scraps and leftovers around the kitchen, get creative. Here’s what I did one evening.

Bacon, Parsley & Tomato Bites

Practice Your Knife Skills

Over at The Kitchn, they posted this piece to help you cut those tomatoes to perfection.

Three Essential Tips for cutting Tomatoes-Tips from The Kitchn

Once you master cutting, you can move on to our posts:

Can you chop a tomato?

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Farmers’ Market Pasta from Our Archives

And, if this is not enough:

More tomato mania from The Kitchn…

And even more, a round up of their tomato week.

Finally, while we’re on the topic of fresh & local:

Here are more of our Local Food/Farmers’ Market posts.

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: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Why a Serrated Knife Is the Best Tool to Slice Tomatoes – Tips from The Kitchn

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August 21, 2014
Fresh & Local August Tomatoes: Our Recipe & Tips Round Up

It’s the season to enjoy local tomatoes in New England. I’m carrying home bags of them from the farmers’ markets but I know some of you are fortunate enought to have them in your own gardens.

Last week, in response to a question, I shared a few of the posts we have in our archives with a small group of online friends. One of them said I should post the same information on BostonZest. Good idea! Here it is.

My First tip is to buy what you will use quickly and shop for them often while they are in season. Once you have them home, here’s the:

Best Way to Store Tomatoes via The Kitchn

They agree with me that tomotoes should not be refrigerated.

Even If You Don’t Cook

Sandwiches & More – Bread and tomatoes are perfect companions. You can make a real locavore BLT sandwich with a visit to the farmers’ market. Gather francese bread from Iggy’s, bacon from Stillman’s, tomatoes and lettuce from Silverbrook, and you have the makings of a great sandwich.

If you only have scraps and leftovers around the kitchen, get creative. Here’s what I did one evening.

Bacon, Parsley & Tomato Bites

Practice Your Knife Skills

Over at The Kitchn, they posted this piece to help you cut those tomatoes to perfection.

Three Essential Tips for cutting Tomatoes-Tips from The Kitchn

Once you master cutting, you can move on to our posts:

Can you chop a tomato?

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Farmers’ Market Pasta from Our Archives

And, if this is not enough:

More tomato mania from The Kitchn…

And even more, a round up of their tomato week.

Finally, while we’re on the topic of fresh & local:

Here are more of our Local Food/Farmers’ Market posts.

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: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Why a Serrated Knife Is the Best Tool to Slice Tomatoes – Tips from The Kitchn

Recipe: California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise – Recipes From The Kitchn

The Best Ways to Pack Sandwiches – Tips from The Kitchn

August 21, 2014
Great Hospitality at Jake’s Seafood in Hull, MA

We've been zipping down to Jake's Restaurant and Fish Market in Hull for years but we hadn't brought one of our dogs with us until recently. Our plan was to get some take-out and sit on one of the small stone benches they provide for folks waiting for tables on busy weekends.

I went in and asked the hostess if we could order take-out and if she had a menu I could bring outside to Ed so he could make his selection. I explained that we had our dog with us and would eat on one of their parking lot benches.

Her response was that we were welcome to eat on the patio if we didn't mind sharing one of the servers from inside. While the day had turned out perfect, the forecast had been for rain, so they had closed the patio for the day.

We didn't mind at all and set ourselves up at the corner table,

with this fantastic view!

I had a lobster roll on a grilled bun with fries and a bit of lemon and drawn butter on the side.

Ed opted for their Mediterranean Salad topped with grilled scallops. Check this menu for all the choices you have on top of a selection of salads.

And, as I noted in our post on Lobster Rolls vs Lobster Salad Rolls, Jake's does it right.

They have Jake's Original Lobster Roll. This is described on the menu as:

"Our classic! A full 1/4lb. of freshly picked lobster meat on a traditional hotdog bun (toasted with butter upon request), served with mayo on the side"

And, they have a Lobster Salad Sandwich:

"Freshly picked lobster mixed with our herb mayo & topped with sliced Hass avocado, lettuce & tomato, served on our toasted brioche roll"

The woman serving our lunch could not have been nicer, despite the fact that she had to leave her station inside and come out to the patio for one table. But, perhaps this great hospitality all around paid off because soon we were not alone out there.

If you take a ride to Jake's bring a cooler. The seafood market side of the business will have you taking home the makings of a second meal.

Thanks for the great hopitality Jake's, we'll be back soon!

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Luke's Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

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August 19, 2014
Great Hospitality at Jake’s Seafood in Hull, MA

We've been zipping down to Jake's Restaurant and Fish Market in Hull for years but we hadn't brought one of our dogs with us until recently. Our plan was to get some take-out and sit on one of the small stone benches they provide for folks waiting for tables on busy weekends.

I went in and asked the hostess if we could order take-out and if she had a menu I could bring outside to Ed so he could make his selection. I explained that we had our dog with us and would eat on one of their parking lot benches.

Her response was that we were welcome to eat on the patio if we didn't mind sharing one of the servers from inside. While the day had turned out perfect, the forecast had been for rain, so they had closed the patio for the day.

We didn't mind at all and set ourselves up at the corner table,

with this fantastic view!

I had a lobster roll on a grilled bun with fries and a bit of lemon and drawn butter on the side.

Ed opted for their Mediterranean Salad topped with grilled scallops. Check this menu for all the choices you have on top of a selection of salads.

And, as I noted in our post on Lobster Rolls vs Lobster Salad Rolls, Jake's does it right.

They have Jake's Original Lobster Roll. This is described on the menu as:

"Our classic! A full 1/4lb. of freshly picked lobster meat on a traditional hotdog bun (toasted with butter upon request), served with mayo on the side"

And, they have a Lobster Salad Sandwich:

"Freshly picked lobster mixed with our herb mayo & topped with sliced Hass avocado, lettuce & tomato, served on our toasted brioche roll"

The woman serving our lunch could not have been nicer, despite the fact that she had to leave her station inside and come out to the patio for one table. But, perhaps this great hospitality all around paid off because soon we were not alone out there.

If you take a ride to Jake's bring a cooler. The seafood market side of the business will have you taking home the makings of a second meal.

Thanks for the great hopitality Jake's, we'll be back soon!

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Luke's Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

No Mayo Lobster Roll From James Hook & Company

August 19, 2014
What’s Open on Labor Day 2014 in Boston, Plus Parking, Trash & MBTA Information

Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules for Monday, September 1, 2014.

This is an outdated post. We have created a permanent Labor Day holiday resource page that we'll update each year with new information. This will keep our readers from finding outdated pages like this one.

Labor Day In Boston Resource Page

We publish these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.

We hope you find time to enjoy some of the holiday weekend. How about a walk in the Pubic Garden?

Restaurants, Bars: Open

Update: 08/27/14: Eater Boston has posted a list of specific restaurants that are open.

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Liquor stores: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.

City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open. And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.

Update: 08/29/14: Traffic Advisory for College Move-ins

Traffic and Parking Advisory, Student Move-In, 2014 - There are some temporary restrictions from 8/25 to 9/1 in Allston, Brighton, Fenway, Mission Hill details here.

Street Sweeping: The City says, "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 617-635-4500 for exact details."

Boston Trash Collection:
The City says,

"Labor Day Week: Monday, September 1, 6am – Saturday, September 6, 2014, 5pm

No Delay of trash or recycling collection in Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Fenway, Leather District, Mission Hill, North End, Roxbury, South Boston, and the South End.

Allston/Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, West Roxbury and Hyde Park, delayed a day.

*If you live in Jamaica Plain and your trash is picked up 2 times per week, do not delay."

MBTA Labor Day Schedule For Labor Day 2014 can be found at this link through the holiday. (updated 08.21.14)

Download MBTA Labor Day Service Schedule 2014

Most of the system will operate on a Sunday Schedule but there are some commuter rail lines, buses, and boats that will not operate on the holiday. Please check the links above for these exceptions.

For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please call the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com."

If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.

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

August 18, 2014