Tag: Brookline farmers market

National Cheese Lover’s Day – Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Massachusetts Cheese Guild sent us a reminder that today is National Cheese Lover's Day. The BostonZest team is made up of cheese lovers, so today is a day for us! We even have a separate category, Food: Cheese for our cheese coverage.

Because we live a freelance lifestyle, we often eat our main meal of the day in the afternoon and enjoy a plate of cheese with a bit of something else and a glass of wine for our evening bites.

We also find ourselves shopping for great cheese in Boston's wonderful ethnic markets. Above is a collection of foods we purchased in Watertown's Middle Eastern neighborhood. A trip there will always include string cheese and feta.

Smith’s Country Cheese at the Brookline Farmers' Market

Crystal Brook Farm goat cheese lunches at the Copley Farmers' Market

We love supporting Massachusetts cheeses at area farmers' markets. Both of those above are members of the Massachusetts Cheese Guild. Here's a link to the other local cheese artisan producers who have joined to provide mutual support and education about our state's cheese products.

Artisan Cheese Trail

The guild also has created their Artisan Cheese Trail, a map for you to explore the possibilities in person. We highly recommend that you pop over and explore the guild's site. You'll find cheesemakers to visit from Westport to Williamstown and beyond.

Explore New Cheeses

One of the truly great things about cheese is that a good shop will let you taste a bit before you buy. If you avoid the precut and shrink wrapped, you will not have to be afraid to try a new cheese.

You might discover that there are some blue cheeses you love and some you don't. We had that happen with a friend who didn't think he'd like the blue cheese his partner adored. Until our cheese tasting adventures put one on his plate with a slightly different flavor note.

If this day speaks to your soul, set out from here to explore more Massachusetts Cheeses in particular, and different cheeses from your current favorites in general.

Here are other posts from our Cheese Collection!

What's on your Cheese shopping list? Here are some great books about cheese. These make wonderful gifts for a cheese lover. And, when you shop Amazon from here, they put some coins in our tip jar.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2008-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar photo courtesy of Cabot Cheese.

January 20, 2015
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

June 20, 2013
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

June 20, 2013
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

June 20, 2013
At The Market: Brookline & Belmont Markets Open Today

Brookline Summer Farmers' Market

Long before every neighborhood was setting up a farmers' market for locals, the Town of Brookline was supporting fresh and local food every Thursday afternoon in summer at the Brookline Summer Farmers' Market. It will run each Thursday from now until October 31st. Hours are from 1 pm to dusk.

Last year, a winter market was set up in the Arcade building, making this town the year-round envy of many of its neighbors.

We've told you about the joys of this market before both here and on Serious Eats. Plan a Thursday afternoon in Coolidge Corner, and you'll discover many food related joys!

Belmont Farmers' Market

Also, today from 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., you can enjoy meeting a great group of vendors on opening day of the Belmont Farmers' Market. We're going to put a trip to Belmont on our market shopping list because we really enjoyed this market the last time we were there.

Market Tip of the Week

Chef Seta Dakessian from Seta’s Mediterranean Foods (shown above) with Jason Tucker from Red's Best seafood at the Copley Sq. Market, suggests bringing a cooler to your farmers’ market, especially if you're buying fresh fish!

Farm & Market Tidbits…

Genevieve Stillman from Stillman Farm reports, "We are harvesting lettuce, chard, beets, arugula, mesclun, turnips, onions, strawberries, snap peas, and more. Of course, we'll have plants at the markets for the coming month too! I've been enjoying freshly snipped herbs in all my salads, as well as edible flowers."

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager, said, "I've always liked a good dilly bean. Now I can get them at the market from our new vendor Maine Homestead! There are so few commercial picklers in New England that sell at farmers markets. I think we're really lucky to have them here with us on Tuesdays."

Peter Ward, Central Square Farmers' Market Manager said, "Great to see Chef Steve Johnson of Rendezvous – a regular at the market – back shopping this season."

In Season, Right Now!

Mushrooms, green garlic, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok Choi, chard, snap peas, chive flowers (love those- break them up in your salads,) herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils.

Coming Soon!

Strawberries are about to star at all our markets.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

Related articles

Farmers' Markets Opening Dates Spring 2013

At the Market: New Location for City Hall Market

Farmers' Markets a "Win-Win-Win"

Early Season at the Copley Square Market

June 13, 2013
At The Market: Brookline & Belmont Markets Open Today

Brookline Summer Farmers' Market

Long before every neighborhood was setting up a farmers' market for locals, the Town of Brookline was supporting fresh and local food every Thursday afternoon in summer at the Brookline Summer Farmers' Market. It will run each Thursday from now until October 31st. Hours are from 1 pm to dusk.

Last year, a winter market was set up in the Arcade building, making this town the year-round envy of many of its neighbors.

We've told you about the joys of this market before both here and on Serious Eats. Plan a Thursday afternoon in Coolidge Corner, and you'll discover many food related joys!

Belmont Farmers' Market

Also, today from 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., you can enjoy meeting a great group of vendors on opening day of the Belmont Farmers' Market. We're going to put a trip to Belmont on our market shopping list because we really enjoyed this market the last time we were there.

Market Tip of the Week

Chef Seta Dakessian from Seta’s Mediterranean Foods (shown above) with Jason Tucker from Red's Best seafood at the Copley Sq. Market, suggests bringing a cooler to your farmers’ market, especially if you're buying fresh fish!

Farm & Market Tidbits…

Genevieve Stillman from Stillman Farm reports, "We are harvesting lettuce, chard, beets, arugula, mesclun, turnips, onions, strawberries, snap peas, and more. Of course, we'll have plants at the markets for the coming month too! I've been enjoying freshly snipped herbs in all my salads, as well as edible flowers."

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager, said, "I've always liked a good dilly bean. Now I can get them at the market from our new vendor Maine Homestead! There are so few commercial picklers in New England that sell at farmers markets. I think we're really lucky to have them here with us on Tuesdays."

Peter Ward, Central Square Farmers' Market Manager said, "Great to see Chef Steve Johnson of Rendezvous – a regular at the market – back shopping this season."

In Season, Right Now!

Mushrooms, green garlic, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok Choi, chard, snap peas, chive flowers (love those- break them up in your salads,) herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils.

Coming Soon!

Strawberries are about to star at all our markets.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

Related articles

Farmers' Markets Opening Dates Spring 2013

At the Market: New Location for City Hall Market

Farmers' Markets a "Win-Win-Win"

Early Season at the Copley Square Market

June 13, 2013
At The Market: Brookline & Belmont Markets Open Today

Brookline Summer Farmers' Market

Long before every neighborhood was setting up a farmers' market for locals, the Town of Brookline was supporting fresh and local food every Thursday afternoon in summer at the Brookline Summer Farmers' Market. It will run each Thursday from now until October 31st. Hours are from 1 pm to dusk.

Last year, a winter market was set up in the Arcade building, making this town the year-round envy of many of its neighbors.

We've told you about the joys of this market before both here and on Serious Eats. Plan a Thursday afternoon in Coolidge Corner, and you'll discover many food related joys!

Belmont Farmers' Market

Also, today from 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., you can enjoy meeting a great group of vendors on opening day of the Belmont Farmers' Market. We're going to put a trip to Belmont on our market shopping list because we really enjoyed this market the last time we were there.

Market Tip of the Week

Chef Seta Dakessian from Seta’s Mediterranean Foods (shown above) with Jason Tucker from Red's Best seafood at the Copley Sq. Market, suggests bringing a cooler to your farmers’ market, especially if you're buying fresh fish!

Farm & Market Tidbits…

Genevieve Stillman from Stillman Farm reports, "We are harvesting lettuce, chard, beets, arugula, mesclun, turnips, onions, strawberries, snap peas, and more. Of course, we'll have plants at the markets for the coming month too! I've been enjoying freshly snipped herbs in all my salads, as well as edible flowers."

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager, said, "I've always liked a good dilly bean. Now I can get them at the market from our new vendor Maine Homestead! There are so few commercial picklers in New England that sell at farmers markets. I think we're really lucky to have them here with us on Tuesdays."

Peter Ward, Central Square Farmers' Market Manager said, "Great to see Chef Steve Johnson of Rendezvous – a regular at the market – back shopping this season."

In Season, Right Now!

Mushrooms, green garlic, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok Choi, chard, snap peas, chive flowers (love those- break them up in your salads,) herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils.

Coming Soon!

Strawberries are about to star at all our markets.

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

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

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.

Related articles

Farmers' Markets Opening Dates Spring 2013

At the Market: New Location for City Hall Market

Farmers' Markets a "Win-Win-Win"

Early Season at the Copley Square Market

June 13, 2013
Ancienne French Baguette from Clear Flour: A Best Bite
With a dedicated bread-a-holic in residence, we have tried all the recommended baguettes in the Greater Boston area. Our favorite is from Clear Flour Bread. While we pick up their regular baguette when we see it at Whole Foods or another shop, we will go out of our way to get their darker, richer Ancienne style.
This bread deserves a slide show to flaunt its star power. Click on any thumbnail to open any photo in the space above.

On their site, Clear Flour describes it as, "rustic french baguette with a very open texture & a fully caramelized crust for those seeking bold crunch and mildly sweet flavor." It's always the first item we order at the bakery or at their stand at the Brookline Farmers' Market.

Important tip: This bread is not available until after 1pm so plan your shopping trip with that in mind.

When the poster, doctorandchef, over on Boston's Chowhound board asked for the areas's best Parisian-style Baguette, Penny quickly nominated the Ancienne French and it won applause from the locals. (That conversation also discusses other wonderful, local, favorite baguettes.)

Some of the criteria doctorandchef requested were:

"1) a crisp (yes, I want crisp!!) and light crust
2) proper reddish brown hue
3) open crumb structure with a creamy appearance
4) chewy texture
5) firm enough that when you break the baguette in half, it makes noise, yet soft enough that it doesn’t break apart completely
6) Smell of wheat…"

We've tried to show these characteristics in the photos above.

What's your favorite Boston area baguette? Have you tried the Ancienne from Clear Flour? If so, let us know what you think.

Related Posts:

Cherry Tart Season at Clear Flour Bakery: A Best Bite

Clear Flour Pain Meunier or Miller's Bread

Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

Brookline Farmers' Market – Thursday is Market Day

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino
July 30, 2012
Ancienne French Baguette from Clear Flour: A Best Bite
With a dedicated bread-a-holic in residence, we have tried all the recommended baguettes in the Greater Boston area. Our favorite is from Clear Flour Bread. While we pick up their regular baguette when we see it at Whole Foods or another shop, we will go out of our way to get their darker, richer Ancienne style.
This bread deserves a slide show to flaunt its star power. Click on any thumbnail to open any photo in the space above.

On their site, Clear Flour describes it as, "rustic french baguette with a very open texture & a fully caramelized crust for those seeking bold crunch and mildly sweet flavor." It's always the first item we order at the bakery or at their stand at the Brookline Farmers' Market.

Important tip: This bread is not available until after 1pm so plan your shopping trip with that in mind.

When the poster, doctorandchef, over on Boston's Chowhound board asked for the areas's best Parisian-style Baguette, Penny quickly nominated the Ancienne French and it won applause from the locals. (That conversation also discusses other wonderful, local, favorite baguettes.)

Some of the criteria doctorandchef requested were:

"1) a crisp (yes, I want crisp!!) and light crust
2) proper reddish brown hue
3) open crumb structure with a creamy appearance
4) chewy texture
5) firm enough that when you break the baguette in half, it makes noise, yet soft enough that it doesn’t break apart completely
6) Smell of wheat…"

We've tried to show these characteristics in the photos above.

What's your favorite Boston area baguette? Have you tried the Ancienne from Clear Flour? If so, let us know what you think.

Related Posts:

Cherry Tart Season at Clear Flour Bakery: A Best Bite

Clear Flour Pain Meunier or Miller's Bread

Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

Brookline Farmers' Market – Thursday is Market Day

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino
July 30, 2012