Tag: Kate Stillman

Boston Public Market: Old Friends in a New Place

Our first visit to the new Boston Public Market was highlighted by hugs and visits with old friends, both people and products.

We took the MBTA to Haymarket Station last Wednesday for our introductory tour. It was lunchtime and the prepared food spots were hopping. It was obvious that many of the people there were like us, looking around and getting to know this new resource.

One of our first visits was with Kate Stillman at Stillman Quality Meats. Look up for the "S & Q" logo above her area. She proudly showed us the wide selection of products available at this location and reminded us that we have been her customers for ten years.

Having fresh meats of this quality available year-round is a great bonus for all of Kate's longtime customers who have followed her from farmers market to farmers market, CSA pick up sites, and her famous "Meat Meets."

Another farmers market friend, Leigh Foster from Nella Pasta was busy making orecchiette for their daily meal special. Remember, when you're looking for something to eat at the market, some vendors, like Nella Pasta, have prepared food in addition to the wonderful selection of things to take home.

And, since these recipes are freshly made with seasonal local produce, those items may change daily. This gives regulars a wider menu of options.

Some old friends were producers we've known for a long time like Daniele, Inc. We've been buying their Salame Tuscana at Market Basket and loving it. Now we have access to their New England Local Line.

These products are not only produced in Rhode Island, but are also made from hogs grown by local area farmers. In fact Daniele has been the recipient of a Good Food Award. The sponsoring organization explains that, "The Good Food Awards recognize that truly good food—the kind that brings people together and builds strong, healthy communities—contains all of these ingredients."

Davide Dukcevich, co-owner of Daniele Foods, has said, "I think it's very important that this award recognizes food producers who work with local farmers. The farmers are the ones holding firm when they could make more money by selling their land. They are the ones who work hard and are committed to the tradition of nourishing our communities."

We look forward to nibbling our way across this product line.

And, of course, we met some new friends-of-friends like American Stonecraft. Please click over and read their fascinating story of a relationship with farmers who grow stones.

We were quick to appreciate the Boston stone from our old friends at Allandale Farm. If you look at their list of more than 60 farms, you may find a number of your favorites among their partners.

Of course, there are more old friends to visit and many new friends to make at this wonderful new venue. We'll keep you updated as we visit again and again.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 12, 2015
Edible Boston’s Fall 2014 Issue Is Available

You'll find copies of the fall 2014 Issue of Edible Boston with its dark, moody cover photo of apples at some of the best places for local food and drink in the area. The arrival of my preview copy always brings a smile to a busy day.

As reader's know by now, I'm a devoted fan of this publication and especially the photography and photographers selected by this team. Like editor Ilene Bezahler, I have apples on my mind this time of year.

This issue is filled with photos like this one that speaks of the days of less light that are on their way to our Boston area lives.

News and Deeper Coverage

The fall issue also has a portrait of Kate Stillman. It leads into the article, Taking Control: Stillman's at the Turkey Farm Builds an Abattoir. Those of us who chat with Kate on a regular basis have heard step-by-step the long, difficult process that led to having her own facility to slaughter and process some of the animals they raise. Author Andrea Pyenson and photographer Katie Noble have told the story for everyone who enjoys Stillman's meat.

If you've always dreamed of a backyard brick oven, they have a feature for you – From Beehive to Barrel: A Tale of Two Ovens.

And back to those apples. This issue offers a feature on Far from the Tree Cider.

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

First, pick up a copy of the magazine at one of these locations. In fact, pick up two copies and share one with a food loving friend or leave it where someone might discover it among lesser publications and become a new fan.

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!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook! Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods as a bargain book or find more local food in the The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

September 29, 2014
The Boston Homegrown Cookbook

When my review copy of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes arrived last month, I leafed through page-after-page of old friends, long-admired farmers, and chefs and recipes I wanted to try. This is a collection that will be dear to Boston food lovers.

(Photo by Margaret Belanger)

The book profiles 28 Boston area chefs who work together with local farms to bring the freshest, locally grown, sustainable foods to their menus. Farmers like Kate Stillman, from Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm, and Chef JJ Gonson (above) often work together and laugh together.

The author, Leigh Belanger is a food writer and the program director for the Boston-based Chefs Collaborative, a national network of chef and culinary professionals dedicated to improving the food system through education and community building. With this publication, she has shown the strong community links that exist between Boston area chefs, local farmers, and food producers.

Pairings

The book is first divided into seasons. When you create a local and sustainable menu, seasonality is a driving factor. Each season has a collection of pairings of a chef with a food producer. An introduction gives some background on each member of the team and then recipes with the chef creating dishes using the food from that farm or source.

Among the chefs of summer is Steve Johnson of Rendezvous in Central Square paired with Eva Sommaripa and her legendary Eva’s Garden herbs that have been the secret of chefs since the 1960s. Steve puts summer tomatoes to good use in a Turkish Tomato Salad that he pairs with Grilled Mackerel.

I can't wait to try both. And, with the new fish vendors at the farmers' markets, I may be able to shop for the entire menu in one spot.

Photography

In addition to celebrating local heroes, seasonal food, and having recipes you’ll want to try year round, this is a beautiful book. You may want to keep it on your coffee table so you can open it often, each season, and try new recipes.

Photographer Margaret Belanger has a keen eye for the beauty of food from hoof, to field, and onto the plate. Her photographs are a family album that captures the people, places, and products that are part of the Greater Boston foodshed right now.

You can sneak a peek at some of her art in the preview provided on Amazon.

Book Tour!

There will be a cooking demo and book signing for The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes on June 28th, 7 pm, at Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street.

We've invited Leigh to update us on any other book signings and appearances in the comment section of this post. We'll send word out to you as we learn of them.

Thanks to everyone who remembers to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! And, for our readers in other parts of the country, there may be a Homegrown Cookbook for your area.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photograph Of Kate & JJ : © 2012 Margaret Belanger

Cover Art: Courtesy of Quayside Publications.

Disclosure: The publisher did provide me with a review copy of this book. Here is our full disclosure policy.

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June 5, 2012