Boston Area Farmer's Markets

The Boston Globe reported recently that the number of small farms in Massachusetts has increased dramatically, and the evidence is in the farmer's markets! There are so many new markets in the area that they are actually competing for farmers and their wares. In fact, such competition may lower prices at the markets for the consumer. The farmer's market is back on track - look at the wide literature for the reasons why - and ours in Davis Square is small but lively, and offers a wide variety of wonderful local foods.

After a year-round market in Berkeley, CA, we were saddened - but not surprised - to find that ours is open for less than half the year. Snow, ice, and the dark days of New England winter explain this, so it pays to take advantage of the market while it's here. While we belong to a CSA and don't need our farmer's market for everyday produce, I have found two fantastic sources of food there:

1) Seconds tomatoes. In Cali, we often made deals with the farmers to take home boxes of "seconds" tomatoes - those that may be bruised or over-ripe and perfect for sauce - for $0.50 a pound. Here I've found the farmers offer these tomatoes for quite a bit more ($1.00-1.50/pound), though I am far too wimpy to haggle...when I get these tomatoes home I skin them immediately by dousing them in boiling water with the stems removed, then I store them whole in the freezer for winter. We had tomato-based meals in the depths of winter last year that tasted like the happy days of summer.

Image from "Farmer Al's Seeds of Wisdom" published by Albert Stoddart

2) Honey from Farmer Al! Farmer Al, or Albert Stoddart the honey man, has a farm in South Lancaster where he makes his own honey. Last year he was the first farmer we met when we arrived in Massachusetts and he gave us free veggies as a welcome. Along with those veggies, he gave us his book Farmer Al's Seeds of Wisdom, which is based on - in his own words - his "own involvement and observation in the things of nature." Farmer Al tells us "to grow food for tomorrow takes a lot of faith in seeds" and "try as you may an apple tree will not provide an ear of corn." Should you want your own book of wisdom, visit Farmer Al!

Waltham Fields Community Farm

The greenhouse at WFCF

Last fall we joined Waltham Fields Community Farm in Waltham, Massachusetts so we could get our vegetables from a local and ecologically-friendly source. According to their mission statement, WFCF "...promotes local agriculture through growing and distribution practices that are socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable. We forge relationships between people, their food supply, and the land from which it grows." We fell in love with this farm, which is nestled in the outskirts of Boston among suburban homes and industry on the University of Massachusetts climate field station site and nearby Lyman Farm. They maintain several acres of fields, which they farm using mid-century tractors, volunteers, and a devoted team of farm staff. Not only do they grow vegetables for the Community Supported Agriculture members (like us), but they are committed to organic, sustainable practices, education, and hunger relief.

Susan picking peas.

Each week we venture out to the farm, where we collect our weekly share of veggies and participate in the you-pick selection, which allows us to enter the fields and choose our own food. The food comes from the plant to our hands and goes directly to our table, which has been the goal of this entire eating project! We feel fulfilled each week when we visit the farm and feel that this is a wonderful reciprocal relationship: we get tasty, fresh, and healthy produce and they can continue their efforts with our support. If you are interested in following what is happening at WFCF, read their newsletter, which is published each week.

Baby Blake's Food

My dear friend Jennie came to visit recently and we had so much fun feeding baby Blake his meals.  I don't know if Blake's food is local, but I couldn't pass up the fun shots of him eating with abandon!  

Makin' Pickles

Ah, the bounty of summer!  We are overrun with cucumbers from our summer CSA at Waltham Fields Community Farm right now.  Since cucumbers and I don't really get along, I decided to make pickles.  My mother-in-law and Grammy-in-law taught me some of what they know about canning and gave me a $1 Ball Blue Book: Easy Guide to Tasty, Thrifty Canning and Freezing to help guide my way.   I am most comfortable making pickles and jams because they are the most fool-proof and safest (because of the sugar and vinegar contents).  I followed the recipe for fresh-pack pickles, and even ground my own pickling spices and used fresh dill from the farm.  Grammy is a canning artist, and while it has often been a necessity for her, she maintains that canning should be fun - don't try to do too much in one day or you will lose interest.  I am keeping the pickles in the fridge, because I am not yet fully confident in my abilities - if anybody has tips on becoming a confident canner, I would love to know! 

The canned beauties.

Local Beer Tasting!

Downtown Wine and Spirits in Davis Square has one of the largest selections of beer, bar none!  Given Andrew's deep love of beer, it's been a quest to find the best local beers while we are living in Somerville.  He and his dad, Alan, had a tasting this summer to find their favorite local IPA.  They tasted approximately 10 beers from Maine to Delaware, and threw in a California favorite as a control (Bear Republic's Racer 5).  Although Racer 5 will always be the favorite, a new "local" choice from Delaware is Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA, which came in a close second.  

Recently, Downtown Wine and Spirits offered a tasting of Blue Hill India Pale Ale from Canton, MA, the brewery's first bottle!  It's an excellent local IPA that rivals all other local choices.  Andrew even got a free glass with a purchase of a 6-pack.  

MIT Farm Stand

In early spring, MIT debuted its first fruit and vegetable stand!  In an effort to get students to eat more fresh foods, they have partnered with Russo's to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to the MIT community.  My friend Anne, who is a vegetable and fruit enthusiast and keeps her own blog "So Many Veggies", met me there one chilly afternoon to peruse the bounty.  I love this photo of Anne with the Boston skyline in the background and the beautiful Florida oranges brightening up the winter scape.  We were amazed at how many students came to take advantage of this, and we both thought it was a sign that we city folk need more access to healthy produce.

Long lines at the MIT farm stand.

  

Maple Syrup in Somerville

One New England tradition that makes Andrew weak at the knees is maple syrup making.  We discovered that the Growing Center in Somerville has a very small production of maple syrup!  They tap trees with school kids at the Tufts University campus, then bring the watery sap to the Growing Center where it is boiled to make syrup.  This is an outdoor system, rather than the traditional sugarhouse, but it gave us a great look at how the process works.  The system was made by students at the local technical high school, and the syrup was given to those who participated in the process.  A local triumph from beginning to end!  

Tapping the trees to collect sap.

A local child shows us how it's done!

Andrew, in love with the outdoor sugar shack.  Wood is loaded into the fire through the door on the right, which boils the sap on the trays above.  The syrup is done when enough water has boiled off to leave behind the tasty elixir.

The names of the high school students who made the stove.

Apple Picking

Andrew with an apple-picker

Our blog is far behind, but I am ready to catch up now that I'm enjoying summer vacation.  Our winter here was hard and long, but I love the snow so much that it didn't bother me one bit.  We adapted to the winter vegetable hiatus by getting a CSA box from Enterprise Farm, and enjoying traditional, local events:  apple picking and maple syrup making!

We visited an apple orchard in northern Rhode Island with our friends Kris, Steve, and Greta.  This was Greta's first trip to an apple farm and she was a bit wary of the huge trees - until she got her hands on the sweet, tasty apples.  We picked Macoun, MacIntosh, Cortland, and other New England varieties. 

Steve and Greta Dahl, Kris Bovy

I made much apple sauce from this bounty, using the following method:

Core, peel, and roughly chop as many apples as will fit in your stewing pot.  I mix all varieties, though I'm sure other cooks will have opinions about the best apple sauce apples.  If you can, peel in the longest strands possible.

Mix the apples with long strands of the reddest peel (you should pull this out at the end, but it stains the apple sauce pink!), a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, and about 1/4 c. of water.

Simmer this gently and crush the apples occasionally with a spoon.  It's done when the apples are falling apart.  Remove the strands of apple peel - this is the reason I try to keep them as long as possible.

I don't find this recipe needs any sugar, but you may add some to taste.  This can be canned or frozen, or just enjoyed right from the pot!  Here's enough sugar to last you all winter long:

Greta choosing a Halloween pumpkin!