BostonZest

Swan Boats Swan Song

Yesterday these famous swans waded ashore and waited patiently in line before boarding transportation to their winter quarters.

Sunday afternoon they made their last circuits for 2008 around the Public Garden lagoon and under the pretty suspension bridge.

All summer long they've paddled Swan Boats full of happy people around and around. They've earned their winter's rest.

Thank you to the Paget family for taking such good care of these Boston treasures.

Au revoir swans. See you in April!

Details:
www.swanboats.com

Verrill Farm Will Be Back in Business Today

On their blog, the folks from Verrill Farm announced the following:

"Corn and tomatoes anyone??

September 22, 2008 by verrillfarm

Great news! We’ll be open beginning tomorrow later today (Monday), selling corn and tomatoes from an open-air stand near our farm stand on Wheeler Road in Concord. We’d love to see our customers."

They also thanked the fire and emergency personnel who responded to the fire that destroyed their farm stand on Saturday and the customers and neighbors who have offered kind words and support.

I have to thank Chowhound.com's Boston community for the early information on this story.

Details:

Verrill Farm
Wheeler Road
Concord MA
www.verrillfarm.com

They say they will update news on their blog:
verrillfarm.wordpress.com

Happy Gotcha Day Swiffer!

Our dear pal, Swiffer from Watertown is celebrating the 7th anniversary of his Gotcha Day this week.

With a rescue, you don't always know the birthday. And, we all know a new life begins on the day when a rescue arrives in the arms of his or her new family. That's the Gotcha Day and a perfect day to celebrate.

We'd like to thank our friends David and Peter for the excellent care and wonderful life that Swiffer enjoys.

And, we'd like to thank Swiffer for bringing such great friends into our lives.

Seven years ago, we volunteered to do a home visit to see whether Peter and David's home was suitable and safe for a rescue pup. It surely was! In the years since, we've been rewarded by knowing a very special dog and his wonderful family.

In this photo, Mr. Swiffer was sneaking down the back steps to look at what David and I were cooking on the grill. To borrow a line from my friend Carol in Little Rock, you can just see the little wheels in his head turning as he tried to figure out how he'd get his share of the steaks and sausages.

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2008 Penny Cherubino  

B & R Ciabatta at Salumaria Italiana

Our search for sources of excellent bread is never ending. Lately, we've been relying on our favorite Italian grocer for our favorite bread.

For years, we've bought our key Italian ingredients at Salumeria Italiana on Richmond Street in the North End. There, we learned about outstanding pasta, rice, and olive oils.

Lately, they have been our source for our beloved ciabatta from B & R Artisan Breads.

The long oval loaf you see on the table to your left as you walk in the door is the gold standard by which we rate other breads.

It always seems to be on hand when we arrive. And, they sell half loaves for those who would rather avoid the temptation of having a whole one in the house. Today we bought the full loaf and split it with the friends who shared our afternoon of lunching and shopping in the North End.

If you're coming from some distance, and counting on a loaf, call the good folks at this wonderful little shop and they'll hold it for you. They did that for me earlier this week when I walked across the city to buy one.

Why would anyone walk more than 2 miles each way for a loaf of bread? If you don't know, visit this entry from last June to find out.

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/06/b-r-artisan-bre.html

Details:
Salumeria Italiana
151 Richmond St
Boston, MA 02109
(617) 523-8743

www.salumeriaitaliana.com

Grapes from Silverbook Farms

Grapes are one more item that are so good when you buy them right from the farm that you will have to convince yourself that the ones you buy the rest of the year are a different fruit.

I've been nibbling on a bunch of grapes from Silverbrook Farms this afternoon.  They are a delight. I may have to hunt more down at a different Farmer's Market instead of waiting for next Friday.

They were selling three varieties at Copley today. I wish I had purchased one of each to do a tasting.

Below are all the Boston (and P-Town) markets on their schedule in case you have a hankering for something special this week.

Details:
Silverbrook Farms from Dartmouth Mass can be found at the following farmers' markets.

City Hall Market- Monday
Harvard Market - Tuesday
City Hall Market- Wednesday
Copley Market- Friday
Provincetown Market - Saturday
South End Open Market- Sunday
www.silverbrookdartmouth.com

Goodbye To Another Old Friend

It's been a sad summer for the trees in the Back Bay.

Last week two old, elegant elms were removed from the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.  Another stately street tree was taken down on Marlborough street.

Yesterday, this Mall elm was "girdled." A ring of bark was removed to prevent the spread Dutch Elm Disease to the root system and then on to other trees. It too will be removed.

In time, a small tree will be planted by the Commonwealth Mall Committee in place of this one. They will also pay to have the elms around it inoculated against the disease.

You can support these volunteer efforts with your time and money. The contact information is under details below.

Here's a link to an article we prepared on how you can help fight Dutch Elm Disease.

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/06/time-to-keep-wa.html

In the months ahead, we'll tell you about the groups that support other parks in the city. Please add a comment here if you know of a park group doing similar work.

Details:
Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee
Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay
337 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 247-3961
[email protected]

http://www.nabbonline.com/committees/commonwealth_avenue_mall

The Leaves Are Coming....The Leaves Are Coming....

Yes, we're beginning to see red, yellow, bronze and brown leaves as we walk through the neighborhoods.

With cool days sprinkled in our upcoming forecasts, minds turn to thoughts of fall weekends and leaf peeping.

But, if you don't plan now, and make your reservations you may find yourself up a tree with nowhere to stay, no car to get there and no one to take care of your cat or dog.

So think about what you want to reserve for your special fall travels – hotels, restaurants, rental cars, Zipcars, pet sitters, or kennels.

All this is even more important if you would like to get away on the long Columbus Day Weekend, October 11th, 12th, and 13th.

The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism has it's Fall foliage resource page in place.

http://www.massvacation.com/scienceNature/fall-foliage.php

There, you'll find foliage reports, a peak foliage map, and links to events and resources throughout the state. Here is their estimated timetable.

Beyond our home state, I like Yankee Magazine's coverage and resources for the foliage season. They even have a blog with an RSS feed and a discussion forum you can join.

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/