BostonZest

Your Farmers' Market Kit: Cash, Bags, Containers

Bring Cash

Ones, fives, tens, and quarters. The farmers will love you, and you'll shop faster! Each year, more stands take credit cards, but they tend to be the ones with higher priced items like meat and specialty foods. 

Bring Bags and Containers 

Also, bring what you'll need to tote your fresh food home. For example, I bring plastic containers for berries and cherry tomatoes. It ensures they arrive home in perfect condition.

Remember, a local farmer doesn't grow and pick fruit and vegetables to make them perfect for shipping, they grow and pick them to make them perfectly delicious. You also save the farm the expense of the bags and baskets and help the environment.

Keep it Cold

Finally, bring an ice pack or a small cooler. It can hold all your shopping or just perishables like meat, fish, cheese, and eggs.

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

Dig Safe Says, "Be Carefu" or Is It, "Be Careful?"

Spotted near the corner of Newbury and Exeter Streets, this message from Dig Safe. Yes, they should be careful about how they write messages on the sidewalk. But, better marked than not.

Did you know that, "... State Law requires you to notify Dig Safe for even small projects, like installing a mailbox or planting shrubs." I didn't. But, when you think about it, it makes sense. 

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino  

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Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café, Boston: A First Look

Thanks to Boston's Chowhound scouts, we had already heard about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café in Chelmsford. Our mouths were ready for our first bite when we heard a branch would be opening in Boston. 

Here's the #4 Hand-Pulled Noodle (biang biang mian) dish loved by many of Gene's loyal fans.

Gene's offers the opportunity to set aside your Americanize palate and eat as you might in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China. This is a cuisine we haven't seen much of on the Boston food scene. 

A pile of thick, chewy noodles are stretched, ripped, and cooked to order. Then, they're sauced with chili oil, garlic, and cilantro. Stir it up and slurp away. (These dishes are not as spicy as they look.The chili oil is humming rather than fiery.)

When the open sign came on last Wednesday, word spread quickly among the area food community and to the downtown workforce. 

"Yes, sir, this is the place!"

The line was out the door when we arrived. And it took about a half hour from the end of the line to having a bag of food in our hands. There are a few tables inside, but we took our steaming-hot feast over to a table at Brewer Fountain on the Common. (The Chinatown Greenway Park is even closer to the noodle source.)

Our second dish was the #9 Cumin Lamb hand-pulled Noodles. This was our favorite. In additon to the noodles it had cumin lamb, sprouts, onions, peppers, and chili oil. The lamb was so delicious that we will add a couple of lamb skewers to my next order. 

Here is a long conversation on Chowhound's Boston Board about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café.

And, here's the conversation about the new Boston location.

By the way, the café's namesake, flatbread with pork, and house noodle soups are on the list for our next visit.

Details:

86 Bedford Street, Boston, MA 02111 (map)

Phone: 617-482-1888

Hours: Monday - Friday: 11AM - 4PM (Weekend: Closed)

Payment: Cash only 

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

Sunday Dog, Meeshu Has Magical, Different Colored Eyes!

As if our Sunday Dog, Meeshu weren’t cute enough, just stare into those magical, different colored eyes! They’re so amazing that this fashionable phenomenon (not uncommon in many animals, including some humans) is celebrated every July 12th during Different Colored Eyes Day! 



Poppy and I were out for a walk the other day when we noticed this energetic, little bundle of curiosity bounding straight for us. At five months old, Meeshu reminds me of puppy Poppy last July. He wants to play with every dog he sees!



We were joined by a third pup and everybody had a good play! We’ll be watching as this little guy grows up. And, from what I’ve heard, Poppy’s looking forward to a rematch.

For more about Eye Color in Dogs, check out: A Sunday Dog Named “Blue”

And, get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Ed Cherubino  

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Farmers' Market Pasta from Our Archives

This recipe for a quick, fresh, farmers' market pasta was buried deep in our archives from 2008. Today, we're posting it anew so that a recent generation of BostonZest readers can try it out. 

Farmer’s Market Pasta

When summer tomatoes and corn are at their best, let them star in this simple, uncooked sauce. You'll be surprised at how creamy and rich it tastes.

For the sauce:

• 2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes chopped into 1/2” cubes. (If you find heirloom tomatoes of different colors it will make a prettier pasta. The version in the photo has red, yellow, and green heirloom tomatoes.)
• 1/2 cup of olives pitted and chopped roughly. (Kalamatra olives are fine or if you can find a mix of green and black olives in the deli case, they would be perfect. That’s what I use. If they are in herb seasoning, so much the better)
• 2 to 4 large, fresh basil leaves sliced into chiffonade  (very thin strips)
• 1 cup of sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 2 or 3 scallions sliced into thin rings
• 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
• 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled (One of my recipe testers, cj in Michigan used feta cheese and Kathie in Illinois tried it with Boursin.) Try any soft cheese you like if you don’t like goat cheese. )

Toss all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. This may be made a couple of hours ahead, making this a great dish for entertaining.

For the Pasta:

• 8 oz. dry pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions. We like small shells or orecchiette but any shaped pasta that will help scoop up the sauce is good.
• Drain the pasta but don’t worry about shaking off all the water, it will help form the sauce. (I usually scoop out a cup of the hot pasta water before I drain the pasta just to be sure I have some if the mixture looks a tad dry.)

Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed to form a light, creamy sauce. Serve family-style in a big bowl or plate in individual soup or pasta bowls.

Garnish (optional)

Garnish each serving with a few basil leaves and, if you like, pass a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano around the table and let each person grate their own.

Note: Today I took a bit of a short cut that added a big taste to this recipe. Instead of plain goat cheese, I bought a marinated goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market. This already had olive oil, garlic herbs, and pepper.

I prepped my heirloom tomatoes and corn from Stillman's Farm, chopped more heirloom tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic from Atlas Farm, and the result was absolutely delicious.

This is a recipe that encourages improvisation. Let us know what riffs you play with it.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino 

At the Market: Fruit Is Popping up All Over!

These July Red apples are among the first of the local, apple crop to pop up at the Foppema's Farm (still known to some as Keown Orchards) stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

Since we shop this market twice a week, we include many photos from this venue. However, many of the same vendors appear at other markets around the area and the same local crops will be in-season at most Massachusetts markets.

Stone Fruit like these plums plus some white and yellow peaches have also made their appearance.

And, it is the height of blueberry and raspberry season. We bring our own berry containers to the market to transport these delicate beauties home in top condition.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Peter Ward, Manager of the Central Square Farmers' Market, broadcast this shout out after the heat wave. "...we thank customers who toughed it out and shopped during the prolonged heat wave. The Farmers Market stays open for business rain or, in this case shine. And a tip o' the cap to the folks who picked crops, weeded and bailed hay back on the baked farm fields."

(These particular squash blossoms were from Flats Mentor Farm.)

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market manager, said he bought, "… some very delicate squash blossoms from Siena Farms the other day. These ephemeral and fragile blooms can be best used stuffed with burrata from Fiore Di Nonno, or some fresh herbed Chevre from Crystal Brook Farm, then fried up, a great and easy appetizer."

In Season, Right Now!

This is the height of the summer season. The stands are full of the foods you'll want to savor while they last. Field tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, blueberries, greens, new potatoes, onions, herbs, carrots, turnips, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, beets... The list goes on-and-on.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Barbara Hamilton of Hamilton Orchards tells us that we were seeing the last of her red currents and green gooseberries. Foppema said they are still picking red currents.

Coming Soon!

Our favorite Saturn Peaches are just a couple of week's away. We'll buy them by the bagful and eat them daily until their season wanes.

Market Tip: If you are in a hurry and need to ask who has a specific item, stop by the Market Manager's Table at your local market. The staff there can usually answer questions like this or they will know how to find out quickly.

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

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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.

Boston Tree Care: Who's Paying the Bills? This Time, the Garden Club of the Back Bay

... with a little help from the city.

Trees make Boston a better place to live. During this month's heat wave, did you find yourself moving from one shady spot to another as you walked around the city? But, who pays for the care of the trees that make our lives cooler in summer and refresh our air supply. If you think all the care of Boston's tree canopy is paid for with tax dollars, you're wrong!

Right now, a major tree care project is underway on Beacon Street in the Back Bay. It is funded by the Garden Club of the Back Bay (GCBB) along with a grant from Beautify Boston.

That's Bobby Loree, Arborist for Boston Tree Company, in the photo above. Bobby has been working for the GCBB, Friends of the Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee for 20 years caring for trees in the parks and along the streets of the Back Bay.

Over the next couple of weeks, Boston Tree Company crews will prune 67 large, historic Linden trees on Beacon Street. These trees were planted in 1907 after a design by landcape architect Arthur Shurcliff. 

Bobby says, “We prune them in summer because there are fewer students, people are on vacation and fewer cars.”

Residents will find some parking restrictions to allow the arborists to do their work safely.

And, drivers will need to be alert as large branches are guided to the ground. 

The GCBB explained, "The cost of the pruning project, expected to take 10+ days, will be $1400 per day. It will be paid with a $5000 grant from Beautify Boston to The Garden Club of the Back Bay, with the difference to be made up by a Garden Club contribution."

You can help the Garden Club pay for this project by becoming a member or making a contribution.

Linden trees are most useful and important beyond their ability to create shade and oxygen. To learn why we call them musical trees and much more about these neighborhood giants (they can grow to 80 feet) check out our post: Musical Tree Plays Many Tunes.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Top photo courtesy of the Garden Club of the Back Bay remainder © 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.