BostonZest

At the Market: Boston Farmers' Markets Continuing through November!

This is the time to enjoy the abundant harvest season at your favorite farmers’ market. Yet, as we walk back from the market with overflowing bags of produce, neighbors react with surprise when we say we’ve been at the Copley Square market.

Many consumers think that seasonal markets end after Labor Day. Thankfully, they don’t. Most Boston area outdoor markets remain open through late October and a few run until Thanksgiving.

Here are area markets still open with their closing dates:

East Boston/Central Square: October 23rd (Thursdays)

South End/SOWA: October 26th (Sundays)

Harvard University Farmers' Market: Cambridge: October 28th (Tuesdays)

Charlestown: October 29th (Wednesdays)

Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): October 29th (Wednesdays)

Brookline/Coolidge Corner: October 30th (Thursdays)

Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): November 1st (Saturdays & Tuesdays)

Mission Hill/Roxbury, Brigham Circle: November 20th (Thursdays)

Union Square, Somerville: November 22nd (Saturdays)

Roslindale: November 22nd (Saturdays)

Copley Square: November 25th (Tuesdays and Fridays)

Cambridge/Central Square: November 24th

South Station/Dewey Square: November 25th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Boston Public Market on the Greenway: November 26th (Mondays and Wednesdays)

Davis Square, Somerville: November 26th (Wednesdays)

If we missed your favorite market let us know and we'll add it to the list.

Indoor winter markets will open as the outdoor markets close. As soon as we have enough dates and places confirmed, we’ll share those with BostonZest readers.

Here are more of our Local Food/Farmers' Market posts.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

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.

 

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Finding Pros for Your Dog in Boston: Walkers, Pet Sitters, and Kennels

Dog Walkers

Dog walkers are a common sight around the city. These professionals fill in for family during the work day, making sure the pups get breaks to relieve themselves and a nice dose of exercise. As when hiring any caregiver for an animal you love, ask friends and neighbors for recommendations and ask questions about those aspects of the job that are important to you and your dog.

What Questions? Here is a post from Dogwalker.com that outlines important ones you might overlook.

Pet Sitters 

Those who have cats and other indoor pets, as well as dogs, might need a pet sitter from time to time. Pet sitters will come to your home each day, stay in your home, or keep your pet in their home.

If you use a dog walker, start with him or her. You and your dog already know and trust the person who is in and out of your house each day and responsible for your dog’s safety on the city streets. Many dog walkers do offer pet sitting. 

There are also a few people in every neighborhood who make a little extra income by taking care of pets. If you ask neighbors for recommendations, you may find a gem in your area.  

Some dog breeders provide boarding services for dogs in their line. In the case of small scale breeders, your pet could have the run of their home except at bedtime. 

Boarding Kennel or Dog Hotel?

Boarding kennels vary drastically in the quality of the facilities and the services they offer. You should insist on seeing exactly where your pet will be kept and inspect the entire facility before choosing one. 

Here's a great article on choosing a kennel from the Humane Society of the United States.

Dog hotels are one step up from kennels. They offer rooms with walls and furniture rather than wire pens or kennels. The best dog hotels are quieter, calmer, and more like a home environment than kennels. 

Special Health Requirements

Boarding facilities will require proof that your animal is up-to-date on immunizations and in good health. If you have a dog or cat with serious health issues who needs careful monitoring of a medical condition or is very frail, consider boarding your pal at a veterinary hospital with 24-hour medical staff on duty. Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain offers this type of service for their clients.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2011-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino witht he traveling dog from iStockphoto.com

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We Will Miss This View from Hamersley's Bistro

One more thing we'll miss when Hamersley's Bistro disappears at the end of October is the view through that big window out front.

On a recent visit, this young woman was sitting reading on the wall in the little garden beyond the patio.

We enjoyed the parade of dogs that prance by on their evening rounds. 

Watching the snow pile up in winter and the people enjoying the patio in summer has always been a joy.

The reasons we'll miss Hamersley's are many. We talked about some of them in the following posts. This is just one more.

Hamersley's Bistro Tops Our List for September & October

Hamersley's - Focused Owners Keep it Wonderful

Brunch on Hamersley's Patio: A Sunday Sojourn

Telling Julia Child Stories

Wine Doggie Bags: Bring the Rest of That Bottle Home

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino  

This Wine Chiller Works for Both Champagne & Skinny Bottles

We love this wine chiller! We found it when we were searching for a larger chiller for our beloved sparkling wine bottles. It's called a Rapid Ice Champagne Cooler. 

We were delighted when we realized it was also the perfect chiller for oddly shaped and skinny wine bottles like the rosé shown in the photo above. That little drawstring with a button lock lets you snug the chiller tightly around the neck of any bottle. That means you can lift and pour without removing the bottle from the sleeve. 

We like it so much, we've bought a second one. That means it can make a wonderful gift for a host or hostess or a thank you gift for a wine lover. Even if someone has one, they can use another!

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino  

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Thanks to the Flower People

We walk a lot, miles and miles each week. And, as we walk, we enjoy the work of all the people who bring brilliant color to Boston neighborhoods with their flower power. Walking and enjoying the gardens is free fun for many Boston residents and visitors.

This glorious morning glory is in a friend's front yard. I remember one year when she was so disappointed because her morning glory vines didn't bloom. They made up for it this year with an explosion of velvety purple trumpets. 

The pale pink of these geraniums popped against the brick of a South End townhouse where someone had a great sense of floral design.

It was a hard year for hydrangeas. Some didn't bloom at all after the winter deep freeze. It makes me wonder about the special care this one had at the hands of a dedicated gardener. This bloom on the shady side of Commonweatlh Aveune was the size of a large cabbage.

Thanks to all who labor in gardens and add to the scene as neighbors and vistors enjoy walking the residential streets of Boston.

 

What's on your Garden Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon from here for all your garden, roof deck, and patio needs and support this site!

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny Cherubino 

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High Water Fenders, All in a Row at Steamboat Wharf

I love the look of these bulbous fenders on the seawall at Steamboat Wharf Marina in Hull. The area around Hull and Nantasket Beach is a great photography destination. 

From 1818 to 1929, steamboats brought Bostonians to the beach at Nantasket for the day or for a stay in one of the hotels that lined the waterfront.

(Postcard from the Boston Public Library collection used under this creative commons license.)

There is summer ferry service today but the landing is not as close as these boats land about two miles from the beach. This ferry is managed by the town of Hull and was out of service for repairs through August 10th. It should be back in service now. You can get updates on the town's website.

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!

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino