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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Gastronomic Adventure in Vermont's North Country



Shepard Farm in Putney, VT

If you've been following this blog for a while, you might remember a post from last January 2012 where we described a day trip Tara and I took to Vermont to explore its dairies.  We were so enchanted by that 12-hour trip that we vowed to return with enough time to fully experience the New England farm life.  That vow brought us to the mountains of Northern Vermont for a week (this past October) to taste cheeses, wines, maple products, apple products, and anything else we could eat.  The trip cemented Vermont’s status in my mind as the best rural vacation spot in New England because, as most food swappers can surely relate, the locale with the best food wins!

Our Vermont adventures started before we even arrived at the resort when we stopped at the Ben and Jerry’s factory for a scoop.  On our last trip, we remembered a tiny shopping center down the street with wine, chocolate, and cheese, so we stopped there too.  Between the first shopping center and the resort, we discovered the Cold Hollow Cider Mill store (complete with yet ANOTHER wine tasting on the property) where we could watch cider pressing and buy cider jugs, donuts, fudge, and hot dogs!  So, on one road in Waterbury, Vermont (Waterbury-Stowe Rd for those of you who won’t get to the end of the sentence before your GPS is programmed) we found an ice cream factory, two wine tastings, cider heaven, a Lake Champlain Chocolate store and a Cabot cheese shop!  We even heard that the Green Mountain Coffee Company is on a different street within a mile or two from this delicious strip although we didn't make it this time.  Therefore, we renamed Waterbury, VT “Mecca” because it is the holy land for your mouth.  

Throughout the week, we visited a number of actual farms across the state.  In January, we only made it to the Fat Toad Farm after dark when we couldn’t take a tour so it was our top priority this time around.  This time, we got to meet the goats as well as their cows, pigs, chickens, and dogs!  We also witnessed the humans making epic goat’s milk caramel.  The team at the farm had the stroke of pure genius to add bourbon and salt to their caramel to make a seasonal treat that is mind bending.  We did, however, learn that their incredible chevre is no longer in production.  Thankfully, we bought several tubs from the final batch!  

The most beautiful farm, hands down, was in Shelburn.  The Shelburn Farm is actually a gilded age-era agricultural estate turned non-profit farm education center.  Besides the horses and sheep, here you can also see Olmstead designed landscapes, architecturally breathtaking farm buildings, and the Lake Champlain shoreline.

Being true urbanites, we needed a few quick breaks from the rural mountain air.  To get our city on, we enjoyed a dinner at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill in Burlington and even sampled poutine north of the border in Montreal.  At Montreal Poutine, our adorable French-speaking waiter noted that this was our poutine "baptism" and asked if our happiness was big! The highlight of the Canadian leg of the trip was waiting for the French speaking maple syrup pitchman at Les Délices de l'érable to do the English version and realizing from a single sentence that he was a native Bostonian!  Here, we learned to make “maple on snow” and bought syrup mixed with rum! 

Bragging just a little at King Arthur

The final leg of our edible pilgrimage led us on a two hour “hunting” expedition at the King Arthur Flour baker's store.  If you like to bake (and really, who among us doesn't?) King Arthur is essentially a giant toy store.  Not only did I leave with a bucket full of cool tools (literally, a bucket full – I bought a multi-gallon food-grade bucket!), but I also left with a fat list of Christmas ideas for my family and myself.  In fact, I think their multi-tiered cooling rack is the must-have accessory for every cookie swapper this holiday season.

So despite GPS giving us the choice of plunging down a ravine or driving over a wooded dirt pile, driving for hours to get to a closed farm, and a little hurricane you may have heard of, our bellies were happy.  And a happy belly makes for a memorable vacation.  



Boston Food Swap is a community organization funded entirely by donation. Support us through Paypal or BFS merchandise, and by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook. If you enjoyed this blog post, please share it!  Also, you can join us at our next swap by checking out our Eventbrite page

Thursday, May 9, 2013

It's Almost Time! Boston-Area Farmer's Markets Opening Soon



We're chomping at the bit (of veg) waiting for our favorite farmers' markets to open. To celebrate, we've updated our 2011 list of Boston-Area farmers' markets by day of the week (or check out this cool map tool):

SUNDAY
• Harvard Square Farmers' Market, 1 Bennett St/Charles Hotel, 10am-3pm, Opens 5/20
• SoWa Farmers' Market, Thayer Street off Harrison Ave, 10am-4pm, Opened 5/6

MONDAY
• City Hall Plaza Farmers' Market, 1 City Hall Plaza/Government Center, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/20
• Central Square Farmers' Market, Norfolk St at Bishop Allen Dr, Noon-6pm, Opens 5/20
• South Boston Farmers' Market, 446 W Broadway, Noon-6pm, Opens 5/13

TUESDAY
• Copley Square Farmers' Market, Boylston Street & Dartmouth Street, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/14
• South Station Farmers' Market, Summer Street & Atlantic Ave, 11:30am-6:30pm, Opens 5/21
• Dorchester House Farmers' Market, 1353 Dorchester Ave, 11:30am-1:30pm, Opens 6/25
• Jamaica Plain Farmers' Market, 677 Centre Street, Noon-5pm, Opens 6/12
• Harvard University Farmers' Market, Oxford Street & Kirkland Street, Noon-6pm, Opens 6/19
• Grove Hall Farmers' Market, 461 Blue Hill Ave, 3-7pm, Opens 7/10
• Roxbury/Dudley Farmers' Market, Dudley Town Common, 3-7pm, Opens in June

WEDNESDAY
• Arlington Farmers' Market, Russell Common, 2-6:30pm, Opens 6/13
• City Hall Plaza Farmers' Market, 1 City Hall Plaza/Government Center, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/20
• Cambridge Center Farmers' Market, Broadway at Main Street, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/15
• Davis Square Farmers' Market, Day St & Herbert Street, Noon-6pm, Opens 5/22
• Charlestown Farmers' Market, Austin Street & Main Street, 2-7pm, Opens 7/4
• Northeastern Farmers' Market, Ruggles MBTA stop, 11am-5pm, Opened 5/1

THURSDAY
• Kendall Square Farmers' Market, 500 Kendall Street, 11am-2pm, Opens 5/31
• Prudential Center Farmers' Market, 800 Boylston Street, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/16
• Medford Farmers' Market, Behind City Hall, 3-7pm, Opens 6/6
• South Station Farmers' Market, Summer Street & Atlantic Ave, 11:30am-6:30pm, Opens 5/21
• JP/Loring-Greenough Farmers' Market, 12 South St, Noon-dusk, Opens 6/6
• Codman Square Farmers' Market, 367 Washington Street, 1-6pm, Opens 6/20
• Coolidge Corner Farmers' Market, Beacon Street & Centre Street, 1:30pm-dusk, Opens 6/14
• Dorchester-Bowdoin Farmers' Market, 230 Bowdoin Street, 2:30-6:30pm, Opens 6/20
• East Boston Farmers' Market, Bennington St & Meridian St, 3-7pm, Opens 7/5
Mission Hill Farmers' Market, Huntington Ave & Tremont Street, 11am-6pm, Opens in June
Roxbury/Dudley Farmers' Market, Dudley Town Common, 3-7pm, Opens in June
• Mystic Market Farmers' Market, 530 Mystic Ave, 11am-4pm, Opens in June

FRIDAY
• Copley Square Farmers' Market, Boylston Street & Dartmouth Street, 11am-6pm, Opens 5/14
• Boston Medical Center Farmers' Market, 840 Harrison Ave, 11:30am-2:30pm, Opens 6/14
• Harvard Square Farmers' Market, 1 Bennett St/Charles Hotel, Noon-6pm, Opens 5/25
• Allston Farmers' Market, North Harvard Street & Western Ave, 3-7pm, Opens 6/14
• Dorchester-Ashmont Farmers' Market, 1943 Dorchester Ave, 3-7pm, Opens 7/6

SATURDAY
• Chelsea Farmers' Market, 500 Broadway, 9am-1pm, Opens in July
• Fields Corner Farmers' Market, Dorchester Ave & Park Street, 9am-Noon, Opens in July
• Everett Farmers' Market, 410 Broadway, 9am-1pm
• Union Square Farmers' Market, Washington Street & Prospect St, 9am-1pm, Opens 6/1
• Cambridgeport Farmers' Market, Magazine Street & Memorial Drive, 10am-2pm, Opens in June
• Mystic Market Farmers' Market, 530 Mystic Ave, 11am-4pm, Opens in June
• Frederick Douglas Square Farmers' Market, Tremont Street & Hammond Street, 11am-5pm
• Jamaica Plain Farmers' Market, 677 Centre Street, Noon-3pm, Opens 6/12
• Allston Village Farmers' Market, 500 Cambridge Street, 11am-3pm, Opens 5/18
• Roslindale Village Farmers' Market, Adams Park, 9am-1pm, Opens 6/1
• Egleston Farmers' Market, 45 Brookside Ave, Jamaica Plain, 10am-2pm, Opens 6/1

What is your favorite farmers' market?

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Dear Boston Globe, "Veggie-Induced Stress" Is Why We Swap!

WENDY MAEDA/GLOBE STAFF via Boston globe
Dear Boston Globe,

Your article in the Lifestyle section this morning,  "Farm-share programs, and angst, on the rise," is something we know all too well. At the Boston Food Swap, we believe it's important to support local farms, and we choose to by raising funds, shopping farmers markets, and joining CSAs (and not just veggie — Lyn and I even split a grain share).

Yes, CSAs are a commitment, and can sometimes be too much of a good thing if you're unprepared for the volume. But it doesn't have to be another thing to worry about. There are ways to keep your sanity and kitchen stocked.

As single people, we split shares amongst friends (Lyn and I just also signed up for Red Fire Farm's veggie and fruit shares), or use Boston Organics for a more manageable, delivered-to-your-door ease.

But the biggest way we reduce this veggie-induced stress you speak of is by holding our monthly food swaps. When it's July and you have more zucchini than you could eat in a lifetime, pickle it, grate it into patties, bake it into bread, or just plain bring it whole and raw, and swap it for something else. Like jam, or sourdough, or eggs, or cookies. Yes, your zucchini can get you cookies. We promise, someone will want it.

We want everyone to enjoy local produce, even if you sometimes get sick of it (spoiler: even we do). So come check out a swap. Our next one is on May 19. We hope to see you there!

Best,
The Boston Food Swap

Monday, April 22, 2013

Recap: March Food Swap

It's been a crazy week here in Boston and our hearts go out to all those impacted by the tragic events at the Boston Marathon last Monday. Two of us left lunch at L'Espalier just minutes before the bombing so we count ourselves very fortunate to have survived.

That said, we are long overdue for a recap of the March food swap, so on a happier note ...


Sunday, March 21 was our first time hosting a swap at Collaboratory 4.0, a coworking space in the South End. The airy space and bright colors set just the right mood for a spring food swap.


Ginger seemed to be a running motif at this swap. I traded ginger pear butter made in my slowcooker, while another swapper brought ginger syrup and ginger candy. Yum!


Vegan cookies were another favorite at this swap. Gemma swapped three different varieties of vegan cookies, and Lipi made a vegan cookie sweetened with maple syrup. But it wasn't all sweets. Connor's harissa hummus added a savory twist to the afternoon, and Lauren's spiced candied nuts were a big hit.

Tara's blood orange marmalade was another highlight of the swap. I ate some on plain yogurt and my jar has already disappeared!


Did we whet your appetite? Join us in May for our next swap and stay tuned for a recap of our April swap (both coming soon ...)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Your Kitchen Skills Immortalized

The founder of Cookies for Kids' Cancer has written a cookie cookbook and featured the Boston Food Swap's Cookie Swap for a Cause in it!  Purchase of the book supports CFKC so you can add to your recipe collection AND do your good deed for the day.  In addition, if you use the Amazon Associate link below, you can help support the continued operation of your neighborhood food swap.  Get yours today!




Boston Food Swap is a community organization funded entirely by donation. Support us through Paypal or BFS merchandise, and by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook. If you enjoyed this blog post, please share it!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Recap: January Food Swap

This is shaping up to be a hectic year for this trio of food swappers, and we've been so busy traveling and planning future swaps that we're just now finding the time to recap our January swap. We're mixing things up in 2013, so the venue for our January swap was the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market.


We tabled at the winter market last year, so we knew it's a vibrant gathering place for Cambridge foodies, food producers, musicians, and others. The market also gave swappers something to do before or after the swap.

As always, the swap attracted a delicious array of homemade goodies of the sweet and savory variety. Here's a look at a few highlights:

I took home six of these charming mini cheesecakes. Score! To avoid over-indulging, I ate the fruit topping and froze the cheesecake portion of four of them so I can enjoy them later.


The Cutlip ladies have become swap regulars, and we always look forward to their artfully packaged creations. Pictured above: maple thyme vinaigrette and fig and herb pesto. They also brought spiced cashew butter and Concord grape jelly, which Lyn tells me made one of the most epic PBJs ever.


Gemma's sweet potato blondies were a huge hit. We need to get Gemma's recipe because these babies were addictively moist and sweet while also being vegan. Yes, please!


In addition the items pictured above, we also had lentil soup, mushroom barley soup, chocolate grand marnier truffles, bourbon apple butter, popcorn, pickle relish, chocolate pistachio bark, and rice muffins. View more swap photos on our Facebook page.

The February food swap was cancelled due to Storm Nemo, but we're hosting the March Food Swap on March 24 at the Collaboratory in the South End. Register now to join in all the food-swapping fun!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

#12DaysofCookies Recap

Today is the cookie swap, and we couldn't be more excited! For the past 12 days, we've been sharing recipes from around the blogosphere to help inspire culinary creativity. In case you missed a recipe, here's a recap:

Happy Holidays!