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Where to Find Farmers' Market Goods Off Season
By Lee Duhl & Mary Kernan
For the Lexington Minuteman
Publication Date: October 20, 2005
Autumn is in full swing now, with colors ablaze and the coats
and sweaters emerging from our closets to bolster us against chillier weather.
Our children have adjusted back into their school routines and before we know
it, Thanksgiving will be upon us. And, just one week remains to the first season
of the Farmers' Market here in town. Even though the market will be closed after
October 25th, there are still plenty of ways to purchase products from your
favorite vendors during the off season.
As you’ve wandered around the market, you’ve no doubt realized that there is
more to choose from than fruits and vegetables. Sampling your way from stall to
stall, you’re sure to be drawn in by Diane Manteca at Sassy River Sauces.
Manteca puts out an eclectic array of sauces, produced out of necessity. As a
chef for over 18 years, including work as a caterer, restaurant owner, and
instructor of private cooking classes, she’s had to watch her diet for most of
her adult life. "I was looking for flavorful additions to foods,"
Manteca said, "in an effort to spice them up without adding a lot of
calories." She came up with combinations like Provencal Olive Pesto and
Caribbe Lime Mango Chutney – things you would never think to put together; she’s
got a magic touch that makes them work.
This is the first year that Manteca has branched into food
production, and she’s found that the farmers’ markets are a great way to
test her products. "I get to see the customer’s reaction and hear their
feedback directly." Participating in the Boston, Plymouth and Lexington
markets, Manteca has found Lexington to be one of her favorites. "I’ve
developed a good following and people seem to come back week after week"
she told me. There are always a few disappointed faces when she runs out of her
crowd-pleasing low fat Basil Pesto. With the close of the market, you can still
find Sassy River Sauces at Russo’s in Watertown, The Vineyard in North Andover
and L'Alouette here in town. For more information, you can reach Sassy River at
(978) 667-1065.
After the close of the season, Busa Farm, on Lowell
Street in Lexington, is a great place to find many of our vendors' products.
Fran Busa, an early supporter of the Lexington’s Farmers’ Market, has worked
with many of the market vendors to stock their products in the upcoming months.
Knowing what a great following the folks at Globe Fish have developed,
Busa has arranged to continue selling their fresh fish in his store every
Tuesday, enabling you to get your fix of fabulous swordfish, scallops, halibut
and other varieties fresh off the boat. In addition, Busa Farms will continue to
stock a terrific assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, always a welcome
addition to the cold New England winter.
|Charlton Orchards Farm &
Winery in Charlton, MA is open 7 days a week, June thru December, and on
weekends Jan thru May, of each year. They’re
located only 15 minutes from historic Sturbridge, MA, and offer a wonderful
variety of farm products, wine and tasting events throughout the year. While you’re
there, be sure to pick up a bottle of their award winning Black Gold Blackberry
Wine or hard cider.
Alison Coutts Chateauneuf of Coutts Specialty Foods
has been following her family recipes for Mother’s Prize and Mother’s Pure
Preserves since 1938. Their selection of jams, jellies, relishes, applesauce and
cranberry sauce are all shelf stable and can be ordered from their website and
shipped directly to the gift recipient. Gift baskets are available and Coutts
offers a New England preserves package of jams and jellies as well as a harvest
special of applesauce, cranberry sauce, sweet red pepper relish and apple
butter. For more information about Coutts Specialty Foods visit their website at
www.couttsspecialtyfoods.com.
If its cookies and sweet treats that you’re looking for,
try Doran Farm on East Street for a great selection of the cookies and pies from
Sweet Sue’s. Proprietor Susan Watts also does a brisk business with
party platters, gift packages/baskets, stocking stuffers, teacher gifts,
corporate holiday boxes and more. She will cater desserts and also makes custom
items. You can reach Susan at 781-643-6750 or sweetsues@comcast.net.
On another sweet note, for those of you who have discovered Kindeen,
a delicious Brazilian/Portuguese dessert in flavors of pecan, lemon and
chocolate, Dessert Crafters products can be purchased throughout the
winter months by calling 857-919-2686. A website is currently under
construction, which, upon completion, will offer means to order online.
Deliveries in the Lexington area are free of charge.
Located in the heart of Lexington, both Rancatore's Ice Cream and Great
Harvest Bread Company are among the town's favorite sweet spots. Ranc's,
serves up a terrific mix of home made ice creams, yogurts & sorbets, with
made from scratch hot fudge & butterscotch. And just a stone's throw away is
Great Harvest, offering freshly baked bread daily as well as sweets, scones,
muffins and sandwiches.
Understandably some purveyors of perishable items are on hiatus throughout the
colder months. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Coop (NESFP -
Tufts University), a non-profit partnership that assists immigrants with
agricultural experience to apply their skills in their new environment, is
closed throughout the winter. However, dried flowers, salts and other similar
items can be purchased through their Lowell office by calling 978-654-6745. Blue
Heron Farm on Route 117 in Lincoln and Meggie's Beggies of Lexington
(handmade dog treats) will take a break throughout the winter months. For more
information on how to reach these vendors in the interim, please refer to the
LFM website.
Among the farms that remain in operation off season are Red Apple Farm in
Phillipston is located about an hour's drive from Boston, a straight shot out
Route 2. The farm is open daily till December 24th and will continue
to offer the best in apple products through the holidays. The HERB FARMacy
of Salisbury, MA offers its products for purchase by appointment by calling
(978) 834-7879. The specialty goat cheeses of Crystal Brook Farm can be
found at The Cheese Shop in Concord, as well as Pemberton Farms in Cambridge.
The products of Thoreau Foods of Boxborough, can be
found year round at Verrill Farm in Concord and Pemberton Farms in Cambridge, as
well as purchased online at www.thoreaufoods.com. Butterbrook Farms of
Acton, purveyors of NOFA certified herbs and vegetables, is open year round,
with offerings such as fresh herbs and eggs and gift baskets. They'll even
deliver organic produce to your door in Lexington on a weekly basis! Visit http://www.butterbrookfarm.com/.
On the savory side Moonbrine Pickles of Brookline, hand packed and
preservative free, can be ordered online at http://www.moonbrine.com or
purchased at Russo's in Watertown and Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville. The
natural, aged beef of River Rock Farm in Brimfield can be purchased in
the Boston area at City Feed and Supply ay 66 Boylston Street in Jamaica Plain
or ordered on line at www.RiverRockFarm.com. River Rock will also deliver to
Lexington and the Greater Boston area year-round for orders over $20.
The imported olive oils of Olio Taibi are available
online at www.oliotaibi.com and offered at local retailers including Dave's
Fresh Pasta in Somerville, Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Garden of Eden in
Boston, and Wasik's Cheese Shop in Wellesley. As a compliment to this, visit Hi-Rise
Bakery, famous for its fresh and wonderful baked goods, and located on
Concord Avenue in Cambridge.
Or, if you're not in the mood to cook, call Homemade Today,
the personal chef service. Mary Kernan and her crew will do the grocery shopping
and prepare all meals right in your home. You'll return to a spotless
kitchen, wonderful aromas and a refrigerator filled with terrific food.
On Tuesday, October 25th, be sure to stop by the Market Manager's
Tent to say hello, and to give us some feedback on your impressions of our first
season. Please take a moment or two to complete a Market Questionnaire to submit
your comments. Or, visit our website at www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.org to
complete the questionnaire online. For further information on the products and
vendors featured throughout the first season of the Lexington Farmers' Market,
please visit our website. We look forward to seeing you next week!
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