Nancy's Airfield Cafe, Stow MA

302 Boxboro Road, Stow MA 01775

978.897.3934

nancysairfieldcafe.com

We went out for breakfast at Nancy's Airfield Cafe in Stow, MA this morning. They source many of their ingredients locally, and have a list of their local providers on their website.

I usually get the vegetarian eggs benedict, which has kale (one of my favorite greens) in place of the ham. Today, however, I couldn't pass up raspberry pancakes with cinnamon pecan butter and real (of course) maple syrup.

Talia went for the breakfast bear: a bear-shaped pancake with chocolate chip eyes and a sausage patty mouth.

Verrill Farm's Corn and Tomato Festival, Concord MA

11 Wheeler Road, Concord MA 01742

978.369.4494

verrillfarm.com

Today was Verrill Farm's Corn and Tomato Festival, which I highly recommend. This is our second time going and it was as delicious as ever. Imagine about 20 different kinds of tomatoes, plus just-picked corn on the cob. You can try them as is, or in an assortment of different recipes. All outside in the sunshine while listening to live bluegrass music. For those so inclined, they also offer their own pit BBQ, as well as standard hot dog and hamburger fare.

What a wonderful day.

Tougas Farm, Northborough MA

234 Ball Street, Northborough, MA 01532

508.393.6406

tougasfarm.com

We attempted to go peach-picking at Tougas Farm, in Northborough, MA, but they were all picked out by the time we got there. So, we had to settle for blueberries. And, I'm not sorry we did. I could have stood there all day eating them off the bushes. 

Neither could Talia. We did actually buy the blueberries (lots!), but I won't deny that some product sampling took place ;).

Besides blueberries, they have tons of other kinds of fruit for picking. Or for buying already picked. I ended up buying a giant box of "seconds," filled with mostly nectarines and a few peaches. They will be transformed into jam sometime in the next few days. When winter rolls around, I can open a jar of summer to mix into a bowl of oatmeal or spread on toast.

After picking all the blueberries we could carry, we bought lunch from the farm store (sandwiches, ice cream, and a smoothie) which we ate at a picnic table. If we had planned better, we would have packed a lunch, but it was sort of last-minute. This is a great place to spend the day with kids. There is a fantastic playground, and also a petting zoo. We were there for hours, and never actually made it to the petting zoo--the playground was such a big hit. That will give us something extra to look forward to next time.

Cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes from my garden! This is one of those foods that taste best when actually eaten in the garden. In our house, they rarely make it inside. If you want to eat them, you just go outside and pick yourself a snack.

I don't have a good setup to start things early from seed, so I get my tomato seedlings from Verrill Farm in Concord, MA. You can order them in March/Arpil each year for pick-up in May. This is my fourth year buying from them and I haven't had a bad tomato season yet. The first year, I lived in a semi-urban neighborhood and was concerned with the lack of bees for pollination.Since tomatoes are self-pollinating, and really only need a little vibration to get things rolling, I went out to my front yard, where all my potted tomatoes lived, electric toothbrush in hand. A little vibration to the back of each tiny yellow flower, and--magic! Baby tomatoes!

It might have been a bit crazy, and my former neighbors may have breathed a sigh of relief when I moved (with my full-grown tomato plants) late that summer, but I had a bumper crop that year!

Swiss chard

Swiss chard from my garden!  As a novice gardener, I have found these to be one of the easiest things to grow. It doesn't mind heat too much, and keeps producing until fall. This is my favorite variety, Bright Lights, because it is so colorful. I could eat a giant plate of any type of garden greens every day. Sauté them in a little olive oil with garlic, and sprinkle some lemon juice and sea salt over it just before eating. Delicious!

Oh, and they're good for you, too.

Chestnut Farms, Hardwick MA: "Meet Your Meat"

404 Turkey Street, Hardwick, MA 01037

chestnutfarms.org

We attended the semi-annual Open Barn that the farmers at Chestnut Farms hold for their (meat CSA) shareholders each June (the other is in October). As usual, the animals were the stars of the day. The baby pigs were so cute! .

At the monthly pick-ups, Kim is usually doing about sixteen things at once, so it was nice to spend time chatting in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

For me, the open barns are a chance to connect a bit with the people behind the food, and to see first hand, and appreciate, the attentiveness and care that goes into raising the food that I put on the table for my family. It costs a bit more, but is worth it for so many reasons.  Last fall, we had a bit of a budget crisis, but decided that the $22/week we spend to eat meat from Chestnut Farms was well worth the expense. We decided that a small amount of meat (10lbs/month) from responsible farmers was a way to fit it into our budget. As Kim says herself, CSAs don't work for everyone all the time. But, we are lucky that we can make it work for us right now.

Favorite local ice cream spots

One of my favorite food-related things about New England is the number of ice cream stands that open for the short summer season. We've been eating ice cream pretty regularly this summer. I'm eating for two these days, so I figure I have a good excuse :).

So far, we haven't ventured too far from home, though, and have been mostly eating at Kimball's in Westford, MA and Erikson's in Maynard, MA. Why travel too far when there is delicious ice cream available practically in our own backyard? I found a great ice cream blog with entries about both Kimball's and Erickson's.