Wakefield Farmer's Market

Support your local farmer's market!

The Wakefield Farmer's Market is open every Saturday, 9am-1pm, from now through October 17. It is located at Hall Park on North Avenue, adjacent to the Veterans ballfield and parking lot on Lake Quannapowitt. It was established by the Wakefield Initiative, "...a small group of residents who are committed to improving the quality of life in Wakefield."

I recently stopped there and they have a number of booths spread out over a grassy area with a nice view of the lake. They have some diverse vendors, including some types which are not available at some other farmer's market. You can find items from seafood to bread, cheese to produce. Plus even items for your pets.

Some of the vendors include: Giovanna Gelato, which makes artisan Gelato; Petsi’s Pies, which makes sweet and savory pies (though they were not there on the day I visited); Coutt's Specialty Foods, which make jams, jellies, preserves, relishes and applesauce; Sassy River Sauces, with low calorie, low fat pestos, tapenades, spreads and sauces; and LaCascia's Bakery, with fresh baked Italian crusty bread.

At MooBaaNaa Cheese, Phil Hermann sells a variety of locally made, artisan cheeses including mozzerella, ricotta, goat cheese, cheddar, gouda and more. I bought a few different cheeses here, including a delicious Champlain Triple, a soft ripened triple crème cheese. I spoke a bit with Phil and he was an exuberant and passionate cheese lover.

Fior D'Italia Pasta: Vic Tirrito owns this pasta company which is based in Vermont. He uses only products from New England tries to use as much organic as possible. At the market, he sells various pasta, ravioli and sauces. Pasta includes items like gnocchi, sweet potato gnocchi, tagliatelle, rigatoni and more. Ravioli include four cheese, grilled portobella, shellfish & wild mushroom, and much more. Sauces include marinara and tomato & basil. I really enjoyed the gorgonzola & walnut ravioli, as well as the tomato & basil sauce. I have more pasta to try and look forward to cooking it for dinner soon.

SwissBäkers: This excellent Swiss bakery, which is located in Reading, sells many of its products at this market. It is one of my favorite local bakeries, selling a delicious variety of fresh and natural breads, pastries and baked goods. You definitely should stop here and check out what they have to offer. Get there early though as they do get a crowd and might sell out quickly of their best items.

Flats Mentor Farm: One of the booths offering produce, they primarily sell Asian produce grown by local Hmong farmers using sustainable farming methods. You might find items such as Asian Cucumber, Chinese Broccoli, and Daikon Radish.

Farmer Dave's: This is another stall selling various local fruits, vegetables and flowers. The farm is located in Dracut, and Dave tries to be as organic as possible.

Globe Fish Company: This Boston based seafood company is family owned and operated. They offer fresh, not frozen, fish from the fishermen of Gloucester, New Bedford, and Boston. They sell items such as haddock, cod, halibut, salmon, swordfish, bluefish, tuna, scallops and shrimp. The items come prepackaged and the swordfish and scallops I bought were excellent. The seafood is a bit pricey but you certainly are getting high quality fish.

So please stop by the Wakefield Farmer's Market and support local vendors.

Rant: Demise of a Wine Store

There are plenty of liquor stores that also sell wine, often the most commercial and popular brands. Then there are boutique wine stores, places that are willing to experiment, to take risks, and stock lesser known and low production wines. The best of these boutique wine stores stock a diverse and compelling selection of excellent wines. They spend time seeking out unique and intriguing wines which will appeal to the wine lover.

It is those boutique wine stores that get most of my support. Thus it saddens me when it seems that a boutique wine store is dying. I want to rail out against the corporate forces that seem to care more about profits than passion. Please do not sully the beauty of a boutique wine store just in the pursuit of money.

Recently, the OurGlass Wine Co. in Saugus has "merged" with the Golden Goose Market, which is located in the North End. The Golden Goose Market has assumed management of the wine store and has begun instituting numerous changes.

The Golden Goose Market is a specialty grocery store, selling a wide variety of food items, including many gourmet foods. They also sell some wine. One positive change they have brought to OurGlass is the introduction of more gourmet food items, everything from prosciutto to EVOO. As wine and food are so natural together, it is great to be able to buy food where you get your wine.

But then comes the darker side. OurGlass now sells cigarettes and alcohol nips, which I feel are unnecessary in a boutique wine store. They may belong in a liquor store but I don't think the belong to the OurGlass I knew. Plus, it appears they may also be more resistant to stocking the more artisan and boutique wines, in favor of more commercial ones. Will OurGlass become a mere liquor store? I very much hope that is not the case but I am concerned.

An important test may be their next Grand Tasting, which is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, from 3-7pm. They are supposed to have over 100+ wines available for tasting. They will also have numerous food vendors too. I have been to many of their previous Grand Tastings so it will be very interesting to see whether this one is different or not.

OurGlass Wine Co.
124 Broadway (Rt.1 N)
Saugus, MA
Phone: 781-941-8068

Golden Goose Market
179 Commercial St, # 724 (North End)
Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 367-3198

I should also note that another boutique wine store, the Grapevine Travelers in Medford has been sold and should be under new ownership by the end of the summer. What changes will happen there? I will keep my eye on that as well and report back when I know more.

The Fruit Hunters: A Fascinating Read

"Every time we eat a fruit, we're tasting forgotten histories." (p.11)

It seems that many people choose to ignore the Introduction at the start of books. They want to get right into the heart of the story and often feel the introduction will be boring, uninformative or repetitive. That can be a mistake though as some introductions are very worthy. The Introduction to this book is not to be missed.

The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession by Adam Leith Gollner (Renouf Publishing Company, Ltd, March 2009, $19.95) is a trade-sized paperback of 280 pages. Adam has written for several magazines, is the former editor of Vice Magazine, and is a musician. This is his first book and I hope not his last. The book is an eclectic blend of plentiful and fascinating information about many aspects of fruit. It also is deserving of my highest recommendation.

This book hooked me from the start, the Introduction providing an intriguing beginning on the discussion of fruit. Adam is a skilled writer, presenting one interesting fact after another about the wide world of fruit. His writing style is compelling, making for an easy and satisfying read. The book also motivated me to seek out more information about fruit, especially some of the items that Adam mentioned.

I was unaware of the multitude of fruits that are eaten all around the world, yet rarely, if ever, make it to the U.S. There are about 70-80,000 edible fruits around the world. The exotic fruits sound so enticing, so delicious, that I hope more and more of those fruits end up on our shores and into our markets and stores. Just some of their names are so evocative: zombi apples, Congo goobers, bastard cherries, num-nums, pincushion fruit, emu apple, and sword fruits.

The book begins defining "fruit", noting how the term can be defined differently dependent on context. Technically, a fruit is any plant part containing a seed. This greatly expands what we might commonly consider to be fruits. For example, green peppers, cucumbers and corn are all technically fruit, not that most people though would consider them so.

From that first chapter, Adam travels across the world, visiting numerous countries and meeting lots of people involved with fruit. The book includes a brief history of fruit consumption, fruit hunters/explorers, fruitarians (who only eat fruit), fruit smugglers, how fruits come to market, genetic engineering, fruit wholesalers, conservation measures and even a cult that seeks immortality through fruit. Throughout this comprehensive journey, Adam peppers the book with a plethora of fascinating facts and anecdotes.

I could write dozens of posts about all of the matters which intrigued me. And I might write and expand upon some of those items in the future. For example, did you know that Durian flavored condoms are popular in Indonesia? Do you know the term "scrumping?" It refers to stealing apples from someone else's trees. Were you aware that certain wasps spend almost their entire lives inside of figs? Did you know that in the first half of the 20th century that more oranges were eaten than any other fresh fruit?

If you want an excellent read, one that will keep you interested from start to finish, then check out this book. And you will be seeing more about fruit on my blog in the near future.

Legal Sea Foods: Oyster Festival

Beginning in September, the Legal Sea Foods Oyster Festival will include a sequence of in-restaurant menu features and special events to celebrate everything oysters. If you enjoy oysters, then you might find an event to appeal to you.

This year’s special events include:

Bivalves & Bubbles
Legal Sea Foods at Park Square: 26 Park Plaza, Boston
September 9th from 6-8pm
$60 (including tax and gratuity)
A VIP oyster-and-champagne celebration, hosted by President & CEO Roger Berkowitz, Vice President of Beverage Operations/Master of Wine Sandy Block, and Executive Chef/Executive Vice President Rich Vellante.

Shells & Shooters
Legal Sea Foods at Charles Square: 20 University Road, Cambridge
September 12th from 3:30-5pm
$50 (including tax and gratuity)
Guests will enjoy a tasting of raw and prepared oysters along with a trio of Belvedere shooters.

Sip, Slurp and Sup
Legal Sea Foods at Park Square: 26 Park Plaza, Boston
September 24th at 6:30pm
$75 (including tax and gratuity)
A 5-course dinner hosted by Master of Wine Sandy Block featuring oysters with paired wines from the 10,000 bottle wine cellar at the Park Square location.

Bivalve ‘Brew’haha
Legal Sea Foods at Prudential Center: 800 Boylston Street, Boston
September 30th at 6:30pm
$55 (including tax and gratuity)
A 5-course craft beer dinner featuring oysters.

Shellfish Shindig
Legal Sea Foods’ Exchange Conference Center (ECC): 1 Fish Pier, Boston
October 4th from 5:00-7:00pm
$65 (including tax and gratuity)
Enjoy a raw bar and traditional New England Clam Bake on the tip of the Boston Fish Pier.

Mollusk Mania & Aw Shucks, Raffle for Pearls
Legal Sea Foods at Burlington Mall: 75 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington
October 14th from 6:00-7:30pm
$45 (including tax and gratuity)
Enjoy raw oysters by the bushel and oysters prepared four ways where one lucky winner will take home the jewel of all oysters: a cultured strand of pearls, courtesy of DePrisco Jewelers, worth $1250.

Advance reservations are required. Call 617-530-9195.

Domaine l'Hortus & Domaine Couly-Dutheil Tasting

The Spirited Gourmet recently held a wine tasting showcasing the wines of Domaine de l'Hortus and Domaine Couly-Dutheil, supposedly the best producer of Cabernet Franc anywhere. It was that claim that really interested me, especially considering my dislike for many Cabernet Franc wines. Yet I have recently found some Cabernet Francs that I have not only liked, but have impressed me.

Domaine de l'Hortus is owned by Jean Orliac, who bought the land for his vineyard around 1980. After much hard work, the first vintage was not until 1990, and the winery itself was not completed until 1995. He produces both whites and reds. He also produces wines under the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation at Clos du Prieur.

The 2007 Bergerie Blanc ($19.99) is a blend of equal parts Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Sauvignon Blanc with a little Viognier. This wine sees no oak and has an alcohol content of 13%. It was an interesting wine, with an aromatic nose of flowers and citrus, and a crisp taste with plenty of peach, apple, and melon. There were also some herbal notes and a pleasing finish.

The 2007 Bergerie Pic St. Loup ($18.99) is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. It was aged in used French oak and has an alcohol content of 13.5%. This wine has a very floral nose, mostly violet and lavendar, both which came out in the taste as well. This may be one of the most floral blend of these three grapes I have ever tasted. There were still flavors of dark berries yet the lavendar and violet dominated. Tannins were moderate and the finish was moderately long. Not what I expected but pleasing nonetheless.

I was told the 2006 Clos du Prieur (not available for sale yet) was a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache but research online indicates it may actually be a blend of 30% Syrah, 60% Grenache and 10% Carignan. This was an impressive wine with a bright red fruit smell. On the palate, there was plenty of ripe flavors of black cherry, plum and blackberry alone with a spicy backbone. Tannins were moderate and the finish was very long and satisfying. A heartier wine that seduces the palate with its complexity and intense flavors. A strong recommendation.

Domaine Couly-Dutheil is an older winery, founded in 1921 by Baptiste Dutheil. Baptiste settled in the Chinon region following WWI and started out as a wine merchant. He married his cousin Marie Couly. In 1928 another family member, René Couly, moved to Chinon. He eventually married Madelaine Dutheil, the daughter of Baptiste and Marie. For much of the next years, René was the face of Couly-Dutheil. It has remained in the family ever since.

The 2007 Les Chanteux ($27.99) is made from 100% Chenin Blanc and comes from the tiny Chinon blanc AOC. It sees no oak and has an alcohol content of 13%. This was a crisp wine with plenty of fruit, especially green apple, pear and peach. It had some minerality too and a fairly long finish. A very nice wine that should please many.

The Rene Couly Chinon Rose ($19.99) was a disappointment. Made from Cabernet Franc, its taste had that green/vegetal taste I dislike. I was starting to worry a bit about how the other Cabernet Franc wines would turn out.

The 2007 Chinon La Diligence ($21.99) was made from 100% Cabernet Franc and also had that green/vegetal taste though it was somewhat mild. Though sufficient that I did not care for the wine.

Thus, with much trepidation I tasted the 2005 Chinon Baronnie Madeleine ($29.99), also made from 100% Cabernet Franc. In their best vintages, they select some of the best barrels from the different vineyards to make this wine. I was expecting more greenness yet was pleasantly surprised when there was absolutely none there! Instead there was dark red fruit flavors and spice, reminding me of the Shinn Vineyards Cabernet Franc that I had enjoyed so much in Long Island. This Madeline was exquisite: complex, smooth and with a lengthy and satisfying finish. I even bought some of this wine as I loved it so much. Even if you generally dislike Cabernet Franc, this is a wine that will make you change your mind.

The list of Cabernet Francs that I do enjoy keeps growing.