Sweet Corn and Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

This is the time of year that I love best: the air is starting to get crisp but the sun still shines brightly, the corn has all been harvested and covers the farmers market tables, and I can spend an hour looking for the right pumpkin to display by my front door. Summer held on…

Farmers Market Series Part Six: Medfield

The farmers market in Medfield is small, and tucked into the shadow of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on North Street. Tables and tents for the vendors are set up on the lawn: one  table of fresh produce, flowers and food goods, one table of handmade quilts, oven mitts and hot plates, one table…

Zucchini Boats with Summer Corn and Sweet Peppers

Last week at the farm, the words on everyone’s lips were “zucchini boats.” I had never heard of zucchini boats, and, I suppose not to my surprise, each CSA sharer told me a different way to make them. Some were made Italian-style, with tomato sauce and chopped eggplant, some were made with beef and taco…

Roasted Chicken with Beet Greens, Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

Have you ever eaten beet greens? Most people only eat the bottoms, the purple and golden yellow taproot that grows in the ground. But the green leaves and purple stalks on the top can be eaten too, and they are crisp and taste like spinach. Like other dark leafy greens, they are high in protein,…

Farmers Market Series Part Three: Framingham

I can see a kettle corn vendor as I drive up to the Framingham farmers market on the Village Green. I love the sweet and salty snack, and I grab a bag to munch on as I tour the market, not yet having had lunch. There are produce vendors on both sides of the sidewalk,…

The Mushroom Farm at Fungi Ally

Four years ago, Willie Crosby sat in his friend’s basement harvesting mushrooms from fruited sawdust logs. In a space that was only 8 x 16 feet, he could inoculate 200 logs per week with mushroom mycelium and bring them to harvest. Willie was a produce farmer but he was inspired to grow mushrooms after reading…

Panzanella Salad with Fresh Summer Tomatoes and Basil

It’s tomato season! And it’s garlic season. And basil, and, well, everything good basically. Panzanella salad is the ultimate way to combine the best summer ingredients. Panzanella, or panmolle, is a salad originating from Tuscany that has a base of bread and tomatoes. Other cultures have a similar salad, like the Mediterranean dish fattoush, that build a base from…

Stuffed Bell Peppers

There’s one more week left in the outdoor Natick Farmers Market, but already more than half of the vendors have moved inside. Today was cold and windy, just like the week that came before it. The vendors are still selling all the fall veggies, and it’s amazing to see kohlrabi, cabbage and kale, that first appeared in the spring, come…