a “duh” moment

I realized last night, that amid all of my experiments with bread, I completely forgot about the autolyse technique, which I learned about several years ago.

I’d like to try it with spelt (I’ve been working on spelt bread recently) but I’ve run out of spelt flour.  Regardless, this is something I must work with. 

You might be asking yourself what I am talking about  right now.

Autolyse is when you mix flour and water first, and allow that to rest 20-30 minutes.  This affects the gluten strands.  The reported result is a dough that mixes in less time and is stronger.  It’s supposedly also more flavorful and less acidic.  Autolyse is not considered a sponge or a pre-ferment because the yeast has not been included yet.  Also, do not add salt during autolyse because it’ll affect moisture and gluten formation.

If nothing else this holiday weekend, I’m making a loaf of bread.

(ok, ok, I’m probably making cookies this weekend too but that’s totally unrelated.)

 

I haven’t forgotten this blog… so here’s a bread post

I have things I want to try… a restaurant review that I should be posting for Addis Red Sea… and I just haven’t had time lately for everything.  Or least it feels that way.  Maybe I’m just being lazy?

So, in the meantime, here’s the bread recipe post that I’ve been promising since the winter.  *eep!*

I haven’t completely given up on preferments just yet, but I’m beginning to think that I’m not that impressed (Asano-mama got the CookWise book recently, so I’d like to try a Shirley O’Corriher recipe before giving up on preferments completely).  I apologize in advance if some of the measurements seem weird.  I was converting them from an existing recipe from the UK.

I did try the recipe below a second time without the barley flour.  I still wasn’t wowed as I had hoped I’d be, but your mileage may vary.

Slow fermentation, adapted from Andrew Whitley

I came across an interesting radio piece after some googling – it was about slow fermentation and bread as presented by the BBC.  It was kind of fascinating.  Half of the show was talking to a die-hard-slow-fermentation-all-natural-all-local bread maker and the other half was talking to we-are-the-bread-federation-of-Britain man.   Ok, they aren’t called the “bread federation of Britain”, but they were definitely the federation of something.  (haha!)

Basically, the whole radio show can be summed up as thus: “no one can prove that slow fermentation is healthier, but it probably does taste better although less squishy.”

Some searching gave me an Andrew Whitley recipe for a basic bread.  Since I live in good ol’ New England, I had to revamp the recipe for use with my measuring cups and such.

First, here’s the Andrew Whitley version (cut and paste):
source – http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/apr/16/recipes.foodanddrink/print
This is the way most bread was made until the dawn of the era of high-speed mixing and “no time” dough. Although it involves a long rise, it doesn’t take any more of the baker’s time than fast-made bread. It uses less yeast, too, and the long fermentation gives great flavour and additive-free keeping quality. This makes a dozen rolls or two small loaves.

1. Overnight sponge
5g fresh yeast (or 3g dried yeast)
130g water (at about 20°C)
150g stoneground wholemeal flour
[285g total]

Dissolve the yeast in some of the water and add it to the flour with the rest of the water. Mix until the dough has “cleared”, that is, all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. There is no need to knead the sponge, since time will develop the gluten sufficiently. Put the sponge in a bowl large enough to allow it to expand to at least three times its original size. Cover with a lid or polythene bag and leave it at room temperature for 12-18 hours.

2. The final dough
285g overnight sponge (from above)
450g flour (wholemeal or a mix of white and wholemeal)
5g salt
270g water (warm to the hand, i.e. 30-35°C)
15g butter or olive oil (optional, but makes rolls a bit softer)
[1,025g total]

Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough. Knead without adding extra flour until it is silky and slightly stretchy. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour. Divide into 12 pieces (or two for small loaves), shape into rolls, dip into wholemeal flour to get a good covering, and place on a baking tray with about 2cm separating them. Cover with a large polythene bag but don’t let it touch the rolls. Let them rise until they are just touching each other, then bake in a hot oven (220°C) for 10-15 minutes. They should have a thin floury crust and feel soft after they have cooled.
© Andrew Whitley 2008.

Now, the US friendly version as adapted by me:

1. Overnight sponge
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp water
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Mix until well combined.  Cover with a lid or plastic wrap (but not too tightly).  Let this fart around overnight.

2. The final dough
all of the overnight sponge from above
3 1/2 cups of flour (all-purpose, bread flour, whole wheat or any mixture of the three… I used all-purpose with one cup of barley flour out of curiosity)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp mild olive oil

Mix all together.  Try not to add extra flour, but I found that I had to.  I added only a tablespoon at a time.  The dough should be “silky and slightly stretchy.”  Cover and let this rise for an hour.  Divide in in half, and shape into a ball.  I didn’t bother covering this with flour.  I put both dough halves on either side of my biggest sheet pan.  I loosely covered with plastic wrap that had been sprayed with oil (oil side touching the dough, duh), and let the doughs rise until about double in bulk and almost touching each other.  Cut a slash on top.

Bake in the oven at 425F for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Overall, I liked the results.  They were like giant dinner rolls, reminiscent of bread rolls from Bertucci’s.  *grin*  I have mixed feelings about the barley flour I used.  Over time, the barley flour just make the bread taste “healthy” (less noticeable when still warm from baking).  Not necessarily in a bad way, mind you, but I’ve never used barley flour before I’ve seen it described as a mild, sweet flour.  So, I guess I was a little let down.  I wouldn’t mind using the barley flour again, but I’ll have to use less than a cup.

As for the overall method, I thought the sponge (aka preferment/biga/poolish) was kind of fun.  It’s kind of cool to see the sponge be all bubbly.  It worked fine, and I’ll probably work with more preferments in the future.

~Mikan

 

Victorian milk bread, with quinoa flour

The weather here in Boston has been slowly getting warmer.  Better temperatures for rising dough, but less ideal for turning on my oven.  On top of that, my weak/bad wrist is tempermental whenever I’m kneading.

I think this might be my last loaf for the season.  I might try some no-knead recipes, but the bulk of my bread experimentation will have to wait for the weather to get cold again.

I realize, too, that I’ve been promising one or two posts on breads with a pre-ferment, but I haven’t posted them at all due to… well, a lack of interest.  More pathetic is the fact that I had one completely written up and saved on my computer.  I am lame, lame, lame.  And it isn’t the fault of the bread recipe.  I’ve just realized that I don’t think I like the flavor of my breads with a pre-ferment.  The best of the pre-ferment experiments is the one that I had written up, so perhaps I’ll still post it.  But not today.

And I apologize for the lack of pictures.  I’m trying to get back into the swing of things.

* * *

So, I’ve had a box of quinoa flour sitting in my pantry for at least a couple of months.  I’ve never cooked/baked with it before – I was just curious.  (but I have cooked with quinoa itself, and I love it)

Searching for bread recipes that 1) weren’t gluten-free and 2) used the flour and not cooked quinoa proved to be a little tricky.

Eventually, I started searching for milk bread recipes since I had some whole milk to use up and came across a recipe for “Victorian Milk Bread” which I used and fiddled around with for my purposes.

Here’s what I used:
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cups quinoa flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons SAF instant yeast
2 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten

General instructions:
Mix everything into a bowl.  Personally, I found I had to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to make the dough wet enough.  Then, knead for 10 minutes.  Put the dough in a bowl to rise, and cover with a bit of plastic wrap or a damp towel so that it doesn’t dry out.  Let rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a loaf.  Place the loaf in a standard bread pan and let it rise (again, loosely place some plastic wrap over it) until it’s above the rim of the pan, probably about an inch above.  Hmmm, I think it took about an hour or so for me to get there.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and lower the oven rack to bottom third.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Overall reaction?  Quinoa flour does not remind me of quinoa at all.  It’s less sweet.  I think the gluten was a good call, considering that I did not use bread flour at all.  It makes for a decent everyday bread.  I now know that I am not very enamored with quinoa flour but I don’t know how else to use it up.  Having said that, the results here were very acceptable.  I’ll see about using it for a no-knead dough.

Comments on the general recipe?  Easy, forgiving and easy to mess around with.  I think I’ll need to remake it but using my buckwheat flour next time around.

~ Mikan

quick notes: 1) bread flour has more protein than wheat flour or AP flour and quinoa is gluten-free, hence my addition of wheat gluten; 2) I did not want to make a gluten-free bread because you generally need a mixture of gluten-free flours which I do not have; 3) for my wheat and AP flours, I only use King Arthur.  Different brands make a huge difference.

 

my posts and comments

Just to let readers know, I will always respond to your comments.

However, many times, WordPress does not tell me that I have comments to approve/read.  I don’t know why.

So, my apologies in advance if it takes me days to reply to something you asked.

~Mikan

 

Picture post, mochi

It’s kind of funny – mochi is one of those food items that I love more because it’s like comfort food to me even though I did not grow up eating any.

I was in NYC recently with friends.  We stopped by the Japanese market near Saints Alp, my favorite bubble tea place.  While in the market, my best friend pointed out a box of Sakura-ya miyako mochi.

And it was yummy and lovely.  I want more.  I’d wouldn’t mind making it myself, but I’m not sure where to pick up sweet red bean flour.

~ Mikan

 

A Tale of Two Cookies

Sometimes, a person comes across something so intriguing that action must be taken up at once.

I had that moment recently, and it was called Peanut Butter Rosemary White Chocolate Chunks cookies. Peanut butter and rosemary? When a blogger mentions being a trained pastry chef in a meme, you don’t take such odd recipe posts lightly.

Asano-mama didn’t sound very optimistic about this recipe, which only fueled my determination. I set about making these cookies, starting even with the rosemary powder.

I think the rosemary powder is an excellent idea in general. However, I admit that it was my stumbling point. After one whole hour, I only had 3 tsp of rosemary powder. Why? I was using a tea strainer as my “fine mesh” accessory, and this tea strainer had really, really small mesh holes. Plus, the strainer was a little deep for the size of my hands, which just made an arduous task more difficult. o_O

The most evil part of the whole night? Realizing when I went to bed that I had a strainer/skimmer that would have been the perfect size for the task. *facepalm*

Oh well, 3 tsp was pretty close to the original 3 1/2 tsp requested in the recipe. The cookies came out just fine.

So, back to the idea of peanut butter and rosemary – wow, they paired really well! Once I smelled the cookies baking, I knew that there was no question regarding the yumminess factor of these cookies. Straight out of the oven, the peanut butter pretty much was the dominant flavor. If I hadn’t known that rosemary was in my cookie, I might not have noticed it. The rosemary was delightfully subtle. Overnight, the rosemary flavor has gotten stronger, but nothing to worry over. Without question, I’m keeping this cookie recipe in my favorites.

cookie recipe here – http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2009/03/pbrwcc-cookies.html

rosemary powder instructions here – http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2009/03/rosemary-powder.html

And then this morning, I tried a batch of Trader Joe’s Cranberry and Oatmeal cookies. They’re “break and bake” cookies, except without the breaking part. These cookies are frozen in their individual, pre-measured amounts. And you know what? They’re wonderful. Great for when you need to impress people (or in my case, share with my cello classmates) but with very little effort. Such a stark contrast to my one-hour-making-rosemary-powder! Plus, it’s a nice change from chocolate chip break and bake cookies.

Thumbs up for Trader Joe’s. ^_^

(I admit, there are a number of Trader Joe’s products that I’m in love with. I’m considering posting reviews and pictures of them. I haven’t totally decided yet.)

~Mikan

 

restaurant week, Harvest review

Restaurant Week, week no. 2, location – Harvest, Cambridge.

Menu for Week 2** March 21st to March 27th available every evening, including Saturdays Tasting Menu $33.09 / Half Glass Wine Pairing $48.09, Full Glass Pairing $58.09 (No Substitutions)

Appetizers

• Spring Vidalia Onion Soup Gruyere Croutons & Fines Herbs Angelini, Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Italy 2008 Market Green
• Panzannella Bufala Mozzarella, Crispy Artichokes & Parsley Crostini Burgáns, Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain 2007

Entrées

• Seared Atlantic Salmon Pearl Pasta, Cucumber, Lemon Confit, Ginger & Dill Yogurt Whitehaven, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2008
• Roasted Loin of Pork Braised Chard, Smoked Bacon, Anson Mills Polenta & a Vanilla Gastrique First Drop Wines, The Red One, Shiraz Blend, South Australia 2008
• Forbidden Black Rice Tart Baby Carrots, Baby Turnips, Bok Choy & Hen of The Woods Mushrooms Hogue Cellars, Genesis, Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington 2005

Dessert

• Chocolate Peanut Crunch Bourbon Cream, Sea salt, Cocoa Nibs Banfi, Rosa Regale, Brachetto d’Acqui, Piedmont, Italy 2007
• Roasted Apple Pain De Gênes Vanilla Cream, Apple Conserve Markus Molitor, Riesling, Spätlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 2006
• Raspberry Sorbet Sesame Almond Crisp Michele Chiarlo, Nivole, Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy 2007

Me? The spring onion soup, the black rice tart, and the roasted apple.

Miss L*? The spring onion soup, the pork, the roasted apple, and the half-glass pairing.

Miss K*? The panzannella, the pork, the chocolate peanut crunch, and the half-glass pairing.

The spring onion soup was nothing like I was expecting. I was still expecting something like onion soup. Instead, I was served a smooth, green soup with a drizzle of oil and a small piece of toasted bread with cheese sitting in the center of my bowl. But wow! It really made you think of spring. It was a delicate flavor, but still really flavorful. I don’t even know what herbs were used (I am a terrible taster, and am terrible at describing tastes). It was a perfect soup for a day like today, which was still quite windy and a bit cold even though we have officially moved out of winter.

[haha! I've been watching a Japanese drama recently called "Kami No Shizuku" which revolves around wine tasting, using really superfluous descriptions to describe the taste of a wine... I am so tempted to say something like "this soup transported me to a field of snowdrops on an early spring morning, all covered with dew, but then! the sun bursts through the fog to warm the air and the ground around me. The beautiful fragrance of spring feels my lungs, and a desire to move forward ambitiously surges through me." *grin*  It's so silly, and yet I'm still watching this drama.]

I think the theme for our evening out was “surprises.” My black rice tart? Again, it was nothing I was expecting. When I think of rice, I tend to think of Asian starchy and sticky dishes. But my tart wasn’t sticky at all, nor was it much of a tart. The rice had been molded probably with something like a biscuit cutter, and the veggies and mushrooms were mounded on top. The rice was infused with a sort of herb flavor that, again, I couldn’t identify. It was a stronger flavor than the onion soup, but nothing overwhelming.  The minute I put my fork in it, individual pieces of rice began to fall apart easily.  Miss K and Miss L took a bite of my rice tart, and both were also pleasantly surprised.

I did steal a bit of the pork. Wow, the pork tasted like it had been covered in smoky bacon except there were only a few bits of bacon on the plate. Miss K and Miss L raved over the pork plate. They were impressed with the wine pairing too. None of us are wine experts, but the ladies at my table know the good from the bad. And then Miss L admitted that it was the first time that she had ever eaten spinach that still looked like spinach (I hear that she only eats it in Indian cuisine, so probably as saag paneer aka palak paneer, which is also quite yummy).  She liked her spinach for once. Apparently, the highlight of the plate was the vanilla gastrique. I don’t know what gastrique means, but it was apparently the shiny sauce that was drizzled under their food and over their plates. Many “oohs” and “aahs” were had.

Miss K got the better dessert. Miss L and I were imagining something like an apple pie on our plates, but the reality was we got what was essentially an apple muffin served with roasted diced apples and ice cream. Oh, and a very, very thinly sliced piece of dried apple. The dried apple was really good. The rest? Good but nothing to wax frilly descriptions over. Miss K’s dessert looked like a tiramisu, but it was more like a chocolate cookie(?) layer with a chocolate peanut butter mousse layered on top. The peanut flavor was quite subtle and nothing like a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Miss K was happy with her dessert selection.

Honestly though, I think Miss K was more enthralled by her dessert wine, the Rosa Regale. It was fizzy and fruity and sweet like a cocktail, but without being a cocktail. She currently plans to hunt down this wine and buy it for her house.

I’m more than tempted to go back to Harvest. Maybe during the summer restaurant week. We were all really full at the end of the night. Luckily, I was not as gut-bustingly full as I had been after eating at Grotto (I did not have to stay up late in hopes of digesting my meal more). Don’t get me wrong though, portions at Harvest will still feed you well enough, even though it might look smaller than what you were expecting. On the other hand, the presentation was very nice – prettier than Grotto easily.  The service at Harvest was good, still not as good as my experience at Sel de la Terre, but still good. The only complaint we had was that the wines were not served when the food came out. They were always a few minutes late. I think we had to wait at least a good five minutes before the dessert wines were dropped off at our table. We tried our best not to dig through our desserts before Miss K and Miss L could have some of it with their wines.

I think Harvest is perfect for special occasions. And it’s a good place to check out if you want to impress your company. I’m very happy that Miss K and Miss L enjoyed it as much as I did. I’m sure we’ll go back in the near future.

~Mikan

** = Yes, Harvest had a different menu for Week 1.

 

restaurant week, Grotto review

*Primi

Carroza – Pan toasted buffalo mozzarella, Red bell peppers, Baby spinach, Small tomatoes, Black olives, Capers

Insalata – Baby arugula, Poached pears, Parma prosciutto, Reggiano parmesan, Lemon

Zucca -  Sweet potato ravioli, Reggiano parmesan, Brown butter, Sage, Amaretti

Spinaci – Baby spinach, Beets, Walnuts, Goat cheese, Raspberry vinaigrette

Zuppa – Garlic and black truffle soup, Parmesan, Toasted bread crumbs

Fonduta – Fontina cheese fondue, Beef tenderloin, Aged Balsamic, Truffle oil, Portobello mushrooms

Mare – Grilled calamari, White beans, Peppers, Greens, Lemon

Cavatelle -  House prepared ricotta pasta, Sausage, Peas, Mushrooms, Pancetta, Cream

*Secondi

Osso Buco – Slow braised lamb, Stuffed red bell pepper, Braising sauce

Mattone  – Pan roasted all natural chicken, Risotto, Wild Mushrooms, Chicken jus

Carne – Grilled beef tenderloin, Reggiano risotto, Asparagus, Red wine

Zafferano – Crab ravioli, Asparagus, Almonds, Saffron

Pettini – Pan roasted diver scallops “ravioli”, Leeks, Wild mushrooms, Arugula

Spaghetti – Meatballs & Grotto’s insanely fabulous tomato sauce

Gnocchi – Short ribs, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola

Antra – Apple stuffed duck breast, crispy leg, Prosciutto, Dried cherries, Potato gratin, Black truffle, Madeira

*Dolce

Cioccolato – Melting chocolate cake & Vanilla ice cream

Budino – Banana bread pudding, Caramel ice cream, Walnuts Panna Cotta Butterscotch “pudding”, Rum raisins, Soft whipped cream

Tre Ice cream – Vanilla, Chocolate, Caramel

Me: the mozzarella with spinach, the scallops, and the chocolate cake. Stealth Eater: the grilled squid, the chicken, and the chocolate cake. Miss M: the fondue, the duck, and the chocolate cake. Mr. K: the insalata, the duck and the chocolate cake. Miss M took pictures. We were all more than happy and seconds away from food coma by the end of the night.

First impressions? Small and cute. To get there, we walked past Boston Common and turned onto Bowdoin Street. Bowdoin Street is kind of interesting. It’s the Beacon Hill area, but it’s a bit more on the business side of the neighborhood than the residential side. At 7pm on a Monday, it’s a quiet street – you start to wonder if you’re in the right place. Grotto, marked by fairy lights around the entrance, is almost easy to miss with its small stairwell leading to a basement entrance. We walked in, and were all sort of in awe by its size – we thought it’d be a larger restaurant for some reason. Regardless of size, I think we all immediately liked it with its wooden tables, wall to wall red paint, and glowing chandeliers.

Thank goodness for reservations, I highly recommend making some if you want to dine here (it’s that small). We were seated almost immediately, tucked away in a corner, and given our menus (and after our order was taken, we were served with fresh bread and olives in olive oil – the bread reminded me of prezels except softer and spongier).

The restaurant week menu is pretty much Grotto’s normal menu, except with pricing changes, which meant that we had several dishes to pick from (see menu above). Everyone seemed pretty happy with their selections. M loved the fondue and K took a taste. They both thought it was amazing. I took a bite of my sister’s grilled squid – pretty good and much easier to eat than that one time I bought grilled squid at Russo’s (as much as I love Russo’s, that squid made me feel like I was eating some sort of kitchen cleaning solution). I really liked my first course – the mozzarella was sandwiched between something that was either bread or polenta (I couldn’t tell in the dim light and I don’t ever cook polenta). Under my mozzarella sandwich, was baby spinach drizzled with some sort of balsamic vinegar dressing. Oh, it was really delicious. It was special. I did my best to not make a mess, but alas! At least, my table companions aren’t sticklers for etiquette.

The second course? M and K kind of stared at their plates for a bit. M exclaimed “that’s the prosciutto?!”, not because there was anything wrong with it but because they did not skimp on the prosciutto. Not at all.  They were like mini towers of prosciutto.   (Actually, Grotto did not skimp on any of their plates.) Meanwhile, I worked on my dish. The scallops were presented in something vaguely looking like a sandwich (this explains why the word ravioli is in quotes). The top and bottom layer was a large round piece of pasta. In between, the scallops were topped with a lot of arugula, and the sandwich was surrounded by mushrooms (hmm, I couldn’t see or taste the leeks – the mushrooms were dominant). It was really good, but I think I liked my first course better. As I jokingly said to Stealth Eater, the first course put a little twinkle in my eyes. I think I like the chicken presentation best – the chicken sat on top a bed of mushroom risotto, and had a little bouquet of thyme sticking up. Even though it was a lot of food, I think everyone finished their plates.

[edit from Miss M:  "I was too busy eating to mention it, but that thing of prosciutto was actually the duck breast wrapped in prosciutto with apple inside. "]

And of course, we all picked chocolate for dessert. It’s hard to resist and hard to mess up at a fine restaurant. I had to leave my last bite of chocolate on my plate. It’s been two hours since I’ve been home, and I STILL feel like I’m going to explode. I feel a little sorry for that last little bite.

Overall, I’d be happy to recommend Grotto to anyone. Compared to Sel de la Terre (the Awesomesauce of Boston favorite), I guess I’d currently give Sel de la Terre five stars and Grotto four stars. Why? The food is excellent in either location, but the service at Sel de la Terre is very efficient. Your glass of water will never be empty. But if you’re looking for good food in a cozier setting, Grotto is probably the right place. It’s not the end of the world if I need to pour my own water from the large bottle the waitstaff dropped off. I’d love to go again.

Grotto, 37 Bowdoin Street, Boston, 617-227-3434, www.grottorestaurant.com

~ Mikan

 

sometimes, simplicity is best

I’ve been wanting to cook with fennel for some time now. It’s got a lot of vitamin c, fiber, potassium, maganese, folate, etc.

I guess I just hadn’t found a recipe that called out to me until today. I don’t even remember how I came across it, but I found a recipe for fennel soup.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fennel-Soup/Detail.aspx

I reduced the butter to 2 Tbsp, and added a drizzle of oil to brown the fennel in. I think, next time, I’d cut the fennel in smaller segments. Fennel bulbs are not small, and even though I picked the smallest bulbs I could, quartered fennel still yields pretty big pieces. No big deal, it just means that I let the soup simmer for ten minutes longer. (By the way, how does fennel smell almost meaty as it is browning? I was impressed.) The only other change I made was to use chicken broth instead of veggie broth.

I served it with poached chicken, and I don’t think there was anything more perfect for such a small amount of effort. It was reminiscent of chicken soup; it was reminiscent of a bowl of pho.

I was in soup heaven, I think.

There’d be a photo if I hadn’t downed my bowl in like 30 seconds. ^_~

~ Mikan

 

MA-area CSAs

I didn’t do the research for this. I found this in today’s Boston Globe. I’m reposting it here for easy reference and just in case other locals want this information.  Personally, I’m curious about CSAs, but it probably doesn’t make much sense for me to put the money into it mainly because I’m single and without children.  It would have to be a split cost with the housemates.  Once Plumduff gets married and moves out, I doubt anyone in the house will put in the effort for a vegetable garden (I admit that I’m a bit sun-paranoid so gardening doesn’t appeal to me), so this is definitely an appealing idea.

CSA farms, right around the corner
By Darry Madden, Globe Correspondent | February 11, 2009

The following farms – including some that are already sold out – have pickup points inside I-495.

Allandale Farm, Brookline, 617-524-1531, www.allandalefarm.com

• Share $350 and $600; pick up at farm.

Appleton Farms, Ipswich, 978-356-1655, www.appletonfarms.org

• Share $650; pick up at farm.

Arrowhead Farm, Newburyport, 978-465-8109, www.arrowheadfamilyfarm.com

• Shares $550 and $650; pick up at farm.

Bay End Farm, Buzzard’s Bay, 508-759-8050, www.bayendfarm.com

• Share $500; pick up at farm or delivery to Cambridge, Plymouth.

Bear Hill Farm, Tyngsboro, 978-692-4224, www.bearhillfarmcsa.com

• Share $520; pick up at the farm.

Brookfield Farm, Amherst, 413-253-7991, www.brookfieldfarm.org

• Share $490; delivery to Arlington, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Newton. (Sold out.)

Busa Farm, Lexington, 617-548-6040, www.busafarm.com.

• Members pay $250 and receive $300 in “Busa bucks” to spend at the farmstand.

Colchester Neighborhood Farm, Plympton, 781-588-4255, www.colchesterneighborhoodfarm.com

• Shares $500-$700; pick up at farm.

Connors Farm, Danvers, 978-777-1245, www.connorsfarm.com

• Share $30 a week; pick up at farm.

Dragonfly Farms, Pepperell, 978-433-3906, www.dragonfly-farms.com

• Shares $270 and $475; pick up at farm and at the Allston and Westford farmers’ market.

Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, 781-259-2176, www.massaudubon.org/drumlin

• Share $575; pick up at farm. (Sold out.)

Enterprise Farm, Whately, 413-665-8608, www.enterpriseproduce.com

• Shares $110 and $150 per month; delivery to Arlington, Boston, Dedham, Jamaica Plain, Somerville.

Farm Direct Co-op, Marblehead, 877-332-3276, www.farmdirectcoop.org

• Annual membership fee $50. Shares $180 and $300; delivery to Marblehead, Melrose, Salem.

The Farm School, Athol, 978-249-9944, www.farmschool.org

• Share $600; delivery to Cambridge, Watertown.

Farmer Dave’s CSA, Dracut, 978-710-6120, www.farmerdaves.net

• Shares $350-$700; pick up at farm or delivery to Gloucester, Lawrence, Somerville.

First Light Farm, Danvers, 781-710-6749, www.firstlightfarmcsa.com

• Share $600; delivery to Beverly, Ipswich, Topsfield.

The Food Project, Lincoln, 781-259-8621, www.thefoodproject.org

• Farm pick-up share $700; delivered share $500 to Arlington, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain.

Greater Newburyport CSA, Newbury, 978-465-2913, www.greaternewburyportcsa.com

• Shares $285 and $535; pick up in Newbury.

Green Meadows Farm, Hamilton, 978-468-2277, www.gmfarm.com

• Shares $475 and $625. (Sold out.)

Heaven’s Harvest Farm, New Braintree, 508-867-9577, www.heavensharvestfarm.com

• Shares $225 to $600; delivery to 25 points in city and suburbs.

Heirloom Harvest CSA, Westborough, 508-963-7792, www.heirloomharvestcsa.com

• Share $625; pick up at farm or delivery to Arlington, Brookline, Cambridge, Framingham.

Land’s Sake Farm, Weston, 781-893-1162, www.landssake.org

• Share $650; pick up at farm only. (Sold out.)

Lindentree Farm, Lincoln, 781-259-1259, www.lindentreefarm.com

• One-time membership fee $25; shares $650 and $800.

Luna Farm, North Reading, 617-680-8335, www.localharvest.org/farms

• Share $600; delivery to North Reading, Somerville.

Many Hands Organic Farm, Barre, 978-355-2853, www.mhof.net

• Share $550; delivery to Dorchester, Holden, Palmer, and Worcester.

Moose Hill Community Farm, Sharon, 781-784-5691, www.massaudubon.org

• Shares $350 and $600 (Mass Audubon members only); pick up at farm.

Newton Angino Community Farm, Newton, 617-916-9655, www.newtoncommunityfarm.org

• Share $300 and $570; pick up at farm. (Sold out.)

Parker Farm, Lunenburg, 978-582-9943, web.mac.com/parkerfarm

• Shares $325 and $500; delivery to Cambridge, Somerville.

Picadilly Farm, Winchester, N.H., 603-239-8718, www.picadillyfarm.com

• Shares $425-$525; pick up at farm or delivery to Arlington, Bedford, Belmont.

Powisset Farm, Dover, 508-785-0339, www.thetrustees.org

• Share $600; pick up at farm.

Red Fire Farm, Granby, 413-467-7645, www.redfirefarm.com

• Shares $465-$700; pick up at farm or delivery to Brighton, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Somerville (bicycle delivery option).

ReVision House Urban Farm, Dorchester, 617-825-8642, www.vpi.org/Re-VisionFarm

• Shares $550 ($300 for residents of 02124); pick up at farm or delivery to Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Milton, Roxbury, Somerville.

Rise and Shine Farm, Marshfield, 781-837-6702, www.localharvest.org/farms

• Share $450; delivery to Marshfield.

Sauchuk Farm, Plympton, 781-585-1522, www.sauchukfarm.net

• Share $450; pick up at farm.

Siena Farms, Sudbury, 978-479-0019, www.sienafarms.com

• Share $750; delivery to Cambridge.

Silverbrook Farm, Dartmouth, 508-991-5185, www.silverbrookdartmouth.com

• Shares $325 to $730 (some fees include bicycle home delivery); delivery to Boston City Hall, Copley Square, Dorchester, and other locations.

Stearns Farm, Framingham, 508-371-4310, www.stearnsfarmcsa.org

• Shares $335 and $610; pick up at farm. (Sold out.)

Stillman’s, Lunenberg, 508-867-7193, www.stillmansfarm.com

• Shares $350 and $500; pick up at farm sites in Lunenberg, New Braintree; delivery to Brookline, Framingham, Jamaica Plain, Lunenberg, Quincy, Southborough.

Stone Soup Farm, Belchertown, 413-687-4341, stonesoupfarm.googlepages.com

• Shares $260-$560; pick up at farm or delivery to Boston, Cambridge, Leominster.

Sweetwilliam Farm, Upton, 508-529-2000, www.sweetwilliamfarm.biz

• Shares $400 and $650; pick up at farm.

Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm, Millis, 508-376-5024, www.tangerinisfarm.com

• Share $625; pick up at farm.

Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham, 781-899-2403, communityfarms.org

• Share $550; pick up at farm. (Sold out.)

White Barn Farm, Wrentham, 774-210-0359, www.whitebarnfarm.org

• Share $600-$625; pick up at farm.

World Peas, Lowell, 978-654-6745, www.nesfp.org

• Share $550; delivery to East Boston.