Apple picking.
When heirloom apples from Scott Farm, in Dummerston, Vermont arrive, we always get excited. These apples have incredible range and nuance, well beyond the commercial varieties that are available year-round. Part of what’s rewarding for us is working with chefs who appreciate these things and know how to showcase them best–or are up for the challenge of learning.
Now in: Lamb’s Abbey, Dolgo Russian Crab, Gala, and Cox’s Orange Pippin.The folks at Scott Farm describe Lamb’s Abbey as “one of the most delightful apples in the world,” a “lively blend of sugars and acids and pineapple,” and “crisp and coarsely textured.”
Cold Hollow Cider is here, and we also have Apple Cider Syrup, which makes a fine component to an autumnal bourbon drink, on top of vanilla ice cream, or as the base for a cider caramel.
Native Squash is coming this Thursday. Early varieties often include GA candy roaster, LI cheese pumpkin, Winter Luxury Pumpkins, and Rouge vif d’Etampes to name a few. Follow us @specfoodsboston on twitter for the very latest. We also expect to see mixed color full-size loose heirloom carrots from Maine on Thursday.
Whatchu gonna put on that fall salad? Judging from the volume of sherry vinegar we sold yesterday, a sherry vinaigrette. For those looking to break away from the pack, we’ve got some options you might not have seen or tried yet. One that’s especially good is the Acetoria apple balsamic. At first, I was like, apple balsamic, what’s that supposed to be. Sounds like a turkey cranberry sausage–e.g., someone else’s idea of a jolly new england good time, but not mine. But then I actually did a little research and found out that it’s balsamic vinegar that’s made from apples, not grapes. Which is super fun. And you know what one of the first things that came up when I researched it was? Nordic food lab. More Autumn-friendly vinegars: quince, chestnut honey vinegar, fig, blackcurrant and don’t forget your old pal saba. She’s not a vinegar but she kind of acts like one.
We have received our first shipment of Benton’s Country Ham, and it’s at a super nice price point. The hams average 16 lbs and are sold whole. The nice thing is that it can actually fit in all over the menu, like sliced on a charcuterie board, or with some last-of-the season and insanely sweet Charentais melons from Maine, totally smokes any other orange-fleshed melon you’ve had, and on the brunch with some red-eye gravy, and the nubbins leftover flavoring a pot of Maine yellow-eye beans. For example.
Hey, it’s nice to have a hearty salad in the fall. Whole grain berries do the job nicely. In addition to organic farro from Abruzzo and hard red “magog” wheat berries from Maine Grains, we also their triticale and rye berries, so you know, beets + rye berries. Or do something with triticale, and tell the world about it. There’s not much information out there on cooking with this rye-wheat hybrid yet. Get there first.
86: Native Corn, Cherries
market update
Scott Farm- Dummerston, VT
- Dolgo Russian Crab Apples
- Lamb’s Abbey
- Cox’s Orange Pippin
- Gala
- Honeycrisp
Fresh Start Farm- Lisbon, ME
Husk Cherry Tomatoes, aka Ground Cherries, aka Cape Gooseberries
Farm Girl Farm- Great Barrington, MA
Native Fairy Tale Eggplant
Equinox Farm- Sheffield, MA and Fish Bowl Farm, Bowdoinham, ME
Native Mesclun Mix
Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA
- Warren Pears
- Emerald Beaut Plums
- Flavor Fall Pluots
Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA
- Long Island Cheese Pumpkins
- Georgia Candy Roasters
- Rouge vif d’Etampes
- Winter Luxury Sugar Pumpkins
- Purslane
- Concord Grapes
- Delicata Squash
- Fresh Cranberry Beans
- Mixed Medley Tomatoes
- Sungold Tomatoes
- Heirloom Tomatoes
Now in season
- Comice Pears
- Seckel Pears
- Forelle Pears
- French Butter Pears
- Honeycrisp Apples
- Wild Maine Blueberries
- Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
- Native Cape Gooseberries
- Concord Grapes
- Champagne Grapes
- Saskatchewan Chantarelles
- Native Lobster Mushrooms
- CA Plums
- Idaho Peaches
- CA Nectarines
- Baby Brussels Sprouts
- Fresh Black Mission Figs
- Yellow Watermelon
