Market Report:

Native romanesco is largely done for the season, but we’re expecting a fairly good supply of green cauliflower as an alternative.  The various color cauliflowers are still available.  Our first shipment of crosnes have arrived for the season, and they’re bright, crisp and beautiful.  We are starting to see some locally-foraged oyster mushrooms arrive on the scene, and apples, pears, quince, and roots of all kinds are all at their peak and plentiful.

Equinox mesclun is still available, but their braising greens no longer are.  We’ve been getting a limited supply of Satur Farm braising greens, also delicious, but a bit on the larger/heartier side.

Nut oils & fruit vinegars

Autumn is often a time to think about heartier vinaigrettes for sharper greens.  We have an excellent assortment of fruit vinegars, such as quince, citron & mango from Huilerie Beaujolais, and blackcurrent, fig & tomato vinegars from Acetoria.  Saba, aka fermented grape must, is much like a more viscous, somewhat sweeter aged balsamic that needs no reduction.  Wine vinegars include Banyuls, Muscadet, and Forum chardonnay & cabernet.  Nut oils include, from J. Leblanc, walnut, hazelnut, marcona almond, pine nut, and pistachio.  From Belazu, the makers of our excellent harissa, we have Argan oil, and lastly, we have both squash seed oil and mustard oil.

Ordering notes: limited quantities have *stars* and first of the season items are in orange.

Peak season

• Baby Brussels Sprouts
• Baby Artichokes*
• Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
• Pomegranates
• Native Cranberries
• Concord Grapes
• Forelle Pears
• Anjou Pears
• Comice Pears
• Seckel Pears
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Fresh American Chestnuts
• Local Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
• Local Chicken Mushrooms*
• Local Oyster Mushrooms*
• Oregon Chantarelles
• Oregon Lobster Mushrooms
• Oregon Matsutake Mushrooms
• French Crosnes

Native Apples & Quince

Scott Farm Orchard- Dummerston, VT

• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Belle de Boskoop
• Ananas Reinette
• Honeycrisp
• Gala
• Macoun
• Dolgo Russian Crabapples
• Roxbury Russet Apples
• Calville Blanc d’Hiver
• Northern Spy
• Lady Apples
• Rhode Island Greening
• Hidden Rose
• Native Quince

Native Roots & Greens

Black Fox Farm- Montville, ME

Rainbow Carrots

4 Town Farm- Seekonk, MA

Macomber Turnips

Phat Farm- Unity, ME

• Chantenay Carrots
• Yellow Sun Carrots
• Purple Haze Carrots

Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Delicata Squash
• Georgia Candy Roaster
• Uchiki Kuri Squash
• Butternut Squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• Blue Hubbard Squash

Crossroad Farm- Jonesport, ME

Native Sunchokes

Green Sunshine Organic Farm- Hodgdon, Maine

• Bintje Potatoes
• Russian Banana Fingerlings

Sparrow Arc Farm- Copake, NY

• Watermelon Radish
• Bora King Radish
• Korean Green Daikon
• Black Radish

Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA

• Warren Pears

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Mesclun Mix Greens

Special , local, Artisanal

Fiddler’s Green Farm- Vassalboro, ME

Masa Harina, organic & stone-ground weekly, 5# bags or larger bags with notice

Heiwa Soy Beanery- Belfast, ME

Fresh Tofu, made from non-GMO Maine Soybeans

Hershberger Family Farms- Unity, ME

Fresh Duck Eggs, by the dozen

Aroostook Valley Honey Farm- Fort Fairfield, ME

Fresh Honeycomb, by the 12 oz pack

Cold Hollow Cider Mill- Waterbury, VT

Cold Hollow Apple Cider, by the gallon

Apple Acres Farm- Durgintown, ME

Apple Cider Syrup, small glass jar

Farmer Ground Flour- Trumansburg, NY

All organic. Available in 2# bags, or larger bags with one week’s notice

• Stone-ground Spelt Flour
• Stone-ground Rye Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Organic All-purpose Flour (25# bag)

 

Market Report:

Root vegetables are in full effect: Macomber turnips, celery root, native sunchokes, salsify, bora king radishes, local Korean green radishes, native black and watermelon radishes, Russian banana fingerling potatoes, bintje potatoes–which are a great alternative to German butterball until they become available (small, round, bright yellow flesh), and almost every winter squash you can think of.   Heirloom variety carrots–Chantenay, yellow sun and purple haze–are available, either mixed or by single variety.

We have many varieties of native heirloom apples available now from Scott Farm Orchards, plus their incredibly aromatic quince: now is the time to get some and make membrillo.  Pears include seckle, forelle, comice and bosc.  Concord grapes are still here but no longer native.  The tart coastal variety Oregon huckleberries are awesome.

Short supply/ending/gapping:  Orange and purple cauliflower are in very short supply, especially the native varieties.  We are working on new sources for this item, but please consider specifying a substitute when you leave your message, in case they are not available.  Pousse-pied are currently coming from Mexico and being held up in customs.  With the impending hurricane, it’s questionable whether or not we’ll see more next week.  Baby turnips are in very short supply.  We’ve bought out everything from all of our local farmers, and we don’t expect to see much this week, so if you want to use them, consider having it as a verbal addition to a dish rather than on the printed menu.

Ordering notes: limited quantities have *stars*, exceptional quality items are in bold, and first of the season items are in orange.

Peak season

• Native Romanesco*
• Native Cauliflower
• Baby Brussels Sprouts
• Baby Artichokes*
• Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
• Pomegranates
• Native Cranberries
• Concord Grapes
• Forelle Pears
• Comice Pears
• Seckel Pears
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Fresh American Chestnuts
• Locally-foraged Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
• Locally-Foraged Chicken Mushrooms
• Oregon Chantarelles
• Oregon Lobster Mushrooms
• Oregon Matsutake Mushrooms
• French Crosnes-coming Tuesday 10/27

Native Apples & Quince

Scott Farm Orchard- Dummerston, VT

• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Belle de Boskoop
• Ananas Reinette
• Honeycrisp
• Gala
• Macoun
• Dolgo Russian Crabapples
• Roxbury Russet Apples
• Calville Blanc d’Hiver
• Northern Spy
• Lady Apples
• Rhode Island Greening (way cooler than Granny–sorry Gran)
• Hidden Rose
• Native Quince

Native Roots & Greens

Black Fox Farm- Montville, ME

Rainbow Carrots

4 Town Farm- Seekonk, MA

Macomber Turnips

Phat Farm- Unity, ME

• Chantenay Carrots
• Yellow Sun Carrots
• Purple Haze Carrots

Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Delicata Squash
• Georgia Candy Roaster Squash
• Uchiki Kuri Squash
• Butternut Squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• Blue Hubbard Squash

Crossroad Farm- Jonesport, ME

Native Sunchokes

Green Sunshine Organic Farm- Hodgdon, Maine

• Bintje Potatoes
• Russian Banana Fingerlings

Sparrow Arc Farm- Copake, NY

• Watermelon Radish
• Bora King Radish
• Korean Green Daikon
• Black Radish

Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA

• Warren Pears

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Mesclun Mix Greens
• Mixed Braising Greens

Special , local, Artisanal

Heiwa Soy Beanery- Belfast, ME

Fresh Tofu, made from non-GMO Maine Soybeans

Hershberger Family Farms- Unity, ME

Fresh Duck Eggs, by the dozen

Aroostook Valley Honey Farm- Fort Fairfield, ME

Fresh Honeycomb, by the 12 oz pack

Cold Hollow Cider Mill- Waterbury, VT

Cold Hollow Apple Cider, by the gallon

Apple Acres Farm- Durgintown, ME

Apple Cider Syrup, small glass jar

Farmer Ground Flour- Trumansburg, NY

• Stone-ground Spelt Flour
• Stone-ground Rye Flour
• Stone-ground Whole Wheat Flour
• -all in 2 lb. bags-
• -all organic-

 

Your Autumn Guide to apples.

 

Let’s consider the difference between heirloom apples and non-heirloom apples for a moment.

The varieties of apples we get taste like nothing you (or your guests) can find at the grocery store.  Why don’t these delicious, incredible apples find their way into the local grocery store?  Because growing for flavor is very different than growing for commerce.   Grocery stores pick produce based on things like low price, consistent sizing, unblemished appearances, ability to hold up during shipping, and ability to sit on the shelf for a long time without going bad.  Commercial growers have responded to this demand by focusing all of their resources on apples that are pretty, hardy, and disease-resistant.  Flavor?  Not a priority.

Most importantly, to us and to the chefs we serve, is that heirloom apples have incredible flavor.  The kind where you think “I didn’t know an apple could taste like that.”  Notes of pineapple, tropical fruit, vanilla, cranberry, green grapes, lemons, pears–like tasting wine, apples are as different and special as the tree they were grown from and the terroir in which they were grown.  They can vary from year to year.  They are local–they’re from Vermont. They’re actually supporting a small farm–it’s a farm of 571 acres run by about six farmers.  They’re beyond organic–a word that has come to mean so little to so many great farmers who can’t afford the label–because they use a truly biodynamic approach to growth, harvesting and pest management.  They take risks, because unlike commercial varieties, these apples are not disease-resistant, they’re not always perfect-looking, they’re not graded for size, and they’ve got old-fashioned, esoteric names.   Flavor?  In spades, kid.

Varieties:  like every other fruit, certain varieties ripen early, and others, later in the season.  Listed below is what we’ve got coming today, but please stay tuned to our updates via twitter and instagram for new varieties arriving over the course of the season.

scott farm orchard’s heirloom apples

(with thanks to Scott Farm Orchards for their excellent apple research and lore.)

Calville Blanc d’Hiver: a 15th century French variety that has hints of vanilla and an excellent texture when cooked.  Of all the French varieties, this one is considered the best for cooking because of it’s resiliency.

Rhode Island Greening: Move over, Granny.  This heirloom originated grown by Mr. Greening at Inn and Tavern near Newport, RI.  Eats well, and bakes even better–pies baked with this apple have won prizes all over the world.

Roxbury Russet: this apple is a huge hit with chefs because it makes an excellent smooth puree.  It has nectar-like flesh has tropical fruit notes such as pineapple and guava, and has a naturally high sugar content.  Old American variety.

Northern Spy: you know that’s going to sound good on the menu.  A versatile apple for both cooking and eating.

Lady Apples: this petite apple has been around since before the Roman empire, and there’s some lore of ladies tucking one into their bosom to freshen their breath.  Don’t try this on the line.

Hidden Rose: if you haven’t seen this apple before, it’s pale greenish-yellow on the outside, but when you cut into it, it’s flesh is pink.  Tart, crisp, tropical notes, and the flesh deepens in color when cooked.

Cox’s Orange Pippin: an old English variety from the 1800’s, this small round orange-skinned apple tends towards tart, with pear and citrus notes.  This is a versatile apple, good for baking or eating out of hand, and in good years, can reach flavor peaks that few other apples can achieve.

Belle de Boskoop: from the Netherlands, and there considered the only authentic apple to use in apple strudel.  Considered a dual-purpose apple, it’s a superb baking apple, and a very good eating apple later in the season when more fully mature.

Ananas Reinette (literally, “little pineapple queen”) is a smaller French variety–a very pretty gold-green apple that has distinctive creamy/pineapple notes.  With it’s fine grain and crisp texture, it’s considered an excellent eating apple, but also makes a great sauce, juice or cider.

Dolgo Crab: this variety originated in Kazakhstan, several hundred years ago.  It’s intense and zesty, with sharp cranberry notes.  This tiny apple makes a great bright sauce, refreshing sorbet, savory chutney, or a beautiful rose-colored jelly.

not heirloom, but native, which is still cool

Macoun: deep red, flat-ish, small apple for eating out of hand.  It has white “breaking flesh,” which means when you bite it, it breaks off in chunks.  This is a super tasty apple–we’ve been taking them home and snacking on them.

Gala: small, very sweet, aromatic apple.  The bubblegum of the apple world.

Honeycrisp: Guess what?  It’s not an heirloom.  It was developed at the University of Minnesota in 1960, and is “self-sterile,” meaning it can’t reproduce on it’s own.  Popular for a reason: it sounds sexy but it’s got all of the consistency of a commercial apple, because it essentially is one.   We will bring in the native ones for as long as the season allows, and then switch over to the commercial variety of honeycrisp due to the high demand.

photo by Erich Ferdinand

Market Report:

Currently, all figs except green zebra are over, all fresh local beans are winding down fast (garbanzo, cranberry, wax, green) and peas are done.  Wild pousse-pied and husk cherries are dwindling and will end mid-week.  We have plenty of gorgeous native hen o’ the woods mushrooms–consider it as an alternative to cultivated maitakes we have year-round, and please specify native hens upon ordering.  We also have native chicken of the woods.  It’s time for macomber turnips, a truly local root with a cool story–we’re sure you know it, but if you’re looking for something to discuss during pre meal, here you go.

Ordering notes: limited quantities have *stars*, exceptional quality items are in bold, and first of the season items are in orange.

Peak season

• Native Romanesco Cauliflower
• Native Orange Cauliflower
• Baby Brussels Sprouts
• Baby Artichokes
• Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
• Native Pomegranates
• Native Cranberries
• Concord Grapes
• Forelle Pears
• Comice Pears
• Seckel Pears
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Locally-foraged Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
• Locally-Foraged Chicken Mushrooms
• Fresh American Chestnuts
• Queen Charlotte Chantarelles
• Oregon Lobster Mushrooms
• Oregon Matsutake Mushrooms

Native Apples & Quince

Scott Farm Orchard- Dummerston, VT

• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Belle de Boskoop
• Ananas Reinette
• Honeycrisp
• Gala
• Macoun
• Dolgo Russian Crabapples
• Roxbury Russet Apples
• Calville Blanc d’Hiver
• Northern Spy
• Lady Apples
• Rhode Island Greening (way cooler than Granny–sorry Gran)
• Hidden Rose
• Native Quince

Native Roots & Greens

Black Fox Farm- Montville, ME

Rainbow Carrots

4 Town Farm, Seekonk, MA

Macomber Turnips

Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Delicata Squash
• Georgia Candy Roaster Squash
• Uchiki Kuri Squash
• Butternut Squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• Blue Hubbard Squash

Crossroad Farm- Jonesport, ME

Native Sunchokes

Green Sunshine Organic Farm- Hodgdon, Maine

• Bintje Potatoes
• Russian Banana Fingerlings

Phat Farm- Unity, ME

• Chantenay Carrots

Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA

• Warren Pears

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Mesclun Mix Greens
• Mixed Braising Greens
• Baby Arugula
• Baby Kale*

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

• Green (Korean) Daikon

Special , local, Artisanal

Heiwa Soy Beanery- Belfast, ME

Fresh Tofu, made from non-GMO Maine Soybeans

Hershberger Family Farms- Unity, ME

Fresh Duck Eggs, by the dozen

Aroostook Valley Honey Farm- Fort Fairfield, ME

Fresh Honeycomb, by the 12 oz pack

Cold Hollow Cider Mill- Waterbury, VT

Cold Hollow Apple Cider, by the gallon

Apple Acres Farm- Durgintown, ME

Apple Cider Syrup, small glass jar

Farmer Ground Flour- Trumansburg, NY

• Stone-ground Spelt Flour
• Stone-ground Rye Flour
• Stone-ground Whole Wheat Flour
• -all in 2 lb. bags-
• -all organic-

 

Market Report:

Just starting up: Macomber turnips, fresh American chestnuts, Bintje potatoes, and Chantenay carrots.  Also available: beautiful local mushrooms: chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and boletus.  Forelle and Seckel pears are now available.  Ending, Gapping, slowing down, or in short supply: Figs of all types, heirloom tomatoes, all stone fruit, cranberry beans.

What’s the deal with fresh American chestnuts?

The native American Chestnut Tree was nearly wiped out of existence, in 1904, when some Chinese chestnut trees were brought to the Bronx Zoo.  They carried a blight that the Chinese plants were very resistant to, European varieties largely resistant to, but American trees were crushed by.  Over the next few decades, 99% of the native population was destroyed.  This tree was historically referred to as the “cradle to grave” tree, because the wood was used to build both cradles and coffins, furniture was made from it’s wood, the leaves were dried and used for medicinal purposes, and the chestnuts themselves were an important nutritious and abundant crop, prior to the blight.

The flavor of American chestnuts is considered sweeter, nuttier and less bitter than their Chinese and European counterparts.  A big push is being made to restore the native American chestnut.  When we cook with them, we help create the demand that will fuel the effort to restore this crop to the United States.

We have fresh American chestnuts available by the pound.

First of the Season

• Native Romanesco Cauliflower
• Native Orange Cauliflower
• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Native Delicata Squash
• Georgia Candy Roaster Squash
• Uchiki Kuri Squash
• Native Butternut Squash
• Native Spaghetti Squash
• Baby Brussels Sprouts
• Early-variety Quince
• Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
• Early-variety Pomegranates
• Early-variety Native Cranberries
• Native Grapes
• Concord Grapes
• Forelle Pears
• Comice Pears
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Locally-foraged Chicken Mushrooms*
• Locally-foraged Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
• Fresh American Chestnuts

Scott Farm Orchards, VT

• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Belle de Boskoop
• Ananas Reinette
• Honeycrisp
• Gala
• Macoun
• Dolgo Russian Crabapples

Black Fox Farm, Maine

Rainbow Carrots (large)

Crown O’ Maine Organics

• Black Radishes
• Soldier Beans* (dried) Chantenay Carrots

Fresh Start Farm – Lisbon, ME

Husk Cherry Tomatoes (aka Ground Cherries, aka Cape Gooseberries)

Stillwater Orchards – Courtland, CA

• French Butter Pears (very limited)
• Seckel Pears

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

• Native Raspberries*
• Native Corn
• Rosa Bianca Eggplant
• Early Girl Tomatoes
• Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
• Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
• Fresh Cranberry Beans
• Fresh Lima Beans

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

• Warren Pears

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Native Mesclun
• Mixed Braising Greens*
• Baby Arugula

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

• Baby Hakurei Turnips*                                                                         Baby Scarlet Turnips                                                                        Mustard Flowers*
• Green/Korean Diakon

& Also…

• Queen Charlotte Chanterelles
• Fresh Oregon Lobster Mushrooms
• Fresh Oregon Matsutakes
• Jumbo Squash Blossoms
• Fresh Garbanzo Beans
• Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
• Baby Artichokes*
• Tri-Color Cauliflower
• Italian Prune Plums
• California Peaches/White Peaches
• California Nectarines
• California Plums & Pluots
• Black Mission Figs
• Meyer Lemons
• Native-style Quebec Strawberries
• Cold Hollow Farm Apple Cider
• Maine Apple Cider Syrup