Author: Specialty Administrator

Market Update – Sugar Cube Cantaloupes, Anise Hyssop, Maine Kohlrabi

Sugar Cube cantaloupes live up to their name with a sweet, but not cloying, vibrant orange flesh. Just a bit smaller than your average commercial melon, each Sugar Cube is at peak ripeness. A word to the wise – order extra, otherwise it might not end up on the menu as planned. They’re that perfect.

Chocolate mint and anise hyssop have made the journey from Maine and inhaling the lively smell of one or both herbs is better than chugging a cup of coffee. The spiked purple flowers of the hyssop are punk-like in appearance, and the dark green leaves taste of Pernod. Close your eyes as you munch on one and imagine yourself in the French countryside having an apero.

Kohlrabi are also Mainers. Big 10# bags of mixed green and purple should be plenty to experiment with the ideas here.

Native raspberries, native blackberries, and lemon cucumbers are trickling in but in limited quantity. If you can get your paws on either berry, they’re well worth it. The half-pints are packed with fat little berries that are aching to be scattered on top of the last summer pavlovas.

market update

  • *limited quantity
  • Saskatchewan Chanterelles
  • Oregon Matsutake
  • Jumbo Squash Blossoms
  • Dragon Tongue Beans
  • Fresh Garbanzo Beans
  • Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
  • Baby Artichokes*
  • Spring Onions with Tops
  • Tri-Color Cauliflower
  • California Peaches/White Peaches
  • California Nectarines
  • California Plums & Pluots
  • Washington Apricots
  • Black Mission Figs
  • Green Calimyrna Figs
  • Tiger Striped Figs
  • Yellow Watermelons
  • Champagne Grapes
  • Meyer Lemons
  • Washington Rhubarb*

Dandelion Spring Farm – Newcastle, ME

  • Anise Hyssop
  • Chocolate Mint

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

  • Native Raspberries*
  • Native Blackberries*
  • “Sugar Cube” Cantaloupes
  • Native Corn
  • Rosa Bianca Eggplant
  • Early Girl Tomatoes
  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Orange Sungold Tomatoes
  • Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
  • Green/Yellow Wax Beans
  • Green/Yellow Romano Beans
  • Fresh Cranberry Beans
  • Purslane

Orbaker Farm – Williamson, NY

  • Fresh Sour Cherries

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

  • O’Henry Yellow Peaches
  • Flavor King Pluots
  • Flavor Heart Pluots
  • Emerald Beaut Plums
  • Summer Fire Yellow Nectarines

Geddes Farm – Gilmanton, NH

  • Native Wild Blueberries

Taste of the North – Québec

  • Native-style Strawberries

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

  • Native Mesclun
  • Baby Arugula

Cates Family Farm – Vassalboro, ME

  • Mixed Green/Purple Kohlrabi

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

  • Lemon Cucumbers*
  • Opal Basil*
  • Mixed Medley Tomatoes

 

By Specialty Administrator

Market Update – Native Corn, Oregon Matsutakes, and the last of the Bing Cherries

Summer is plowing along full-steam ahead, and we have some fantastic specimens of the nightshade family that are the usual indicators of (dare I say it?) the impending arrival of fall. Tomatoes and eggplants are in their glory days right now, and there seems to be a new kind of tomato in the mix every week. Right now there’s an orange-fleshed purple smudge tomato (awesome name, right?) that’s an orange cherry tomato with a purple “cape”.  An even better name would be the Batman tomato, but I guess the “smudge” works…

CORN. The local corn we’re getting in is picked in the morning and sent fresh each day, and that’s apparent in the taste. No butter needed on these cobs – tear off the husks and sink your teeth in.

Sweet Bing cherries are sadly on their way out, and are expected to fade quietly over this next week. Have a farewell party for them and bake a cherry pie or churn up a batch of cherry-mint sorbet to savor the sweet, refreshing flavor of summer.

Oregon matsutakes are arriving tomorrow. These “pine mushrooms” (so named because of their tendency to grow under conifers) have a distinctly spicy aroma and are treasured because they can be somewhat difficult to find. Saskatchewan chanterelles (that place always makes me think of Farley Mowat) are also on the way and will make their grand entrance tomorrow.

While you’re lying around this week sipping caipirinhas on the beach (don’t you wish?), don’t forget to check out our cheese week featuring the SFB cheese cave. So many funky, crumbly, stinky, tasty wheels in there, and who knows – you might even learn a thing or two while on vacay. (Instagram @specialtyfoodsboston, Twitter @specfoodsboston, Facebook – Specialty Foods Boston)

market update

  • *limited quantity
  • **very limited quantity
  • Saskatchewan Chanterelles
  • Oregon Matsutake
  • Jumbo Squash Blossoms
  • Fresh Garbanzo Beans
  • Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
  • Baby Artichokes*
  • Spring Onions with Tops
  • Tri-Color Cauliflower
  • Lemon Cucumbers
  • California Peaches/White Peaches
  • California Nectarines
  • California Plums & Pluots
  • Washington Apricots
  • Washington Bing Cherries
  • Black Mission Figs
  • Green Calimyrna Figs
  • Tiger Striped Figs
  • Yellow Watermelons
  • Champagne Grapes
  • Meyer Lemons
  • Washington Rhubarb*

Dandelion Spring Farm – Newcastle, ME

  • Anise Hyssop

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

  • Native Raspberries**
  • Native Blackberries**
  • Native Corn
  • Rosa Bianca Eggplant
  • Early Girl Tomatoes
  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Orange Sungold Tomatoes
  • Plum Tomatoes
  • Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
  • Green/Yellow Wax Beans
  • Green/Yellow Romano Beans
  • Purslane

Orbaker Farm – Williamson, NY

  • Fresh Sour Cherries

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

  • O’Henry Yellow Peaches
  • Summer Fire Yellow Nectarines
  • Flavor King Pluots

Riverdog Organic Farm – Guinda, CA

  • Full-Pint Mixed Medley Tomatoes
  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes

Geddes Farm – Gilmanton, NH

  • Native Wild Blueberries

Taste of the North – Québec

  • Native-style Strawberries

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

  • Native Mesclun
  • Baby Arugula

Cates Family Farm – Vassalboro, ME

  • Mixed Green/Purple Kohlrabi
By Specialty Administrator

Market Update – Lemon Cucumbers, Rosa Bianca Eggplant, and Mixed Heirloom Squash

The ever-so-aptly named sunny spheres of lemon cucumbers have arrived, and while they’re a perfect pickling cuke, the citrusy globes are so fresh right now. They can be used anywhere you’d use a regular cuke, and are exceptional in a salad since they’re dressed to impress in their yellow party frocks.

Rosa bianca eggplant has also shown up in all its robust purple-ness. They’re a bit lighter purple than the usual Italian eggplants, and are almost perfect spheres. Fancy mixed heirloom squash are in from the same farm in MA as the rosa bianca, and the assortment is the quintessential combo of green, yellow, big, little.

Sou-ah cherries are still going strong, but native raspberries just can’t commit. No foreseen availability on those. Figs are keeping their end of the bargain, though, and are showing up in three varieties at the moment – Black Mission, Green Calimyrna, and Tiger Striped. 

Anise hyssop has made the trek down from Maine, and the smell is intoxicating. Not bad to look at, either, with a great contrast of deep green leaves and spiky purple flowers.

Also introducing the brand spanking new Twitter feed @mkt_updates, where you can get live updates from Specialty. Follow us to get the scoop of what’s new in the warehouse.

market update

*limited quantity

  • Fresh Imported Chanterelles
  • Jumbo Squash Blossoms
  • Dragon Tongue Beans
  • Fresh Garbanzo Beans
  • Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
  • Baby Artichokes*
  • Spring Onions with Tops
  • Tri-Color Cauliflower
  • California Peaches/White Peaches
  • California Nectarines
  • California Plums & Pluots
  • Washington Apricots
  • Washington Bing Cherries
  • Black Mission Figs
  • Green Calimyrna Figs
  • Tiger Striped Figs
  • Yellow Watermelons
  • Champagne Grapes
  • Meyer Lemons
  • Washington Rhubarb*

Dandelion Spring Farm – Newcastle, ME

  • Anise Hyssop

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

  • Native Corn
  • Rosa Bianca Eggplant
  • Early Girl Tomatoes
  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Orange Sungold Tomatoes
  • Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
  • Green/Yellow Wax Beans
  • Green/Yellow Romano Beans
  • Purslane

Orbaker Farm – Williamson, NY

  • Fresh Sour Cherries

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

  • O’Henry Yellow Peaches
  • Summer Fire Yellow Nectarines
  • Flavor King Pluots

Riverdog Organic Farm – Guinda, CA

  • Full-Pint Mixed Medley Tomatoes
  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes

Geddes Farm – Gilmanton, NH

  • Native Wild Blueberries

Taste of the North – Québec

  • Native-style Strawberries

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

  • Native Mesclun
  • Baby Arugula

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

  • Garlic Scapes
  • Lemon Cucumbers
  • Opal & Thai Basil

Cates Family Farm – Vassalboro, ME

  • Mixed Green/Purple Kohlrabi

 

By Specialty Administrator

Market Update – Fresh Cranberry Beans, Native Corn, and Baby Carrots

Huzzah – native corn is in. Stuff yourselves silly with the sweet, succulent kernels. Corn always gets the spotlight around this time, but the fresh cranberry beans from right here in MA are prancing their way onto the main stage as well with their flashy white and rosy hue. Native fava beans are a perfect shade of green and carefully nestled inside their pods. Talk about an all-natural packaging – the beans come to no harm while in the white, spongy interior of the pod.

Maine wild blueberries come in all sizes in their quarts – pick out the wee ones for an amuse-bouche or scatter them all on top of a free-form gallette for a rustic, flavorful summer dessert. Native Massachusetts red currants, red gooseberries, and raspberries are all still here (though in limited quantity), but native black raspberries have already come and gone.

Hop on over to the recent sour cherry post for a titillating collection of recipes and inspiration for the few weeks that these tart stonefruit are here.

market update

*limited quantity

  • Fresh Imported Chanterelles
  • Lemon Cucumbers*
  • Jumbo Squash Blossoms
  • Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied*
  • Baby Artichokes*
  • Spring Onions with Tops
  • Fresh Garbanzo Beans*
  • Red Watercress*
  • California Peaches/White Peaches
  • California Nectarines
  • California Plums & Pluots
  • Washington Apricots
  • Washington Bing Cherries
  • New York Sour Cherries
  • Black Mission Figs
  • Yellow Watermelons
  • Oregon Rhubarb
  • Champagne Grapes
  • Medjool Dates
  • Imported Meyer Lemons
  • Maine Wild Blueberries

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

  • Native Raspberries*
  • Red Currants*
  • Red Gooseberries*
  • Baby Red/Gold/Candy Beets
  • Fava Beans
  • English Peas
  • Sugarsnap Peas
  • Green/Yellow Wax Beans
  • Green/Yellow Romano Beans*
  • French Breakfast Radishes
  • Native Corn
  • Baby Carrots
  • Fresh Cranberry Beans

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

  • Native Mesclun

Taste of the North – Québec

  • Native-style Strawberries

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

  • Garlic Scapes

Riverdog Organic Farm – Guinda, CA

  • Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Full-Pint Mixed Medley Tomatoes

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

  • O’Henry Yellow Peaches
  • Flavor King Pluots
  • Summer Fire Yellow Nectarines
  • Opal White Peaches

Fitz Kelly Farm – Reedley, CA

  • Sierra Lady Yellow Peaches
  • Virgin Blush White Peaches
  • Green Goddess Plums*

 

By Specialty Administrator

River Rock Farm

River Rock Farm, located in picturesque southern MA, epitomizes the ideal grassy landscape for raising some happy cows. No antibiotics or growth stimulants to be seen here, just some beasts roaming around the paddock with trees for shade and room to spread out. As if that weren’t enough, the meat from these fine animals is dry-aged anywhere from 25-32 days. Happy cows + dry-aging = seriously flavorful beef.

We recently spoke with Charlie Sayer at River Rock Farm to get some insight into why you should check out his product, and what makes it so damn delicious.

SFB: What makes your product different than others?

Charlie: There are more and more grass-fed farms and Mom ‘n Pop operations out there now than at any other time in modern agriculture as awareness has grown about big beef, big Ag, and CAFO beef. With that said, there is a lot of diversity even within the local movement. We pride ourselves on putting out a consistent product that is as reliable as nature allows. Every steer finishes with slightly different proportions, but the consistency of the diet and the aging process allows us to offer the best beef imaginable on a regular basis.

We pride ourselves on putting out a consistent product that is as reliable as nature allows.

SFB: Why is dry-aged beef better?

Charlie: Dry-aged beef is more tender and more flavorful than conventional beef, or wet-aged beef. As the beef hangs, all the moisture evaporates, concentrating the flavor. Just like a good cheese, as the outer layer breaks down and goes to mold, what is left on the inside is more tender after the enzymatic reaction has occurred. It is an old fashioned method, and we lose a significant amount of weight in the process, but you can taste the difference in every cut.

RR farm

SFB: Which items in particular are dry-aged?

Charlie: After we harvest the animal, we age the whole beef by the side. The carcass is split and hung for 25 to 32 days (in alternating weeks), and then custom butchered to order. This allows for everything to be aged, from trim and ground beef all the way up to the tenderloin.

SFB: Why did you decide to go into this business?

Charlie: I got into the business with a passion for food, a love of working outside, and mostly to honor an old friend. Jon Konove started this farm back in the ’90’s after we volunteered together at the Heifer Project International in Arkansas. He decided to throw some animals on his parents’ land in Central Mass and put up a few fences. He invited me out to work for him and his Dad, Ron, and we built the first post and beam fences in 1996. He kept on building fences, adding animals, and building a business all through college and then took it on full time after he graduated. Meanwhile, I moved to Colorado where I was managing a sales team in Breckenridge for a family run hotel and resort.

Tragically, Jon died in a car wreck in ’08. It was devastating for everyone who knew him. The farm carried on under new management with his father, Ron, carrying the torch. Some years later, the farm needed some revival so my wife and I moved back from Colorado to take over the farm, buy out the family, and keep Jon’s torch burning. Not without our fair share of challenges, things are going great here and the future looks bright.

RR calves

SFB: Is there anything about your product that you wish more people knew?

Charlie: I think it is important to know that we have antibiotic and hormone free, dry-aged beef. There aren’t too many competitors in that category, and certainly not at our prices.

SFB: What kind of cows do you have?

Charlie: We use mostly Simmental and Angus cows, but we will buy most kinds of beef cattle, as long as they are eaters with good shape and good prospect.

 

RR logo

One week pre-order for all cuts needed. Order will arrive on Friday.

Available Cuts

Top Sirloin
Chuck
Eye Round
Brisket
Short Ribs
Bottom Round
Ground Beef

Questions about ordering River Rock? Call us (617.427.3200) and ask to speak to Tomas.

Photos courtesy of River Rock Farm
By Specialty Administrator