Kylie

Jun 252014
 
Wally's - Week 2

Produce at Wally’s Vegetables – Week 2

We started a little tradition with the 2013 Winter Market of posting ideas for recipes and uses for the many products you could find at the market, called “Playing With Your Food”.   Now that the 2014 Salem Farmers’ Market is in full swing, we thought it would be fun to start a similar tradition highlighting a few of the many great options for the range of produce and artisan food at the market each week.  While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we will do our best to reflect some of the fun items we’ve found recently and what’s likely to be available for the upcoming week.  Hopefully this will give you all a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

We’ll start with a round up from the first two weeks and the upcoming third week.

Strawberry and Rhubarb

Nothing says early summer like the combination of strawberry and rhubarb, but the season is always far too short.  Celebrate them now, or find a way to hang on them for winter when you’re desperately missing summer.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Asparagus

The season for asparagus is almost already over.  Snatch some up while you still can!

Week 2 Greens and Alliums

Assorted Greens and Allium Options

Spring Allium Family

Spring onions, leeks, and scallions are popping up left and right, and they are ridiculously beautiful.  Grill them, fry them, saute them, whatever you please!

  • Grilled Spring Onions – the purple and green scallions we found at the Clark Farm stand last week are beautifully suited to this easy side dish
  • Leek Fritters – note that leeks this time of year may be a bit smaller than you’re used to seeing, so you’ll need to tweak recipes accordingly
Week 2 - Leek Fritters and Sauteed Pea Tendrils

Leek Fritters and Sauteed Pea Tendrils with Pork Chops

Odds and Ends

  • Pea Tendrils – we found these at the Long Hill Orchard stand last week and had no idea what to do with them.  Turns out a simple saute with garlic, lemon, and salt is all you need!
Prep for Winter - Freezing Berries

Berries in syrup, ready for the freezer

 

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Jun 012014
 

IMG_1114

We are continuing on with our “Business Spotlight of the Month” series!  Every month, Salem Main Streets will highlight a business in downtown Salem that might be relatively unknown, off-the-beaten path, misunderstood, or just plain cool.  Next up,  Kylie and our intern Cherese paid a visit to Salem Ink.

What: Salem Ink Tattoo and Art Gallery

Where: 201 Derby Street

Owner: Loki LaChapelle

The Business:  Salem Ink has been around for a few years now, but their brand-new and very visible location on Pickering Wharf has allowed them to expand and reimagine themselves.  Part tattoo studio, part gallery, Salem Ink puts the artistry of tattoos and the local community front and center.  Many people going past Pickering Wharf lately have had questions about “the new gallery in town,” and we wanted to get an inside look.

Starting in Salem: Loki LaChapelle originally opened Salem Ink on Washington Street several years ago, after being drawn to Salem’s funky, artsy vibe.  Cautiously polite about what makes Salem Ink different than other tattoo studios, Loki points out that every tattoo is personal and that customers should look to find artists who match their style.  Salem Ink will take on large-scale to small work, noting that the smallest tattoos can sometimes have the most significance.

Why a Gallery?  While at their previous space on Washington Street, Salem Ink had started a small gallery in a neighboring space as an opportunity for Salem State students to show work.  Loki realized that there were few opportunities on campus for students to have their work seen and, just as importantly, sold.  The new location on Derby Street has allowed the two businesses to combine.  The current gallery showcases work by Salem Ink artists, local professional artists, and student artists from Salem State and Montserrat.  As a result, pieces range from extremely affordable smaller pieces to larger, high impact works – the large octopus piece by Salem Ink artist Ashlie featured at the top of this blog has since been sold to a local restaurant where it will hopefully have a permanent home!

Bright, bold, and inviting, Salem Ink’s new digs offer much more than either a traditional tattoo studio or gallery.  Be sure to poke your head in and you’ll immediately see why!

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 Posted by at 8:18 pm
May 172014
 
Andy Gerard - Photo Credit Social Palates

Andy Gerard – Photo Credit Social Palates

Salem Main Streets is pleased to continue with our Citizen of the Month feature!  The intent of this feature will be to spotlight individuals who are going above and beyond to make downtown Salem a great community in which to live, work, and play.  Hopefully, you’ll learn new ways that you can help as well.  This month we are spotlighting Andy Gerard, the volunteer mastermind behind the Salem YMCA‘s brand-new recording studio.

The son of a music teacher, music has always played a significant role in Andy’s life.  Andy first came to Massachusetts from New Jersey as an undergraduate  in sociology at UMASS-Amherst, where he continued to play a variety of instruments in addition to his classwork.  He went on to attend the School of Audio Engineering in New York City and worked at a number of recording studios while living in NYC.  Andy transitioned into software engineering after moving to the Boston area, where recording engineer positions are few and far between, but he maintains a small studio in his basement for his own projects.

When Andy originally found out about the Y’s hopes for a recording studio via Facebook, he thought that his background as a recording engineer might prove useful and offered to help.  He found that professional quote the Y had received was going to be too expensive to pull off and worked with them to develop a more achievable plan.  In addition to playing the role of consultant, Andy built and donated the computer that will serve as the central hub for the recording operation.  He hopes to continue helping as a teacher and engineer once the recording studio is truly up and running.

Andy volunteers for several other local causes, including Solarize Salem. He enjoys the ability to give something back, noting out that his wife City Councilor Beth Gerard’s love of volunteering often encourages by example.  Andy appreciates that the recording studio at the Y is truly a community project and points out that a recording gives students something tangible to walk away with to mark their accomplishments.  In addition to serving as an educational opportunity and creative outlet for students, the Y hopes that members of the Salem community will also begin using the recording studio as a resource.

Want to help support the YMCA’s recording studio?  Come to Ames Hall at the YMCA, One Sewall Street, TONIGHT (May 17) at 7:00 p.m. for a benefit concert with Soul Rebel Project, The Dejas, Qwill, and Kevin William Klein – specifically to support the Y’s music program and the new recording studio!  Tickets are $20 at the door with a cash bar.  Find more information here.

Do you know a good candidate for Citizen of the Month?  A neighbor, a colleague, a random do-gooder you’ve consistently noticed around town?  We want to hear about it!  Email Kylie at kylie@salemmainstreets.org with recommendations.

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Apr 182014
 

finz arts festival eventbrite image

Pickering Wharf, home of the Salem Spice Trade, is about to get even spicier!  You’re invited to attend “Fire and Spice”, a fundraiser event for the Salem Arts Festival, this Thursday, April 24, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Finz Seafood and Grill at 76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA 01970.

What is “Fire and Spice”?

“Fire and Spice” is a celebration of food, fashion, and fun, as well as a way to raise funds for the 6th annual Salem Arts Festival, and will include:

What is the Salem Arts Festival, and why is Salem Main Streets involved?

The Salem Arts Festival is a free, family-friendly festival held in downtown Salem on June 6 through June 8, including an art show, a street fair, live performances, and art-making activities.  The Festival is actually a Salem Main Streets project, as it creates a destination event that attracts visitors and residents alike, celebrates the community of working artists and performers who call Salem home, and contributes to a sense of place in downtown Salem.

Why is this fundraiser so important?

We are working hard to make this year’s Arts Festival better than ever.  We’re increasing the number of opportunities for the community to participate in art-making during the festival.  We’ve committed to paying a stipend for all performers, which is something we’ve never been able to do in the past.  We’re tackling our very first public art project – HulaArt.  But we can’t take these exciting new steps without raising additional funds.

What’s with the “spice” theme?

For the first year, the Salem Arts Festival will have a central theme – and this year’s theme is SPICE!  Why spice?

  • Because Salem was the center of the Spice Trade for the better part of a century.
  • Because the culinary scene in Salem is exploding.
  • Because we think the Salem arts scene is just so spicy.

You’ve convinced me.  How do I buy tickets?

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce offices at 265 Essex Street, by phone at 978-744-0004 x15 (Kylie Sullivan), or online by clicking the link below:

BUY TICKETS FOR FIRE AND SPICE

Anything else?

So glad you asked!  Guests are encouraged to bring any “tired” or “expired” spices lurking in the cabinet to contribute to the Festival’s Spice Drive.  These spices will be collected and reused for attendees to create unique pieces of art during the festival.

You don’t want to miss this special event, so grab your dancing shoes and help us make this year’s Salem Arts Festival the best yet!

 

The Ward Eights - photo credit Social Palates

The Ward Eights – photo credit Social Palates

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 Posted by at 5:08 pm
Apr 032014
 

PEM Bollywood

Casting a spotlight on Indian arts and culture since 2009, the Peabody Essex Museum once again offers a diverse weekend of activities on April 5th and 6th for the Sensational India! Festival.

The festival celebrates an unparalleled 200-year legacy of cultural exchange with India presented as a vibrant array of dance and music performances, art-making activities, and the popular Bollywood Dance Party.

On Saturday, April 5th at 9 pm, DJ Yogz and DJ D-Xtreme of Boston Sound and Light Company will transform PEM’s Atrium into a dazzling nightclub by spinning the latest Bollywood, Bhangra, and Western re-mixed music.  Previous attendees were still talking about last year’s event for months afterward.

While the Bollywood Dance Party is indeed the highlight of the event, there are many, many activities to attract visitors from throughout New England.  For example, take Rama Vaidyanathan, awarded the title of “Jewel of India” by the Government of Sri Lanka; she is one of the leading exponents of Bharatanatyam, a popular form of classical dance.  At noon on April 5th in the Atrium, she will present a specifically commissioned repertory to highlight the theme of design in Indian classical dance, accompanied by live music.

Directly following at 1 pm in the Morse Auditorium, PEM’s Curator of Indian and South Asian Art Sona Datta will discuss the inception of modernism in Indian art, focusing on the PEM’s collection and the work of Jamini Roy, the subject of Datta’s 2010 book, Urban Patua.

Looking at one of the events for Sunday, April 6th, at 2:30 pm in the Morse Auditorium, Piotr Adamczyk of Google’s Art Project will discuss the extraordinary program that puts the best art collections of the world on the Web.  Thanks to this effort, people can now view 30,000 works of art from more than 150 museums without leaving their house.  Adamczyk will specifically focus on work in India, including the recently launched Archaeological Survey of India, which seeks to protect the cultural heritage of the nation.

As with any PEM event, there will of course be story time and interactive opportunities throughout the weekend from which children can learn and be entertained.

More details on the full schedule for Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6th can be found on the PEM website.

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 Posted by at 12:12 pm