Playing With Your Food – Week 14

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Sep 182014
 

DSC03814

Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project.  The Salem Farmers’ Market takes place every Thursday from June 12 to October 23 from 3 pm to 7 pm on Derby Square.  While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we 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 a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

It may not officially be fall yet, but we’ve definitely entered the season for one of the most beloved symbols of fall food – APPLES.  If you’re like me, your eyes are probably bigger than your stomach when it comes to purchasing apples or apple cider.  Suddenly, you find yourself with three bags of apples and two gallons of apple cider that really need to be used within a week.  What to do?

Confession time – I am terrible with pie.  “Easy as apple pie” has no relevance to me.  So here’s a list things that I find EASIER to make than apple pie:

 

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Boxes of Far From the Tree Hard Cider ready to go!

 

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Playing With Your Food – Week 13

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Sep 112014
 
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Eggplant varieties at Long Hill Orchard

Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project.  The Salem Farmers’ Market takes place every Thursday from June 12 to October 23 from 3 pm to 7 pm on Derby Square.  While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we 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 a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

It’s true – the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and some of those trees are starting to look suspiciously….not green.  But don’t worry, we still have almost 2 months of market days left!  In my opinion, this is really the best time for produce at the market because you can get almost anything.  If you love the summer produce, we’re still swimming in summer squash, peppers, melons, and greens and herbs of all sorts, but those who can’t wait for fall are already seeing apples, parsnips, and a few winter squash.

That said, now is the time to continue celebrating the summer produce while we still have it!  If you liked our first post about corn, tomatoes, and eggplant, get ready for a few more ideas.

Clark Farm 3 - Week 4

Corn at Clark Farm

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Corn

And even better….

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Pretty eggplant varieties at Heavens Harvest Farm

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Live From Salem, Mass – It’s Saturday Downtown Events All Day

 New Businesses, Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Farmers Market  No Responses »
Sep 062014
 

Salem Best ChefIf you picked today to visit Salem, MA, you made an excellent selection. We of course hope you return next month for our Haunted Happenings month-long extravaganza in celebration of all things Halloween, but today offers a diverse menu of selections in our Downtown District.

Get here early enough today (or most likely keep in mind for another Saturday, because you know you’ll be back), there is the Salem Food Tours Saturday Morning Coffee Walk at 9:15am. Get the inside scoop on our great shops, restaurants, downtown Salem and the waterfront area. Ideal for locals and visitors alike. Includes complimentary organic coffee or tea and finishes with local cider tasting (no food tasting on these tours.) Runs approx. 1 hour & 20 minutes. For more info email info@salemfoodtours.com or call 978.594.8811.

Silver Moon 1Silver Moon Comics & Collectibles is a new comic book theme store having its grand opening in the Museum Place Mall, today & tomorrow. In addition to comics, there will also be figurines, posters, and tie-ins with movies and TV shows related to the industry— as well as guest artists on a regular basis. The store provides discounts to customers with military or Salem State University ID and is receptive to anyone wishing to bring in comics or collectibles to trade or sell. Hours this weekend are 9am – 8pm Saturday and 10am – 7pm Sunday. For more info call 978.594.8641.

The Salem YMCA is hosting its first annual Salem’s Best Chef  fundraising event, featuring chefs from Finz, 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, the Ugly Mug Diner, and Scratch Kitchen. Takes place tonight 6-8 pm in the YMCA’s Ames Hall. The extra interesting aspect of this fundraiser for the Y is that for the competition portion of the event, each chef will be given a basket of secret ingredients, “Chopped” style from— the Salem Farmers’ Market! Tickets are still available. Call 978.740.9622. The YMCA is located at One Sewall street.

Peabody Essex Museum continues to intrigue, amaze and entertain with its selection of exhibits. Today it launches an all day session of events; it is the exclusive East Coast venue for Calder and Abstraction: From Avant-Garde to Iconic. This exhibition brings together 40 sculptures by Alexander Calder, one of the most influential and innovative artists of the 20th century. It will run from Sept. 6 to Jan. 4, 2015.

A menu of some of today’s Downtown events to delight the senses. Just for you from Salem Mass. Enjoy!

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Playing With Your Food – Week 12

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Sep 042014
 

Clark Farm - Week 6

“Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project.  While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we 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 a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

This week on “Playing With Your Food“, we’re proposing something a little different – come see how the pros do it.

This Saturday evening, September 6, from 6 pm to 8 pm in Ames Hall, the Salem YMCA is hosting its first annual Salem’s Best Chef fundraising event, featuring chefs from Finz, 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, the Ugly Mug Diner, and Scratch Kitchen, along with entertainment from Branches Steel Orchestra.

For the competition portion of the event, each chef will be given a basket of secret ingredients, “Chopped” style.  The majority of the ingredients will be sourced from the Salem Farmers’ Market.  In the basket there will be a protein, a vegetable, a fruit, and a unique spice provided by Salem Spice as well as some other surprises.  If you’ve enjoyed our recommendations for using your market goodies this season, this event is sure to give you some true inspiration!

There will be a panel of judges that each chef will be asked to prepare a dish for in about an hour’s time.  You might notice our fearless leader Kylie Sullivan of Salem Main Streets making an appearance as one of the judges.

Karen Scalia of Salem Food Tours, a good friend of Salem Main Streets and the Salem Farmers’ Market, will serve as the emcee for the competition, with Mark Scalia adding commentary and laughs to the rest of the evening’s proceedings. Karen will be asking questions and imparting facts and details about the restaurants and general Salem culinary facts. The Salem YMCA SAYMedia center will also be filming the chefs as they cook and showing it live during the event so that attendees can have a view of the chefs’ artistry at work.

As part of the event, attendees will experience a “Taste of Salem” with eight local, Salem restaurants participating and sharing a taste of their menus for all to enjoy.  Howling Wolf Taqueria, Scratch Kitchen, Opus, Tavern in the Square, the Lobster Shanty, the Clam Shack, the Tin Whistle, and Ken Rothwell Catering will all be part of the event.

The event is planned for Saturday, September 6 from 6-8pm in Ames Hall at the Salem YMCA and is being sponsored by the Salem Waterfront Hotel. Admission is $50 per person and includes a free drink ticket.  Creative Salem, led by Social Palates founder John Andrews, is also playing a major role in the event’s production and promotion.

All proceeds from the event, support the Salem YMCA. The event proceeds will help to ensure that everyone, regardless of income or background, has the chance to learn, grow and thrive at the Y.  Come join us for a wonderful night with great food for a great cause!

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Playing With Your Food – Week 10

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Aug 202014
 

Peaches

“Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project.  While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we 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 a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through the market season already!  We’ve reached the time of year that’s probably my favorite – stone fruit season.  I love peaches and nectarines, but I don’t really eat them out of season – and in New England the season is all too short.  Of course, you can just eat them as is without any fuss, but if you want to make the season last as long as possible, here are a few ideas:

  • Peach and Thyme Galette – Sweet and savory, this recently became by favorite “special” peach dessert.  The recipe calls for white peaches and lemon thyme, but any peaches and any thyme will do (especially good if your herb garden is exploding with thyme, like mine).  Also perfectly suitable to substitute whipped cream or ice cream for the creme fraiche, but no matter what, add a little leftover thyme-honey mixture to your dairy product of choice.  You won’t be sorry.
  • Peach Tart – Is the crust for the galette above a little too much for you to bother with?  This push-in tart crust is extremely forgiving.
  • Almond-Crisped Peaches – Can’t be bothered with crust at all?  This is probably the easiest peach dessert out there, but the flavor is incredible.
  • Grilled Mint Julep Peaches – Actually, THIS is the easiest peach dessert out there, assuming you already have the grill on.
  • Tomato, Nectarine, and Mozzarella Salad – Caprese salad with a twist; try with mozzarella from Wolf Meadow Farm or Milk and Honey.
  • Peach Butter – Looking to make your peaches last longer?  Make a spread.
  • Peach Cordial – Another way to make your peaches last longer?  Make them boozy.

 

Peach Thyme Galette

Peach Thyme Galette

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