salem – Page 23 – Salem Main Streets

Open House In Salem Has Second Meaning

Aug 232014

Granted there are several fine homes up for sale in Salem that you can visit on any given Sunday— but we’re talking about the “other” open house, the kind which comes with a guided tour through the history of not only the house, but of the people who lived within as well.

Phillips House

Five generations of Phillips family objects are treasured within the walls of Historic New England’s Phillips House, located at 34 Chestnut Street. This is in fact the only house in this very historic district in Salem which is open to the public.

According to the official website: “The unusual collection on display is representative of the Phillips’ extensive travels and interests. It includes Hawaiian and Polynesian objects, as well as fine examples of early American furniture, Persian carpets, and an extensive collection of export porcelain. In the carriage house, visitors can view the family’s collection of carriages and automobiles that spans nearly a hundred years.”

Tours run from 11am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The season ends Nov. 2. For specific admission information for individuals and groups, visit www.historicnewengland.org or call 978-744-0440.

Pickering House

Built in 1651 by John Pickering, it was the home of 10 subsequent generations of Pickerings! It is located at 18 Broad St.

According to the official website: “It is not only Salem’s oldest House, but also America’s oldest Home: home to a single family for over three and a half centuries; home to carpenters, farmers, patriots, military leaders, deacons, diplomats, linguists, and statesmen. And as homes will, it changed with the times.”

It doesn’t taken a historian to imagine the wealth of information almost at your fingertips. The opportunity to not only visit Salem today, but also to see Salem as it was in the beginning awaits you.

Tours operate from 10am to 3pm on Sundays, now through Nov. 30. For specific admission information for individuals and groups, visit www.http://pickeringhouse.org/ or call 978-744-4777.

Playing With Your Food – Week 10

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Aug 202014

“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

Playback Time at PEM; Interacting with Games of History

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Aug 182014

Museums are neither boring, nor dreary, nor dark places! At least not the one in the downtown district of Salem, MA. Our very own Peabody Essex Museum is big, bright, and very community oriented. Admission is always free of charge to Salem residents (with ID) and members; it is also free Tuesday-Friday 10am – 5pm for people who work in Salem (with pay stub or other proof) but live elsewhere. Fees for non-members: adults $18, seniors $15, students (with ID) $10, youth (16 and under) free.

Take this week for example. On the 3rd Thursday of every month, the PEM invites the community to come in after hours for a late night fun-themed party. Yes, we said a party in the museum. Throwback Games Night set for this Thursday from 6-9pm will present hands-on interaction with electronic and board games of the 70s and 80s.

Some samples from the shelves of Mud Puddle Toys

Among the games scheduled: (some of which you can actually see on the shelves of Mud Puddle Toys in downtown Salem)

Twister
Rubicks Cube
Uno
Pick up Sticks
Ouija Board
Atari
Operation
Perfection
Sorry!
Trouble
Payday
Arcade Legends
Ms. Pac Man/Galaga
Air Hockey
“Giant” Mouse Trap

These will be available to be looked at, touched, read about, discussed— and played!

And since it would be rude of a host to not provide refreshments, the museum will have (in keeping with the theme of games and quick munchies) mac & cheese, Rice Krispies, Yoo Hoo, and a few other treats.

Cocktails and conversation, art making and music, culinary demonstrations and surprising experiences add up to great night out whether you are a resident or visitor looking to extend a day trip into an evening. And for this special PEM/PM event, non-members pay only $10 admission.

Have further questions? More details available at PEM website or by calling 978-745-9500.

Prices You Can’t Beat in Salem This Weekend

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Aug 152014

Tax break time! Not that we ever need an extra reason to attract visitors to our diverse downtown district in Salem, MA, but if you want one, we have it this weekend. The 2014 Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Weekend is set for Aug. 16 & 17.

What is that? “Two consecutive days during which most purchases made by individuals for personal use will not be subject to Massachusetts sales or use taxes” reads the recently enacted statute. The current state sales tax is 6.25%.

It continues, “on those days, non-business sales at retail of single items of tangible personal property costing $2,500 or less are exempt from sales and use taxes, subject to certain exclusions. The following do not qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption and remain subject to tax: all motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, telecommunications services, gas, steam, electricity, tobacco products and any single item whose price is in excess of $2,500.”

Did that say steam? In any case, there are many more items that are covered by the exemption. Come to Salem. Look through any store window along Washington St, Essex St, over to Front and Central and Derby Streets. Travel to Pickering Wharf and everywhere in between. You’ll find an assortment of items that lean on the city’s historical, literary, seafaring, and ‘witch-themed’ notoriety.

All are priced to sell nicely, with this weekend’s tax break as extra incentive. Many local businesses are offering promotions this weekend, including 15% off at Treasures Over Time (Saturday only), 20% off at newcomer Edward John Home Decor, and The Urbane Cyclist‘s biggest sale of the year. So get out there and start shopping!

Playing with Your Food – Week 9

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Aug 142014

Cucumber Blossoms

The true summer market season is most definitely here! The trucks arriving at the market each week are chock full of goodies, the tables are almost sagging under the weight of all this beautiful produce, and if you have a vegetable garden of your own, chances are you have one culprit that’s producing faster than you can handle. Chances are it’s a vine-based plant, like squash.

Cucumbers and Squash at the Clark Farm stand

Me, I’m drowning in cucumbers. Everything I purchase at the market and every meal I plan must somehow incorporate cucumbers. At the market, they’re incredibly affordable and can be found in several different varieties – check out the “Tasty Jade” cukes at Maitland Mountain Farm! Here are just a few of my favorite uses for cukes:

Tzatziki – easy and healthy, we have used this on practically EVERYTHING – salads, sandwiches, burgers, you name it!
Cucumber Avocado Soup – light and decadent at the same time.
Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken – or other similar cold noodle salads.
Quick Pickles – this slightly fancy take is very easy and extremely adjustable – use basil instead of shiso, rice wine vinegar in place of mirin or omit entirely, and use any cucumbers you like so long as you slice thinly. And honestly, they’re still delicious if you can’t stand to wait 4 hours.
Gazpacho – ok, so I use canned tomatoes rather than fresh. You can use fresh if you feel offended by that.
In cocktails, especially with gin, like the Eastside.
Tip – if you grow at home, try using cucumber blossoms as a garnish! They’re absolutely edible and have an interesting cucumber-y taste. Aim for the male blossoms, or just use the female blossoms if you’re concerned about having too big a crop.

But what about jar pickles?! Don’t worry, we’ll discuss pickling at a later date. For now, just enjoy the fact that the cukes are green and fresh and everywhere.

Cucumbers

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