Nella Pasta is this week's Featured Vendor

Leigh Foster from Nella Pasta

The secret to a good life is to enjoy family and friends with fresh local foods along with a great bottle of wine made right here in Massachusetts.  The Braintree Farmers Market is pleased to announce that we will be providing wine every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall Mall throughout the rest of our season.  Meet David Neilson from Coastal Vineyards as he brings us his wine that has been created from a variety of grapes he grows at his vineyard in South Dartmouth, MA.  David can help you choose a wine the will pair well with any meal.  Local wines also make a great gift or try them with a cheese and bread board with other fresh ingredients from the market. skol. 

This week's Featured Vendor is Nella Pasta which is a joint venture by two ambitious women, Leigh Foster and Rachel Marshall, with a vision to create the finest pasta and share it with the world.  We've been trying to lure this vendor to Braintree since before the the market began as they seemed like such a perfect fit with the rest of our product offerings.  Now that they've joined us folks are discovering just how flavorful and divine each unique pasta they make can compliment and elevate any meal.  Try them once and you'll return each week to try a new ravioli or linguine.  Next week look for a customer favorite-fresh corn, caramelized onion and thyme ravioli made with corn grown in Rehoboth, MA by The Farmer's Garden, their neighbors at the market.

Leigh and Rachel worked at unfulfilling desk jobs together and would meet at lunchtime to talk about how to use their creative energies to do something they loved.  As life-long foodies, Leigh grew up on a farm and Rachel's a culinary grad, they found that they were both passionate about fresh pasta.  They both fell for it while they studied in Florence before they even met.  So pasta it is...  They started with an oh-so-simple idea to make pasta using only ingredients from local farms.  Their name in Italian means "in the" because what goes in the pasta means everything to Leigh and Rachel.  They only use what's in season, picked fresh and grown with organic practices.  So what exactly is in their pasta?  A trip to the farmers' market, sometimes three, to create a unique handcrafted blend of produce, locally grown wheat, artisanal cheese, and a profound respect for the freshness you find in Italy.  Then there's their secret ingredient:  a sustainable food movement, a notion worth chewing over indeed.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 13th, as we enlighten and celebrate Urban Farm Day in conjunction with the farmers' market.   Simple and enjoyable tasks can make your lifestyle more rewarding, healthy and have less negative impact on the environment for future generations.  Join us for demonstrations on beekeeping, simple food preparations, backyard chickens, the community gardens, the new urban agriculture program being developed by the Braintree Historical Society and more.  The market will also be hosting local musicians that are currently exploring the roots of urban agricultural music in contemporary society.  Sustainable Braintree's special events tent, sponsored by the Braintree Electric Light Dept., will be raised for this special day so please drop by and see what we're up to. For more information about the market and Sustainable Braintree or to volunteer visit us at http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food.  See you on Saturday. 

Hearth Wood Fired Breads at the Farmers Market

Caroline and her mother Lauren Crook sample Hearth Wood Fired Breads from Ann Turpin.

Hot enuf for ya?  Summer is sizzlin' and we've got the goods for chillin' and grillin' at the Braintree Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Braintree.  Please visit us every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall Mall.  Products choices have expanded quite a bit this season as we have been perfecting our farmer and vendor lineup with the highest quality offerings that make the market a one-stop shopping experience.

For a good laugh meet us in front of the Braintree Town Hall this Saturday, July 30th, at 8 a.m. to participate in a Laughing Yoga Workshop with Mary hosted by Healing Tree Yoga.  Laughter Yoga is a unique exercise routine, combining unconditional laughter with yogic breathing.  Having a good chuckle to the start the day will set the tone for the rest of your weekend.  Everyone is welcome.

Perhaps you've had the pleasure of meeting Ann Turpin from Hearth Wood Fired Bread which is our Featured Vendor this week.  Ann's one of the friendliest and accommodating people you'll ever meet as she offers a sampling of delicious freshly baked breads to make sure you select the one that's just right.  Ann has been with this bakery since the very beginning and even witnessed the creation of their oven that was constructed with tradition in mind.  Their oven is a custom built Gueulard masonry oven, inspired by a combination of the best 18th century French and German designs.  It was built by a team of experts using exacting specifications in brick oven technology and history.  The final results is a single chamber for baking with fire burning wood in the firebox below which gives the bread a subtle nuance to it's flavor.  

These breads have only the finest ingredients, including their own proprietary natural levain (starter).  They use organic heritage whole grains which are dense with nutrients and provide rich, distinct flavors.  Each loaf is mixed and shaped by hand and baked in their fire burning brick oven.  Hearth Wood Fired Bread is proud of the fact that their bread is not produced by an automated facility.  Loaves are placed individually in the oven by bakers using only physical labor and a baker's peel.  Because of the high quality of their breads and painstaking process their breads are truly one of a kind and made for the enjoyment of all.  Enjoy them with other market products such as seafood salad, nut butters, tomatoes, cheeses, pastas, salad greens, sausages, fruit spreads and just about anything you can think of.  Stop by and give them a try and you'll come to realize that their breads are truly a work of culinary art.

Summer is at it's peak and so is the local growing season.  Treat yourself to the best in local produce, artisan foods and spa products that are now available close to home because of the hard work by Braintree Volunteers that share the vision and are passionate about the importance of the farmers market in our community.  The market is always in need of volunteers whether it's for a brief stint or as a regular please sign up at our website or our table at the market.  For more information about the market and Sustainable Braintree or to volunteer visit us at http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food.  See you on Saturday.

Second Nature Farm Featured at the Market

Adam Tedeschi is the head farmer at Second Nature Farm

     Summer season is hitting it's stride at the Braintree Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall Mall.  Fresh-picked, locally-grown corn is now available at both C.N. Smith Farm and The Farmer's Garden.  This is an early hybrid that matures in 60 days rather than the usual 90 days.  You'll enjoy this corn as it's sweet and delicious and a great accompaniment to any summer meal.

     The market is pleased to introduce a new grower to our roster this season who has added a unique twist to our array of produce.  Adam Tedeschi is the 25 year-old farmer who runs Second Nature Farm and is the Featured Vendor this week.  Second Nature Farm is a 3-acre, small fruit and vegetable farm located in Norton, MA.  Adam's farm may be small physically but he has perfected the art of producing large quantities of colorful, unusual and intriguing produce that will have you coming back each week to try something new.  The farm grows a number of different heirloom and hybrid varieties that are both unique and delicious. Additionally, their produce is Certified Naturally Grown - a grassroots alternative to Certified Organic.

An array of heirloom squash & cucumbers from 2nd Nature Farm.

     Adam fell in love with agriculture through apple picking as a child.  He began his farming career during college, as a member of Long Lane Farm - an organic farm run by the students of Wesleyan University. After graduation, Adam interned at Foggy Meadow Farm in Benson, VT where he gained much insight into the mechanics and details of running a small organic farm. Ready to begin his own endeavor, Adam founded Second Nature Farm the following year, cultivating a half-acre plot and each week demonstrating the great volume of food that can be grown in a small area. After two years of farming the half-acre, Adam began leasing 3 acres from an old farm down the street, which is where Second Nature currently resides.

Rainbow Carrots grown at 2nd Nature Farm.

     Second Nature Farm strives to provide the local community with fresh vegetables that are produced in a sustainable manner and free from toxic chemicals. As a corollary to this, the farm seeks to connect people to the food they eat, and in doing so create a general awareness of how the decisions we make regarding food impact more than just ourselves. Lastly, Second Nature Farm strives to be a helpful resource for those beginning their own growing endeavors, so that more people may experience the rewards and satisfaction of nurturing and eating their own food.

     This coming Saturday, July 16th, there will be a free yoga class sponsored by Healing Tree Yoga.  The program will be conducted by Jill and will begin at 8 a.m. in front of the Braintree Town Hall.  Please bring your mat.  On July 30th join us at the same time and location for Laughing Yoga with Mary.  Ha.

     This year we have a new policy for dogs at the market due health code reasons and loss of vendor products in the past.  Dogs are not allowed in the market unless they are wearing a muzzle or are being arm held.  All pets must be at least six feet away from any food items.  You may walk your dog along the outside perimeter of the market.  If there is a volunteer available inside the Market Manager tent we would be more than happy to hold your dog for you as you shop at the market.

     Thanks to all of the patrons of the market who have helped us grow and thrive.  To volunteer please sign up at our website at http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food.  See you on Saturday.

Fastachi Nuts at the Farmers Market

Souren Etyemezian and Sosy Mooradian at Fastachi Nuts.

     This season we have added new vendors to the mix that create even more diversity in product choices.  Look for an array of freshly baked artisan breads, locally roasted nuts, heirloom vegetables, micro-greens, empanadas, cinnamon buns, creative cupcakes, tasty cranberries, handmade pastas & raviolis and even Del's Frozen Lemonade to get us through those hot summer days.  This is just the tip of the iceberg folks as our seasoned vendors are always creating new products to entice us as well.  For instance, Burnin' Love Sauces has just introduced a brand new 'My Honey Loves Me Vinaigrette' made with honey, lavender, oil, vinegar & sage which has a delicate floral flavor that matches perfectly with the heirloom salad greens you'll find at the market.  Don't miss out on trying this unique vinaigrette.

     This week our Featured Vendor is Fastachi who we are pleased to introduce at the Braintree Farmers Market for the first time this season.  They will be visiting the market every other Saturday.  Fastachi was founded locally in 1990 in Belmont, Massachusetts by husband and wife team Souren and Susan Etyemezian.  From the small storefront, where they mastered the craft of nut roasting, they quickly established Fastachi as one of the country’s top purveyors of fresh roasted nuts and nut mixes.  Expansion into the specialty food trade and web markets eventually created the need for more space.  In 2003, the couple opened a new retail storefront and moved the entire operation to Watertown, Massachusetts.

     Fastachi Nuts are hand-roasted in small batches, seasoned only with salt, and double sifted to ensure only whole pieces graduate into their packages.  Fastachi nut mixes are unparalleled- having experimented over two decades to find the most delectable combinations. Look for unusual fruit and nut combinations that are just the right balance of sweet & savory.  And when it comes to delivering the fruits of their labor, they painstakingly hand pack them with the utmost care.  Pampered, over-protected and spoiled?  Perhaps.  But that’s why when you eat any nut; you’ll always judge it by a Fastachi.

     Fastachi Nut Butters are incomparable and span many different flavors such as pistachio, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, pecan as well as the tried and true peanut butter.  Their nuts are chosen for their quality, roasted to perfection and ground into a flavorful butter with nothing else added.  These nut butters are loaded with healthy nutrients such as protein, fiber, calcium and iron.  Try them once and you'll find that you've become addicted to something that's actually good for you.

     Be sure to come down to market as corn will begin to be harvested any time now and many more delectable summertime delights are waiting for you each Saturday.  Make a habit of trying something new every week as we try to enlighten your taste bud horizons.  For more information about the market or to volunteer please go to http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food.  See you on Saturday.