Clam & Lobster Feast featured Sept 3rd

Julie Vanick and her mother Regina Alexander enjoying their meal at the Clam & Lobster Feast.

   The end of summer is approaching and what better way to celebrate than with a traditional New England Clambake and all the fixings.  The Braintree Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Braintree is presenting the 3rd Annual Clam & Lobster Feast this Saturday, Sept. 3rd, from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at our location at the Braintree Town Hall Mall, One JFK Memorial Dr., Braintree.  Enjoy the final weekend of the summer in true local style with a seafood banquet that just can't be beat.  

   Many folks have been waiting all year for this event and each year it has gotten bigger and better.  Fresh Catch Seafood will cooking right on site at the market.  The menu includes 2 lbs. of fresh steamers, 1 1/4 lbs. steamed lobsters, clam chowder, lobster bisque, lobster salad rolls, corn on the cob, homemade stuffed quahogs and fresh little necks and oysters on the 1/2 shell which is new this year.  The New England Clambake dinner comes with a lobster, steamers, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, onions and seasonings.  All of these will be served starting at 9:30 a.m. until the market closes at 1 p.m.  

   For dessert drop by Jack's Cookie Jar tent for the Clambake Cookie Ensemble.  Each package includes a beautifully decorated and delicious set of cookies that include a lobster, clam, an ear of corn and a slice of watermelon.  Pick up a package to bring home for your friends.  They'll also have their ever popular fair which includes at least three types of shortbread, three biscotti flavors and three different types of chocolate chip cookies which includes this year's newest favorite-chocolate chip mint cookie.  Stop by and  treat yourself.   

   Other vendors will have products that tie in with our clambake theme along with your favorite items that you've come to expect.  This time of year there's a bounty of produce to choose from.  Supermarkets may boast that they offer local produce but you'll never find it as freshly picked and delivered to you full of flavor and good nutrition.  The Braintree Farmers Market farmers grow the all produce they sell.  Right now you'll find a variety of heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, early apples and sweet peaches.  Local honey is available from C.N. Smith Farm along with fresh eggs if you get there early enough before the sell out. 

Clam & Lobster Feast posters just $5.

   This year we're offering a limited print run of Clam & Lobster Feast commemorative posters (10" x 15.5") that compliment the Strawberry Festival and Urban Farm Day posters.  Posters are only $5 and contribute to the operating costs of the market.

   Join us on Sept 10th for our Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration.  We'll have interactive displays for Recycling, Energy and the Community Garden in conjunction with the farmers' market.  Music by Candis Jan Stout will add to the festivities so bring you blankets and lawn chairs and hang out for awhile.  Project Have Hope is scheduled to bring their beautiful jewelry and craft items that are made from recycled paper and help the women and children of the Acholi Quarter of Uganda.  For more information please visit us at www.sustainablebraintree.org.  See on Saturday.

Del's Lemonade Featured this Saturday

Susan Franklin from Del's Lemonade

   The end of the summer is quickly approaching at the the Braintree Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Braintree and we're very grateful for all the folks who have joined us during their staycations and vacations here in Braintree.  Our popularity seems to be growing each season as we strive to present the highest quality farmers and vendors with the perfect mix of products that make the market a one-stop shopping experience.  Sprinkled into the mix are special events that we hope our customers enjoy and maybe even enlighten them a little bit about sustainable living.  The market will continue every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, through the end of October at the Braintree Town Hall Mall.  The Indoor Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 19th is our final market for the 2011 season and plans are shaping up nicely with our tried and true vendors along with visiting vendors that will be new to the market and chosen specifically to enhance this special event.

   This week's Featured Vendor at the market is Susan Franklin and her Del's Lemonade stand.  Nothing tastes better on a hot steamy market day than an ice cold Del's Lemonade.  Del's has been an institution in Rhode Island and a favorite summertime drink for generations.  Brought to the United States from Italy at the turn of the 20th century Del's Lemonade began operating under its current name in 1948.  Susan is a native Rhode Islander who brought this soft-frozen treat to Massachusetts in 2008.

   Featured on the Food Network, Del's has been recognized with several awards including Best of Rhode Island, Best Product Made in Rhode Island, Best Local Food, Rhode Island Monthly All-Star and Best of New England Editor's Choice Award by Yankee Magazine.

   Del's Lemonade is an all-natural, soft frozen beverage that is refreshingly different. Made daily in their Cohasset store, these icy drinks come in eight flavors including Lemon, Watermelon, Peach Mango, Cherry, Grapefruit, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Guava Pineapple. The signature flavor, lemon, contains real lemon and lemon rinds and the other flavors contain either skins or pulp.  Their products, except bottled drinks, are made with cane sugar and are gluten free.  Recently they released a zero calorie frozen lemonade that will be available to patrons in the coming weeks. These beverages come in many sizes including party sizes for groups.

   Susan's mobile units are becoming a staple at local farmers markets and events throughout the South Shore and Boston area.  Her carts can also be hired for private functions including weddings, family reunions, graduations and birthday parties.  So drop by and enjoy this special, refreshing treat while you're visiting the market.

   Mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 3rd, as we celebrate Labor Day weekend in true New England style with our Clam & Lobster Feast.  Fresh Catch Seafood will be on hand to present their ever popular banquet of lobsters, steamers, chowders, bisques, veggies from the market and more.  Many of our other vendors will be featuring products that tie in with our clam bake theme as well.  The BELD sponsored events tent will be raised for the occasion so bring your whole family and neighbors too.  A limited print-run of Clam & Lobster Feast posters (10"x15.5") will be available, starting this coming Saturday, for only $5 at the market managers table with proceeds going toward the operational costs of the market.  For more information go to www.sustainablebraintree.org/food.  See you on Saturday.

Featured Vendor for this week is Coastal Vineyards

David Neilson from Coastal Vineyards.   

We've been waiting all year for the arrival of locally grown peaches, blueberries, corn, heirloom tomatoes and even early apples at the Braintree Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Braintree.  The season goes by so fast here in Massachusetts so please come on down and support your local farmer and enjoy the fruits of their labor before it's too late.  In the days before the market was established folks needed to make special trips out of town to find these local treasures but now you can purchase them direct from the growers each Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall Mall at One JFK Memorial Drive.  Come on down and see what the buzz around town is all about.

   This coming Saturday, August 20th, we are offering a yoga workshop before the market opens.  Join Jill at 8 a.m. on the front steps of the Braintree Town Hall.  Please bring your mat. A special thanks goes out to our Yoga Coordinator, Erin Monroe, whose been putting these inspiring workshops together for the market.  Thanks Erin.

   Our Featured Vendor for this coming Saturday is David Neilson from Coastal Vineyards.  David has been working in conjunction with the market since this past spring in an effort to introduce local wines to our customers.  The criteria for selling local wines at Massachusetts farmers' market has very strict regulations that include permission from the MA Dept. of Agriculture as well a special licensing from the towns where they are sold.  Based on feedback from market patrons we were confident that offering wines would be well supported.  Thanks to David's determination to make it happen we are finally able to offer local wines at the Braintree Farmers Market.  

Coastal Vineyards is a small vineyard and winery located on the southeastern shore of Massachusetts in South Dartmouth.  It was started in 2004 by David & Linda Neilson. They planted 4200 grape plants in 2005 and 4800 grape plants in 2006 and meticulously cared for, their eight acres of vinifera grape vines to produce the highest quality grapes. Their grape varieties include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.

Coastal Vineyards produces small batches of fine creative wines produced from their estate grown grapes. Their approach to winemaking is to bring out the wonderful fruit flavors of each varietal while also blending different varieties to create unique bouquets and mouth feels that cannot be found with individual varieties.

They will be introducing many of their selections of their 2010 Vintage this weekend.  Their 2010 Estate Riesling, 2010 Estate Gewurztraminer, 2010 Seyval Blanc, 2010 White Wave, 2010 Beach Rose, 2010 Vidal Blanc.   They will also be introducing their 2009 Reds.  Their 2009 Merlot, 2009 Cabernet Franc, 2009 Seaside Red. Enjoy your market foods with a wonderful artisan crafted local wine to complete your meal. It doesn't get any better than this.

The second half of the market season is quickly approaching and we're making a plea for volunteers to help us out at the market. We're currently looking to fill the setup position before the market opens, working at the market manager tent during the operation of the market and the cleanup slot to assist with putting away items used during the market. Try it once or whenever you have time and help us keep the market a valued treasure in Braintree. To sign up fill out our Volunteer Sign Up at www.sustainablebraintree.org/food or email our Volunteer Coordinator, Marie Vega, at mariev@sustainablebraintree.org for more information. Every little bit helps. See you on Saturday.

Urban Farm Day this Saturday

Urban Farm Day posters only $5.

This Saturday, August 13th, we're celebrating Urban Farm Day with a few new folks that have been invited to help us learn more about urban homesteading. Drop by the Braintree Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Braintree at the Braintree Town Hall Mall from 9 to 1, rain or shine. Simple measures can make your life more interesting and sustainable.  Along with demonstrations on simple food preparations, beekeeping, gardening, backyard chickens, the community garden and the French House Farmyard, we'll also have live acoustic music to celebrate the day.

Learn how to Make Easy and Delicious Sauerkraut and Cauliflower Pickles with Linda Larson-Schwartz.  Long before foods were preserved with commercial methods, the summer bounty was put up for long winters using a simple process called lacto-fermentation. This method produces lots of vitamins and is loaded with friendly enzymes that help with digestion.  Learn to make delicious sauerkraut the old-fashioned way, and savory cauliflower pickles made with green beans and basil. Both are considered “living foods” because no heat has been used in the preparation. And best of all, they only take minutes to make!

  Massachusetts Master Gardeners Assoc. (MMGA) are passionate gardeners and dedicated volunteers charged with the mission of improving the practice of horticulture and developing the public's understanding and enjoyment of plants and the environment.  MMGA provides outreach informational booths at community events through most of the state.  Master Gardeners provide invaluable horticultural informations and resources to the gardening public.  At this year's Braintree event the MMGA organization will be participating to help all residents with their horticultural questions.  They will be providing free resources on a variety of topics along with information on their Master Gardeners' Program.

Allen Hiltz from Black Brook Apiary will be on hand to answer all your beekeeping questions. Check out his observational hive with live bees and try to find the Queen Bee. He'll also have a full actual hive, without the bees, beekeeping equipment and protective clothing. Look for his display on the lifecycle of bees and bee social order. Allen will focus on the need for beekeeping whether it be in an agricultural setting or urban environment.

     The Braintree Historical Society is delighted to be returning as a guest to the Braintree Farmers Market on Urban Farm Day. This year, the BHS, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the past accessible to the future, will be launching a new, interactive exhibit: The French House Farmyard. The new exhibit is the showpiece of our new urban agriculture program, which brings Braintree's agrarian past to life with rare-breed farm animals on display during regular museum hours. Stop by the BHS booth on Urban Farm Day to learn about how the common practices of the past can provide inspiration for modern sustainability efforts, find out more about our educational programs, and to meet Sandy, our San Clemente Island kid goat!

     A limited print run of Urban Farm Day posters will be available for $5 at the market managers tent.  Add this new addition to your Strawberry Festival poster to create a set for your kitchen or dining room.  This design also appears on this year's organic cotton tee shirts that are disappearing quickly and are only $12.  Toddler sizes are plentiful so pick them up for the little ones to show their support for the farmers' market.  100% of profits go towards the operational costs of the market.

     Enjoy a melange of acoustic American Folk and Blue Grass performed by local musicians led by John Sullivan whose expertise in musicology is inspirational and enjoyable.  Bring your chairs and blankets and hang out for the entire market.  Dancing jigs is always acceptable at the farmers market.  Our Braintree Electric Light sponsored events tent will be raised for the occasion.  So please come down to poke around 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.