Annual Clam & Lobster Feast Aug 31st

Regina Alexander and her daughter Julie Vanick join us every year for the Clam & Lobster Feast.

It's that time of year again when we get out the bibs and nutcrackers to celebrate the end of summer with the Annual Clam & Lobster Feast in conjunction with the Braintree Farmers Market.  Fresh Catch Seafood puts on a traditional New England style banquet that can't be beat that will have you reminiscing this winter about our carefree days at the market.  The big events tent, donated by BELD, will be up and we'll have tables and chairs that were possible through a generous donation from Wamps Pizzeria in the Granite Plaza.  So come on down and enjoy fresh seafood cooked to order al fresco before the cool breezes start to send us back inside.  This event is made possible in part by a generous donation from Fresh Catch Seafood.

Fresh Catch will set up their kitchen right on the town hall green and prepare steamers, lobsters and the entire Clam & Lobster Feast which includes steamers, lobsters, onions, potatoes and corn.  They'll also have New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, stuffed Quahogs, Lobster Salad Rolls, littlenecks and oysters on the half shell and much more.  We'll even have live music by the very talented Carlo V' Ramos.  Project Have Hope will also be on board with their hand-crafted items created by the women of the Acholi District of Uganda.  This is an event not to be missed.

Swiss Bakers are Green Bakers

Hillary Anderson is our Guest Hugger from Swissbakers.

 

 

There's no need to travel to Switzerland to appreciate traditional Swiss baked goods since the arrival of Swissbakers.  All their products are baked and made fresh the day of the market with natural ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible.  They offer a wide assortment of breads such as Pajazzo, a naturally fat-free bread that is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and Zopf which looks like Challah but not nearly as sweet and is traditionally served on Sundays in Switzerland.   Try the Choco Weggli that sells out almost everyday in their shop.  It's made with a butter dough and sweetened with Lindt chocolate pieces inside and sprinkled with pearl sugar on top.  The Mini Swirl Roll is a market favorite chock full of hazelnuts.  Try their Berliners filled with chocolate, fruit or the plain cinnamon.  They're similar to a donut with a much more unbelievable taste.  They also offer an array of croissants, cookies, tarts and pretzels.  Try their pretzel bread sandwiches with choices like pesto, tomato & mozzarella, tuna & pickle, and salami with pickles.  Each sandwich option is unique and incredibly delicious.

Swissbakers are "grandchild-sustainable," meaning everything has to have a positive or no impact on our grandchildrens' environment. They received the 2012 Green Business Award for their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas, water conservation, sourcing ingredients locally and they recycle whenever possible.  Try their wares and you'll be sure to come back for more.

Please join us on Aug. 31st for our Traditional Clam & Lobster Feast and the Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration on Sept. 7th.  See you on Saturday.

Homestyle @ the Market

Maureen and Chef Hassan are the main ingredients at Homestyle Caterers.

Homestyle Caterers have been with the market since our inaugural season in 2009 and they're still as popular as ever.  As you stroll through the market the irresistible aroma of stuffed peppers, chicken pot pies, spinach pie and an array of home cooked foods will draw you to their tent where you'll find a wide selection of handcrafted foods prepared lovingly by Chef Hassan.
Chef Hassan came to the U.S. from Alexandria, Egypt and landed in Boston. While working at Anthony's Pier Four restaurant he met a nice Irish girl named Maureen and sparks began to fly. They married and bought a house in Braintree, because of the great school system, and raised their three children, Nora, Ameera and David. They opened the Ship's Wheel restaurant in Weymouth Landing and Chef Hassan brought his two teen-aged brothers, Hamdi and Mustapha and a sister, Sana, from Egypt and everyone worked together in the restaurant for several years. The Chef's next venture was a Middle-Eastern restaurant in Quincy called The Oasis. They had live traditional music and belly dancers entertained every evening. The Oasis had a menu made up mostly of the wonderfully flavorful foods that Hassan learned from helping his mother cook. He was the eldest of ten children and pitched in on a regular basis while growing up which are the same recipes he still uses today. Many of the Oasis customers came from the large Syrian and Lebanese population in the Quincy Point area and many were newcomers who loved the cuisine.

When the Oasis was sold Chef Hassan was thinking about making his life less hectic and more enjoyable. Running a restaurant is hard work with very long hours and not a lot of time for a personal life so he decided to focus solely on catering and opened the Homestyle Caterers commissary in Quincy in 2001. When the Hassans heard about the new hometown farmer's market they wanted to be part of it. The idea of having fresh, local produce, foods, and natural products in an open market in the center of town on a Saturday morning sounded wonderful. And so, the Homestyle Caterers crew has spent the past five years schmoozing with neighbors, friends, and the Braintree Farmer's Market vendors and volunteers over hot lobster pies, baked macaroni, savory falafel roll-ups, blueberry scones and much more on Saturday mornings.  Drop by and find out why Homestyle is a market favorite.

Stir It Up @ the Market

Meet Phyliss MacPherson from Stir It Up Cuisine.

This season we're throwing in a little summer heat with Stir It Up Cuisine.  Their specialty is Caribbean Pepper Jelly made with authentic Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper combined with green, yellow and red peppers to create a mouth-watering, tangy, savory-sweet jelly.  It's delicious with cold cuts and various meat dishes and could become an essential pantry item in your kitchen.  One of their specialties at the market is the incredibly delicious Caribbean Pepper Jelly Cheese Torte that's perfect for a party or purchase the Mini Torte as a special treat to enjoy throughout the week.

Stir It Up Cuisine is owned and operated by Patricia Kiernan, a native Jamaican who has cultivated the art of Caribbean cuisine through her family recipes that have been passed down for generations.  Stop by their tent and sample the goods and you'll be back again and again to add this special treat to your market acquisitions.  Stir It Up Cuisine visits the market every other Saturday.