Fairland Farm Cranberries back at the market

Mark Kavanaugh is on board to help with your cranberries choices.

Back by popular demand this week Fairland Farms will be returning with their delicious organic cranberries.  We've had many requests for this vendor and their finally returning with a full bounty of dried cranberries perfect for salads, baked goods, granolas or simply eat them right out of the bag as a more healthy alternative to candy.  They're naturally fat free and do not contain preservatives or sulfites.  So, for all of you who have been asking, here's your chance to pick up your favorite cranberries once again at the farmers' market.

Try out a wide variety of new products that are currently being tested at The Cupcakerie.  Owner, Kristin Brennan, has put on her creativity hat and is now offering new items such as Cake Pops, Madeleines, Macarons, along with small and large sized savory quiches.  Please support this gallant effort to bring new and unique baked items with a French twist to the market.  Kristin is also teaching a workshop on how to make cupcakes at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Local produce is now at it's peak so it's the perfect time to visit the market for flavors we've been waiting all year for, such as, tomatoes, corn, squash, onions, peppers, eggplant and garlic.  Saute them altogether with olive oil and a little butter and spread it over your Nella Pasta and grate a little Asiago Cheese on top from Foxboro Cheese-done.

Did you know that apples and peaches are the specialties at C.N. Smith Farm?  There's nothing like the flavor of a fresh local peaches and apples in your pies and crisps or simply eat them just the way they are.  Look for many different varieties at this farm to find out which ones are your favorites.  Mums and pumpkins have already started to arrive at the market so it's time to decorate your front porch with these seasonal treasures.  Fall is the best time of year in New England so let's celebrate.

The Braintree Farmers Market operates every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, in front of the Braintree Town Hall, 1 JFK Memorial Drive, Braintree, through October with a Special Indoor Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 23rd, 2013.

Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration

Recycle 4 Life artwork at the Earth Celebration.

Learn something new at the Braintree Farmers Market this Saturday, September 7th, at Sustainable Braintree’s Annual Earth Celebration. Representatives from all task forces will be under the events tent promoting their mission to advocate smart living through sustainability and environmental awareness. The Community Garden table will feature information on organic gardening and composting. If you are interested in starting a second community garden in town, you will have the opportunity to speak with committee members. Ramp up your RQ (Recycling Quotient) with tips from our recycling experts and play Recycle Bingo. You’ll be amazed at what can be placed in single stream recycling.  The new recycling and trash bins from Sunrise Scavengers will be on display. Learn all about Make Difference Day which is held this year on October 28.  The Energy Task Force will feature a striking display about Solar Energy.  Visit Sustainable Braintree’s informational table as now is the time to join this earth-friendly organization and learn about their contributions to the community over the past five years. Donations will be gratefully accepted. In addition a representative from The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, a non-profit educational organization, will be on hand to share knowledge and experience about their outreach programs in education, horticulture and gardening.  Bee keeper Alan Hiltz and The New England Wildlife Center will offer a unique opportunity for live animal observation. The Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) will be offering “cold water from the Sun” as it does every Saturday. BELD is powering a water cooler with a solar powered generator, in an effort to promote the viability of solar energy.  Music for the Earth Celebration will be provided by The Travelers and Market Vendors will have special thematic offerings. Pura Vida, Braintree's eco-friendly hair salon, will be at the market from 10 to 11 A.M. to hand out coupons for $10 off any service along with a Pureology packet of shampoo and conditioner. 

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.

Deborah's Kitchen Spreadable Fruits and Relishes

Deborah Taylor from Deborah's Kitchen.

At the Braintree Farmers Market each one of our vendors are carefully selected to ensure that our customers will enjoy a wide selection of high quality local foods.  Deborah's Kitchen joined the market in 2011 and they've been supplying us with their all natural, low sugar, spreadable fruit and relish.  While the majority of jams and preserves use two thirds refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, Deborah's Kitchen uses two thirds fruit with all natural sugar and no preservatives.  From chefs to gourmet cooks and just plain folks, the payoff is a far superior flavor with less calories.

Try an assortment of their creative fruit blends that make each flavor a unique gourmet treat that can be used for meat and fish glazes, stir fry, marinades and barbeque sauces, desert toppings and fillings, sandwich spreads, breakfast bread and cereal toppings.  Add them to salad dressings or mix into yoghurt or cottage cheese or simply spread them on top of your toast.  Their Spreadable Fruits will enhance any meal and also be a much healthier choice. 

Deborah's Kitchen also offers a delicious Sweet Pepper Relish and Green Tomato Relish that are a perfect accoutrement to meats, seafoods and cheeses.  Mix the relishes with a bit of mayo to make the perfect tartar sauce for your crab cakes.  Hot Hot Peach and Hot Hot Cranberry are perfect to heat up your main courses or cheeses.  Try them.