Baked Orchard

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I happened to be in Cambridge this past Friday and decided to steal a few hours of my day and visit an old friend who works in the Back Bay, which also allowed me to wander through the farmer’s market in Copley Square at high noon.  I wrote it off as market research, and said hello to a few familiar faces  - fellow vendors.  It was a perfect day, blue skies, a slight breeze and sunny without the humidity; almost unusual in New England and a distraction by Mother Nature of cooler weather ahead.  I think of it as a bribe.

My favorite farm is Atlas – even before I became a vendor – I always stopped and lugged home amazing melons and late summer stone fruits and amazing greens when visiting family during the Summer.  I was happy to see them on the same corner with gorgeous produce; such a small space but full of so many options.  I began to bounce amongst the crowd along the vendors paying close attention comparing this market to the ones I attend regularly.  It is extremely busy – so many tourists – and a great assortment of farms.  I happened upon MaCarthur, a familiar face at so many markets in and around Boston, and I also was pleased to see Keown Orchards because they sell amazing plums!  They have just launched/released the Au Rosa, and Oh Boy are they good!  I have eaten one a day hoping not to eat them all so I can make either ice pops and/or preserves before they disappear.  I was lucky to have had some apricots from them earlier this year, so make sure you don’t miss the boat on these plums.  I made a mental note to return and purchase the plums on my way back to the car and continued making my observations – coming upon several prepared food vendors as I rounded the corner along Boylston Street.  You will find so many sandwich options it is confusing unless you have a clear favorite or a recommendation.  Near the end you will come upon Siena Farms who is married to Sofra, and there are numerous options here beginning with soups, salads, vegetable tarts and ending with packages of cookies.  I took a few more passes making mental notes of vendors, items to purchase and captured some images to reflect upon my visit at a later date.  This market has a great deal to offer and I hope that the gathering crowds appreciate the delicious local produce and prepared foods.  Enjoy the pics and hope you took some time to enjoy it locally!

If you are interested in seeing other blogs or posts about the local markets or local food in Massachusetts check out http://www.ourgrandmotherskitchens.com and if you want to support the Federation of Massachusett’s Farmer’s Market visit http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/FMFM_Main.aspx.