When a critical mass of New England fine dining restaurants began listing local farms on their menus about ten years ago, it seemed like the most obvious, overdue idea in the world. Rather than buying anonymous commodity products from national suppliers, chefs were buying vegetables or seafood or sometimes meat from local sources. Maybe it […]
Amy Traverso
Head to Al’s French Frys in Burlington, Vermont, for the tastiest home-style spuds in New England.
Massachusetts
CiderDays Harvest Festival | Cider Celebration & Recipes
For one weekend each fall, Franklin County, Massachusetts, celebrates New England’s apple heritage with the ultimate CiderDays harvest festival.
There’s a new exhibit at Plimoth Plantation, a working bakery that will bring early American baking traditions to life. Located in the newly renovated Craft Center, the bakery (named the Plimoth Bread Company) is ramping up to offer fresh breads and pastries for purchase, tastings, workshops and classes.Delivered Daily: New England Recipes and Tried […]
Magazine
Gearing up for Apple Season
It’s always exciting to see the first local apples in the markets. I saw some this past weekend at a farm stand on the New York/Vermont border. They were labeled “Early Macs,” which means they were probably just McIntosh apples that ripened early. Here’s a roundup of the early season apples you’ll most commonly find […]
One of Vermont’s best hidden gems is Perennial Pleasures, an English tea garden in the Northeast Kingdom. There’s a certain subset of New Englander whose affection for Old England is almost counter-revolutionary. By osmosis or birth, they inherit a deferential Anglophilia that sets the U.K. as the standard for All Good Things and inspires a […]
Cooking Advice
How to Freeze Basil | Yankee Kitchen
Other than pesto, is there a way to store or preserve fresh basil without it turning brown, and without drying it? Is it true it can be frozen? If so, can you tell me how to freeze basil? My Italian grandfather was a passionate gardener, and my grandmother made enough pesto each summer to […]
I love using my garlic press, but my sister says it’s better to chop garlic, and she points out that chefs on television tend to chop. Why is that? Is chopped garlic better than pressed garlic for cooking? Is there a difference in taste? If you love your garlic press, you can hold your head […]
Summer is approaching peak bounty here in New England. Blueberries, raspberries, figs, peaches are in every market. They looked so gorgeous at the store today that I created this simple parfait dessert to show them off. The recipe is easier than it might look: You make a quick, no-fail pastry cream on the stove […]
Massachusetts
Spectacle Island | An Island Retreat Minutes from Boston
Boston’s Spectacle Island is the ultimate story of urban revitalization. A former smallpox quarantine and garbage dump turned into a bucolic retreat for city dwellers…with the help of truckloads of dirt excavated from the Big Dig. And it’s just a 20-minue boat ride from Boston. The human tale of Spectacle Island goes back centuries. […]