Bread and Sand

Madley Hadley takes a field trip!

Earlier this summer I was given a hand-me-down magazine, a Rodale's Organic Life.  It was the July/August edition, and therefore included a few activities around the nation that focus on organic living and gardening and baking and such things.  In it I found an event that piqued my interest nigh unto excitement -- a bread fair and a kneading conference, scheduled for August, and as close by as Maine!  It was now only mid-July.  Mr. Madley had been encouraging me to make a day to visit the beach (he knows how much I love the ocean), but I had been waffling and hesitating, but when I realized I could combine a visit to the beach with a visit to the artisan bread fair (I couldn't afford the kneading conference this year, but hope to in the future!), it was decided.  I would visit the coast and then make my way to Maine.

I visited on of my favourite North Shore beaches, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.  It is a delight and not only features a lovely beach, but also walking trails, swamp marshes, observation towers, and plenty of bird-watching.

At the end of a day at the beach, I dined at Bob Lobster (try it, if you're there -- it's a great "fish shack"), and then hit the road to Maine.

The following morning was the Maine Artisan Bread Fair, held at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds, and if you like bread, this is the place for you.  There were bread vendors and pie vendors and cookie vendors.  There were artist booths and handmade goods and demonstrations and bags of flours.  There was music and food and even a little something for the kids!  Oh, and lest I forget, there were even some delightful gluten-free breads and cookies and johnny cakes.  Everything at the fair had to be Maine-made, and even much of the grain was Maine grown (this fair is sponsored by the Maine Grain Alliance).

 I purchased a loaf of their MaineGrain Rye, which was wonderful, and a pretzel for the trip home, which was yummy.

 With so many books, how does one decide?!

 

Lovely concrete decorative tiles from Forma 550.  I got myself a chicken, but I happily would have purchased many more...

 Oats Any Time.  Gluten free.  Delicious.

 If these beautiful pastas had been gluten-free, I might have splurged for a rainbow mix of them....

A couple more vendors.

 

These handmade spoons and forks (and magic wands!) were lovely.  I ended up with a small butter spreader.

Oh yeah, this was definitely a winning table for me!  Beautiful presentation, delicious bread, local grains, mostly sourdoughs.

Thrashing and sifting the grains -- I wish I had one of these nifty machines!

So, the bread fair was fun and full of marvelous things.  Being a bit out of the way, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make the 4.5 hour trek just to visit it again, but if I were to add on the kneading conference, I'm sure I could convince myself -- especially if I went with a friend.  Also, I hear there are many other wonderful things to do in the area, and I passed at least one blueberry farm and a few antique stores and such that would make wonderful additions to a trip. 

Now all I want to do is bake bread, and learn how to make even more delicious varieties!

If you are interested in local grains (which is one of the main thrusts of Maine Grain Alliance), there is hope if you live in or around the Valley.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may remember that a few years ago I got involved with a local grain share.  It is still up and running, featuring even more grains than before.  You can find it at Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains (localgrain.org).  They feature beans and corns and wheats and other delicious grains.  They have now made the share customizable, which is a great boon for those of use who have gluten-free folks in our homes.  (That was not the case when I bought into the share, and I am still working through the wheat I bought then!)

It's August, and there's still time to get to the beach.  Unfortunately, you will have to wait until next summer to make the Artisan Bread Fair, but in the meantime, save your pennies so you can also go to all the classes at the Kneading Conference.  And maybe buy into the grain share so you can practice your baking skills on fresh, local grains!

Saturdays: Amherst: Wheelhouse Farm Truck

This post is about two months overdue -- apologies to the reader and to the Wheelhouse gang.  It's late enough that perhaps you read the article featuring the new farm truck in the Amherst Bulletin at the end of May, and perhaps you have already made a special visit to the Amherst Farmers Market.  I know that article interested me, and the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend found Mr. Madley and me waiting in line for a farm-fresh breakfast arepa.  And then I had to go back again.


The Wheelhouse Farm Truck delivers hot, fresh, locally sourced gluten-free arepas for breakfast and lunch at the Amherst Farmers Marker -- an arepa being a cornmeal pocket sandwich.  Take a look at the photo below for a listing of some of their amazing offerings.

In case you couldn't yet tell, I am a fan.  My go-to arepa happens to be the spinach pesto and braised greens (no sausage) -- delicious!  Hot and melty and gooey on the inside, hot and crispy on the outside, full of local goodness throughout.

If you haven't gone to the AFM to get your arepa already, what are you waiting for?  There's another Saturday coming up in just a few days, so there's no need to delay any further!

The Wheelhouse truck was funded through a Kickstarter -- and I'd like to thank those who contributed -- you did a good thing!

Valley Gives!

Valley Gives Day is a fun opportunity to donate to local nonprofit organizations and to watch the donations add up.  You can follow the action on leaderboards and hope your favourite nonprofit comes out on top.  This is the third year for VGD, and to date more than $3million has been raised for our community!
Valley Gives Day this year is Wednesday, December 10.  Don't forget to give!

Mount Warner Reservation Opening Celebration

Some pictures from the Opening Celebration yesterday morning for the Mount Warner Reservation.  The Trustees of Reservations now holds stewardship over the property and has recently put in a new trail system.
There was quite a turnout for the opening, and both John Scibak and Stan Rosenberg were there, as well as the trustees (a shout-out to Josh who coordinated it all) and volunteers who have helped put the reservation together and get it ready for opening day.

After the speakers, everyone went on a hike, and at the top (The Overlook, owned by the Carrs as part of their apple orchard), there was sweet cider and apples and a representation by Carr's Ciderhouse, with samples of their hard ciders, apple vinegar, and super-delicious apple syrup. I was very happy to be able to bring home a bottle of apple syrup and expect that I will be purchasing many more bottles in the future.

It was a great opening -- kudos to all those who helped put it together!

If you like to hike, if you enjoy nature, if you want to mountain bike or do some trail walking with your dog or cross country ski, the new trails on Mount Warner are perfect for it all!  And there's now a new parking lot with a bike rack available, so you don't have to pull off onto the side of the road to enjoy it.

Two Hearts Beet as One

When I was younger, I remember my mother making heart-shaped meatloaf for our family for Valentine's Day.  She says she only did it once or twice, but I seem to remember more frequency than that -- it obviously made quite an impression, with that heart-shaped border of ketchup.  When I moved out of the house and started living on my own, I took up the heart-shaped meatloaf as a yummy, simple, and slightly odd way to celebrate the holiday, and I've been making heart-shaped meatloaf semi-regularly for Valentine's Day for years.
This year, however, with sickness in the house and lots of appointments and errands, I didn't have time to make meatloaf.  Instead, I made:

That's right -- heart-shaped beets!  I sliced them thin, steamed them, and then used a cookie cutter to cut small hearts out of the beat slices.

These were fresh, local beets and they steamed up soft and sweet (oh, so sweet!).  They were quite a success and may become a new favourite Valentine treat. 
(And just think of all the clever "heart + beet" valentine quips that could be developed. Two hearts beet as one!)

Valentine's Day isn't just about beets and meatloaf, though, and for those of you who need more post-Valentine's cheer, here are some beautiful roses Mr. Madley brought home for me.

Aren't they lovely?  And if you need your holiday chocolate fix (I know I did), check out last year's post (worth every single bite).


*Mr. Madley suggested the title for this post.

Breaking Fast at Stables

Stables is an unassuming restaurant on Rt 9, just across the street from Whole Foods.  With a parking lot in front, the restaurant is set back from the road, and if you're driving by on an afternoon or evening, you might just think the place is closed.

Luckily for all of us, it's not!

Stables is open for breakfast and lunch, 6am-2pm.  It serves up affordable home-style breakfast foods (I haven't been there for lunch) from a 3-page menu.  (Click on those menu pictures to see them in extra-large glory.)

Stables has a comfortable country-dining atmosphere, with homemade cookies and breads, a counter and booths, newspapers available near the register, and coffee refills.  The waitresses are always nice, even when busily rushing about.

  

Besides their menu "specialities," Stables also has daily specials.  These specials are sometimes seasonal (pumpkin pancakes in autumn, for example), sometimes from special homemade breads, and are written on the chalkboards in the restaurant.

Coupons for Stables can often be found in the Valley Quarterly, but be forewarned -- the restaurant does only accept cash.

Stables seems to have been around for a good long while, and if you go, you'll see lots of locals.  But you'll also see bunches of college students who have discovered that if you want a hearty breakfast on a budget, you definitely want to go to Stables.  You might even see some out-of-towners skipping the continental breakfast at the chain hotel for some breakfast-diner-cooking.
At our house, Stables has become the go-to breakfast restaurant for Monday holidays (and New Year's) -- because going to breakfast at Stables is just fun (plus, it's close, local, affordable, and filling).
There's a Monday holiday coming up soon.  Treat yourself to breakfast out.

What a Treat! -- Holiday Dining

I've had some bum experiences with holiday and special occasion dining, but this year for our pre-Christmas celebratory dinner, Mr. Madley and I made reservations at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland.  We had enjoyed a New Year's Eve dinner there before, and when deciding on the right holiday restaurant for this year, the Blue Heron came immediately to mind.

If you've never been to the Blue Heron, it's a wonder to see.  The restaurant is in the renovated old town hall; the building has housed town offices and a school, and has been the site for plays, meetings, and community groups.  Tin ceiling, tall windows, beautiful chandeliers, high ceilings, strong rich colors, and old wood create a comfortable atmosphere to sit and talk and sit and eat and talk and eat.
The wait-staff is well trained -- attentive without being overly familiar.
And then, of course, there's the food.  The Blue Heron supports local farms/farmers (a list can be found on their menu), buying local seasonal produce when available, and uses meat from pasture-raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free animals.  (Read their philosophy here.)  Entree options, as well as appetizers and desserts, are eclectic but always well-thought-out and creative, with a variety of flavours to please the palate.

Dinner for us started with the Blue Heron Salad and continued with the Pan Roasted Breast of Pekin Duck, which was just about divine.  The duck was crispy and juicy and well-seasoned; the fennel and compote and potatoes complemented the duck; the green beans were as good as any I've ever eaten.  For dessert we enjoyed the Chocolate Truffle Torte, which was a rich confection accompanied by gelato, cream, and cherries.  A positively delicious dinner -- it left me completely satisfied and happily content.  I honestly can't say that I've had a better dining experience anywhere in the Valley.

I recommend a visit to the Blue Heron -- it's a class operation with delicious food.  Enjoy!

Valley Gives 12.12.12

12.12.12 -- That's a single day for one very special event to celebrate and support giving to local nonprofits through Valley Gives.  And it's tomorrow -- all 24 hours.

One of those deserving nonprofits is the Kestrel Land Trust.  The Kestrel Land Trust works to create conservation areas throughout the Valley, and if you donate tomorrow (Wed, Dec 12) through Valley Gives, you can help the Trust become eligible for grants of up to $15,000.
Two more favourite charities of mine on the list: The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Pioneer Valley Red Cross.

Interested in other nonprofits that might benefit from Valley Gives giving?  A whole list of them can be found here.  This looks like a great way to donate to local nonprofit organizations -- you can bet I'll be visiting this site often.

Happy giving!

Local Grain CSAs

Yesterday was the pickup day for my local grain csa out of Wheatberry Bakery in Amherst -- and what delights there were!  Arapahoe red winter wheat, red llamas red winter wheat, emmer, spelt, barley, pinto beans, black turtle beans (I love their name), mandan bride corn, nothstine dent corn, plymouth flint corn, and popcorn (on the cob). 

The corn all needs to dry for another couple of months, so it is remaining in its paper bags until February (when I'll do another post to highlight those beauties), but I packed the grains and beans in mason jars for long-term storage.

After packing up my 1/2 share, I ground (with my hand-crank mill) 3 cups of arapahoe wheat for bread baking, and for the first time ever I made whole wheat bread that is strictly whole wheat -- no white flour at all.  Local wheat, local honey, local milk... all kneaded together to make some delicious bread -- soft, flavourful, with a good crumb and super nutrition.
I'm looking forward to much baking, yummy hot cereals, sprouting, and then more baking.

I've never done a grain share before, but I certainly hope to do one again.  Having only 1-2 pickup dates is extremely convenient, and supporting a different kind of local agriculture makes me feel like I'm helping Valley farming remain sustainable.  Plus, it's all so tasty!
The Pioneer Valley Heritage Grain CSA is one of two local grain CSAs that I've discovered in the Valley; the other is the White Oak Farm CSA. (White Oak Farm CSA often sells at the Amherst Farmer's Market and, I've heard, sometimes shows up at the winter market, also.)

Know of another grain share or have opinions about one?  Please feel free to comment below!

Money + Mouth + March

The day is almost here -- have you heard?  This Thursday is Monte's March III -- a march from Northampton, through Hadley and Amherst, all the way to Greenfield, pushing an empty shopping cart along the way.  You may be asking yourself or the person sitting beside you why someone would do such a perfectly ridiculous thing.  There's a simple answer to that -- it's to bring awareness to and support the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

I'm a huge fan of the FBoWM -- I think they do a great service to residents in Western MA as a food bank and as a place for people to help others.

Take a little time this Thursday to donate to the food bank during Monte's March -- or take it a step or two further by raising money and joining him on his trek.  Details and more information can be found on the Food Bank's website or at The River.

Walk on, Monte!

Chilifest 2012!

For a wider glimpse into The Kitchen Garden on Rocky Hill Road, take a look at the visit I made in June or visit their website.