Deerfield Tree Farm (cut your own)
December 11, 2012
I started Marche´Me to let people know about the hidden gems I find along my travels. My local travels. I’ve been rather busy lately and that, coupled with the start of school and the changing seasons, has kept my focus elsewhere. I’ve been meaning to post for a while, but had simply not found anything worth writing about…until now.
The holiday season holds many different things for many different people, and I am no different. Born Jewish but raised with Christmas (as a purely secular holiday) I have often felt a subtle conflict about who I am and what I choose to celebrate. This was compounded in the last few years, after my divorce, as I tried to navigate these waters and live my life with my daughter who is heavily influenced by her Christian father and the lure of the holiday season. I can’t say that I blame her as I suppose the latter is what kept me giving a nod to St. Nick for all these years.
I’ve almost always had a Christmas tree, but never had to initiate the purchase. When I was a little kid my dad got the tree and at my mother’s house she set up the Hanukah bush. When I was married, my ex-husband did his duty. Now, for the last two years, I have had to lug that sucker up the stairs by myself.
As if I could not be any luckier in my life, one of my dearest (seriously dearest) friends, Julie Dowd, and her family (husband Greg and two sons) actually own a tree farm! They live in an amazing house on acres and acres of land and several years ago they decided to plant some trees for Christmas. With one wonderful season behind them the Deerfield Tree Farm opened again a few weeks ago and has made buying a tree a most memorable experience.
Last year my daughter and I bought our tree from a vendor in the town where we live. This year we cut one from the ground (okay, Greg did).
We’ve visited the Deerfield Tree Farm twice this season, not only to get our tree, but to simply spend time with our friends. Both times we were there I sat by the fire with Julie (who confirmed that yes, I would smell like fire for the rest of the day) while Greg and his father (we just call him Grandpa) cut and sold. My little miss and her friends Ryan and JT ran through the field chasing Bella (the Dowd’s Great Dane Pup), drank hot chocolate and got dirty. What could be better?
While it was nice to simply sit and catch up with my friend it was just as nice to watch the cars come and go full of families who all brought their own story and experience to the farm.
From the family that drove from Boston (it’s just about a ‘field trip’ from there) for a small tree, to the family that pulled up looking for the “biggest tree you’ve got,” to the family of 8 who came with Santa hats to get a group photo, you can tell the purchase of the tree is equally as important as leaving milk and cookies for you-know-who on the big night. As a matter of fact, you-know-who probably isn’t coming if you don’t have your tree! I also saw families who came ready to work and after being handed a saw watched them walk through the field to cut down their own.
Standing by the fire to warm my hands, my heart was also susceptible as I watched family after family drive off smiling with their tree and what it would mean to their family this year.
The Deerfield Tree Farm is open through December 23. Do yourself a favor and drive right by the street vendors this year.
It’s Your Life…Make Meaning
August 7, 2012
Can you remember a time in the not-so-distant past when you found yourself lost in fun? Can you remember what it felt like to be a kid: no worries, just emotion? Well, if memory serves, tonight was one of those nights where I got awfully close to that. Several weeks ago, my dear friend Joan Jolley, Marketing and New Business guru at Legacy Place in Dedham, invited me (and a friend) to the grand opening of a fantastic new store called…Make Meaning.
To be honest, curiosity got the better of me and I had popped in several weeks prior, but only had a few minutes to glance around before doors were closing and it was time to go. When the invite came in from Ms. Jolley I was delighted. I immediately called my friend Sandy Spector, highly respected business manager at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Stoughton, MA. She and I are old high school friends and I knew she would have a wonderful time.
As we walked through the double doors a lovely girl in a blue t-shirt with the Make Meaning logo emblazoned on it greeted us at the door. As I looked up to glance deep into this welcoming space my eyes were met with a sea of lovely girls in blue t-shirts. They were stationed as far as they eye could see and their excitement was palpable. These employees were simply not faking it. Sandy and I were quickly and pleasantly informed that there was a wine bar behind us, sushi to our right, JP Licks ice cream to our left, and enough fun before us to last for at least the next two hours. Our every host / hostess was spot on!
Sandy and I began to wander deeper into the room and were gently accosted by a blue t-shirt every few feet. We were promptly informed that our options that evening would include glitter tattoos, candle making and cake decorating. Tattoos, candles and cake, oh my!
We were escorted to a pair of directors’ chairs and two more eager employees let us choose from at least 50 different stencils for our body art. As Sandy has a little boy she chose a skateboard player and as I have a little girl, I chose hearts. If you read on you’ll see that this gender favoring becomes a trend. The glitter tattoo was quick and easy. The stencil is placed on your arm, a white adhesive is applied and then the glitter. With a few flicks of a cosmetic brush the excess glitter is swept away and voila, the job was done. Before you could say, “freshly inked” we were on our way to craft our candles.
Set up on a long, banquet-like table we found small plastic baskets filled with small cubes of like-colored candle wax. Each plastic basket had a different color group inside (pinks, blues, greens, oranges, etc.) We were told to simply pick our colors and begin adding them to the silver holders that were set up intermittently along the length of the table. We grabbed our seats and the activity was under way. A lovely girl in a blue t-shirt (surprise, surprise) explained how the process worked. We were to add blocks of wax to the container with the ability to add certain shapes to the outside of the mold that would show once the candle had been set. We were instructed to place the cubes close together so that after the lovely ladies at the “skinny bar” (where they add the scented paraffin wax) did their part the candle would have more color and less paraffin showing. Unfortunately, for me, I was too far along in the process to realize I should have been using the tongs that were right under my nose to make a prettier pattern and insure there were no holes in my design. C’est La Vie! Once the cubes were in place we made our way to the “Skinny Bar” and blue t-shirt clad employees filled our candle molds with the scented paraffin. With scents ranging from “dirt” to “mermaid tears” there is surely something for everyone.
Once our candles were snug in the cool bath that would set them into works of art we moved on to the pièce de résistance, cake decorating! We were each presented with a small, 4-inch cake, covered in white fondant and the world was ours! First the cake is put on a round spinning wheel where you can choose from dozens of colors that will coat the frosting as your base. I chose something called “pearl.” It was everything you think it would be leaving my cake with a shimmer that glowed (on the cake and later on our fingers, in a good way, when my daughter and I ate it the next day). From there my cake was moved to a pedestal at a workstation and my creativity took over. Please note that I am actually not very creative and what you will see below is a typical, girlie, hearts and flowers, pink explosion. I was told to pick two different colors of fondant as well as whatever else I wanted to use to decorate my cake (sugar flowers, colored sixlets, cookie cutters, etc.) and I got busy. As I put the finishing touches on my stick figure cake (I use the term to describe my limited artistic ability) I looked around and pushed my cake envy aside as I saw some of the amazing creations around me.
As the evening came to a close I grabbed my candle and the handle on my cake box and made my way back to Joan Jolley to thank her profusely for a wonderful night. She was gracious as always as she introduced me to a few movers and shakers who were full of packages and gushing smiles as well. We nearly skipped out of the door.
The fun doesn’t end there. The next day I went back with my daughter who insisted she have a glitter tattoo as well. The wine and sushi were gone, but there were still plenty of helpful, smiley faces on hand to help us navigate our visit. The Little Miss chose a fairy for her tattoo and a pottery princess to paint and have fired in the kiln room in the back of the store. She loved her tattoo and was engrossed in painting her princess bank for nearly an hour. It was great fun to share the experience with her.
I absolutely loved every minute I have spent at Make Meaning and can imagine going back again and again and again. However, to do so comes at a cost. Make Meaning is a “membership-based destination,” which mean that if you want to go in for an hour or two to purchase an activity (the cost of making a candle, painting pottery, getting a tattoo, etc.) you have to first pay $12 for a “creativity day pass.” When I learned this, the feeling was reminiscent of the time I lived in New York City and the initial cab fare increased to $2.50. I remember getting in a cab on that day and asking the driver, “So, you mean to tell me that it’s going to cost me $2.50 just to rest my ass on this seat? Before we even move an inch?” Well, that is the way it is at Make Meaning. You can Make Meaning, but it’s going to cost you. When I went back with my daughter the next day I decided to buy a year-long membership ($26.), for each of us. After the memberships, glitter tattoo and pottery painting my bill was $83.!
I certainly do not mean to put a damper on such a bright and cheery place so obviously filled with happy faces (I know you will go and see for yourself), but while my daughter and I were walking out it dawned on me why Sandy and I had so much fun at the grand opening party the night before…it was FREE!
Lastly, I will say that consistency is the key. My Little Miss and I returned to Make Meaning this afternoon to pick up her painted princess bank. Smiling, cheerful employees again greeted us. One took my receipt and went to the back of the store to pick up our princess. She came back with a Make Meaning bag (clear plastic with colorful dots…adorable) and inside, carefully wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap was our little princess. My daughter opened it like she was opening a gift at Christmastime and the employees gushed with joy as she hugged it with happiness.
Glitter Tattoo $5.50
Painted Pottery Princess $22.95
2 year-long memberships to Make Meaning $52.
Walking out of the store with my delighted Little Miss….absolutely, positively priceless.
Hey, it’s your life…Make Meaning.
Get Thee to Woolfie’s!
July 21, 2012
I’ve been told blog entries should be “brief,” but today I just don’t care. Read on and you’ll understand why.
I am truly a New England girl at heart. I love every corner of every state and having run this territory during my record company days I can say with confidence I’ve covered it all. I’ve counted cows as I made my way North on Route 91 from Brattleboro to Burlington, Vermont. I’ve driven from Portland, to Camden, to Bangor, Maine (seeing Steven King’s house with the black wrought iron fence adorned with bats was alone worth the drive). From the Farmers’ Market in Portsmouth (one of the best), to Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. From the WaterFire Festival in downtown Providence, Rhode Island to being knee deep in red sauce in Federal Hill, I just can’t seem to get enough. New England is my home.
Besides all of that and my twice (and sometimes thrice) yearly sojourn to the Brimfield Antique Show, nothing makes me happier than spending a week on our very own Cape Cod. Like some of you I am sure, I have been traveling to Cape Cod during the summer months since I was a child. From Hyannis, to Dennisport, to Harwich, to Chatham, to Wellfleet, to Truro, to Provincetown…there is just not a better place. While I’ve tried to take a vacation elsewhere, nothing sits better with me than a week in a rented house near the beach on cape cod. I live for the outdoor shower, steaming my own lobsters, and the feel of sand on my feet all day, every day. My father rents a place in Truro every year and the little cabin in the woods is like a teeny, tiny slice of heaven to all of us. Indian Neck Point in Wellfleet is one of my favorite places on earth and the beaches of Provincetown are in a category unchallenged.
When I was a girl I had a dear friend whose family owned a house in Dennisport. Every summer I would anticipate the inevitable invitations to join her and her family there for at least one week or weekend each summer. It was a sweet little Cape within walking distance to a great family beach. When we were kids we bought ice cream from the grocery store adjacent to the beach (which is sadly no longer there) and were regulars at Joey’s Pizza down the street. Our needs were few and that was just fine. Beach, pizza, ice cream, done.
There is one other place that was burned into my memory from those days of my youth. A place called Woolfie’s. I remember driving by it every single day and my friend’s mom stopping for coffee or a donut. When we got older we would drive by it ourselves. I was never a kid who liked pastry or donuts so I don’t think I ever took much interest. Oh my goodness, I was missing out!
Last winter I decided that I wanted to return to Dennisport for my summer vacation and was lucky enough to find my old friend’s house for rent (her family no longer owns the property and we have lost touch through the years). One email later and It was mine for the first week in July. I counted the months and then weeks and then days before I could pack up the car and bring my daughter to a place that held such wonderful memories for me.
It was so nice to be there again. Although there are several new establishments lining Lower County Road, Joey’s Pizza, Sundae School and Woolfie’s have stood the test of time. We didn’t make it to Joey’s this time, and while Sundae School ranked high on our list (I’m pretty sure I had 9 cones while we were there), this summer it was Woolfie’s that won my heart.
Day after day we entered through the screen door so we could devour the most amazing croissants and breakfast sandwiches we had ever eaten. I finally asked the owner to tell me a litte more about this little slice of heaven…
Dale Shadbegian, Woolfie’s current owner, told me that Woolfie’s was actually started in Newton Massachusetts in the late 1950s by “Mr. Woolfie,” a true baker, artisan, and businessman. His recipes were fine-tuned for both efficiency of quantity and of course flavor. He moved the operation to Dennisport in the early 1960’s, and in the 1980′s a woman by the name of Terri Morretti took over and introduced some of her own treats like her “Cape Cod Muffin” – a larger than normal muffin bursting with flavor. Many of Mr. Woolfie’s recipes lived on with Terri until 2011 when Dale, a consultant helping small businesses be more organized and more successful heard about the bakery through his step-mother, Karen, who had been a life long friend of Terri’s. One thing led to another, and before he knew what was happening he was learning Mr. Woolfie’s and Terri’s baking secrets.
While I begged for more information I was told that the recipes are top secret. Many of the original favorites are still in production today; like the Cinnamon Twists, Danish, Melt-aways, Raspberry Nut Squares, Bubkas, Walnut Rings, their famous Mocha Sticks, and cinnamon coffee cakes. The specialty ingredients they use are getting hard and harder to find as many bakeries gravitate toward more economical recipes. There’s actually one base flavor they use that is made just for them and Woolfie’s is the only bakery left in the Country still using it. I’m told it’s quite expensive, but also what makes some of their goods so damn delicious. Just to be clear, every last thing is baked at Woolfie’s. Nothing is shipped in from anywhere. Nothing!
Woolfie’s is really a family business. Dale is the sole “owner”, but his wife, mom, step-mom, brother, sister-in-law, and other close family friends run the bakery. He gushed that it was truly a team effort, and that they all take tremendous pride in what they do. They absolutely fulfill a need in their community, and in return the community is very supportive of everything they do.
This year, Woolfie’s has introduced Ice Cream and extended hours until 9pm. In traditional Woolfie’s style they offer top shelf homemade ice cream create their our own ice cream dishes using existing morning baked goods. For example, one day you might be lucky enough to order an “Apple Dumpling Explosion” (Apples Baked in Pie Dough, Topped with ice cream, and caramel sauce and whipped cream, oh my!).
While under new ownership (Dale), the locals don’t stay far away. I’m told that many of the 40-60 year Woolfie’s veterans come in almost every day and say the pastries they remember from their childhood taste just like they did 50 years ago. They share their childhood memories with the staff, and bring their kids and grand kids there so they may have childhood memories of their own. Lucky kids!
Dale and I exchanged a few emails because I had to know when they were going to open a second location back in Newton (wishful thinking but I do live here after all) and what the sweet glaze was on their croissants (to die for!). He told me what it was a “honey glaze” crafted on site, but he would not tell me how to make it myself. This is actually a good thing as if I knew I would likely slather it over everything!
Do yourself a favor and make your way to Woolfie’s. There is no way on earth you could ever regret it.
Home Sweet Home…Farmers’ Market
July 12, 2012
The City of Newton’s Parks and Recreation Department has sponsored the Newton Farmers’ Market since it opened at Newton City Hall in 1980. I have no idea what it was like then, but just wait until you get a glimpse of what it’s like now.
Every Tuesday in Newton for as long as I’ve been a resident there, the traffic pattern on Beacon Street near Cold Spring Park is reduced to a slow crawl at around 1:30 PM as people make their way to the market. From early July to early October the Newton police are on hand, directing traffic and people and cars to create a steady stream as they enter and exit the often over-flowing parking lot.
The market opened on July 3rd this year, but due to my spectacular vacation on Cape Cod (stay tuned to this blog to learn about a gem called Woolfie’s in Dennisport) I was unable to witness the opening ceremonies. But this week I picked up my darling daughter from camp and we made our way to the sights, sounds and smells of the summer harvest.
Judy Dore, my old neighbor (I didn’t say hi, but she would never forget the commotion we caused in her neighborhood) is the market manager and has been since the markets’ inception. Considering what I saw this year, as compared to the last time I went (probably well over 5 years ago), she is doing a spectacular job of attracting amazing farmers like Hanson’s (Framingham, MA), New Field Farm (Temple, NH), and Nicewicz Family Farm (Bolton, MA…thanks for letting us sample the golden plums! Best purchase of our day!). She has also brought in wonderful vendors like Nella Pasta (Jamaica Plain, MA who I have mentioned here before), Mother’s Prize Preserves (Boxborough, MA), and Cook’s Farm and Bakery (Brimfield, MA and Newbury, VT). I admired each and every smile on the faces of these people. It’s obvious that they love what they do and put forth amazing effort to offer fresh, delicious, local produce and other items to the residents of the place I call home.
Behold the beautiful bounty of the Newton Farmers’ Market…
(Cold Spring Park. 1200 Beacon Street, Newton, MA (July-October 1:30-6 PM)
(Psst…there is also another market on Fridays at the American Legion Post 440, 295 California Street, also in Newton, from 12-5 PM)
New to You
June 18, 2012
Last night I had the most amazing experience (well, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but it felt amazing to me). After a feast in Chinatown for garlic lobster, my friend Michelle took me for a ride down Beacon Street in Brookline to grab some dessert at a place called Tatte. I had not heard of Tatte before (or so I thought…read on) and was visibly delighted when we walked through the door. Not only was every single edible thing able to make my mouth water within seconds, the décor of this little shop took my breath away. I was in love.
Tatte, Fine Cookies and Cakes is the baby of an Israeli woman named Tzurit Or. Here is a great article from a back issue of Edible Boston that will tell you everything you would ever want to know about her and how her business was born.
In short, after moving to the United States from Israel and dabbling in film on the west coast, Tzurit and her family settled in Brookline. Longing to connect with herself again she began baking for Tatte. Her mother was a baker in Israel and watching her is where Tzurit learned all that she knows about the art and craft she has most certainly mastered.
Having made a firm decision to start selling her cookies and cakes in farmers’ markets (I just love that about her!) she was invited to sell at the Copley Square Farmers’ Market. One taste of her treats and the 5 year waiting list for space vanished. Shortly thereafter she dropped off some pieces and a business card to Dean and DeLuca in New York City and Gotham was hers.
When I walked into Tatte last night I thought I had stumbled upon a hidden gem, but in truth, people have been writing about Tatte since the summer of 2008. And, as I was so lovingly informed earlier today, my own father had brought me some of Tatte’s treats in the past.
However, last night it was new to me, and maybe now it’s new to you too.
Feast your eyes…
Made In Massachusetts
June 13, 2012
Despite the cold, rainy days that have fallen upon New England this Spring, nothing could quell my excitement when I walked into the newly renovated Volante Farms (Needham, MA) yesterday. Several years ago, when I was going through my Kettle Corn making phase and fantasizing about selling it a local shops like Volante, I wandered in to find a quaint little farm store that sold their “own” picked fruits and vegetables as well as treats (cookies, bread, jelly, etc.) made in a few local kitchens. I thought they would LOVE my Kettle Corn and even went so far to speak to the owner’s daughter about carrying my “brand.” She was open to the idea and asked me to bring a sample by the following week. Well, a few calls to Department of Health and I knew that no matter how much I enjoyed cleaning (yes, I do enjoy it) my kitchen was far away from state certification.
Foiled again.
Fast forward to last year when I read an article about Volente Farms and how they were closing their doors, temporarily, for renovation. I drove by a few times and sure enough there was major construction going on. During a routine browse of Boston.com a few weeks ago I read a new article that stated the renovation was complete. Volente Farm was open again for business.
This past Sunday; a beautiful, blue-sky day with the sun shining bright, I had some time to kill and made my way West on Central Avenue in Needham. I began to wonder what they were filling all of that new space with, and then remembered they had the best, fresh-picked sweet peas…ever! Knowing it’s the season for sweet peas, and how my daughter and I love to eat them straight from the pods, I admit I got excited. It’s the little things, don’t you agree? My next thought was, “maybe now is a good time to get that Kettle Corn idea flowing again.” Trust me, you want to taste my Kettle Corn.
As I pulled into the expanded parking lot the same old sign (or maybe it was a new sign that just looked like the old sign) that has been gracing the space for as long as I can remember greeted me. The placards are interchangeable so they can highlight what’s in season, and this week I was in luck…peas and strawberries! That was enough for me. The rest would be a bonus.
As I walked through the double doors you can imagine my delight, especially if you understand my affinity for all things local, when I realized what Volante’s had done and how it aligned beautifully with my philosophies about and appreciation for buying and eating locally grown and produced foods.
Before I show you all of the wonderful things they have at Volante Farm I have to say how proud I was to walk in and learn that the ice cream they sell at their counter (indoor and outdoor service) was from Crescent Ridge. Crescent Ridge is a beloved dairy farm in Sharon, the town where I grew up. I’ve been ordering from the take-out windows on Bay Road, sitting in the grass, and watching cows roam the pastures there since I was a very small child. Although the look and feel of the ice cream stand has changed with the times (digital screen menus, updated logo, outsourcing production), it’s still the same old Crescent Ridge I knew as a kid. A good choice for Volente!
Anyway, the look and feel of the store is still brand new. I can only liken it to a new pair of sneakers – you just want to take them out of the box and get them a little dirty. I couldn’t help but think to myself how great it was going to be once it became a little more “lived-in.” I know they will continue to find and stock more locally made products and once the word gets out about all of the wonderful, fresh, locally grown/manufactured items they sell, the place will look lived-in in no time at all.
Ice cream counter to the left, Sandwich counter and baked goods to the right, locally baked bread, cookies and cakes front and center. Jars and bottles filled with local goodness, freezers full of fresh pasta, ice cream, and other desserts. Long rows of their “own” fresh vegetables, refrigerators full of goat cheese and other locally procured dairy products. Ceramic planters, gardening tools, planting soil. On your way out stop in the nursery for some of the most beautiful flowers you’ve ever seen.
While I would love to, it would be impossible to show and talk about each item individually. While I took lots of pictures (I think I need a real camera for this blogging thing) nothing will take the place of an in-person visit. And, if you can’t make it to Volante, at least take a minute to explore the websites of the products they carry. You never know when you’re going to fall in love with a new flavor.
Volente Farm. Nice people…proud of who they are and what they are doing. You know something? I’m proud of them too!
Eat fresh, buy local!
Nella Pasta, Melville Candy, Eaton Farm Confectioners, Hutchinson’s Candy (Seaside Kettle Corn), Q’s Nuts, Alex’s Ugly Sauce, Wasik’s, Our Favorite, Blue Sky Produce, Giovanna, Mann Orchards, Hillcrest Farm (Auburn, MA. No website), Original Gourmet Creations, Greg’s Old Fasioned Cinnamon Bread (FKBC Inc., no website that I could find), Suzie’s Baking …what can you find locally?
