This Week at the Brookline Farmer's Market

With the sun out this Thursday afternoon, so were the happy customers at the Brookline Farmer's Market. This may be my new favorite. There was a huge range of farms offering gorgeous produce that I hadn't seen elsewhere. From Stillman's I bought some icicle radishes and purple kohlrabi, that when peeled, sliced and sprinkled with salt tasted like the sweetest of radishes. At the Kimball's Farm stand I purchased sweet raspberries and blueberries, their tomatoes that are always so, so good and pencil thin asparagus that cooked up in seconds on the grill. Other farm stands include: Cook's, Enterprise, Middle Earth and Dick's.
You can create a whole meal with bread from Clear Flour, jams from Deborah's Kitchen, fish from the Globe Fish Company, syrup from the Warren Sugarhouse and incredible naturally-raised meat from River Rock Farm (that was recently visited by Chef Jody Adams and her Guerilla Grilling team.) For appetizers, you can start with the smoked fish spreads from Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse or chevre from Westfield Farm.

Finish with ice cream, Taza Chocolate and the salty butterscotch sauce from Sassy Sauces.

The Brookline Farmer's Market, Thursdays 1:30 until it is dark.

This Week at the Newton Farmer's Market

My trip to the Newton Farmer's Market ended suddenly as thunder and lightening rolled in. But I was able to snap a few photos. Although I will never enjoy ducking the traffic and crowds, they still have a variety produce and vendors, similar to the Like the Harvard Square market. I was struck here by the range of colors-of potatoes, carrots, mizuna, raspberries and flowers. The market has more farms than the Natick or Harvard Square market, along with ice cream, goat cheese, a few bakeries and a Turkey Farm. Finally, there are a number of farmers that grow organically.

The Newton Farmer's Market is open Tuesdays from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m.

This Week at the Harvard Square Farmer's Market

While rain may be good for vegetables, as my three year old keeps saying, "They have enough rain, Mommy. Now they really, really need sun." Despite the rain, farmers and vendors are still setting up at Farmer's Markets around the state to bring wonderful produce and specialty goods. The range of items is so much more than you can get in the store and everything is so much more beautiful.

On Tuesday I started out at the Harvard Square Market. Just like last year, you can walk away with many fixings for a meal. Some highlights of the produce: delicious IMP carrots, radishes, zucchini, beans and blueberries from Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon; more spectacular organic radishes from Plato's Farm, lovely chives and scallions from Flat's Mentor Farm and kohlrabi, gooseberries and currants from Silverbrook and Lanni farms. One of my favorite parts of this market are the other treats. You can get ice cream from Christina's. Make sure to sample the delectable nuts from Q's Nuts.
They come coated in hot and sweet spices, but aren't coated in oil. I can never leave without buying my absolute favorite (and no, unfortunately for me, I am not being given free samples to say this!): Taza chocolate. They have a few new flavors: guajillo chile, yerbe mate and a salted almond bar that was so good I bought some immediately.

The Harvard Square Farmer's Market takes place on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. until October, between the Sander's Theater and Science Center.

Tangerini's Spring Street Farm, Millis

For over a year now, I have been receiving the CSA updates from Laura Tangerini at the Tangerini's Spring Street Farm. The tantalizing e-mails beckoned me to check out their range of produce, even though their CSA was full, and for us, just a few too many miles away. We finally stopped by the farm and were delighted to discover that it is a wonderful place to spend a few hours.

My husband would want me to start by talking about the ice cream. The hard ice cream, over 30 flavors of it, is from Bliss Dairy in Attleboro. While it was good, what we loved was the dense and delicious soft serve...from Hood! While we ended up with two very messy and drippy boys, it was worth it.What Tangerini's is really about, though, is the produce that they grow on almost 70 acres of land. You can buy whatever is available that week directly at the store. When we stopped by they had swiss chard, zucchini, peas and garlic. You can head into the fields to pick whatever is available, as well. Tangerini's will be selling at the Natick Farmer's Market starting this week. You can also get their produce as part of the Farmer's Cart delivery service. Finally, you can get your name on the CSA waiting list to get a weekly share and the opportunity to have a wider range of veggies and fruits to pick.My children loved the sandbox full of trucks and ride-on vehicles in the back, the truly free range chickens and the goats. We loved the beautiful setting and friendly owners.If that isn't enough play space for you, after the ice cream you can head north for a mile or so on Route 115 to the Oak Grove Farm playground. It has huge play structures, including a fire engine, for kids of all ages.

Tangerini's Spring Street Farm 139 Spring Street, Millis, 508-376-5024

Two Great Hikes in Jackson and Bartlett, New Hampshire

In my 20s I hiked up Carter Notch (with a backpack. In the winter. It wasn't pretty.) I more or less completed Outward Bound in Montana (bigger backpack, even uglier!). I also spent many nights at AMC lodges in New Hampshire. But my husband isn't fond of mosquitoes or tents and my 3 year old would be happy to live in a stroller. So I am proud to report that we did our first two family hikes and had a fantastic time. Both hikes were listed as "very easy", but when you have a 25 pound child in a frame pack and your three year old keeps saying, "Hold me, Mommy," even an easy hike can feel like a challenge. But at the end, despite needing to bribe my son with apple juice to keep walking on his own, it was completely worth it.Our first hike was to Diana's Baths, which is right off West Side Road in Bartlett, New Hampshire. The hike is along a 1/2 mile path that would even hold a narrow trail stroller. It is a lovely walk into the woods. And at the end was a spectacular series of waterholes. Other people clearly swim here as they passed us with their towels and picnic lunches. We were content to dip our feet in, to check out the beautiful butterflies and the snake that slithered by.
The second was to Glen Ellis Falls which is located right on Route 16, just before Pinkham Notch. You park on one side of the road, and then go under the highway, through a tunnel. The hike is more like a stairmaster in the woods, as you climb down a series of rock stairs to a gorgeous 65 foot high waterfall. The toddler needed to be supported as he walked on the slippery steps, but he loved it.

For a great list of waterfalls in New Hampshire, click here.

Places to Eat in North Conway, Glen, Jackson and Bartlett New Hampshire

The truth is, that we travel in large part to eat great food. If you are headed up to the North Conway/Glen/Bartlett area of New Hampshire and need a full stomach to hike or go to Story Land, here is a quick review of the places we tried. They are all kid-friendly and relatively inexpensive.

Moat Mountain-North Conway. The food here was fantastic! We ate the best hush puppies I have ever tasted. They tasted like the most delicious, freshly fried cake donut. Yet they were also savory and filled with corn kernels. My husband dipped them into the maple syrup that was served on the side while my toddler and I just devoured them plain. They also have wonderful flatbread style grilled pizza and addictive fried chicken wings (which are on the kids menu). I had a combination platter that I literally couldn't finish over 2 dinners. It consisted of moist chicken, meaty ribs with pork that fell off the bone and smoky pulled pork. On the side was a small skillet of cornbread that was just baked. I loved that it was filled with cheese and jalapenos though it was too spicy for my husband. We both enjoyed the homemade coleslaw that was full of fresh veggies. The weakest part of the meal was the fact that they only offer two barbecue sauces. I liked one, but it was also too spicy for my husband. The other tasted like pureed tomatoes. Needless to say, this meant that my 16 month old, instead of my husband, ate the brisket that on its own was just too dry. In terms of keeping toddlers entertained, they have a number of TVs stationed throughout the restaurant, as well as a porch for adults without kids.

Glen Junction-Is great for children as there are two toy trains that travel on a track overhead. The prices were also reasonable, but our lunch (two wraps, grilled cheese and a hot dog) was mediocre.

Red Fox Bar and Grille-This place is absolutely perfect for kids as they have a play room and movie room for those moments that kids need while waiting (for table, for food). It was a great value overall as we fed our family of 4 for $30. The kids had delicious grilled cheese and hamburgers. I enjoyed a rare steak sandwich with chipotle dressing, while my husband liked his wood grilled burger.

Kringle's Country Store in Glen-a cute little store and pizza place. Decent pizza that was great for taking back to the condo when we could tell the kids couldn't handle another restaurant.

Trail’s End Ice Cream has home made ice cream from Bobby Sues in Freedom. It was so good that we went back 3 times. The first location in Intervale is good for a quick stop. But the second location near Attitash Mountain in Bartlett is good for a whole activity as it has a large area for sitting and a fantastic playground for the kids. I loved the peach frozen yogurt which had huge chunks of sweet peaches, while my kids devoured every scoop they could eat. Even the chocolate chip had hand chopped shards of dark chocolate.

Bagels Plus in North Conway-These weren't New York bagels, but they were very good and very friendly. They also have some unusual flavors such as whole wheat sesame, peanut butter and chocolate and spinach and garlic.

Yesterday’s in Jackson-delicious breakfast. Sarah took over the restaurant 7 years ago and makes a variety of homemade breads and muffins each day. We enjoyed a delicious wrap with eggs, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese and basil, as well as plate sized pancakes. Very relaxed and reasonable prices.

As You Like It Bakery and Cafe-for delicious baked good such as muffins and homemade donuts, in addition to bagels and toast. Also in Jackson.

Story Land, Glen, New Hampshire

There isn't much less appealing to me than amusement parks. In my mind they are overpriced marketing nightmares designed to get you to spend as much as possible while standing in line before the kids collapse from exhaustion. Yet, after so many of my friends shared rave reviews of Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire, I began to rethink my preconceptions. And, in fact, my friends were right. Instead of being a repository of commercial hype, Story Land is a model of family fun. It was clean with great rides for children (especially under age 8) and adults. And best of all, instead of being filled with cartoon creatures, the theme is nursery rhymes. While I can't say I am sold on amusement parks, my family had a wonderful time.You can check out the Story Land website for the full map and descriptions of all the activities. One of the brilliant parts of Story Land is that there are a range of great activities for each age. For example, four of the rides are designed for older kids (e.g. a roller coaster, and two water rides.) However, the preschool area was one of the highlights for our kids. There were two different ball pits (one for toddlers and one for infants) as well as some animals, a giant piano, and many other little rides.My three year old loved that he could ride on a train, drive an antique car as well as a tractor and fly in a whale and a shoe. He was just as mesmerized by the ferris wheel and the sprinkler park. He loved the chance to get on his first merry-go-round, while I appreciated that it was over 300 years old. We also went for a lazy ride in some swan boats. He was too skittish to stay in the circus, but my husband raved about it afterwards.Throughout the park are little designs that make this place so perfect for families: free strollers, "Mama's Rooms" for nursing and changing babies, misting rooms to cool down without getting soaked, buttons to press so children can listen to stories, calm characters meandering through the park, such as Mother Goose, and clear signs that made it easy to decide which rides were best for our children.While Story Land isn't cheap (it costs $25.00 per person over 3 years old), it is still a good value for a few reasons. First, as Story Land covers over 35 acres, has 20 rides and 5 theme shows, you can literally spend an entire day there. In addition, after 3:00 p.m. on the first day, you can then use the same tickets to return the very next day. Story Land also offers promotions and a number of hotels offer special deals that include tickets to Story Land. Be aware that as the park is 56 years old, there is a charm in some of the more dated sections (such as Little Red Riding Hood's house.) However, there are also rides such as "Bamboo Chutes" that with Chinese music playing are not the most ethnically sensitive. Finally, bring your own water, snacks and food and picnic inside or outside of Story Land. Not only does it save a tremendous amount of money, but despite offering carrot sticks, the majority of the food was more typical of the greasy, calorie ridden types that you would find at most parks.  This time Story Land generously provided us with tickets to try it out and next summer we will be back on our own!

Story Land, Glen New Hampshire Route 16, 603-383-4186