When journalist Michael Easter wrote in his book The Comfort Crisis that “we are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives,” he certainly wasn’t talking about the 600+ people who braved 90-plus degree temperatures to shop at the Lexington Farmers’ Market last month. Not only is the LFM far from sterile or temperature-controlled, but those sweltering hot days present all sorts of challenges on how to keep your haul at food-safe temperatures.
In this dispatch, I tackle the market on an afternoon so hot that the part of my brain tasked to remember ice packs and insulated bags has failed, and all I have is a single canvas bag. Should this happen to you, start with your shelf-stable grocery list, often sourced from the bakeries and specialty food vendors. Stock up next on deeply frozen food items from vendors like River Rock or Del Sur. Pick up a cold lemonade as you walk past Butternut, and then continue on to anything requiring or best suited for refrigeration like dairy or prepared foods. Last stop: produce. While Easter would recommend walking home with your haul, in the name of food safety, I’ll suggest you then quickly make your way to the comfort of a temperature-controlled vehicle for your ride home.
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It is common advice not to grocery shop when hungry, but on days when that just isn’t possible, Bread Obsession is at the market entrance for the rescue. Grab a baguette and do as the French do – rip off the heel (end) for a satisfying snack. If restraint isn’t your thing, add a loaf of durum levain to your order to ensure bread makes it home with you; it’s a lot harder to mindlessly dig into a round loaf for a snack on the go than it is a baguette.
My favorite slice of levain is always the first, with a generous spread of unsalted grass-fed butter. After living in Napa, California, tasting the sour aromas from the various fermentation byproducts in this naturally leavened bread feels like entering a wormhole to crush (wine grape harvest season) in the Napa Valley when the smell of yeast permeates all of the air entrapped in the 30-mile long and 5-mile wide valley. Be sure to double wrap any uneaten bread to keep it from drying out; always store with the cut side face-down. The paper bag sold with the bread is a great inner layer of protection; a plastic bag or bread box works well as the outer layer – above all, though, do not refrigerate sourdough overnight!
Bread Obsession, www.bread-obsession.com. Retail store at 433 Marrett Road is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8am-1pm. Also sold at Berman’s Fine Wines, 55 Massachusetts Avenue, 10am-8pm.
Guest Vendor Rascal Relish has just five remaining appearances at the LFM this summer, so stock up wisely; pickles and preserves don’t get more natural, local, or low-waste than this. Owner Sarah Carlile not only sources most of the ingredients from Middlesex County, but she writes the name of each farm where the produce was grown on each jar. And yes, you can presume there are no BPA’s or phthalates found here – everything is packaged in glass.
A layer of spiced tomato spread on Bread Obsession’s durum levain adds depth and umami to any sandwich or tartine. Add pickled carrots to your next green salad or sandwich for a lighter layer of flavor and bright crunch. Bring a jar of BB pickle relish to any picnic or cookout and win the condiment game. Or eat it straight out of the jar – we’re not here to judge.
Rascal Relish, www.arascalrelish.com/craft-condiments. At the LFM on September 3, 18 and October 1, 15, 29.
Salmon belly is a Japanese delicacy because it is the cut with the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids on a fish that is already known for its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Boston Smoked Fish Co. dries, cures, and hot smokes salmon belly to produce a decadent treat they call salmon bacon. Salmon bacon is full of taste and can be eaten right out of the bag. If you still have some baguette from Bread Obsession, cut it open and spoon in Rascal Relish’s spiced tomato spread before flaking on salmon bacon and a small handful of arugula from Stillman’s Farm for a tasty specialty sandwich – sourced entirely from the LFM.
Up for a smoked fish adventure beyond the ubiquitous smoked salmon? Ask for smoked Chilean Sea Bass; it hasn’t yet graduated to Boston Smoked Fish Co’s blue branded packaging but fingers are crossed that once enough people get a taste of this slightly sweet and umami-filled treat, it will make it into their regular product lineup. Cut slices and use it in place of bacon the next time you make a classic spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. Remember to pick up eggs to hard boil from Copicut Farms and consider elevating the white mushrooms with oyster mushrooms from My County Mushrooms. Alternatively, slice it into a Bread Obsession baguette and top with Rascal Relish’s BB pickle relish – the only thing you’ll regret is not picking up more smoked fish.
Boston Smoked Fish Co., bostonsmokedfish.com. At the LFM on July 9, 23, August 6, 20, September 3, 17, and October 1, 15, 29. Also sold at Lexington Community Farm, 52 Lowell Street, noon-6pm Wednesday and Friday, noon-7pm Thursday, 10am-4pm on Saturdays and Wilson Farm, 10 Pleasant Street, 9am-7pm (weekends from 8am).
River Rock Farm has been vending at the LFM since the market’s inception in 2005; current owners Charlie and Lindsay Sayer took over the farm in 2012, bought it in 2017, and through it all have been mainstays of the market, traveling 60 miles to reach Lexington from Brimfield. River Rock is best known at the LFM for their steaks — Delmonico, filet mignon, and T-Bone the most popular — and custom burger grinds made with their pasture-raised dry-aged beef. I’ll throw down the gauntlet here and say that I prefer River Rock’s burger over New York butcher legend Pat LaFreida’s signature blend (note this article and the prices referenced are from 2010). While both are crafted with pasture-raised dry-aged beef, Sayer’s operation is fully vertically integrated, allowing him to make real-time adjustments to ensure a consistent final product no matter what unexpected conditions arise — an important differentiator given the fickle nature of mother nature and ranching.
At some point each grill season, I max out on steak and burgers, and begin to crave Korean LA galbi. LA galbi made with River Rock Korean-cut short ribs is unlike any LA galbi I grew up eating in New York or even on trips to Korea. Historically, cattle in Korea were primarily raised for farming and transportation; it wasn’t until the 1960’s that people outside the elite class began to eat beef and a domestic ranching industry was born. In such a small, rocky country, conditions for ranching will always be challenging. In other words: LA galbi made with pasture raised dry-aged short ribs cut for this dish is a treat. That said, the prep time on LA galbi is greater than that of an American steak, so double your batch of marinade, freeze the extra, and enjoy the return on investment. For an authentic Korean touch, set the table with a pair of kitchen shears to cut the finished meat into bite-sized pieces; remember, you’ll never find a knife at a Korean dinner table.
River Rock Farm, www.riverrockfarm.com. Home delivery available.
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