Food

Amateur and professional chefs, tie on your aprons! It’s time to gear up for the Stroll’s annual culinary competition, this year featuring that good old-fashioned comfort food, bread pudding!

Now’s the time to start perfecting your bread pudding recipe, whether it’s a family heirloom handed down from your great-grandmother, or something you dreamed up and perfected yourself, and get it ready to enter in the Strolling of the Heifers Great New England Bread Pudding Bake-Off.

This year’s event will showcase bread pudding as an easy, economical and delicious dessert, and as a healthy alternative to processed commercial desserts. Contest finals will happen at the Stroll’s new home at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden, downtown Brattleboro.

Stop by the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market Saturday! 

Lots of familiar faces, as well as some new ones for the late winter season.  Back for their second Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market visit is Bee Field Farms of Wilton, NH with honey, herbs, teas and more! Vermont Quince continues to dazzle folks with all the possibilities presented by the humble quince! Green Mountain Flour is serving up smiling pancakes with sweet maple syrup.  Or take home a fabulous quiche or some hummus to enjoy during the week from  Clay Hill Corners Blueberry Farm and CSA. There are still fresh organic apples from Dwight Miller Orchards, and fresh spinach has appeared from Deep Meadow Farm.

Once again, we will be monitoring this thread to help you should you need a hand or a remedy in your holiday cooking adventures. iBratt is full of foodies, and at least one of us will be here throughout the morning and early afternoon. So don’t be shy, we’re here to help.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Winter Farmers’ Market returns to the River Garden for the eighth season of the longest running diverse indoor farmers’ market in southern Vermont. With the upcoming transfer of the River Garden property from BABB to Strolling of the Heifers, the Winter Farmers’ Market keeps it wonderful home on Main St. Fans of the famous outdoor summer farmer’s market in West Brattleboro, can simply follow many of their favorite vendors indoors starting Saturday, November 2 from 10 – 2.

Hello –

Some of you may know that I started a specialty food business last year. Part of Vermont Quince’s social mission is to reintroduce the ancient fruit to palates throughout the U.S. Toward that end, we are teaming up with our primary source of quince on “Honoring the Heirloom: A Culinary Celebration of Quince & Apples,” a food event happening this Sunday afternoon at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH. 

The local farmers are bringing great fall produce to the Wednesday Farmers’ Market–open through the end of October– downtown by the Brattleboro Food Coop from 10-2. Apples and cider, pears, winter squash, garlic and onions, greens and tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, maple syrup and preserves, flower bouquets, humanely-raised pork, and lots more is all downtown on Wednesdays, fresh from our dedicated local growers.

Don’t forget Anon’s Thai Cuisine for lunch and that the market accepts EBT and debit cards! 802-254-8885. See you at the market! Spread the word!

This weekend, West Brattleboro, In front of Congregational Church. Tasty BBQ Chicken. Add baked beans and slaw for a delicious dinner.

Broad Brook Grange will present its 17th annual Columbus Day Weekend Apple Brunch on Sunday, October 13, from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Grange hall in Guilford Center.  The proceeds from the event will allow for continued renovations of the historic building and support of its community programs.

The all-you-can-eat brunch features eggs and omelets, any style, made to order.  Also on the menu are apple and regular pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon and home fries, with Guilford maple syrup.  Other treats include home-baked apple coffee cakes and other goodies, homemade applesauce, and bread for toasting.  A selection of juices — including cider — will be available, along with coffee, teas and milk.

Brattleboro, VT – Ken Flutie didn’t realize how his love and passion for food would change him when Italian grandmothers took him under their wings and taught him to cook the old-world or classic Italian way.

Born and raised in New York, Ken Flutie worked in restaurants as a line cook and sous chef with classical to traditional training during college, but when he first started working in retail (his professional career for thirty years) after graduation, the “Nonnas” (term of endearment which pays tribute to all the women and the women they learned from), who taught Ken to cook the Italian way – with passion, flavor and love. The Nonnas took him under their wing, made sure he knew how to cook and enjoy classic Italian home-made foods. Flutie kept his recipes and love of Italian cooking personal by serving family, friends and sometimes catering events until after he retired in 2005 from the retail business working for Phillips Van Heusen/Calvin Klein when he became a professional chef.

Please keep the Wednesday Farmers’ Market on your to-do list- we are open through October!

This small, friendly market boasts orchards and several farms, offering shoppers a ton of great fall produce, storage crops, apples and cider, plus maple syrup, baked goods, flower bouquets, and pasture-raised pork.
Anon’s Thai Cuisine, too.

EBT and debit welcome! 10-2, Wednesdays, downtown by the Brattleboro Food Coop, through October!

802-254-8885

I found this really moving.

http://youtu.be/dfaPhmFGvt8

Use your Farm to Family coupons at the Farmers’ Market!:

Farm to Family coupons for WIC families may still be available at your local Department of Health office. If you have not yet received coupons or have multiple eligible people in your household, you may still be able to get coupons. The Farm to Family coupon program helps you buy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at 62 participating farmers markets around the state.

Coupons are distributed through September 30th, 2013 and can be redeemed until October 31st, 2013. Please visit www.healthvermont.gov or call 1-800-649-4357 to find out if there are still coupons available at your district office and if you are eligible.

For more information about the Brattleboro Farmers’ Market, please call 802-254-8885.

The best produce of summer and early fall is in at the Wednesday Farmers’ Market, 10-2, downtown by the Co-op. Local farmers are bringing tree-ripened juicy peaches, fresh zesty apples for fresh eating and pies, plums, raspberries, blueberries, watermelons, pears, and more.

Tomatoes of all sizes and late summer squash, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, herbs and greens, cucumbers, and much more are filling tables. Shoppers can make their own bouquets of cut flowers, stop at Anon’s Thai Cuisine lunch cart, and take home maple syrup, preserves, and baked goods.

EBT and debit welcome. Please call 802-254-8885 for more information.

Celebrate National Farmers’ Market Appreciation Week!

Show your local farms and farmers’ markets some love with a note of appreciation, and yourself with some fresh sungolds or peaches: Write a note of appreciation to your farmers at the Wednesday Farmers’ Market, downtown by the coop, 10am to 2pm. The market will host more love letter writing at the Saturday Farmers’ Market, outdoors on Rte 9 in West Brattleboro, from 9am to 2pm.

EBT and debit are welcome at both markets. Summer harvest is at it’s peak– come get some vine-ripened tomatoes, blueberries, fresh basil, greens, and salad fixings, peaches ripened on the tree, plums and apples, amazing veggies, flowers, and more. Market vendors offer dazzling globe-spanning cuisine and gorgeous handmade crafts and adornments.

We’re going into another week of heat. At this time the forecast says it will be 90ish until next weekend. One more heat wave and the zucchini will start coming in. If it’s a bumper crop, bread will be made on the cooling nights. But there will be more, and how much zucchini bread do you really want? Sauteed zucchini is very nice- the first 4 times.

And so I come to you after a long absence.

I’m tired of my tried and true recipes. Yes, they’re good and make lovely food. And I’m sick to death of them.

Please share your recipes. I don’t care if it’s seasoned fried slices. As long as I didn’t create it, I’ll  be a happy camper. Thank you.

Attention EBT customers! The Brattleboro Farmers’ Market will be matching EBT dollars spent at market (up to $10 per person, per visit) with the Harvest Health Coupons, available starting in July.

The Brattleboro Farmers Market operates the Wednesday Market, downtown by the Co-op on the Whetstone Pathway, 10-2, and the Saturday Market on Rte 9 in West Brattleboro (past the covered bridge).

Come to market, swipe your EBT card at the manager’s booth, and receive wooden tokens that can buy any EBT eligible foods, like fresh produce, fresh breads, eggs and meats, maple syrup, etc. While supplies last, double your EBT money and receive the matching Harvest Health coupons.

Attention EBT customers! The Brattleboro Farmers’ Market will be matching EBT dollars spent at market (up to $10 per person, per visit) with the Harvest Health Coupons, available starting in July.

The Brattleboro Farmers Market operates the Wednesday Market, downtown by the Co-op on the Whetstone Pathway, 10-2, and the Saturday Market, 9-2, on Rte 9 in West Brattleboro (past the covered bridge). Come to market, swipe your EBT card at the manager’s booth, and receive wooden tokens that can buy any EBT eligible foods, like fresh produce, fresh breads, eggs and meats, maple syrup, etc. While supplies last, double your EBT money and receive the matching Harvest Health coupons.

Come on down RIGHT NOW to the Wednesday Farmers Market, 10-2, by the Coop. What’s fresh: Spring Garlic! Strawberries! Sugarsnap Peas! Salad Mix! Rhubarb! Cabbage! Greenhouse cukes and peppers! Beautiful flowers!
Anon’s Thai and Loaves and Stitches bakery– have you tried a gluten-free Vermont “poptart” yet?
Farm to Family coupons are being distributed on-site at the market today.
EBT and debit welcome! 802-254-8885

The Brattleboro Farmers’ Market hosts a free educational strawberry event this Saturday, June 29th. From 9:30 to 11, sample different varieties of fresh berries and vote for your favorite! Learn about how strawberries are grown, and check out our scavenger hunt for kids!

The Farmers’ Market is open from 9am to 2pm outdoors on Rte 9, in West Brattleboro. EBT and debit are welcome. There’s something for everyone at the market– shoppers find the freshest food from local farms, globe-spanning cuisine, and gorgeous crafts. Strawberry season is here!

This week, Mary Lea, Andrea Larson, and Marko Packard will be playing Swedish music on violin and guitar from 11-1.

Guilford, VT– A summer tradition for the whole family, the Strawberry Supper at Guilford Community Church will be held on Saturday, June 22. There will be two seatings to choose from, at 5 and 6:30 p.m. The price is $10 adults, $5 children 11 and under, and $3 preschoolers. For reservations, call (802) 254-9019 or email guilfordchurchsupper@gmail.com.

The menu features ham, baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, fresh baked rolls, strawberries, shortcake and whipped cream, coffee, iced tea, and milk. All proceeds benefit the church, which supports over 20 local programs and organizations that serve the community.