Spring 2019 Editor's Letter

Is that... squid?

On the Spring cover?

What about the green sprouts and daffodils? Where are the peas, the asparagus? The colored eggs and cherry blossoms?

Well, if you’ve lived in New England long enough to sense the recent seasonal shift, you know those things are still a long way off. March is defined by frustrating late-winter blizzards and unexpected snow days, not the re-greening and rebirth we’ve waited all winter for.

No, spring as we know it won’t really arrive until May, a full two months from now. And if you’ve visited a chilly farmers market in early June you know that summer’s bounty comes even later, in late July, but then lingers deep into October—tomatoes and eggplant hogging market bins when pumpkins and squash are itching for their moment in the spotlight. With this shift of the seasons we have to shift our expectations, remembering that while March comes in like a lion, she sometimes stays that way.

So squid(!) gets its moment while we straddle winter and spring, a New England specialty truly in season now. And what a moment we’re giving it! Thanks to a generous (anonymous) grant, we’re producing our very first Edible Boston video, diving deeper into the subject of sustainable squid, its local fishery and how to prepare it at home with expert help from Chef Jeremy Sewall of Island Creek Oyster Bar/Row 34 and Jared Auerbach of Red’s Best. Look for the video’s debut mid-season, and in the meantime try Jeremy’s recipes for squid—beautifully braised and grilled and decidedly not fried.

Use the rest of this issue to plan your outings once the weather does finally warm up: Alex Tzelnic takes us to three new brewery taprooms in Greater Boston, while Andrea Pyenson profiles the food businesses anchored in Somerville’s Bow Market. This season our expanded edible FOOD FINDS section includes products, places and also food tours, so you can taste your way through new neighborhoods and discover off-the-beaten-path treasures—like street art, diverse food markets and classic Bostonian fare.

Don’t sign up for your CSA until you’ve read Rachel Caldwell and Cristin Nelson’s profiles of two very different programs designed to make busy lives easier and curb an increasing food waste problem. Be sure to read Nina Livingstone’s Q+A with Chef Peter McCarthy of EVOO to learn how this industry veteran keeps local food on his unique menu all year round. We’ve got you covered in the kitchen as well, as food stylist Catrine Kelty relays her childhood memories as only the daughter of a butcher can: with lamb recipes. And as the first installment of a new series called Kids in the Kitchen, I collaborate with my daughter on a pasta feast any kid would love—we hope you’ll make these recipes with your own kids in the months to come.

It’s going to be an exciting year for Edible Boston: With the release of this issue we’ll be relaunching our more-user-friendly website with regular original content; we’ll upload seasonal recipes not found in print, useful farmers market guides, food producer profiles, more video and even a bit of our own food tourism.

Follow us on social media and bear with us as we make the transition!

And as always, please thank the business owners who provided this magazine to you, free of charge. It’s through their continued support and funding that we’re able to produce this high-quality publication, season after season, for going on 13 years. We couldn’t do it without them.

Peace,

Sarah Blackburn