Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

The rosé is ice cold and giggling children, ages 4 to 40, expend the last of the day’s energy running through sprinklers. The haul from the farmers market spills out of the kitchen and into the mudroom. Smoke from the grill will linger on your clothes through the next morning. The carefree joy of late summer afternoons, breaking bread outside with loved ones, is what inspired this collection of recipes, a true expression of the spirit of summer in New England. 

Our own connection to New England farmers and fishermen has been built over decades living and working in Massachusetts. We met in the kitchen at Craigie Street Bistrot in Cambridge, a restaurant that prided itself on menus featuring local and seasonal foods. From there we continued working in restaurants driven by local offerings, from TW Food in Cambridge, to Gramercy Tavern in New York, to Straight Wharf and Ventuno on Nantucket. When we got married it was on a farm we had been introduced to through restaurants and whose CSA we had joined, cooking a feast of Massachusetts-raised chickens, lambs, shellfish—and of course, autumn’s best produce.

Post wedding we found ourselves heading to Andalusia in Spain, and eventually to Cortijo El Manzano, via WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), a nonprofit connecting travelers with a sense of adventure and farmers needing an extra hand. Upon arrival we found a rustic farmhouse filled with a fascinating group of people from 11 different nations, all bound by common interests. Kate busied herself learning cheesemaking while Trevor fell into a rhythm, cooking afternoon meals and baking bread for the team. Everyone took turns chasing piglets, feeding chickens and herding goats. The farm bartered with neighbors for everything from tomatoes to trout to cannabis. Very little on the farm was sourced from outside the region. We ate well and developed a profound sense of place.

As impactful and influential as our travels have been, New England is home and its bounty is where we start when writing menus for our restaurant. The growing seasons ebb and flow, focusing our palates. The moment in June when Massachusetts asparagus appears is sublime, and the wait until August for corn and tomatoes is excruciating, but anticipation makes the produce taste all the sweeter. This natural pattern doesn’t always follow a precise timetable, but it does inform us what we should be cooking. As Marco Pierre White once said, “Mother Nature is the true artist and our job as cooks is to allow her to shine.”

Farmers markets are a great place to start when planning a summertime feast. The colors and smells inspire and excite. We love the energy of a vegetable recently plucked from the earth that has never felt refrigeration; we crave that raw connection. 

Get to know your farmers. We ask them questions like, “What’s new this week?” or “What is finishing up this week?” or “What are you most excited about? How do you like to cook this bok choy?” These conversations will often lead us to something unexpected. If you talk to the folks selling dairy or proteins you will find that the fish at the market on Saturday morning was swimming on Friday. Butter and cheese in New England have won international recognition. Living in Massachusetts, we are spoiled with the quality and freshness of our local products.

In late summer we snap up cases of “seconds” (or overripe/ugly fruit) to turn into preserves and jams; we jar up tomatoes and salsas all summer to sustain our cravings once the temperature drops. Getting out of the city is a great way to feel in touch with nature and, more importantly, with our food sources. Every one of our little family day trips is generally grounded in some connection to food: slurping oysters in Duxbury, feeding goats in Bedford, eating fried clams on the North Shore. All of our experiences behind the stove and at the table help shape our daily lives, both at home and at our restaurant. Year after year we are thrilled to support our local agriculture and fisheries. Supporting the bedrock of our food system brings us as much joy and satisfaction as anything we’ll ever artfully assemble on a plate and deliver to your table.

Thistle & Leek
105 Union St., Newton Centre
thistleandleek.com