Winter 2024 Publisher’s Letter
It’s the end of October, sunny and in the mid-70s. There’s a frost coming soon, a few weeks later than normal. The beans I planted in mid-August are happily living out their final days, producing just enough daily harvest for a tidy side dish for two. Dahlias and sunflowers, even tomatoes and peppers, have had an extended season, and despite the regular weekend washouts, this fall has been pretty lovely on the whole. Unless you read the news.
With innumerable humanitarian crises developing around the world, it’s hard for me not to turn inward, to lose hope, to look away—even as my heart is breaking. And it’s harder still to find meaning in the work that I do, compiling stories that could appear unserious in the present moment. In times like these, I wonder, does any of this really matter? But, I remind myself, topics of local food—like forward-thinking climate mitigation, crop insurance, even celebratory holiday cooking and small businesses doing big things—will always be important, and reading about them can serve as a respite from the horrific. A balm, if you will. And I hope you’ll see this issue, planned so many months ago, as just that.
It’s very farm-heavy for Winter/Holiday issue, which is testament to increased local commitment to year-round growing and the challenges farmers can face if a traditional summer season goes awry, like this one did. In the first in her series on the long-delayed 2023 Farm Bill, Alison Arnett dissects the many issues around crop insurance, especially for the smaller diversified farms that are predominant in Massachusetts. Photographer Jonnie Coutu regularly visited a new Central MA farm during its first year and compiled his images for us into a stunning photo essay. Mike Floreak headed to Siena Farms in Sudbury and learned about their grant-funded rolling greenhouse system, designed to extend the farm’s prolific growing season as far into the winter as possible. And Natalie Gale took a look at a popular new kind of year-round indoor cultivation with a gourmet pedigree: mushroom farms.
We looked at other native crops with wide-reaching popularity. When Stow-based writer Tara Taft found Butternut squash in a dish she ate in South Africa, she was intrigued: How did this vegetable, developed in Stow, get all the way there? Her research, and the accompanying recipes from local chefs (and yours truly), will have you looking at the Butternut with a new local pride. And surely Elisabeth Morgan’s profile of farmer Jen Burt and her years-long project to reintroduce the Worcester Mammoth Bean to its home town will inspire you to save a row or two in your own garden for these tasty beans next season.
Little did we know when Robin Hauck profiled Nan and Jordan Mackey of Nan’s Kitchen + Market back in 2021 that we’d need to check back in with them so soon; in the intervening two years, this busy couple has expanded their little suburban empire from one COVID pivot to three bustling restaurants and a pop-up. And just in time for Dry January, Lindsay Crudele visited three local mixologists who give careful thought to all types of drinkers on their inclusive menus: those who partake in alcohol and those who don’t.
With celebrations on the horizon, Béatrice Peltre introduced us to her own French tradition, the Apéro Dinatoire—an all-appetizer dinner. With simple recipes for delectable nibbles and bites, and a very wintery Champagne cocktail, you’ll be set for the holidays and the joyful days that surround them. This season’s adorable installment of Barefoot Books’ Edible for Kids includes a recipe for a traditional Ecuadorian potato-cheese soup and a spiceidentifying activity that will be fun for the whole family, especially in the depths of the winter to come.
Our Edible Food Finds are as eclectic as ever: a chain of fast-casual health food cafés with locations in Worcester, Newburyport and Somerville; a new Yemeni restaurant in Kenmore Square; a Central MA couple making herb- and THC-infused artisan chocolate bars to delight all your senses; a jewel box of a restaurant in Cambridge with a local, seasonal focus; a caterer-to-the-stars-turned proprietor of his own boîte in Chestnut Hill with a taste for the finer things in life; and a rentable culinary-entertaining space in Beverly, tailor-made for pop-up dinners, photo shoots, art shows and workshops.
You’ll notice a new section this Winter/Holiday issue: a preview of our online Local Holiday Gift Guide—in print! You know how important it is to keep your food dollars local—supporting small businesses, preserving our greenspaces and agricultural communities year round—so why not carry over that ethos into holiday gifting, too? Follow the QR code to find the expanded, clickable version of the guide and be sure to shop small, shop local.
In this season of giving thanks and giving back, I’m keeping regional farmers in my thoughts—and in my budget. After this rough summer of rain and flooding, they just couldn’t catch a break: A whole fall’s worth of Saturdays were wet and washed out, canceling many a long-planned harvest festival. It would almost be funny if it weren’t so sad: Local farms rely on autumn weekend traffic to boost much-needed revenue before winter. I hope you’ll consider securing your 2024 CSA share early this year, and supporting your local farm in whatever way you can. It’s never been more important.
This issue, the 72nd since the magazine’s founding, marks the beginning of our fifth year as publishers—and what a wild ride it’s been. As always, I thank you for reading and for supporting our advertisers who, in turn, support what we do. We couldn’t do it without them, or you, and with all our hearts, we wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season.
Peace (on Earth, good will to all),
Sarah
