The Gold Standard of Produce in Boston

Andrew’s posting on Podgorica’s Big Market immediately roused memories of my time spent in Barcelona, where I frequented La Boqueria, one of the largest and most revered markets in all of Europe. I would walk the concentric circles of La Boqueria for hours, ogling beautifully fresh produce, studying the most unusual sea creatures, drooling over perfectly marbled cuts of meat, and envying all of the Spaniards strolling about who were able to shop at such a market on a daily basis. La Boqueria introduced me to what fresh produce and meats should taste like, as well as how food shopping should be conducted. It was difficult returning to the States and having to walk the aisles of supermarkets housing meats and produce that just don’t quite meet the standards of those that I had the luxury of eating in Spain. I either needed to find a good domestic version of La Boqueria , or I needed to buy a plane ticket. With a little trial and error, I was able to find a farmers market that satisfied my needs and I avoided the expense of have to fly East.

The market that keeps my fridge and stomach plenty full is the Copley Square Farmers Market in Boston. Open from 11am to 6pm every Tuesday and Friday from the middle of May through the final week of November, the market houses about 15 vendors representing farms and small businesses from all over Massachusetts.  

There are 5 or so vendors that specialize in baked goods, the best of which, by far, is Iggy’s Bread.   Iggy’s is always stocked with a large assortment of sensational breads and also offers a few specialty sandwiches that cannot be beat.  I recommend the very Parisian ham and cheese sandwich, which is a simple combination of a great baguette, delicious thick-cut Niman Ranch ham, high quality cheddar cheese, and a thin smear of sweet butter.  It is an unforgettably good sandwich and the perfect accompaniment to fresh produce shopping.

Copley Market only houses one meat vendor, which sells poultry, lamb, beef and pork from Stillman’s Turkey Farm.  Due to a lack of electricity, this meat comes frozen and is kept in coolers alongside a long list of the day’s cuts.  The meat is rather expensive, which is disappointing since it comes frozen and wrapped in vacuum-sealed bags that don’t allow for proper inspection.  I purchased a semi-boneless leg of lamb at $13.99/pound and expected to be rewarded with tender, gamy lamb with more complex textures and tastes than your typical store bought leg of lamb.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  In fact, I found the lamb to be rather tough, even when cooked to a perfect medium rare.  I think you are better off buying high quality meats from specialty meat stores, because they are less expensive and certainly tastier than the meat I had from Stillman’s Turkey Farm.  In Boston, I recommend going to The Butcher Shop on Tremont St. in the South End. 

The main reason to go to the Copley Market is to shop at the various produce vendors that surround the squares central green.  Most of these vendors sell the same items, typically dominated by berries, apples and stone fruits.  The berries are sweet, tart and juicy.  They apples are amazingly crisp and sweet, never having that awful mealy texture that apples from mega orchards tend to have.  The stone fruits are beyond juicy and are particularly good when baked.  However, there are two vendors that soar high above the rest; selling vegetables that are so good it takes me right back to La Boqueria.

Atlas Farm sells certified organic produce, with an emphasis on hard-fleshed vegetables and leafy greens.  Atlas boasts a large variety of potatoes and squash, all of which are reasonably priced and sensationally delicious.  The potatoes are so creamy and earthy tasting, and the winter squash are as sweet as candy and do not disintegrate into mushy pulp when cooked.  I recommend trying the red kuri squash.  It will instantly become your favorite autumn side dish.  The leafy greens, both hardy and for salads, are always incredibly fresh.  In fact, I have never seen a blemish of any kind on any of their items.  I recommend the bags of mixed greens, which include a variety of bitter and sweet lettuces with edible flowers mixed in, and the red Boston lettuce, which is far and away the best salad green that I’ve ever tasted.

Siena Farms, the supplier of vegetables to acclaimed Boston-area restaurants like Oleana, No 9 Park and O Ya, has the absolute best produce at the Copley Square Market.   All of the produce, both cultivated and wild, is presented beautifully and could not be fresher.  Siena always has a large variety of Brassica family goodies like broccoli, various cauliflowers, turnips, kale, etc., as well as the most delicious mushrooms that have ever gone into my mouth.  In particular, the shiitake and hen of the woods mushrooms will make you weak in the knees.  You also cannot overlook the shallots, onions and garlic.  The shallots and onions are large and sweet, and the garlic has a purple tinge to it and an intense garlic bite.  Last but not least are the root veggies.  Siena always has an amazing display of multi-colored carrots and beets, all on the smaller side and all intensely earthy and sweet.  I eat roasted veggies from Siena almost every night.  I just cannot get enough.  When you are ready to pay for your goodies, be sure to pick up a package of Sofra Bakery cookies.  Sofra Bakery is affiliated with Siena Farms and makes the absolute best chocolate cookies known to man.  They are called Earthquakes, they come in a pack of 6, they cost $6, and they will change your life.  Imagine the richest, tastiest, moistest brownie you’ve ever had but with an amazing crunchy, candy-like outer edge.  You have to try them.  I usually purchase enough produce to last me about 4 days and the total bill is always around $24 dollars, including the $6 cookies.  It is important to note that I eat a ton of veggies, so a load of veggies that will last me 4 days would sustain normal eaters for a longer period of time.  If you are unable to get yourself to the market due to its limited hours, I recommend buying produce from Plum Produce, conveniently located right next to The Butcher Shop on Tremont St.

 

This bounty was only $19, which is incredible considering I bought what may very well be a lifetime supply of shallots.  That giant bag of shallots was only $7 and the contents of the bag are just beautiful.  The white potatoes were only $2/pound and are going to make the most delicious roasted potatoes due to their low starch levels.  The Romanesco cauliflower was only $5/pound and is one of my absolute favorite veggies.  When roasted, it tastes very much like a nuttier, sweeter brussel sprout.  And, as I learned from Chris and Max, the two farmers who are always at the market from open to close, do not discard the leaves enrobing the cauliflower because they are very sweet and tender.  All in all, the experience while shopping, the quality of the produce, and the amiability and knowledge of the Siena Farms team makes their delicious fruits and veggies the very best in Boston. 

The Copley Square Farmers Market, and in particular the produce of Atlas Farm and Siena Farms, transforms your culinary life into all that it can be and all that it should be.  This market supplies home cooks with ingredients that are full flavored, beautifully textured, and beneficial to the body, both physically and mentally.  Believe me, after cooking a meal with goodies from this market, you will be hard pressed to shop for produce at your local super market.