Supporting Roles
We think where our food comes from and those who produce it are important. Here are some of the farmers, fishermen, butchers, bakers, sausage makers and other friends responsible for what becomes your feast who don’t get to take a bow at dinnertime.
Farmers
Allen Farm, Dartmouth - Debbie Barrett, birth mother of Marc and Kristen’s farm, grows organic greens and herbs, tomatillos and a juicy cuke or two. It takes a lot of farmer to grow a little green. Her mantra for growing velvet carpets of baby pea greens is water with sweat then fertilize with laughter.
Diamond Acres Farm, Westport - Everyday fresh everything. You can always count on sweet Macomber turnips, fall chilies and squashes down the Thanksgiving stretch.
Eva’s Garden, Dartmouth - For a wide variety of organic greens, herbs, flowers and more, an earth hostel where all life forms are welcome except for a few voles. All is sacred. Nothing is wasted. Can’t leave without instruction + an armful of the day’s bounty.- Four Town Farm, Seekonk - An asparagus candy store in May and early June and lots else the rest of the time. If you’ve just got to have good asparagus on your menu, set your event date to some time like Memorial Day weekend and you won’t regret it.
Noquochoke Orchards, Wesport - Peaches, pears, 98 varieties of apples – including many antiques at our neighbor’s 110 year old orchard.
Orr’s Farm, Westport - Featured nationally on “Good Morning, America”, Andrew wanted nothing more than to farm after working summer vacations for Jim Wood, a farmer about to retire. Jim, family and community found a way to grant Andrew his wish, along with title to the farm. - Round the Bend Farm, Dartmouth - T and Ellen’s sustainable farm – for heritage livestock, their cheeses + a variety of veggies.
Stonehaven Farm, Westport - For free range lamb, eggs and the hens who love to lay them.- Taste Buds, Dartmouth - Mornings, before Kristen goes off to farm her own 7 acres, she provides day care at this nursery of pink, violet, peach, + fuchsia cheeked edible flowers. On catering days, she takes them for a little ride.
Walker’s Roadside Stand, Little Compton - Wide variety of whatever the season has to offer: eggplant, beets, chilies, broccoli, chard – you name it. Especially famous for succulent heirloom tomatoes, exceptional corn and harvests that go late into fall.- Young Family Farm, Little Compton - A CSA farm offering great corn, potatoes, succulent peaches, rhubarb, etc., etc. + a fun fall pick-your-own apple harvest festival.
Fishermen
The Deans of Westport - A father and son team with amazing skill and endurance. They hook + line very big fish in local waters, usually well before sunrise.
Northern Edge Seafood, Dartmouth, 508.636.2045 - Jay Blanchard scalloped out of New Bedford for 10 years before deciding it was a “drag” and started peddling them locally instead – right off the boats, incredibly fresh and unadulterated.
Watch Out Charters - Captain Ned, AKA Panko, is that rare breed of charter skipper who thrills every bit as much to frying his fish as to catching them. That’s why he takes extra care in cleaning and icing whatever comes over his rail.
Bakers
Iggy’s Bread of the World, Cambridge - To us, Iggy’s is about abundance and feasting. Large, crafted loaves in archetypal forms encrusted in bronze. Breaking them open evokes thanks giving.
Sam’s Bakery, Fall River, 508.674.5422 - Going to Sam’s Lebanese Bakery is like going home for Dan, to the good, fresh handmade flatbread that’s been on the table ever since he can remember. In his words, it’s like going to church, too. The oven is communal. Everyone is welcome, quietly lining up to "receive".
Olive Oiler
Olio di Melli, Westport - Slow Food New England Governor and her husband who canvas Tuscany for the best olive oils come harvest time and peddle them at farmers’ markets from Pawtucket to Ptown.
Cheese Purveyors
- Milk & Honey Bazaar, Tiverton - Tom and Jen’s Cheese shop has made Tiverton 4 Corners a destination for most of us around here when we want to treat ourselves or guests to something special. Just around the corner from the Meeting House, it’s a handy way to sample cheeses for your upcoming event there.
Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge - For great cheeses + just about anything good the world has to offer. Ishan and Valerie have been trucking Marc and Kristen’s crops back to Formaggio on their return to Cambridge from Westport on weekends. Lucky everybody.
Grocers
- Central Foods Market, New Bedford - Deep in the heart of New Bedford’s South End. For all things Latino, including crema, chipotle, fresh corn tortillas, platanos, tomatillos and the rhythms that they salsa to.
- Athena International Foods, Brockton, MA - 5 or 6 kinds of feta and the best calamata + cracked green olives from here to Greece thanks to a guy named Nick who sees to their fine flavor, texture and color by anointing their brines with olive oil.
Mello’s Chourico, Fall River - We think Mello’s chourico is the best around. They’ve been at it for over 75 years, Irene (pictured) for the last 35.
Lee’s Market, Westport - For custom cuts of quality meat by a savvy crew that aims to please.- Italian Corner, East Providence, RI - For the best of Italy, hand-made with TLC.
Musicians
- Magnolia Cajun Band – With awards from the Cajun French Music Association and Providence’s Motif Magazine, Magnolia’s music goes great with BBQ.
- Killer Kane and The Blue FO’s – Great blues for listening and dancing.
- Beantown Swing Orchestra – 18 swinging musicians with an average age of 23. Westport’s own Leenie Doran plays trumpet and sings.
- Toph & Tom – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Casual acoustic music for any occasion.
Website Makers
- Our charge to Westport’s own Alyn Carlson, design mother of this site, was to create something beautiful. We wanted to reveal our dependence on the land & sea around us and our connection to the community on which we rely for the food we get to put on the table. First thing she did was jump for joy...
- Next was to enlist photographer Paul Clancy, Artist in Residence at AS220 in Providence and Peter Nassoit, technical (+ design) wizard of Red Beet Studio in Fall River, MA. Look what they have done!