By Sybille C. Denninger
TGI FEATURE FRIDAY
Good Morning, everyone on Cape Ann and beyond!
For this holiday weekend kick-off FEATURE FRIDAY I bring you the ROCKPORT FARMERS MARKET, along with two very special vendors which deserve extra recognition. Read on to find out who they are ;-)
http://www.rockportartfestivals.com/farmers-market
This fun event takes place at Harvey Park every Saturday from June 20th to October 3rd. It sets up shop in Harvey Park which is on your right as you turn from Broadway onto Mount Pleasant Street (across from T-Wharf). You can't miss it because there are quite a few vendors who offer delicious fresh foods for you to buy, and even more high spirited customers. It's a lively, happening place! I took a walk around and tasted some delicious smoked whitefish and smoked salmon from the Sasquatch Smokehouse. They also have smoked mussels and other treats. Check out their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sasquatchsmokehouse?rf=168583323158335
There is a stand with freshly roasted coffee, a wonderful gluten-free pastry vendor, Anadama Bread, honey, a table with homemade jams (I grabbed a strawberry one!), and a lovely family who sells amazing homemade muffins and brownies which are beautifully presented, just to name a few. And of course there is Rockport's very own Seaview Farm, selling their organic produce, fresh eggs and high quality meats. Seaview Farm also has a store on South Street.
http://seaviewfarmrockport.com/
There are more really great vendors so you just have to come to Rockport and visit this really cute Farmers Market personally.
Two hard working ladies deserve some special FEATURE FRIDAY recognition:
First it's Claire Franklin, a much loved local personality, who brought New Years Rockport Eve to town in 1997 and has worked tirelessly to put the event together year after year since its debut. http://newyearsrockporteve.com/countdown/
Claire is of Finnish decent, as are quite a few Rockport residents, and so she offers her freshly baked Home Made Nisu at the Rockport Farmers Market. Nisu is a delicious yeast dough bread seasoned with cardamom, which I absolutely love dipped in coffee. My friend Holly likes it best as French toast, and some Rockporters enjoy it toasted with butter. The possibilities are endless. You should absolutely bring home a loaf of Claire's Nisu, it will make your Sunday morning breakfast perfect! You can also place an order by e-mailing: Claire.nyre@comcast.net or by posting a message to her FB page. On certain weekdays Claire will bake a fresh batch of Nisu and actually deliver the delicacy right to your door! She will announce that on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/claire.nyre?fref=ts
The other lady is That Nutty Redhead. What's that, you think I'm being fresh? No, it's not what I call her, this is the name of her brand under which she sells wonderful Praline Gourmet Nuts. That Nutty Redhead's actual name is Lisa Griffiths and as you can see in her gorgeous photo below, she is in fact a redhead :-)
That Nutty Redhead's freshly prepared, all natural, gluten-free, kettle-steamed nuts are softer and taste fresher than the roasted variety one usually finds. Rather than producing a gazillion flavors, she specializes in two which she perfected: "Breakfast in New England" and "New England Praline with Sea salt". I have tried both and can assure you, they are to die for! Whole Foods has accepted That Nutty Redhead's Praline Gourmet Nuts into their inventory which is harder to achieve than breaking into Fort Knox! It means that these nuts are of the highest quality and adhere to strict production and ingredients guidelines. That Nutty Readhead is also at the Cape Ann Farmers Market on Thursdays. Her website offers online shopping as well as a long list of stores where the Praline Gourmet Nuts are available.
I leave you with two more action shots from the Rockport Farmers Market ;-) Have a fun and fabulous Independence Day weekend!
