My Top 10: Amherst Farmers' Market

Local produce is one of the things I will miss the most about living in Western Mass. Growing up in the suburbs of Philly, I knew that there were (are) farms in Lancaster County, and in South Jersey. Aside from Jersey corn in the summer, I doubt I ate very much local produce. Ironically, when I lived in Philly (Fishtown), I actually visited the closest farm every other week in the Summer (Greensgrow CSA was awesome).

Strawberries and Basil from Atlas Farms

Yet, living in a rural area was quite new to me. Suddenly, I was aware of the growing season; it’s hard to miss when you live next to tobacco fields, smell manure (year round, I swear) in the parking lot of the nearest shopping center, and are constantly stuck driving behind a tractor. However, this is all worth it. 

Eggs from Old Friends Farm. Root Veg.

The town of Amherst has an outdoor Farmers’ Market, set up on the town square, from April to November. My first winter, I discovered that the market continues in the winter. From December to March, the market moves indoors to Amherst Regional Middle School. This is seriously awesome if you are a fan of root vegetables.

Rainbow Carrots!

While I love the Farmers’ Market, the best part about living in a rural area is that I don't necessarily need to go to a farmers’ market. I can walk a few houses down, to a nearby farm, and buy produce at the “honor system” stand on the side of the road. In the summer and early fall, roadside stands are everywhere.

Never had these before; they taste like candy.

I will miss the legitimately local aspect of eating and cooking in Western Mass. While I never went so far as to buy the “No Farms, No Food” bumper sticker, I understand the concept more than I ever did. Once I move back to PA, I don’t know the next time I will cook a meal composed entirely of items grown within three miles of my house. And yeah, it really does taste different. 

Amherst Farmers' Market
Every Saturday
Center of Amherst
April 21st to November 17th
7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.


Amherst Winter Farmers' Market
Every Saturday
Amherst Regional Middle School
170 Chestnut Street, 
Amherst, MA 01002
December 3rd to March 31st, 
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Homeward Bound

It is official. The Femme is moving back to Philly. After three years in the Pioneer Valley (see above), it's time to return to the land of jawns, wooter, and Murray Christmas.

I've changed quite a bit and learned a few things while living in rural Western Massachusetts. Most appropriate for this forum, I've learned that you need to live in a place that has a food scene to have a food blog!

There are very few (almost zero) places I spend money to dine out in Amherst/Northampton. There are about three beer bars in the area; all of these places involve a precarious drive home. As such, this blog was difficult/impossible to keep up. (Not to mention, I was working on a Ph.D. I will be writing my dissertation in Philly, lest anyone think I've given up!)

I feel the need to pay some sort of homage to the place that I have never called home, but where I have lived, for the last three years. I'm going write posts about my Top 10 favorite places/things/activities in the area. For the above reasons, not all of these post will be food related. But, they do explain what I've done with myself instead of dining out.

After this digression, this blog will happily return to a food blog, and Philly.

Bub's BBQ in Western Mass

Well, it's been a while. It's not that I haven't been dining out, or traveling. Rather, thinking about my blog has become like thinking about revising my dissertation proposal, or thinking about emailing that adviser I really should email; it's too overwhelming to even begin. And so, here I am, back at it. The only way to get something done is to do it, right? Deep thoughts right there. Take it in.

Anyway, back in June before I left Western Mass for the summer, I went to a restaurant that I have passed daily for the last two years: Bub's BBQ in Sunderland, MA. I know what you're thinking: BBQ? Massachusetts? Don't worry, I'm with you. This is why I never stopped there. Additionally, I'm incredibly reluctant to try new places in my area. Most ventures, beyond the three establishments I frequent, are huge disappointments.



Bub's ended up being worth the stop. The restaurant is a good distance from Amherst and the UMass campus. As such, the clientele seems a weird mix. Mostly biker dudes on day trips from I have no idea where.

For between $10 and $16 you pick some sort of meat, or meat combo, and get unlimited hot and cold sides. We went with the baby back ribs and pulled pork + kielbasa link. The baby back ribs were not as moist as I would have liked, nor did the meat easily fall off the bone. The pulled pork was a much better choice. Neither sauce was terribly memorable, but they were still enjoyable.





Quite possibly the best part of Bub's was the aforementioned unlimited hot and cold sides. These sides were bangin'. They weren't throw away sides, or "eat these while you wait for your number to be called because you're really hungry, but they aren't even good" sides. No way. They were awesome. Collards, peas, corn, mashed potatoes, rice, sweet potato something. Awesome.



We decided to get the hush puppies as well. For $3.95, sure, why not. Sadly, they were dry and tough to get through. Many went uneaten. After my recent trip to Charleston, SC, Bub's has no business even thinking about making hush puppies (foreshadowing future blog post).



In the end, Bub's was absolutely worth a visit. I wish I had managed to get there sooner. I used to wonder about Bub's as I'd drive by on my way to and from Bikram yoga. Now, I think about whether or not I want to ruin the 1.5 hr workout I just endured by stopping at Bub's for some pulled pork.

Bub's BBQ
676 Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
(413) 548-9630

The Pacific Northwest, Finally

This past December, which yeah, I know, was last year by this point, I went to Washington and Oregon for a little fun. Again, football brought me there, but I managed to parlay the trip to Spokane (which is 5 hours from Seattle) into a little drinking and eating time in the oft-romanticized locals of Seattle and Portland.

Even though I visited during the worst month of the year, I still managed to fall in love. But as an East Coast person at heart, I don't know if I could ever forsake our hurried, irritable and incessantly driven lifestyle for one of idyllic beauty, coffee and beer heaven and ever-so politeness. But, for now, I'm tied to Massachusetts (3 years to go) and must simply debate the prospects of a westward move with every one I know.

My stay in Seattle was short. The day after a perfect dinner, at the home of my welcoming hosts (pâté, cheese, king salmon, sugar snap peas, steamed rice and wine), we all went to brunch at Spring Hill in West Seattle. I had Saimin for the first time ever: smoked pork belly, six‐minute egg, pork & ham broth, fish cake, scallion. It was a distinctive form of almost-Pho heaven. This bowl was huge and I did my best to kill it all. The meat was awesomely tender and the broth was spicy and tastily developed.



After this short stay in Seattle, I took Amtrak down to Portland, OR. All of us in Philly know the hype about this alleged "beertopia." I've been known to refer to it as the "other Portland." Portland, ME being first and foremost in my heart. But, this Portland was awesome too.

The foodcarts were perhaps the MOST glorious thing I've ever seen, and my mouth is watering just writing this sentence. I wish that this was something Philly could really embrace (I think I understand the licensing issues that exist in Philly). Some might say that Philly does have foodcarts; certain places around Penn's campus and the other hospitals do have them. But that is not the same thing. Also, a food truck by one of Philly's most famous chefs doesn't count either. Whole blocks are devoted to pods of foodcarts, 20 or so in one place. Complete awesomeness. The one cart I went to offered one sandwich: porchetta, local arugula, and lemon on a hearty roll. Done. Perfection. Purity. Heaven.



Anyway, enough gushing. For simplicity sake, I'm just going to do a photo rundown of my trip:

Deschutes Brewery


BridgePort Brewing Company


VooDoo Doughnut


The People's Pig Foodcart


Horse Brass Pub


Belmont Station Beer Store


Also, the first night I had dinner at Higgins. The second night I ate at LePigeon. Both locations were too dark to take photos. I'm seriously against using flash in restaurants. I draw the blogging-line right there. Both meals were good, but dinner at Higgins was really spectacular. Thanks to Dr. Joel and S&V for this one. The bartender was friendly, and the charcuterie plate was probably the best I've ever had. All of it done in-house.

In the end, I ate as much as one person could possibly eat on this trip. I had to keep the drinking to a minimum, as navigating a city by yourself isn't the easiest/safest thing to do while drunk. And yes, the good beer was plentiful. I searched hard for all the beer spots to hit, but I couldn't make them all on foot or by public transportation. Next time, a car might really be worth it in Portland. And obviously, I shorted Seattle. But with my new found intense love of the Pacific Northwest, I'm most certainly making a trip back.