Westminster Farmers' Market

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm  

Goal of the Season: Farmers’ Market Fresh Picnics!

Picnicking: Make Your Own Memories!

You have to find your own enjoyment in life and that enjoyment cannot be found by doing nothing and/or sitting in front of the T.V.  (Do you even remember what you watched last Monday?)  You find enjoyment by doing special things, planning special events and going to a bit of extra trouble to have something that gives a large return.  One way to do this is to plan a picnic with friends or family.  Now, when is the last time you had a picnic?  This is something I would encourage you to do more often – or at least once.  This fourth of July Andy and I planned a picnic with some friends on the top of Mt. Wachusett.  We packed fresh lobster sandwiches (hand picked by Andy – though you will never eat a restaurant lobster roll again if you try this) on homemade “hamburger” rolls, goat cheese with Wasa crackers, fresh vegetables, a bottle of wine and a homemade rhubarb crisp for dessert.  Now, you can imagine that the food, the location and the company of our friends could not be surpassed.  We sat on the ski-lift-disembarking thing at the summit and watched as fireworks were lit off from here to Monadnock (Wyman’s wins out as having the most Independence Day spirit between here and New Hampshire).  Everyone shared in the preparation so it was not much work. 

With Autumn creeping it’s way south from the Canadian border and into the trees in our swamps and on our hillsides there will be many opportunities for picnics.  Forget the quick stop for fast food and make your meals part of your destinations.  (And I encourage you to read the ingredient list in the fast food we eat and give our children.  Should we really be eating and feeding our children dimethylpolysiloxane in chicken nuggets? – no kidding, click on those links.  You can tell me it’s safe and I will tell you it is not food.  And is an “angus beef patty” really beef after you add 18 non-food ingredients??? And why do you need 18 non-food ingredients????)

Last weekend, my sister told me about “cupola dining” which is being offered by the Newburyport Lighthouse Preservation Society.  Diners have an elegant meal in the lighthouse lens room and enjoy a luxurious (and very expensive) dinner with a million dollar view.  It sounds incredible, but there are places around here that are just as beautiful for your picnicking pleasure: