Three hours ago, a firetruck raced down our quiet street in Cambridgeville and I was sure it was because we had frightened the neighborhood while trying to make our grill, Smokey Joe, do magic tricks. The truck flew past our house however and we proceeded with our simple + sustainable feast. Several (local) beers later, I would like to enumerate the beauty.
1) Sweet Italian sausage from Lionette’s (in honor of Mr Gary Smith). Forgive the raw footage above. The pig comes from Ferrisburg, Vt, each week. The brave men at Lionette’s butcher the beast and make the sausage on site. It is like no sausage you have ever tasted. Price: $7ish for three.
2) Asparagus — our first of the season! — also from Lionette’s, but by way of a farm in Massachusetts, possibly Atlas in Deerfield. If you have never experienced young asparagus with a carcinogenic accent layer (aka grilled), it is important that you do someday soon. $5.50 / enough spears to serve three.
3) Ipswich Ale, original, from, of course, Ipswich, a wee nook on the North Shore. Bitter, pleasantly hoppy. Purchased at the United Market on Brookline + Putnam, our grocer around the corner. Ipswich Ale, you probably know, can be purchased in many places less special than the United Market and will be featured in our forthcoming pages on local brews e vinos. $9 for a sixer.
4) Strawberries. Darry picked these up at Lionette’s too. She thinks they were from CT, but can’t remember. We ate them plain and with our fingers for dessert, and herein lies a segue to plug the Strawberry Dessert Festival, an event from June 14-29th. Participating restaurants will serve local strawberry desserts + dishes that week and donate money to the Farmers’ Market federation. $4.25 for a pint.
Under $30, we ate, we fed our friend Rachael, we got reasonably tipsy and the coal is still burning.