A (Local) Summer in New England
My photo-story with recommendations
I moved to Boston on June 2023, so technically this has been my second summer in the region. But last year we were getting settled, we didn’t have a car and we were just happy exploring what the city had to offer.
This time it has been a bit more outgoing, though still local. We have mostly enjoyed going to different farms to pick various berries in season, discovering stately homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and seeing the rocky coast from the sea in Maine.
This is the photo-story of my summer in New England, I hope you find the images captivating and the places inviting:
Fresh oysters on a boat
I went to Duxbury Bay (Massachusetts) to understand how oysters were farmed and how they contributed to improve the health of the local ecosystem as they are water filters! I also managed to eat the most oysters of my life in one seat…
Read my story about The Oyster in New England and visit Island Creek if you are in the area. Their Raw Bar is fantastic as well as the tour!
Strawberry picking
In June I went to Wards Berry Farm in Sharon, MA, for full strawberry explosion. It was a lot of fun and with all the picked berries I made a Strawberry Lavender Galette.
My favorite seafood shacks
I admit that I have so much to discover yet, but there are a couple of spots that my husband Ross and I keep on coming back to. The first one is in Plymouth, MA. The city is famous for being the place where the first English colony was founded in 1620, some consider it “The birthplace of America”. It also has a fantastic coastline and Woods Seafood, a very unpretentious shack that offers fresh seafood at really affordable prices. I love just how casual and local it is.
The second place is in Hingham, MA, and it’s called the Beach House. It’s a takeaway but then there’s nothing better than having your fish and chips on the beach.
Dreaming of the Gilded Age in Newport, RI
Ross and I took a day-trip to Newport, in neighbouring Rhode Island. The area is really beautiful and this is the reason why many new millionaires at the turn of the century (1870-1910) sought to outshine each other with their “summer cottages”. My favorite part are always the kitchens, as they are full of craftmanship but still feel top-down compared to the main rooms, packed with extravanganza. We visited the Marble House and The Breakers.
Blueberries and Blackberries’ picking
June’s strawberries became July’s blueberries and blackberries. Unfortunately the day we went to Russell Orchards (Ipswich, MA), most of the raspberries were already gone. But it was still a very successful picking trip!
Lobstering in Portland, ME
Last week I shared an article about Lobstering in Maine & The Lobster Roll. I talk about the history of the practise in the area and the origins of the beloved sandwich. But I also share the boat trip I took in Portland, ME where I could witness the practises directly.
From the Lucky Catch boat I just had to walk 2 minutes to have my fresh lobster cooked at the Portland Lobster Co. What a treat!
Shopping local in the farmers’ market
Thursdays from 1.30-6.00pm the Farmers’ Market is set-up in Brookline (MA), where I live. I almost never miss a week as it’s my grocery shopping day. It’s always best to go as early as possible because otherwise you may not find any sourdough left and the fish-lady will have run out of everything. Thankfully she shared her special customer list with me so I can pre-order!
At the beginning of summer I shared a recipe of Bacallà amb Samfaina, a Catalan dish of cod with garden vegetables, 100% shopped at my market.
Enjoying all the ice-cream
For Ross’ birthday on May I gifted him an ice-cream maker. Now, he’s very happy with it, but actually it was not solely for him…
I have made lots of ice-cream this summer, which has been super fun and priviledged. It has also connected me with my family, afar in Spain, as my father is an artisanal ice-cream maker and they sell it in the shop they have just underneath the house I grew up in.
I shared the recipe of the Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with you but I also made a strawberry one with the extra strawberries from the farm (not pictured here, too busy eating it!), a blackberry sorbet, and last week I made a super delicious peach ice-cream with a mix stone fruit compote. Yum!
I will mention here my favorite ice-cream shop outside of my own kitchen. I don’t go there often because it’s a bit far from where I live, but if we pass by the area we make sure to stop by. It always amazes me how busy it is being in the middle of nowhere and having ice-cream names that are so whimsical they give no clue of the flavor!
If you are around Essex, MA, you must stop at DownRiver.
For Labor Day weekend (in the US is celebrated at the beginning of September) I will be exploring Vermont, so stay tuned for the guide and photos of the trip!
Your pictures are intoxicating!! I could look at them all day long.😍
Those vivid colors in your photography are gorgeous!