Living la vida local

Most of us have all seen the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce “Keep it Local” buttons around town, and they are sending a great and easy message, but a message that can often slip out of our minds. We are so fortunate to be in a town that provides so many quality services: a plethora of food and spirit establishments, clothing, financial services, florists, books, furniture, auto repair, travel, independently owned movie rental store (not many towns can boast that!) and many more services are all available within minutes.

But you don’t have to stop there. Within many of these stores, you can find products made by other local companies. We’ve been having a great time lately bringing Marbleheaders closer to all the deliciousness that New England has to offer. As a family-owned local food and wine store, it’s a natural fit for us. What’s more, food and drink have become a focal point of the “Buy Local” movement, and with good reason.

Most people associate the recent push for local foods with protecting the environment from the dangers of industrial agriculture, but it’s really about so much more than that. It’s about taking better care of our bodies through a healthy diet. It’s about loving the freshness and seasonality of our foods. And it’s about fostering and supporting a healthy and vibrant local community. After all, what better way is there to bring people together than with wonderful food and drinks? Creating a communal table in Marblehead is what we love to do, and that’s why we love local foods.

With that in mind, we thought we’d use this post to highlight some of our local food finds and wine wonders that are made right here in the state and the New England area. Enjoy!

Rao’s Roasting Coffee Co, Hadley, MA: Wake up the right way with hand-roasted coffee beans. We stock over ten varieties on our shelf and always have a fresh pot of French Roast brewing in our bakery for you.

Sweet Adeline’s, Salem, MA: Many of you have already fallen for Sweet Adeline’s Midnight Chocolate Chip Brownies and we can’t blame you. Not too sweet and perfectly moist. Her walnut brownies, citrus sugar cookies, molasses cookies and tea cookies are equally delectable!

Other local bakers we love to support: A & J King, Nashoba Brook, Iggy’s, Sun Ray

Batch Ice Cream, Jamaica Plains, MA: Natural, organic and local ingredients are the stars of this local frozen find sure to please any ice cream lover. Salted Caramel ice cream? That’s just cruel!

Other local sweet companies we love to support: Lizzy’s Ice Cream, Effie’s Homemade, Harbor Sweets, Lark Fine Foods, Salty Oats

Westfield Farm Capri Goat Cheese Logs, Hubbardston, MA: Creamy and tangy goat cheese logs. Plain or garlic and herb

Other local farms we love to support: Jasper Hill, Maplebrook, Grafton Farm, Shelburne Farm, Great Hill Farm, Blue Ledge Farm.

Isaaks of Salem, Salem/Beverly, MA: Many of you joined us for our mead tasting last month and hope more of you are intrigued by this new local company producing an old, traditional libation—wine made from fermented honey.

Other local spirit distillers, brewers and winemakers companies we love to support: Ryan and Wood Distilleries, Cody Brewing Company, Cisco Brewing Co, Narragansett Brewing Co., Westport Rivers Winery

All of these local companies are small operations and are so appreciative of your support. And we all realize that we would not be here without you. We’re not saying you should never leave Marblehead, but hope that you can see how much is available right at your fingertips (we’re not talking about your computer). We shop local, so you can too.

It's OK to blush!

George's favorite!

George has many great qualities, but we wouldn’t necessarily call him “hip.” However, there is always an exception, so it's a good thing he knows his wines because it brings his cool factor way up!

Case in point: Sixteen years ago, if people saw pink wine, they assumed white zinfandel (for the record, white zinfandel is not rosé). Sensing something big, Shubie’s was one of the only stores then in the Boston area to sell real rosé. George had an opportunity to be not just cool, but really really cool: so he ordered twenty-six cases of Chateau Pesquié Rosé direct from France - he was the only one in Massachusetts with this rosé (and probably the only one who sold 26 cases of rosé that year - Marbleheaders were way ahead of the curve!) In time, Chateau Pesquié has become George’s all-time favorite rosé.

Fast-forward to 2011 and the attitude toward rosé has changed for the better. Most people know the difference in taste between white zin - a bland, slightly sweet concoction from California - and real rosé - crisp, almost always dry, fruity and refreshing.

How does rosé get that way? There are a number of variations in the rosé making process, but in general, you begin by making red wine, crushing red grapes and letting the juice macerate on the skins. You then simply remove the skins after two to three days (red wine will macerate on the skins for up to several weeks). Provence in southern France is the home of rosé, but other regions are getting into the mix now, including, Spain, Italy, California and even Oregon.

Food Pairings

Fun and uncomplicated, with relatively low alcohol and a pleasant acidity, rosé is the ideal summer party wine. Goat cheese pairs great with rosés, and blended milk cheese also pair well with fuller-style rosés.

In general, the lighter colored rosés tend to be softer and pair best with delicate dishes like salad, cheeses and fish. The darker, bolder styles pair well with grilled meats and spicy dishes (BBQ time!)

So next time you’re standing in front of the wine cooler deciding what to cool down with, just ask yourself, “What would George do?” 

"Bleeding" rosé from a vat of red wine

Where's the Beef From?

Many of us have already made steps towards improving the well-being of our planet: recycling, turning off lights when we’re not at home, using eco-friendly transportation, reusing shopping bags. But while you’re taking care of the earth, don’t forget to take care of yourself, too—a great way to do both is by eating all-natural.

Eating all-natural foods is one of the single best steps we can do for our families and ourselves. Recently at Shubie’s, we've been learning about the benefits of natural and organic meat and poultry, and the more we learn about them, the more we can’t believe that we’ve been eating factory farm meats all these years. That’s why choosing Northeast Family Farm Beef and Misty Knoll and Freebird Antibiotic Free Chicken was an easy decision for us (see the bottom of this post for more information about these great, local family farms).

So why are naturally raised meats better? Here’s a taste of what we’ve been finding out:

·      No Chemicals! Reduced exposure to hormones, pesticides and antibiotics is one of the most important benefits. No one really knows what kind of effects these chemicals have on humans, and frankly, we’d rather not be the guinea pigs. At Northeast, Misty Knoll, and Freebird, adding chemicals is just never done—they’re chicken and cows are healthy, so they don’t need them!

·      More Nutrition! Beef, chicken and pork that are raised naturally are lower in total fat than conventional meats because factory farms use high-fat feed to make the animals grow faster. The leaner cuts of all-natural meat average twenty calories less per ounce than comparable conventional meat. Not only do all-natural meats have less fat, they also have more vitamins, such as vitamin A (up to 400% more than conventional meat) and vitamin E (up to 300% more), which can help lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, and may have anti-aging properties.

Cows at Northeast Family Farms

·      Animals are wild! They should be able to roam and eat natural plants and insects. Buying natural meat supports the farmers that go the extra mile to provide a humane alternative to factory farm meat. It just seems right!

·      And perhaps one of the most crucial elements of all about natural meats…it just tastes better! Happy animals make tastier meat!

At Shubie’s, we believe fresh is best. And healthy food means a healthier you. We want to bring you delicious, healthy and safe food, and we believe in supporting the smaller and local farmers and agriculture. In turn, you might have to pay a little more than you would for conventional meats, but for a better and healthier you, isn’t it worth it?

The Farms:

Misty Knoll Farms is a family-owned and operated Vermont farm, producing the finest naturally raised free-range turkeys and chickens available. Considering themselves “stewards of Vermont’s working landscape,” Misty Knoll treats their farm as a precious, irreplaceable resource.

Freebird chicks

At Freebird, the best things in life are free: free of antibiotics, free to roam and free to eat a natural vegetarian diet. Roomy houses, pure corn and soybean diets, and antibiotic-free practices are about doing things the right way—for the chickens, for the future and for their customers.

And at the Northeast Family Farms, every cut from each animal they buy can be traced back to the farm where it was raised, and their strict standards prohibit the use of supplemental growth hormones or antibiotics in the feed.

Want to know more about factory farms and sustainable agriculture? Food, Inc. is a great documentary that examines issues surrounding the system of food production in the US.