Tag: 230706

In the kitchen with Karla Jones

Karla Jones is the owner of Sweet Goods from the Woods ([email protected], and on Facebook and Instagram), a business offering homemade whoopie pies, brownies, cookies and other treats that she started earlier this year. Baking is a newfound passion for Jones, who admits that in the past it was not her strong suit. After the dealership she worked at for 19 years was sold, she wondered what was in store for her next. It was when she started volunteering at a farm stand bakery last year that she discovered her passion for baking and decided to go into the business by creating her own business. Sweet Goods from the Woods is a vendor of the New Boston Farmers Market, held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the New Boston Town Common (on the corner of Route 13 and Meetinghouse Hill Road), through October.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A timer.

What would you have for your last meal?

The ultimate coconut cake, and that’s at the Peninsula Grill in Charleston, South Carolina. I am a coconut fanatic and I would die for that cake. It’s delicious.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Yoshimama [Japanese Fusion & Sushi Bar] in Nashua. They are wonderful there. … It’s just nice that he creates whatever he wants and it’s just a special feast.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something you baked?

My first thought was Robert De Niro and only because he looks like my dad.

What is your favorite item that you offer?

I don’t know if I have a favorite thing on my menu. I think my favorite thing … is just seeing the little bit of happiness on everybody’s face and just to watch their eyes light up.

What is the biggest food trend or baking trend in New Hampshire right now?

I see a lot of people doing the decorated sugar cookies. People are amazingly talented; some of them that I’ve seen are like [art] on a cookie. … Just amazing.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

I’m a fish person so I love making blackened salmon … or tuna, or any kind of fish dish.

– Mya Blanchard

Old Fashioned Peanut Cookies
From the kitchen of Karla Jones of Sweet Goods From The Woods in New Boston

½ cup of (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Madagascar bourbon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 large farm eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1¼ cup low salted peanuts (ground)

In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Beat in eggs, stir in flour and peanuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, until lightly brown. Let cool


Featured photo: Karla Jones, owner of Sweet Goods from the Woods. Courtesy photo.

Supporting local agriculture

NOFA-NH to host Fun on the Farm event

By Mya Blanchard

[email protected]

There is no time like summertime for barbecues, blueberry picking and live music, which is exactly what you will get at Grounding Stone Farm in Contoocook during its Fun at the Farm event. Presented by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire, the event is happening on Thursday, July 13, and will feature Celtic music performed by the Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio, along with a Southern-style barbecue and an opportunity to pick your own blueberries.

According to NOFA-NH education program coordinator Kyle Jacoby, the nonprofit started in 1971 to promote organic and sustainable agriculture. Today, this is done by supporting and advocating for the standards set by the federal government, some examples of which include improving soil quality through the use of things like compost and practicing crop rotation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“At the end of the day I think that’s all about trying to use things that are plant-derived [and] not using synthetic fertilizers, but [it] can go beyond that, like trying to reduce our consumption of certain energy practices to make things more sustainable,” Jacoby said. “It’s all about input, what you’re inputting into the earth to get your outputs, and it’s a never-ending learning and growth opportunity.”

In addition to the advocacy for these standards, NOFA works to improve policies and educate people to build skills among farmers, food producers, students and homegrowers, also striving for food security.

“Food security is all about how we can ensure that people in our community have access to quality local food,” Jacoby said.

This means ensuring that food producers are able to connect their food to those in the community, and that those in the community are able to gain access to that food. NOFA works to establish an infrastructure that will connect farms to people, and also helps those in the community financially through farm share programs.

“Whereas a lot of farms can defer to getting subsidies from the government, I think the ideal case scenario is that we as a community are investing our time and money into our farms,” Jacoby said.

Through the Fun on the Farm event, attendees will be supporting NOFA as well as Grounding Stone Farm, which has been growing blueberries since 1986, according to their website. Since 2016 the farm has been owned and operated by Kathleen Jacobs and David Miller.

“Growing organic blueberries includes manually pruning to keep the bush open, airy and lush, weeding by hand, mulching and farming the way our ancestors farmed,” Jacobs said in an email. “It means working with nature and not against it.”

Supporting local farms like this one not only strengthens local infrastructure, but also results in better-tasting, more nutrient-rich food. According to Jacoby, it all comes down to the community to make these investments.

“That’s why we like an event like this and why we’re doing an event like this,” he said. “It’s just an opportunity for people … to come together and connect and have our farms be a backdrop for that community connection.”

Fun on the Farm: An evening of blueberries and Celtic music at Grounding Stone Farm
When: Thursday, July 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Grounding Stone Farm, 289 Maple St., Contoocook
Cost: $10 for NOFA-NH members, $12 for non-members, or $30 per family of up to five people; free for children ages 3 and under
Visit: nofanh.org/funonthefarm

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Keep on brewing on

New Hampshire Brewers Association’s annual beer festival returns

Featuring one of the state’s largest collection of craft breweries at a single gathering, the Keep NH Brewing Festival is back — the event returns to Kiwanis Waterfront Park in Concord for an eighth year on Saturday, July 8, and will include more than 120 locally produced beers available for sampling, along with food trucks, local vendors, live music and more.

The signature fundraising event for the New Hampshire Brewers Association, the festival returned in person last year for the first time post-pandemic, according to executive director CJ Haines. Participating breweries encompass a variety of geographical locations across New Hampshire. Some even tend to bring certain beers that you may not be able to get outside of their onsite tasting rooms, or they may serve special collaborative options with other brewers.

The afternoon will begin with a special tasting hour available to VIP ticket holders from noon to 1 p.m., followed by the general admission portion from 1 to 4 p.m. All attendees receive free parking and a souvenir tasting glass upon entry through the gate.

Festival newcomers include Omnium Brewing Co., which opened its doors in Somersworth late last year, as well as Sole Track Brewing, hailing from Rumney. Several local food trucks and mobile food vendors will also be there, offering everything from pizzas, gyros and sandwiches to scratch-made vegan items and specialty desserts.

“We’ve expanded more kind of on the education aspect of brewing … because one of the things that we’re focused on is creating more occasions for people to drink beer, not just kind of circumstantial, ‘Hey, there’s a festival,’” Haines said. “We will … have two local hop farms there, and then there’s a local barley and malt vendor. … They’ll have some samples and stuff, so people can actually see the ingredients that go in behind the process.”

She added that attendees will also have access to plenty of drinkable alternatives to beer. Discoe Beverages of Lee, for instance, will be there to pour selections from Circle Back, its signature brand of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails.

“We want to make it so that people can be safe, and if a designated driver wants to come, there’s still plenty for them to participate in,” Haines said.

Other vendors expected to attend include DraughtPick, a locally created website and mobile app providing users with the most up-to-date details on craft breweries and beers; the Granite Outdoor Alliance, a membership-based advocacy nonprofit promoting the state’s outdoors industry; and the New Hampshire Music Collective, which is also partnering with the Brewers Association to present two live acts — Matty and the Penders, a 1990s alternative rock cover band, at 12:30 p.m.; and acoustic guitarist Mikey G at 2:30 p.m.

As in previous years, festival proceeds benefit the Brewers Association’s ongoing efforts to promote and advocate for the craft beer industry in the Granite State. Haines said the Association works on a number of legislative efforts at the state level each session.

“One of the things we’ve done … is we’ve worked with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to create the Sustainable Craft Beverage program, which highlights all of the breweries that are practicing sustainable initiatives,” Haines said. “It started last year, and so more and more breweries have started to sign up for it.”

8th annual Keep NH Brewing Festival
When: Saturday, July 8, 1 to 4 p.m. (VIP admittance begins at noon)
Where: Kiwanis Waterfront Park, 15 Loudon Road, Concord (behind the Douglas N. Everett Arena)
Cost: General admission is $50 in advance and $55 on the day of the festival; VIP admission is $65; Designated driver admission is $20
Visit: nhbrewers.org
Event is rain or shine. No children or pets are allowed. All attendees, including designated drivers, must be 21 years of age or older.

Participating breweries

  • 603 Brewery (Londonderry, 603brewery.com)
  • Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com)
  • Blasty Bough Brewing Co. (Epsom, blastybough.com)
  • Branch and Blade Brewing (Keene, babbrewing.com)
  • Burnt Timber Brewing Co. (Wolfeboro, burnttimbertavern.com)
  • Canterbury Aleworks (Canterbury, canterburyaleworks.com)
  • Chapel + Main (Dover, chapelandmain.com)
  • Concord Craft Brewing Co. (Concord, concordcraftbrewing.com)
  • Dam Brewhouse (Campton, dambrewhouse.com)
  • Daydreaming Brewing Co. (Derry, daydreaming.beer)
  • Deciduous Brewing Co. (Newmarket, deciduousbrewing.square.site)
  • Elm City Brewing Co. (Keene, elmcitybrewing.com)
  • Feathered Friend Brewing Co. (Concord, featheredfriendbrewing.com)
  • Garrison City Beerworks (Dover, garrisoncitybeerworks.com)
  • Great North Aleworks (Manchester, greatnorthaleworks.com)
  • Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, greatrhythmbrewing.com)
  • Henniker Brewing Co. (Henniker, hennikerbrewing.com)
  • Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co. (West Ossipee, hobbsbeer.com)
  • Kettlehead Brewing Co. (Tilton, kettleheadbrewing.com)
  • The Last Chair Brewing Co. (Plymouth, thelastchairnh.com)
  • Lithermans Limited Brewery (Concord, lithermans.beer)
  • Loaded Question Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, loadedquestionbrewing.com)
  • Long Blue Cat Brewing Co. (Londonderry, longbluecat.com)
  • Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewing Co. (Nashua, marthas-exchange.com)
  • Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co. (North Conway, moatmountain.com)
  • Mountain Base Brewery (Goffstown, mountainbasebrewery.com)
  • Muddy Road Brewery (New Durham, find them on Facebook @muddyroadbrewery)
  • Northwoods Brewing Co. (Northwood, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com)
  • Oddball Brewing Co. (Suncook, oddballbrewingnh.com)
  • Omnium Brewing Co. (Somersworth, omniumbrewing.com)
  • One Love Brewery (Lincoln, onelovebrewery.com)
  • Out.Haus Ales (Northwood, outhausales.com)
  • Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, portsmouthbrewery.com)
  • Post & Beam Brewing Co. (Peterborough, postandbeambrewery.com)
  • Rek-Lis Brewing Co. (Bethlehem, reklisbrewing.com)
  • Rockingham Brewing Co. (Derry, rockinghambrewing.com)
  • Sawbelly Brewing (Exeter, sawbellybrewing.com)
  • Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton, schillingbeer.com)
  • Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Hampton, smuttynose.com)
  • Sole Track Brewing (Rumney, soletrackbrewing.com)
  • Stoneface Brewing Co. (Newington, stonefacebrewing.com)
  • Stripe Nine Brewing Co. (Somersworth, stripeninebrewing.com)
  • TaleSpinner Brewery (Nashua, ramblingtale.com)
  • Throwback Brewery (North Hampton, throwbackbrewery.com)
  • To Share Brewing Co. (Manchester, tosharebrewing.com)
  • Tuckerman Brewing Co. (Conway, tuckermanbrewing.com)
  • Twin Barns Brewing Co. (Meredith, twinbarnsbrewing.com)
  • Vulgar Brewing Co. (Franklin, vbc.beer)
  • West LA Beer Co. (Swanzey, westlabeercompany.com)
  • Whym Craft Pub & Brewery (Hampton, whym.beer)
  • Wildbloom Beer (Littleton, wildbloombeer.com)
  • Woodstock Inn Brewery (North Woodstock, woodstockinnbrewery.com)

Featured photo: Previous New Hampshire Brewers Association beer festival. Photo courtesy of Cheshire Media Co.

The Weekly Dish 23/07/06

News from the local food scene

• Fody’s market postponed: Due to inclement weather, The Market at Fody’s, hosted by Katchi Events, a subsidiary of Katchi Organics, has been postponed to Saturday, July 8, and will run from noon to 4 p.m. at Fody’s Tavern in Derry (187½ Rockingham Road). Enjoy live music, food and drinks while browsing the stands of more than 30 local vendors showcasing their products. These items will include crafts, baked goods, bath, body and skin care products, local honey, pet products and more. Admission is free. Visit fodystavern.com.

• Cafe la Reine closes: Cafe la Reine in Manchester has closed, according to a statement from owner Alex Horton in the Manchester Ink Link. The small downtown cafe opened in March 2013 and a sister restaurant known as Cafe La Reine North End opened in the city last year. Horton was quoted as citing inflation and rising food costs for the closing. ‘We ask our former patrons and friends to PLEASE consider shopping small, shopping local, and supporting family-owned businesses. They need your support now, more than ever and are part of the fabric of our community,’ Horton said in the article.

• A taste of South America: Join the chefs at LaBelle Winery in Amherst (345 Route 101) for a Cooking with Wine class focused on South American recipes, from The Winemaker’s Kitchen Cooking Class Series, on Wednesday, July 12, from 6 to 7 p.m. The chefs will walk you through the process of making three South American recipes: the Greeting Cocktail, a coconut margarita with The Winemaker’s Kitchen Chili Lime Rim; steak empanadas and Colombian aji hot sauce paired with Granite State Red; and Colombian sancocho chicken stew with riesling. Attendees will be sent home with a recipe card to make the meals at home. General admission tickets are $40. All ages are welcome to attend, although only those 21 or older may sample the wine. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Vodka tasting: Head to CodeX, a speakeasy-style bar in Nashua (1 Elm St.) on Sunday, July 16, at 2:30 p.m. for In the Spirit of Spirits: Vodka Tasting. Enjoy light snacks while trying 10 different pours of vodka. Admission is $50 per person and tickets can be purchased online via Eventbrite.

• Food trucks and cider: The Whoa Nellie Food Truck will be at North Country Hard Cider Co. (38 Littleworth Road, Dover) on Saturday, July 8, from noon to 6 p.m. Sip some hard cider while enjoying food from the truck, which will offer various sandwich, sub and wrap options, like the Cajun chicken sandwich and the kielbasa sub. Also on the menu are chicken fingers, french fries, burgers and hot dogs. See whoanelliefoodtruck.com or northcountryhardcider.com for a list of available cider options.

• Stones Social closes: Stones Hospitality Group’s latest business venture, Stones Social in Nashua, has permanently closed after roughly three years in business. The decision to close was announced at the end of June, according to a blog post from restaurant owner Scott Plath, stating, “We leave Stones Social … knowing how truly great it could have been, no doubt. We didn’t choose the right location perhaps, nor the pandemic.” Despite the short-lived run of Stones Social, which opened in June 2020, its closing will allow Plath to better focus on his other two restaurants, in Massachusetts — Cobblestones in Lowell, which has been open since 1994, and Moonstones in Chelmsford.

Treasure Hunt 23/07/06

Dear Donna,

Can you tell me anything about these folks? There is a stamp that says ‘Japan’ on the bottom. They are my wife’s and we have never used them. What do you think?

Thank you.

Bob

Dear Bob,

My first reaction is how fun for a barbecue even today!

With no maker or company name on these skewers, we can’t figure that out. I can tell from the style of the “Japan” mark they were imported into the U.S. after 1921.

They do look to be from the period from mid-century to the 1970s. The condition is excellent and clean. I think having the set complete is a plus. I like the assortment of characters as well.

Value should be around $50 to a collector. Depending on how you market them it could be less, to a buyer for resale.

Hope this was helpful, Bob. Thanks for sharing your fun barbecue items.

Kiddie Pool 23/07/06

Family fun for the weekend

See art for free

• New Hampshire residents get free admission to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) Saturday, July 8, as part of the museum’s Second Saturday program. Among the museum’s current exhibits is “Celebrating the Art and Life of Tomie dePaola” coinciding with the release of a U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp commemorating the author and illustrator of about 270 children’s books, according to the Currier’s website. DePaola, who died in 2020, was a longtime New Hampshire resident and taught at New Hampshire colleges, the website said.

Play ball!

• The Nashua Silver Knights, playing in the Future Collegiate Baseball League of New England, have four home games at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua) in the next seven days. The Silver Knights will play the New Britain Bees on Thursday, July 6, at 6 p.m.; the Vermont Lake Monsters on Friday, July 7, at 6 p.m.; the Lake Monsters again on Tuesday, July 11, at 6 p.m., and the Pittsfield Suns on Wednesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. Single game tickets cost $10; see nashuasilverknights.com.

Movie time

• Join the swashbuckling cat in the animated adventure Puss in Boots: The Last Wish(PG, 2022), the Summer Kids Series movie at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) for Monday, July 10, and Wednesday, July 13, with screenings at 10 a.m. both days. Tickets cost $3 per person and the theater and the theater offers an $8 popcorn-and-drink combo for the screenings as well.

• Concord’s Regal Cinemas (282 Loudon Road, Concord, regmovies.com) will feature Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (PG)and Paw Patrol: The Movie (G) on Tuesday, July 11, and Wednesday, July 12, with screenings of both movies both days at 2 p.m. as part of its Summer Movie Express Series, which features $2 tickets.

Stories in the garden

Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road in Canterbury; petalsinthepines.com) presents “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” at an in-the-garden reading and performance that will also feature some post-performance kids activities Friday, July 7, through Sunday, July 9, at 1:15 p.m. each day, according to a press release. The cost is $7 per child, $5 for adults and reservacations are required; see petalsinthepines.com/the-tale-of-peter-rabbit.

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