Balfour Farm

Portland’s indoor winter market thrives at its new space in East Bayside

December 7, 2015 / / Discoveries

By 9 AM on Saturday, the opening day of the Portland  winter farmers market got off to a rousing start as shoppers filed through the glass doors at 84 Cove St. in East Bayside. With plenty of spaces to park onsite, by 10 AM the place was packed as though farm-to-table was in jeopardy of becoming passé. But fear not, Portland shoppers can continue to source their foods from local purveyors as the winter market carries on the tradition that allows our passion to buy local thrive.

covemarketcollage

The space itself is a bit labyrinthine as the flow of rooms are  tight, but overall  the multi-room layout works, making the space feel more like a charming boutique than a cavernous warehouse.

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Glorious Cast-iron: the most useful pan to have in your kitchen

October 14, 2015 / / Discoveries, Recipes

Cast-iron has always been in my arsenal of cookware with a few sizes at the ready in pots and pans.  But over the years my collection has grown from two cast-iron pans to a large collection in all sizes for many different uses.

Classics in cast-iron cookery: roast chicken, cornbread, chops and potatoes

Classics in cast-iron cookery: roast chicken, cornbread, chops and potatoes

I’ve learned that what makes cast-iron skillets so integral is the sturdiness of the pan and the heat that it conducts so evenly for such dishes as cornbread, producing the inimitable outer crust, or for skillet pies.  Drape pastry dough into a skillet and fill with apples, sugar and a few knobs of butter and it’s all you need for a great pie baked in cast-iron.

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