eating – New England's Narrow Road

Eating Healthy in Peterborough New Hampshire

seal of the town of peterborough — Peterborough, NH

One of the things I enjoy about living in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire is the emphasis on buying local. Eating healthy and organic, while supporting local farms is easy to do. The quaint and picturesque community of Peterborough has farmers markets all summer long, and an indoor farmers market at the Community Center in winter. There are two health food / organic stores that I know of which sell local and organic produce and meat. Maggie’s Market on Main Street and the Green Grocer on Union Street are the ones I visit. The Green Grocer has tables with various items to purchase for lunch.

Going out to eat is another way to support the locals. Although I don’t get out much and have only eaten at a couple of places in Peterborough, restaurants tend to advertise that what they cook was purchased from farms nearby. I loved that the Bantam Grill listed all the local places that supply their food right on a chalkboard. By the way, they have delicious food and are right on the main road, Route 202 (Jaffrey Rd.), in the plaza.

Harlows is an interesting and cozy place to eat. I’ve only been in there once, but looking at their online menu, I see some yummy sounding sandwiches (Avacado Bliss) and meals, loaded with good veggies- don’t know if they are local. There is a little stage in the back where they feature a variety of live bands and music in the evening. It’s a popular place.

Much of the produce that is local comes from Rosaly’s Garden and Farm Stand. I’ve been there once, at the end of summer, or maybe it was mid summer. There is a long row of hydrangea bushes at one end of the garden, which grabbed my attention. It was beautiful. Here’s what the website says, “Rosaly’s is one of the largest Certified Organic Farms in New Hampshire and is the oldest certified organic farm in the state.” I see that she offers “pick your own” blueberries and raspberries, and sells herbs (also pick your own if you want) as well as flowers and vegetables.

And right after I wrote this post I bought some eggs at Roy’s Market that had a flyer inside. They (the eggs) came from Oxbow Farm, and the flyer mentioned that The Bagel Mill uses Oxbow eggs on their sandwiches.

There is no excuse for not being healthy eater, if you live in or near Peterborough!

On The Table

My daughter and her family were coming for dinner one weekend and I snapped this photo after I began setting the table. My neighbor had given me those little lavender flowers and I wanted a photo of them.

My daughter has a hyper-active dog. She is mid-size and looks a lot like a black lab and she is very naughty- at times.

On this particular day I had made cornbread to go with our meal. It was on the kitchen counter and the dog helped herself to it while we sat on the porch talking.

Back in April she did the same thing at my daughter’s house with her birthday cheesecake that I had spent good time making!

We ate our meal without any cornbread.

Trying To Keep The Birds Around, But…

Instead of birds flocking to my yard this Spring, I mostly have squirrels doing acrobatics on my feeders so they can chew up the seed.

Without many plants and flowers in my new yard, I wanted to keep the bug-eating birds here by offering them seed, but the gray squirrels take over and help themselves. They are funny to watch. Before I got this shot, this guy was holding onto the metal pole with one foot and the feeder with the other. By the time I got the camera he had changed position and was happily snarking down the sunflower seeds, upside down.

Oh, and I had a bear walk through the back yard the other evening. I suppose he was looking for the seeds too. All feeders were in, thank goodness and he headed back into the woods as soon as he came.

Memories of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

grilled tomato and cheese sandwich — Grilled tomato and cheese sandwich

I seldom eat a sandwich any more but I had stopped by the neighborhood organic grocery store and picked up some whole grain bread made by The Bread Shed, and a nice tomato for my salad and decided that I needed to grill up a sandwich.

When I lived in Florida, grilled cheese sandwiches were an ‘after church’ ritual. Usually some friends of my kids would stop over and I’d make everyone sandwiches, and grilled cheese became the favorite. We’d stand around and eat and talk in my sunny, air-conditioned kitchen. We all have some memories of funny stories told in those days and one of the kids (grown now) still asks me to send him a sandwich. He insists I made the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever.

So, after my shopping trip, with that nice, thinly sliced bread and fresh, red tomato just sitting there on my counter I just had to grill me up some deliciousness.

And it was good.