On November 22, 40 area farmers and food producers will offer their wares to a public hungry for local food at the Holiday Farmers’ Market at McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy in Dover, NH. From 9am-2pm, customers will be able to stock up on seasonal fall vegetables, sustainably raised meats and poultry, eggs, cheese, and a wide assortment of prepared food items.

Shoppers can look forward seeing their favorite market vendors indoors and out of the elements, with musicians providing entertainment and staff of McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy providing food demonstrations. The large and diverse market offers one-stop shopping for the best ingredients for holiday dinners.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the farmers’ market is also accepting donations for a local food pantry. Donations of food or money for the Cornucopia Food Pantry‘s Baskets of Hope program will be accepted at the markets, helping to provide healthy, local food for our neighbors in need. UNH student Sarah Turner is providing the project planning and coordination and Slow Food Seacoast provided a generous donation of funds raised from their successful 100-mile Thanksgiving event.

In response to popular demand, Seacoast Eat Local expanded the series of winter farmers’ markets from three in the first year to six for 2008-2009. The markets provide a direct link between consumers eager for high-quality, sustainably grown food products and small, independent local farmers beyond the summer farmers’ market season.

The first Holiday Farmers’ Market will be held indoors at the McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy at 181 Silver Street in Dover, exit 8E off the Spaulding Turnpike, from 9am – 2pm on Saturday November 22nd. For more information, including a complete list of vendors and products, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org

The complete schedule for the 2008-09 Holiday & Winter Farmers’ Markets is available at the Seacoast Eat Local website.

Take part in a sweet local tradition. Strawbery Banke will be decked in holiday splendor during the month of December, and homemade gingerbread houses will be on display during Candlelight Stroll evenings (Dec 6-7, 13-14, and 20-21) and during Holiday House Tours (weekdays Dec 8-31, 10:00 – 3:30).

Local individuals, groups, and families are invited to enter the Gingerbread House Contest. There is no charge to enter, and as a thanks for participating, each entry receives two free passes to the Candlelight Stroll.
Rules:

• Eligibility: The contest is open to all entrants in three categories:

Looking for some locally grown and pressed apple cider for your Thanksgiving table? Apple Annie in Brentwood “We have more cider apples than we thought! We are still making cider on the weekends, and expect to be making it through the weekend before Thanksgiving. If you would like to order cider call us (778-8881) or e-mail us, and we can arrange a pick-up time. We will also be at the Holiday Farmers’ Market at Macintosh Atlantic Culinary Academy, Dover, Nov. 22 from 9-2.”

Portsmouth area restaurant owners have joined together with the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce for a collaborative culinary event: Restaurant Week Portsmouth, November 10-16, 2008. The event will highlight the Portsmouth area’s draw as a culinary destination. With 252 restaurants in Portsmouth alone, combined with a vibrant arts and cultural scene, Restaurant Week Portsmouth will showcase this small “foodie” haven (population 21,000) with one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per-capita in the nation.

Restaurant Week Portsmouth will feature three-course prix fixe menus: $16.95 per person for lunch and $29.95 per person for dinner (does not include beverages, taxes or gratuity). Reservations are strongly recommended. To book reservations, diners must contact the individual restaurant(s) of their choice. *Please note: On Saturday, November 15th participating restaurants will only accept Restaurant Week reservations for parties seated prior to 6:30 pm.

“I think guests will be thrilled by the value and quality that Restaurant Week offers,” said Cliffe Arrand, owner of Pesce Blue. “At less than $30 per person for dinner, guests can spring for a bottle of wine, or try a few different restaurants throughout the week.”

Participating restaurants are: Agavé Mexican Bistro Dos, Black Trumpet Bistro, Blue Mermaid Island Grill, Brazo, The Carriage House, The Dolphin Striker, The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, The Green Monkey, Harbor’s Edge at the Sheraton Harborside, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, The Library Restaurant – A Steak House, Pesce Blue, The Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth Gas Light Co., Radici, Ristorante Massimo, Rudi’s Portsmouth, and The Wellington Room.

Contrary to popular belief, the Seacoast has some great sources for keeping up your local food buying (end enjoying) during the winter months. Seacoast Eat Local will be finding plenty of ways to bring local food to your table even during our coldest months. Read on for details from their latest newsletter, and visit the Seacoast Eat Local website for more information –and to sign up to get the news yourself!

The supply of local food doesn’t dry up with the end of the summer market season, and Seacoast Eat Local is working hard to facilitate direct access for area residents to our farmers and food producers through many avenues. Whether you choose a winter CSA, buying in bulk, or plan to visit every winter farmers’ market, you can be assured of delicious, healthy, sustainable food all year long.

This year, the farmers’ market season never ends!
Building on the success of last year’s Holiday Farmers’ Markets, this year we are hosting a series of six winter season farmers’ markets. You’ll be able to buy everything from meats, cheeses, maple syrup and honey to carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, turnips, winter squashes, kale, collards and even fresh salad greens!

The first winter market is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 22, 9am-2pm at McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy.
The second will be Saturday, December 6 at the Exeter Congregational Church from 10am-2pm.

Winter CSAs
Some farms are extending the season with winter CSAs – details, pickups, available foods vary, but two farms to contact for winter CSAs are

Back River Farm: Salad greens with some root vegetables and an occasional treat from other local growers. Share runs mid November through February. Email Garen Heller at farmerrant@gmail.com
Wild Root Farm: two bulk pick-up dates times timed to provide local foods for the holidays. email farmers@wildrootfarm.com

Buy potatoes!
You can also make arrangements with several area farmers to purchase in bulk and pick up directly from their farm. If the idea of 50 or 100 pounds of potatoes is a little overwhelming, think about going in with friends and splitting the order (though they are delicious and easy to store). The same can be done with most of our area meat producers to save everyone time and gasoline.

Organic potatoes from Meadow’s Mirth Farm. Email josh@meadowsmirth.com
Visit Seacoast Harvest to browse through the diverse offerings of safe and sustainable meat & poultry