Local Food Raves #1-5

These Local Food Raves appeared in my Marshfield Mariner "Around Town" column earlier this year. The idea of the Local Food Rave is to highlight good food available in Marshfield itself. More to come . . .

LOCAL FOOD RAVE #1 (April 2008)
Pacini’s Tuscan Wrap. Once a month (twice if we’re lucky) a few friends and I get together for lunch and conversation. While the kids play, we enjoy takeout from Pacini’s Restaurant, at 1810 Ocean Street in Marshfield. Our collective favorite: The Tuscan Wrap -- mixed greens, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and tangerine slices, served with balsamic vinaigrette and garlic toast. The Pacini’s staff knows just who we are when we call to order, “Four Tuscan Wraps; one with no red pepper.” Watch future columns for more local food raves.

LOCAL FOOD RAVE #2 (May 2008)
Want to try something different and delicious? Check out the flatbreads at Hola, the tapas restaurant in Marshfield’s Library Plaza. A flatbread is a very thin, crunchy grilled bread served with your choice from a variety of toppings. It sounds like pizza, but it’s really much more than that. You might choose the tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella bread, with or without pepperoni, or the one with roasted seasonal vegetables, mushrooms and manchego cheese, or how about corn, aged cheddar and bacon? The menu changes seasonally, but there are always numerous flatbreads to choose from. My husband and I have tried four or five of them so far, and they have all been quite good.

LOCAL FOOD RAVE #3 (June 2008)
There are so many things about Arthur and Pat’s restaurant that I love, and so many items on their menu that I could easily include in the Local Food Rave. Where to begin? How about something unexpected? Did you know you could buy a loaf of bread there? Arthur and Pat’s offers a delicious multi-grain sliced bread that’s hearty yet light, and perfect for toast, grilled cheeses, and any other type of sandwich. The loaves are huge, so they last a long time, and taste great even when they’ve been in the freezer all winter long (I stock up for the 6 months each year that the restaurant is closed). Stop in and check it out! They’re on the Esplanade in Brant Rock.

LOCAL FOOD RAVE #4 (July 2008)
Looking for something cool and refreshing to help beat the summer heat? Check out Dr. Smoothie at the Corner Café, at the intersection of Routes 3A and 139. For $3.95, you can enjoy a 16-oz. smoothie consisting of nothing but crushed fruit, water and ice. They’re delicious – and there’s no sugar, no corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors. The 100% natural, non-dairy, lactose-free, fat-free smoothies are made to order and come in such flavors as strawberry, mango, pineapple paradise, lemonade, four berry blend, acai-blueberry-pomegranate and strawberry banana. So yummy! I think I’m gonna go try another one right now . . .

LOCAL FOOD RAVE #5 (August 2008)
It’s the time of year to eat locally grown corn on the cob – so sweet, so crisp, so fresh-tasting. Yum! During the week, I buy mine at Nessralla’s Farm Stand, on Ocean Street/Route 139 near Rexhame. It’s grown by the Nessralla family in Halifax. On Fridays, I sample from the many different farmers who sell their wares at the Marshfield Farmers Market, at the Fairgrounds from 2 – 7 pm. There you can find corn and other locally grown produce from Marshfield, Middleboro, Carver, Kingston, and more. Buying local food helps support neighborhood farms, cuts down on the use of fossil fuels, and puts money back into our own community.