Central Square Farmers Market

Today with the sun out, birds singing, and the absence of clouds, cold, and soaking downpours (the weather has been pretty awful, which is why I haven't posted recently), I ventured over to the Central Square Farmers Market in Cambridge. This market is quite different from the Copley Square market in a few ways, but majorly one: size. Instead of being in the center of downtown, it was located in a parking lot, with about one third of the farms, and not a whole lot of people (yet...I went early). But that doesn't mean it wasn't awesome!...just tiny. It actually made selecting veggies easier, since there were fewer vendors. There were two or three major farms, selling strawberries, tomatoes, and greens, two bread specialists, a Vermont maple syrup stand (not really "local", but legit), and a few meat/seafood stands, which I didn't visit (not because I don't trust their products, but because I simply wanted a little bit of produce).

From the Central Square T stop, on Mondays from 12-6pm, walk down Norfolk street (about a block away from the T), and you'll find it. It's behind a building, and so I didn't see it until I actually walked by, so don't be confused if you peek down Norfolk Street and don't see a whole lot going on. 

Size doesn't matter when you're supporting local farms...well except maybe the size of fresh tomatoes...

 Since I had to work, I couldn't stick around too long, and I still needed to make myself lunch, but I still  snapped a few pictures of Central Square for you. This is a place I usually don't frequent unless I'm coming for a concert. I've been to a club called the Middle East during my freshman year, and more recently, I've been to the Cantab Lounge for spoken word and bluegrass, and also the Lily Pad, which is a little bit of a hike from the square itself, but also a great venue for concerts.

Central Square

Lots of businesses around here

T stop

It's so Boston, but cute, with a little church in the background. 

A bag from Kimball's farm, one of the vendors. 

So let's talk about my bounty. I left feeling pretty awesome about my purchases, because I know I'm getting quality food, and supporting local business. There was something called a diva cucumber, which the farmers told me were sweet and succulent, and great on salads, and I really can't wait to try them; I've never seen them in the super market, either because they're not there or I'm just not paying attention. I got a bunch of cherry tomatoes that are all sorts of colorful, a salad mixture which looks delicious, some bread which was advertised as being great for bruschetta (hmm, dinner idea?), and a pint of strawberries-don't worry, I didn't get severely ripped off with the strawberries there, I ate most of them on the ride home.

I also bought a zucchini, and ate the whole thing. It was...delicious. No picture here, because I was too hungry to take a picture and the zucchini is now completely gone. I've been going to this website every once in a while, called World's Healthiest Foods. It has healthy recipes, and complete nutritional, flavor, and historical information on every fruit, veggy, grain, nut, oat, meat...anything you can think of. They also feature foods that are in season, so you are guaranteed to get super fresh, ripe fruits and veggies in the market (pineapple is actually in season during the winter, something I didn't know until this site). They also feature a few different ways to prepare said featured food. 

So I was starving, summer squash is very much in season (yes, summer squash and zucchini are the same thing), and I had all the ingredients to make a simple, fast, and awesome lunch. (Emphasis on simple...because it was literally a bowl of zucchini). It's super nutritious and filling, low in calories, great source of fiber, vitamin C, and is beneficial in the prevention of certain cancers and heart disease. Booya. 

So, if you're hungry, have these ingredients, and feel like eating an entire medium sized zucchini cut into quarter inch slices, this is what you do:

-put a little veggy broth in a skillet, mainly enough to cover the bottom, and heat it up

-when it starts to steam, throw in the already cut zucchini pieces for and let them cook (usually around 3-5 minutes depending on your stove)...I also threw a little garlic in there. Look at me, cheffing it up. I made that word up. I digress...

-while the zucchini is doing it's thing, and while you're frequently stirring, in a bowl put some olive oil, lemon juice, and chopped garlic, stir it up, and set it to the side, because this is a mediterranean style dressing.

-when the zucchini is ready, put it in a bowl, drizzle the dressing on top, add a little freshly ground pepper, and if you're feeling really wild, add some salted/roasted sun flower seeds. Woah. 

Delicious, and now I have 66% of my vitamin C, and a whole lot of fiber. Awesome! 

In a nutshell, Central Square Farmers Market is awesome, despite the size and despite the almost hidden location. It's one of those things that you only really know about if you live here, and I like that.

100th Post! and Copley Square Farmer's Market

100 posts, and 10 months. I'm so glad I stuck with the idea of having a blog, because I've done so many amazing things. As I stated last time, this month I'm taking you on a tour around Boston by way of the farmers market. I began by talking about Copley Square, and earlier this week on Tuesday I stopped by once again. Since I work by Copley Square, this is the easiest and most convenient farmers market to start with. Lets start with some pictures. 

A farmers market and an unexpected way home:

On my way to work, with the farmers beginning to set up their stands before officially starting at 11

Farmers Market after I worked, in a new light and in full swing (do you see the duck boat?)

In the midst of the stands, there is the Boston Marathon Memorial

This is where I bought those beautiful tomatoes 

This is where I decided "Eff the green line...I'm walking home". Rush hour plus Red Sox traffic. It's a gorgeous day, I've got shoes I can walk in, and an ipod full of Copland. 

It took the walk way on Commonwealth Avenue home, where I passed monuments of people like the abolitionist William Garrison...

...and Samuel Eliot Morison, Navy Admiral and maritime historian...

...and the Women's Memorial, honoring Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone, and Phillis Wheatley. 

It was a beautiful day and perfect weather to be walking around...not too hot, not too cold, and sunny. I had a task to complete that day...a task many, if not all, females find daunting: the quest to find a bathing suit. Luckily I work in shopping central, and was able to find a wicked cheap one. I had a really nice black one...that I think I left in the Dominican Republic. Drinking Presidente and packing don't really mix. 

While walking back to the T, I ran into one of my many vices. A food truck. And not just any food truck mind you, but the Cookie Monstah. They have all sorts of freshly baked cookies, breakfast cookies, and cookie desserts. Who eats a breakfast cookie?!?! Although I did have pancakes this morning...so I'm assuming its close. I then took a gander at some of the farmers stands while munching on a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, and with a small percentage of the cash I made during the lunch shift, was able to feel good about splurging a little on babaganoush (my newest obsession), and an onion baguette from the Iggy's stand (for really cheap). I later made little crostini's out of the bread by toasting them with some olive oil then scooping up the babaganoush. BEST snack ever. 

As you saw from the pictures above, getting on the T was impossible. Squeezing onto a two car train during rush hour and Red Sox traffic proved to be futile, so I gave up and decided just to walk home. With all the Boston pride, Red Sox reminders, and supporting local farms, I felt strangely patriotic and American, so I put on my headphones and listened to Copland all the way home.

The Farmer in the Dell (or in this case, City)

"Prosperous farmers mean more employment, more prosperity for the workers and the business men of every industrial area in the whole country", said Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since it is already the second of the month, it is time for me to introduce you to a new monthly challenge. I am giving myself the task of exploring the farmers markets of Boston for a month. The great thing about living in such a diverse place is that it has tons of farms just outside the city limits, which means that there are TONS of markets that take place every week (multiple ones on the same days even). I've compiled a list:

-SOWA open market in the south end (Sundays)
-Central Square Farmers Market (FM) (Monday)
-Harvard University FM (Tuesday)
-Copley Square (Tues & Friday)
-Davis Square FM (Wednesday)
-Kendall Square FM (Thursday)
-Allston Farmers Market (Friday)
-Union Square FM (Saturday)
-Charles Square FM (Sunday)
And the mother load of farmers markets-Haymarket. A place that has it's own stop on the T and is open every weekend over by the Government Center/Faneuil Hall area.

This idea came to me as I was walking through the Copley Square farmers market the other day, with a small bit of cash to find some good quality items (and support the local farmers). It was right around lunch time and I decided to try to find a snack (I decided on a locally baked pumpkin bread with fig slice). I succeeded in getting some babaganoush from a Mediterranean food stand, fresh pita from a bakery/salad stand, fresh sourdough bread that was covered in herbs from another place, and the two most beautiful tomatoes I think I've ever seen in my life:

As I sat dipping the still-warm pita bread into the babaganoush, I realized how interesting it would be to take you all on a tour around Boston, farmers market style (while also simultaneously doing my food shopping for the week). I don't recommend the Copley Square market for doing all your food shopping, but it was nice to pick up a few treats and eat extremely well for a few days (the babaganoush only lasted a day and a half)...

Actual tomato salad...huge tomato, a little cucumber, and lots of mixed greens that you can't even see.

One tomato went into my quinoa dish that you saw a few posts ago, and the other I didn't know what to do with. So...I cut it up, threw it on some greens, tossed on a few cukes, drizzled some dressing and voila. A tomato salad with all the lycopene I could ever ask for.

So that's the upcoming adventure for the month of June.

What else have I been up to? Well, I premiered an opera at the Boston Center for the Arts. It's entitled "Magic Mirror", written by a Russian composer, scored beautifully, had an amazing cast, talented musicians, and awe-inspiring set designers. They turned the black box theatre into a fairytale wonderland. Below is my view from the pit during the dress rehearsal.

Breakfast of Champions

Something happened today that never happens. I grossly underestimated how far I ran. Usually I think to myself "Oh man, I've already run for half an hour, I must have gone two or three miles", only to find that I've been running for 10 minutes, and not even close to a mile. Today was a different story. I stepped outside and decided to run to the Charles (which I never do since it's a little far, but I was feeling ambitious), instead of running through the little suburb part of town that I usually choose. It was early, around 8:30 when I set out, so the campus part of BU was relatively...sparse.

I crossed a foot bridge and just started running down the bike path. I went all the way to Mass Ave and kept going. The sun was blazing, so the shade felt cool, and by the time I got back to my apartment (about an hour later) the temperature had reached an even 90 degrees. I ran for most of the time, but it took me so long because every once in a while I would stop and admire the city, the hazy skyline, the trees, the grass, a little floating dock out in the water...the squirrel scratching at the ground while laying in the dirt by the side of the path who quite possibly had rabies.

I took my time in the shade, but when it was time to head home and I had to run on a gradual incline up Commonwealth Avenue surrounded by the sun and hot cement, I really powered through. The sun was blazing down on me, and I was dripping with sweat, so I have the über-hot tan from my ankle (where my sock ends) to about six inches above my knee (where my shorts begin). Not to mention the racer-back tan (which beats the sunburn I got in Haiti while wearing a dress that had a crocheted back).

So how did I run that far? I entered the points where I began and ended on a map, assuming it was two miles, maybe three. It was five an a half. UM...WHAT?! Usually I give up and return home half way to the Mass Ave bridge, so what did I do differently?

In the book Born to Run, which I've referenced now about a hundred times (read it already!), the author goes to see a doctor and she asks him the question, "Have you ever had salad for breakfast?" Um...no, because nobody has salad for breakfast. Salad is not a breakfast food. But it does make a lot of sense...why not get all your servings of veggies and greens for the day first thing, and get it over with? So here's what I did:

I made this quinoa thing last night, and the beauty of quinoa is that it tastes good hot, cold, or room temp. So I cooked it in veggy broth and had it warm for dinner, then put the left overs in the fridge. I put in a bunch of raw veggies (yes, I know tomatoes are a fruit, and cucumbers are questionable, but for the sake of simplicity, they're vegetables), and mixed it with a light dressing I made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and a little garlic. I found these beautiful huge ripe tomatoes at a farmers market, so I put those in, as well as a sliced cucumber, and I even threw in a yellow pepper that I learned how to slice. Turns out peppers are really tasty when they're raw as well, and the scent brings back really nostalgic memories: One of my first memories is laying in my pink canopied bed, waking up from a nap to smell my mom cooking in the kitchen. It was always something with peppers, and so whenever I smell peppers cooking I think of that. Same thing with smelling tomatoes and fresh vegetables, since we had a little garden for a while.

Today I threw the mixture of quinoa, raw veggies, and lemon dressing on a bed of greens (which included spinach), and had a delectable and unintentionally vegan breakfast. One of the best things about a salad breakfast is you can run almost right after...you don't have to wait for anything heavy or meaty to settle. Running after a meatball sub, not fun. Running after a salad, fun. It's simple, really.

So you might be wondering what that weird drink is behind my yummy colorful salad. In the book that I've been referencing all month, the Tarahumara tribe has an amazing diet that keeps them as lean, mean, running machines. Their diet is largely based on corn: corn tortillas, corn beer, etc, which makes sense, because if you're running everywhere, you don't want extra fat on your body, it just wouldn't be efficient. But they also eat a lot of chia seeds (yes, as in cha-cha-cha chia...pet). So, I bought some to try out, and man are they weird. I read somewhere that if you soak them in water, they turn a little gooey and you can even make a gel out of them. Then I found a simple recipe that I made...one spoonful of chia seeds in water, mixed with lime juice and some honey. It was oddly refreshing once I got over the texture, and I felt an energy boost right away. Goodbye coffee. Hello strange slimy-textured little seeds that I'm still trying to acquire a taste for. I almost want to put mint in it to make it a quasi-mojito-esque-energy-drink. I'll keep experimenting. You can throw chia seeds on a salad, into quinoa, anything really...for a crunchy nutty taste. A quarter cup is 150 calories with 5 grams of protein, 11 grams of dietary fiber, and 13 grams of carbohydrates...and when you're running you want to burn carbs not sugars...so bingo. Breakfast of champions. 

Thank You, Caballo Blanco

It's impossible to talk about running without bringing up Caballo Blanco (White Horse). One day, this white guy from Colorado just kind of appeared in the Copper Canyon to live and run with the Tarahumara. The name he went by was Micah True (his real name is Michael Randall Hickman), and he founded a 50 mile Copper Canyon race in Mexico, to highlight and celebrate the Tarahumara culture and their love for running. Sadly, however, one morning he set out for a run and never returned. His autopsy later revealed that he died of a heart condition: cardiomyopathy, where the heart becomes enlarged. Before the autopsy was released, his friends who joined the search and found him by a river noted that he looked like he had taken a fall, and perhaps went to the river to get some water, but then suffered the dropping temperatures of the night.
Scott Jurek, one of the top ultrarunners in the world who knew Caballo Blanco said:

"That's something Micah stressed and lived every day, and he showed people that running is fun," Jurek said. "Tapping into old ways of living and breathing on this planet and just being immersed in the beauty of the world around you — that's really what he was about."


If you haven't read the book "Born to Run" yet, I highly suggest you do so before reading this article to get a more in depth look at Caballo's life, but it does give you a good idea of who this amazing man was: Caballo Blanco's Last Run.

leathermansloop.org

“

“Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless… When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast.”

The quote above is Caballo Blanco trying to give a lesson in running to the author of "Born to Run". I finished the book last night, and feeling especially inspired  by the gorgeous weather outside, I decided to go for a run. The book is great, it not only covers the life and culture of Caballo and the Tarahumara, but the road to the race in the Copper Canyons, the type of nutrients and diet you should have as a runner, techniques you should be using when you run, running theories, what kind of ultramarathons exist and who wins them, how we evolved to be runners, and even how to run down a wild antelope. So today I started with thinking easy.

I set out today running slow..."people do their slow runs too fast and their fast runs too slow", comes from a page in the book. Usually when I start I'm just thinking "run, run, run...this sucks...this really sucks...I'm too hot...getting tired...slowing down...walking". So I ran a little slower today, took smaller strides, and the area in which I usually slow to a walk, I passed by. I kept my back straight and my feet under my hips, my head up, and I kept going.

The book also covers theories delving into the culture of barefoot runners, an entire breed of runners out there who are completely against running shoes. The book also goes into how bad running shoes are for you based on one principle: shoes weaken your feet, one of the most important body parts to doing any physical activity, and with weak feet comes a plethora of running injuries. Basically, think of a bridge with an arch. An arch is self supporting, but if you start supporting the arch from the sides, it becomes weaker. That's what happens when you have arch support, heel support, and any sort of cushioning in running shoes. There was even a study that showed that people who ran in cheaper sneakers ($40 or less) had less injuries than those running in shoes that were $90 or more (sorry Nike, but your running shoes apparently are doing more harm than good). It also showed that older shoes are better to run in than newer shoes (Sorry again Nike, turns out you don't have to replace shoes after a certain number of miles).

Now, I don't recommend barefoot running in Boston due to broken glass, lots of cement, and god knows what else you'll find on the sidewalk. I did, however, find a playground where there were way too many little kids, but next to it was a completely empty fenced in baseball park (but the diamond was almost gone due to grass). The grass in the shade was still damp from raining the night before, but it was pretty lush in most places, and not too sandy or covered with roots in other places...so I ditched my socks and shoes and did a few laps. To be honest, I don't know how long I ran, or how many laps I did, I just kept going, and when I realized that I didn't feel tired or like walking, and that I felt liberated, I actually smiled. I freakin' smiled while running. WTF!

I started with the speed that I could run easiest at, and now that's where I'll start next time (oh hey, kind of like practicing). Then I'll start thinking light. Then smooth. Then I'll be fast.

I know I'm not on the road to the Badwater Ultramarathon, but today was the first day in which I actually felt that I was enjoying running.

What a breakthrough.

Leadville Race Series and the Badwater Ultramarathon

Has anyone ever heard of the Leadville Race Series in Colorado?

There are seven races, some on foot and some on bike, that occur in the mountains of Colorado every summer. This town went from being one of the richest mining towns, to one of the poorest (the molybdenum they mined was no longer needed after WWII), but with the crazy idea of hardcore ultra-marathons through the mountains brought hundreds of adventure seekers, athletes, and even the Raramuri (see last post). The Leadville Trail 100 is a 100-mile ultra-marathon (a distance of 4 back to back marathons) with the lowest point being 9,200 miles above sea level, to the highest point being 12,600 feet. Runners suffer altitude sickness, lack of oxygen, and hallucinations. All are required to check in at each of the 11 aid stations to make sure they aren't getting dehydrated, and make sure they have enough water and nutrition. The race occurs on trails, rocky mountain roads, and even through streams, through daylight, and by flashlight at night. Food and water are given out at stations along the way, and you have a 30 hour time limit to complete it.

So how did I stumble across this amazing race? Through this book I'm reading about running. If this race isn't physically exhausting already, I can only imagine the mentality it takes to complete something like this. Training takes years, and 250 of the 850 people who sign up don't even make it to the starting line because they get injured in the training alone. The trick is to stay positive, but not naive...after all you're running 100 miles through the steepest hill climbs, the dark woods, water, and nightfall. It's so insane, you'd have to be crazy to do it...and many are, but they do have one hell of a time.

"His love of life shone through every moment". Joe Vigil, a running coach who has coached the finest Olympic runners to victory followed the Leadville races to see what the Tarahumara (Raramuri tribe) secrets were to running long distances. He didn't find any secret running techniques, or see them do anything different from other runners, but he noticed one thing: they were having a blast! "It wasn't just how to run; it was how to live, the essence of who we are as a species and what we're meant to be...What if you could run for decades and never get injured...and log hundreds of weekly miles and enjoy every one of them...and see your heart rate drop and your stress and anger fade while your energy soared? Imagine crime, cholesterol, and greed melting away as a nation of Running People finally rediscovered its stride". As the human race, we were all runners based on our need to survive, but we have stopped running with the development of civilization. The trick to running is to think...positive, and really enjoy yourself.

www.leadvilleraceseries.com

www.leadvilleraceseries.com

www.leadvilleraceseries.com

And if you don't think Leadville is tough, maybe the Badwater Ultramarathon will appeal to you. It's a 135 mile suicide marathon that goes from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney in California. Instead of sky high altitudes, you start at the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere...85 miles below sea level. Just compare the names of two landmarks in both races: Hope Pass in Leadville, and Furnace Creek in Badwater.

There are so many different reasons as to why people run, especially as to why people run through places like Death Valley. Here are some people who ran last year:

And then there's me, with my measly couple of miles I run every other day. I've been trying to enjoy it, but the last time I ran, it was drizzly and cold...the mist turned into a chilly rain and I got soaked, only to return home shivering, wet and feeling like a wimp. Then again, I'm comparing myself to these great athletes who have made running their art. There aren't a lot of comparisons I can make right now between super athletes and being a musician, but in a way, musicians are micro-athletes. We don't run hundreds of miles (although playing through entire symphonies can feel like we did), but we practice for hours a day, refining our technique, enjoying ourselves and life, and sharing what we accomplish and learn with others. The audiences are our finish line cheer leaders, as we jump through musical hoops doing amazing things with our breath and bodies.

Okay, that might be romanticizing things a little bit, but maybe you see my point.

Anyways, it's almost the end of the month, and I've got a great new idea for June...but in the meantime I'm going to keep up this running thing. Instead of forcing myself to like every stride I make, I'm just going to let it happen. I love being outside, and I love exploring new places, so maybe I'm on to my own personal running breakthrough. 

Small Step Forward...

...Giant leap backwards. That sums up my run for today, although under the circumstances, I'm surprised I was able to convince myself to actually put on my running gear (after finding it of course...I had some people over for an impromptu hang out, and in order to make it look like I didn't live in a pig stye, I threw mounds of clothing into my closet with reckless abandon).

Lets start from the end of yesterday. I met two of my clarinet buddies to go to this restaurant Taco Mex in east Boston, which served delicious Mexican and Salvadorian food in copious amounts. It was here that I had my first encounter with a Margarona (see image below). I also love eating ethnic food, because a lot of the time it's healthier, and they don't use much dairy, however eating a large amount of anything is bound to cause you at least some discomfort.

Later that night, I decided it would be fun to have a few people over, to hang out, chat, and have a few drinks. Why not? We had some really tasty beers that I had brought back from the liquor store down the street, and I thought about getting snacks, but I felt as though I would explode if I tried to ingest any more. I also stayed up way too late again, but there was something to be said about hanging out in the quiet solace of the roof watching the cloudy, misty sky get brighter (but don't tell my landlord).

So then I slept in, and of course had an achy head and other hangover symptoms. Until now, I had been noticing that when I go for runs, I've been running longer distances, slightly faster, and walking less. Today was not that at all. I started out slow, got slower, and eventually walked a bunch. Even though it's been on and off cloudy, I was outside for the short time that the sun was, and I was in a little park, running through trails and nature. Since a hangover is usually your body's way of saying "Hey, some water would be nice", I chugged about three glasses of water before I went...and I should have waited a little longer to leave. The last few blocks of my run, I noticed I was running faster, not because I wanted to improve my mile time, but because I really, really, REALLY needed to use the bathroom.

So, I don't recommend ever running with a hangover.

I do however, recommend taking a run or leisurely walk through Hall's Pond Sanctuary:

And even the smaller, but equally nice Knyvet Park.

Guess I better start the day. I don't work until this weekend, so tonight I will be frolicking through the beautiful Harvard Square to visit one of my favorite restaurants with a good friend of mine who just happens to be in town.