Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

Long-time Matt’s Meals fans and local music fans will remember my singing the praises of the sorely-missed Green River Festival at which I discovered such favorites as Maple Mama and Bart’s Ice Cream. More recently, I spoke about the MassGrown project that the MA Department of Agricultural Resources recently launched (https://massnrc.org/farmexchange/) to help local producers and consumers network and support each other.

Well, as often happens, some of my subjects have apparently found each other. 

Kris Nartowicz of Burnt Hill Blueberry Farm in Heath, MA, is supplying their amazing berries to Bart’s for their appropriately-named Local Blueberry Ice Cream. As Bart’s fans know, they use lots of locally-sourced treats to make flavors that may be especially pleasurable to locals but that stand up to any ice creams around. From their Mass Mocha (with an “h”) and a pair of MA-fed maple flavors (featuringColrain’s Ryan Brothers)to their just as neighborly Local Peach (with peaches from Apex Orchard in Shelburne Falls) and Strawberries from Here (with strawberries from Warner Farm in Sunderland, MA), they pack tons of tasty treats into their high butterfat ice creams and fill whatever space is left with locally-sourced love.

So if you want to try more than one local fave at a time (and support multiple Matt’s Meals mention-ees at a time), grab a pint of Bart’s and let your neighbors make you smile!

www.bartsicecream.com

www.burnthillfarm.com

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

As it is the 15^thanniversary of Katrina and as my family and friends in New Orleans continue to deal with challenges, I have been thinking a lot about the Crescent City and trying come up with ways to be of support.

In addition to buying nut butters from Beyond the Equator and donating to the ResQue foundation and Delfeayo Marsalis’ Keep New Orleans Music Alive organization, I have also been reaching out to people in other places who are keeping the New Orleans vibe alive elsewhere.

The amazing tomatoes I recently got from Hannan Agro Farms got me thinking about one of the foods I always associate with New Orleans- fried green tomatoes. When when my cousin got married there, all the men in the party went to a place called Ugelsichs that sold oysters and fried green tomatoes. So when I got Mohammed’s, I went looking for a way to bring back that flavorful experience experience, and soon found Holly Cooper.

Holly started selling her signature fried tomatoes and pickles on a food truck, but a visit to the Shark Tank helped her expand and now her seasonings and special sauce are available all over. And while our results may not have been as good as Uglssichs, my family and I had a lot of messy fun trying and the results were plenty delicious!

So whether you have fond memories of New Orleans or just want to try something new that will put the south in your mouth, check on my food-minded friends Mohammedand Holly and see what kind of fun mess you can make! 

https://hannan-agro-farms.business.site

https://www.friedgreentomatoes.co

www.resque.org

https://beyondtheequator.com

www.knoma.org

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

I recently talked about the MA Department of Agricultural Resources new MassGrown program (information about which can be found at https://massnrc.org/farmexchange/) and, since joining as a media partner, I have been meeting all sorts of amazing local folks who are contributing to the Commonwealth. 

Among the many productive friends I have made is Mohammed Hannan, the owner of Hannan Agro Farms.

Raised on a family farm in Bangladesh, Mohammed moved here a little over 10 years ago with his family. When he found it difficult to find the fresh organic produce he had enjoyed as a child, Mohammed decided to grow his own! In 2018, Mohammed leased a quarter-acre plot in Beverly from Tufts University’s New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and has been growing and selling award-winning produce at prices that even his less fortunate neighbors can afford. Having recently expanded to a half-acre in Lincoln, MA, Muhammad now grows over 40 different types of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, including many from Southeast Asia and some of the most amazing tomatoes I have ever tasted!

When not farming, Mohammed has a full-time job at Harvard Medical School. Perhaps this is why he takes his farm’s motto from Hippocrates (he of the Hippocratic oath) – “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

If the food is this good, I will never go to the doctor again!

https://hannan-agro-farms.business.site

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

Of all the people I Have met while talking about food, one of the nicest has got to be Erik Modahl of Beantrust Coffee from Beverly, MA. The first time we met, he drove his delivery van to my house to drop off a few bags of his AMAZING home-ground coffee. After I recorded my thoughts on WBZ, he sent me a “thank you” video in which he is playing the clarinet by the shore on a beautiful summer morning.

So naturally, I am VERY excited to hear that Erik and his daughter Stephanie (who runs Bonny Breads in Beverly) are opening their own shop at 151.5 Hale Street!

The stars of the show will be Erik’s coffee and Stephanie’s baked goods (including the already popular breakfast sandwich and her amazing muffins). However, Beantrust Coffee Bar will also offer Erik’s famous cold brewed coffee, as well as premium teas and cocoa, and kombucha. It is sure to be a hit in the neighborhood that should draw people from far and wide.

If you need great coffee made by hand by someone who knows the business and knows how to treat his customers, check out https://beantrustcoffee.com or drop by the new shop in Beverly. Either way, Erik will be glad to see you and you will be glad you checked in!

https://beantrustcoffee.com

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

Since talking about the Mass Grown program from the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (information about which can be found at https://massnrc.org/farmexchange/), I have been fortunate enough to be contacted by many of the farmers and providers who make our Commonwealth’s common wealth so impressive. In the process, I have also been directed to another system that supports and connects food makers called Mable that works with independent grocers and emerging brands to help both grow and prosper, even in challenging times.

Among the many Mable makers I have met are Theresa Adams from Adams Apple Co. and the team at Old Friends Farm, both of whom make some of the best jellies, syrups, and spreads I have ever had!

Among my faves from Old Friends Farm are their superfood-packed elderberry turmeric honey and their award-winning ginger syrup (which goes great in and on everything from pancakes to ice cream to tea). As they grow their own ginger and turmeric, it is the freshest and most potent it can be (not to mention the most delicious!) Speaking of tea, they also offer an impressive assortment of those too, as well as spices, rubs, and even body oils. 

As the name implies, Adams Apple Co. keeps its recipe list a bit more limited, but there is apparently a lot you can do with an apple! From apple-forward pancake mix, slaw and salad dressing, a BBQ-ready bourbon bath, and a southern treat called chow chow that makes this Yankee wanna’ whistle “Dixie” to a set of apple butters that are great on toast and even better straight from the jar, Theresa clearly knows many ways to get to the coreof anyone’s appetite and has been doing it for over 20 years!

So whether you want to find new favorite foods or want to support a favorite food maker, get to know Mable and her foodie friends like the Old Friends and Theresa. Your stomach and the economy will be glad you did!

https://meetmable.com

www.adamsappleco.com

www.oldfriendsfarm.com

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

I hate to toot my own horn (again), but it seems that a place that I have loved for eons is finally getting attention from other media outlets.

Helmed by super-chef Justin Rexroad, Nosh & Grog in Medfield has been a standout that is worth the trip from anywhere. Recently, it was named Best Local Bar by the Hometown Weekly newspaper group.

While I am happy to see that they got the right place, I question the category. For while the “Grog” part of the menu features amazing beers from all over New England and the world, as well as a low-markup wine list that was granted Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” (again, afterwe featured them), and craft cocktails that can include pretty much anything your tongue desires (including Roy Rogers and Shirley Temples for the little groggers), Nosh & Grog is FAR more than a bar. 

Thanks to Chef Justin’s locally-sourced creativity, the “Nosh” menu deserves more than its share of accolades! From house-made pretzels with mustard butter and crab Rangoon with an authentic Thai chili duck sauce to brick chicken and pan-seared salmon, to foodtruck tacos and a bevy of burgers (including one that rightfully has an expletive deleted from its name), Nosh & Grog has everything any diner could want. Justin even vacuum-seals his fresh-cut bacon for people to nosh at home! 

So while Nosh & Grog is surely one of the best places around, if you go for just the bar, you may only get part of the story.

www.noshandgrog.com

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

Fifteen years after Katrina, Louisiana has been hit hard again. As I have family and friends there, I am always looking for ways to be of support.

Fortunately, my Bayou brethren (and sistren) keep coming up with great ways to get involved.

First of all, the ResQue (that’s “R-E-S-Q-U-E) foundation is turning up the heat on their food service and support programs, providing meals for first responders and emergency workers as well as Crescent City citizens who have been blown away by hurricanes and Covid.

If ‘cue is not your jam, our friends at Beyond the Equator just released a new nut butter that adds Enjoy Life chocolate chips to their power-packed gumbo of chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and hemp seeds, making an allergen-free and low-sugar treat to add to toast, pancakes, carrot sticks, or just a spoon.

For those who are into the music at least as much as the food, there is also the Keep New Orleans Music Alive organization that Grammy-winning New Orlinean Delfeayo Marsalis recently formed to support his fellow artists as they slog through the pandemic and all of the other challenges that come with trying to get gigs in a hospitality-heavy town with no tourists.

New Orleans has given and continues to given so much. Even as we all face additional challenges, I hope that people will try to give back a little lagniappeso the good times can roll again someday soon!

www.resque.org

https://beyondtheequator.com

https://knoma.org

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

While most of the EU is still closed, there is a way to experience Italy right in downtown Boston. And you do not even have to fly. You just have to tie your tastebuds to the MAST!

As the only restaurant in town with a chef/owner, pizza chef, AND maîtred from Italy and the only one with a pizza chef who has been certified by the original Vera Pizza Napoletano– the international overseers of Neapolitan pizza, MAST’ on Province Street offers an authentic Italian experience in the heart of the Hub and is more than doing its part to revive downtown.

In addition to offering cocktails to go and other take-home specials, MAST’ is ready to welcome back old friends and entice new ones with such tantalizing treats as the Cartoccio Napolitano(zucchini blossom with fried polenta), Polpetine(Angus beef meatballs), Gnocchi alla Sorrentina(potato gnocchi with delicious marinara and cheese), eggplant and chicken parmigiana, and their award-winning pizzas with toppings that range from smoke mozzarella and real San Marzano tomatoes to spicy salami and sweet Nutella. With plenty of socially-distanced setaing options (both inside and out), it is also a great place to drop by for a drink, practice your Italian. and to catch up on your favorite football boot-ers.

Another way that the MAST’ team hopes to bring the neighborhood back is by offering classes with pizza master Fabio De Angelis, but anytime is a good time to drop by for un po 'di italiano. And if you can snag a table on the historic steps on frontof what used to be the Royal Gorvernor’s mansion, you get to travel through time as well as space, all while enjoying some of the best food in town!

https://mastboston.com

Matt regularly appears with Jordan Rich on “Connoisseur’s Corner” which airs on WBZ (1030 AM) at 7:25, 8:25 AND 9:25 AM Saturday and Sunday and ALSO at 11:55 AM Saturday!

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-connoisseurs-corner-28654273/

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

Though COVID has put a damper on many favorite spring and summer events, one of my favorites is preparing to rise up again at a new date,.

Traditionally held on the fourth weekend in March, the Maine Maple Weekend has been rescheduled for October 9-11, giving people plenty of time to get tested and prep the pancakes.

Combining virtual and actual elements that are scheduled to include a recipe contest, the events will also be tied in to the North American Maple Tour that is scheduled to take place the following week. Even if you can only make it up for a day, however, the tree-tappers and syrup suppliers will surely be glad to see you, as tourism and food sales have tanked over the summer.

In addition to being delicious, maple products also have many health benefits, including more antioxidants and a lower glycemic index than many other sweeteners, as well as being good for your skin, digestion, and many other vital systems. So while you help our neighbors recover from the Covid crisis, you will also be helping yourself while enjoying a favorite flavor that has made our region famous. 

For more information about the weekend and the state’s 240 producers, go to https://mainemapleproducers.com.