Specialty Foods Department

Feel like sweating over a hot stove in this heat? Neither do we. That’s why we love foods that are low-maintenance as well as delicious. Here are some brand new ones as well as some old favorites that we’re enjoying right now.

Fudge Farm Ham, $11.99 per lb.

We are pleased and a bit proud to be the first and only source of the revered Fudge Farm Hams, not only in New England but anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line. For years, Fudge Farms in Madison, Alabama, has been supplying fine restaurants with their unique heritage crossbreed of Duroc and Berkshire pork. Back in the 60s, when the demand for leaner pork threatened to abolish the genetic diversity of farmed pigs, Henry Fudge was on a quest to find a pig with more marbling and flavor that could thrive in the outdoors. His husbandry practices have earned him certification from the Animal Welfare Approved program. The result is a pork with superior flavor and fat marbling. His ham is made in small batches and has a perfectly balanced smoke-to-pork flavor. It’s a more intensely flavored, drier ham than any other out on the market. A real and rare treat.

We are pleased and a bit proud to be the first and only source of the revered Fudge Farm Hams, not only in New England but anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line. For years, Fudge Farms in Madison, Alabama, has been supplying fine restaurants with their unique heritage crossbreed of Duroc and Berkshire pork. Henry Fudge’s husbandry practices have earned him certification from the Animal Welfare Approved program. The quality of life shows in the enhanced flavor and fat marbling of his pork. Made in small batches, the ham has a perfectly balanced smoke-to-pork flavor. It’s a more intensely flavored, drier ham than any other out on the market. A real and rare treat.

Spindrift Soda, $2.69 each (12 fl oz)

We have a new soda made here in Massachusetts. It’s the deliciously best quencher for these scorching weeks of heat. With minimum ingredients (triple-filtered sparkling water, fresh juices or puree, and cane juice for a subtle touch of sweetness), Spindrift is as pure and homemade as you can get with a store-bought soda. The juice comes from fresh squeezed fruit, not concentrate, by one of the three remaining fresh juicers left in the U.S. Plus the company supports multiple non-profits working on the preservation of water resources. We carry three flavors: Sparkling Grapefruit, Sparkling Blackberry, and Sparkling Lemonade (which, with some Pimm’s Liqueur added, makes the perfect garden drink).

Smokehouse Sausages, $7.99 per lb.

(Smoked Chorizo or Andouille Sausage)

For the last 20 years the Nosiglia family of Boston Sausage Co., otherwise known as Smokehouse, has been providing local restaurants with quality meats. If you’ve ever had our smoked ham or smoked turkey sandwiches, you’ll know that their meats, made in Mattapan, are something special. The Smoked Chorizo has a tasty blend of spices, scallions, and red wine vinegar, and comes in links that are just right for a hot dog bun, while the Andouille Sausages are longer and include potatoes, garlic, and spices. Both pork sausages are fully cooked and ready for the grill or your recipes.

Maplebrook Farm Fresh Mozzarella, $7.99 per lb.

What’s summer without the requisite salad of garden fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and a drizzle of olive oil? After trying Maplebrook Farm’s mozzarella, we can’t imagine using any other mozzarella for our caprese salad. The reason why Maplebrook’s mozzarella is so good is that they remain faithful to the old ways of making mozzarella, including sourcing whole rBGH-free milk from local Vermont herds. Eschewing automation of any kind and relying on trained hands to stretch the cheese, Maplebrook creates a delicate and authentic mozzarella without any preservatives or additives. Made with vegetarian rennet in small batches of 10-12 balls, and briefly bathed in Atlantic sea salt brine, Maplebrook Mozzarella has the best flavor and texture we’ve found from cow’s milk mozzarella made in the states.

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