About Us
November Newsletter
November update from Pip headquarters....
November is upon us and some of you who shop with us regularly may have noticed that we have officially moved into the basement of 14 Amelia Drive! The work Remain Ventures started on the basement to make the most of the space down there for storage and packing is finally finished. That means that we can also start the work we have planned upstairs, edging us closer to being fully open in the New Year as a one stop shop for all your local food needs. We are not quite sure what this will mean exactly for our Friday retail as it will be quite weather dependent. The last two weeks we were able to get creative and set up our store in our van and then under a tent, which could very well be options into the winter. We shall see BUT as always, we just want to thank you all for hanging on with us on this crazy local food journey!
Fully Gutted!
The last week has been a loud one here at 14 Amelia Drive. Construction crews have been banging away upstairs and the future retail space is stripped down to the studs. Though it may not look pretty, for us, this is a welcoming sight to see. We came into work last Tuesday to see all of Annye's older refrigeration torn out, the tile being uprooted, and eventually the walls got blown out. Everything is looking pretty good beneath the surfaces!
Clarke Brothers construction demoed the space in a matter of days and now it is time to build. Together with Remain Ventures we are now officially building out our dynamic and multi-function retail space on the ground floor.
From now on, Pip & Anchor's online grocery will operate completely out of the basement. We are grateful to begin down here, as this "online fulfillment center" is going to be the heart of our business. When Remain Ventures and Pip chose this space, it was the basement storage and refrigeration that stood out to us. Even when the construction is complete, we plan to continue to move thousands of pounds of food out of our basement weekly. We are committed to serving as much local food in as many way as we can as we continue to grow!
Our favorite recipe right now...and it's so easy!!
This month we're featuring one of Mayumi's favorite at home chicken dinners. It is an old Italian recipe published in NYT by Jamie Oliver and it's perfect for this time of year. Mayumi says "It sounds weird, but it's surprisingly delicious. It comforting plus the lemon and sage perfume the dish and it makes for a really yummy sauce to pour over." She usually makes a side of braised kale or other fall greens with chili and lots of garlic. Here is the link to the recipe and here is what you'll need from the Pip & Anchor Monday Market...
-
Whole Weatherlow Chicken
- Casco Bay Unsalted Butter
- Equal Exchange Olive Oil
- Earth Care Farm Hardneck Garlic
-
Wright's Dairy Whole Milk
-
Eat Fire Farm Sage
For the sautéed kale
- Fog Town or Washashore Green Leaf Kale
- More Hardneck Garlic from Earth Care Farm
- Magic Chili from Curio Spice
Just remember to grab some lemon and cinnamon sticks from another store to complete things!
Sleeper's Pick of the Month
2019 Frantz Changnoleau, "Clos Saint-Pancras" Mâcon-Village
Now that your mouth is watering after reading that comforting fall chicken recipe, its time to quench your thirst. All of my wine roads lead to Burgundy. If you know me, you know I love both red and white Burgundy. For those who do not know, Pinot Noir is the primary red grape and Chardonnay is the primary white grape of Burgundy. The rest of the world has been trying to make Pinot and Chard taste like Burgundy for a very long time, and for good reason. They want to be like Frantz Chagnoleau and his wife Caroline Gon who make absolutely incredible juice.
The young couple have worked under some of the best wine mentors in the world; names like Newton, Lafon, and Merlin decorate their résumés. Now, this humble duo is bringing the noise in Southern Burgundy. The Mâcon is in the part of Burgundy a little less traveled and less sought after, but Chagnoleau is changing that. With little intervention and completely organic farming, Frantz and Caroline are producing Chardonnay from Southern Burgundy that can puff up its chest next to some of the best wines in the world from the heart of Burgundy; in towns like Meursault, Puligny, and Chassagne. I truly believe most sommeliers would blind taste this as 1er Cru White Burgundy, and it seriously blew me away.
This Chardonnay is exploding with minerality and acidity that can stand up to more hearty dishes like Tday turkey, and also compliment lighter dishes, like fish. There's a beautiful mouthfeel and body, which give way to a finish that seems to linger forever. For those of you who "don't drink chardonnay" or "only drink Cali chard," heres a wine that will push your boundaries, in fact, I'm willing to guarantee it. The diverse palate of pear, lemon, honey, honeysuckle, apple, peach, and more, is for everyone. This elegant and approachable white should be the one for the holidays. Throw it in a gift bag confidently knowing you're going to make someone very happy!
What we've been reading...
Dan Southey from Washashore Farm sent this one over to us and it is a must read. This article from the New Yorker on the The Great Organic Food Fraud has dropped our jaws, but at the same time we are not surprised. It once again validates the fact that we need a closer connection to our food. We need to hold ourselves accountable when choosing where we get our food from, who we get it from, and what those people are doing to our beautiful planet. Please take some time to give this one a read and share with friends who may not know exactly where their food is coming from.