A great sandwich after a splendid walk.

The north shore of Boston is an incredibly beautiful and interesting place to explore. It has a rich mixture of history and nature, with old farms, quaint village centers, and of course, rocky coast. On a recent Saturday, we went for a walk at the Coolidge estate in Manchester-by-the-Sea. The property is in the care of the Trustees of the Reservations. The old mansion is long gone, but a short walk along the marshes gets you to the Great Lawn which provides a sweeping view south across Salem Sound towards Boston. The Lawn would be an incredible spot for picnicking. On this day, however, it was early and we wanted a brisk walk along the edge of the shore. The coast is high and rocky and the colors are spectacular, with the grey blue of the ocean contrasting with the myriad of colors and textures of the lichen covered granite, lawn and trees. On the rocks below, a group of harbor seals frolicked and tussled over sleeping spots on a favored pinnacle. A magic morning!

On the way back, we stopped at our local foodie paradise, Beverly Farms. A tiny village center, the “Farms” boasts a number of food and wine related stores. There is the Fruitful Basket, a gourmet grocery store, two bakeries, The Farms Bakery and DeFusco’s, and a wine store, Cork & Cask. The Farms Bakery is a favorite Saturday morning stop for coffee and croissants (real ones!). We follow with visit Mark Solomon at Cork & Cask to see if anything new has come in. Next its off to the Fruitful Basket. On this day, Bob Viel had some cured Tuscan Ham along with his usual stunning array of ripe cheeses. A quick taste inspired lunch. To set off the ham, I chose a relatively young Sainte-Maure de Tourraine, an artisanal French goat cheese. A momentary inspiration led to the purchase of a bottle of Matiz Vasco Piparras. Piparras are a traditional Basque pepper with a sweet and spicy flavor. Preserved in a brine, they would be our pickles! Finally, we stop at Defusco’s to buy some crusty, freshly baked bread. Now we’re ready for lunch!

Great Sandwich

• A loaf of crusty bread


• Slices from a flavorful ham


• A tangy goat cheese


• Piparras

Cut a couple of thick slices of bread. Spread both pieces with goat cheese. Layer on the ham. Serve with Piparras on the side. Life is wonderful!


* on a sad note. A Dunkin Donuts franchise is moving to Beverly Farms (as if we need another donut shop in Beverly…) The owner appears to be doing a nice job setting up the premises to fit the locale, but the damage is done. The other bakeries are not profitable enough to survive the expected hit on their businesses. DeFusco’s is closing in mid-May and is moving to North Andover. And The Farms Bakery is up for sale. Such is progress. Why have unique when you can have chain?