Off The Beaten Path Food Tours is a local company based in Somerville, MA that was created by a local couple who is passionate about food and the local economy. They offer Food Tours and Chocolate Tours in vibrant neighborhoods such as Somerville, Cambridge, and Jamaica Plain in which they highlight local history and independent small businesses on a guided tour over the course of 1.5 to 3 hours. The tours are mainly created for locals to explore new neighborhoods but are also popular among tourists and guests.
Some of the most delicious food in these neighborhoods includes local, seasonal produce. Here’s a list of some of Off The Beaten Path’s favorite dishes from the tours and ways you can incorporate local produce into them if you make them at home!
- Oat Shop, Davis Square, Somerville – We love stopping at Oat Shop on our Davis Square Food Tours and enjoy their steel cut overnight oats bowls!
Ideas for using local produce: make savory oatmeal using a homemade local vegetable broth and add local eggs and greens; make sweet oatmeal using coconut water and add some local baked apples or apple sauce as well as a splash of local maple syrup.
- Flatbread Pizza, Davis Square, Somerville – Flatbread Pizza is an awesome place not only for pizza but also for bowling and beer and music. It’s an all-around cool place to be for all ages, and we absolutely love trying their pizza on our tours. Flatbread uses lots of local produce on all of their flatbreads, and you can see their source information on their menu.
Ideas for using local produce: freeze local corn and chopped tomatoes in the middle of the summer and use it to top a vegetable flatbread pizza all throughout the winter. Or saute some local mushrooms for a delicious pizza topping during the summer.
- El Potro, Union Square, Somerville – El Potro makes the most authentic and delicious Mexican food in Somerville, and we love stopping there on our Union Square Food Tours. We often eat their taquitos on our tours, which are packed with protein.
Ideas for using local produce: Use your InstaPot to quickly steam up some dried local beans to add to your homemade taquitos, add some local shredded cheese for some extra flavor!
- Cafe Beirut, Jamaica Plain, Boston – Cafe Beirut serves up the freshest and most delicious Lebanese food we’ve ever had including tons of vegan and vegetarian options. On our tours we try a sampler of their vegetable mezzes and also some special cured meats that are so mouth-watering you’ll be craving more!
Ideas for using local produce: It’s fun to think about using local produce in mezze or tapas-style plates that are yummy to snack on. Try pickling local veggies such as pickled local radishes, carrots, or green beans or even grapes. Add some hummus or falafel to your plate to add protein.
- And for dessert, there’s lots of fun ways to incorporate local fruits. Our favorites include: baked apples with maple syrup and dried fruit, frozen popsicles made with pureed local berries, zucchini bread, and pie filled with local pumpkin puree and maple syrup.
We can’t wait to meet you on a Food Tour soon and hope that we’ve inspired you to create some delicious locally-inspired dishes this summer.
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