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Food Whisperer: Spring Brook Farm, where the homemade ‘pop-tart’ is king

There is a section of Route 119, or Great Road, in Littleton that has always perplexed me. If you start at The Point alongside Interstate 495 and work your way north, it’s like the Island of Misfit Toys, except for businesses. The Point is obviously a newer plaza of shops, restaurants, and the movie theater. As you head north, you have the Littleton Police Department, Town Fair Tire, and a storage facility. Up on the right is an industrial park, and then, not even a mile down the road, it transforms into open farmland with three farmstands and stores within a quarter mile of one another: Theo’s Market Garden, Gary’s, and Spring Brook Farm. On the one hand, I think it’s great that if you want some Lucky Charms and locally grown vegetables, you can get it all within a five-minute drive. But on the other hand, if you skip the supermarket and just head to the store at Spring Brook Farm, you can get your fresh vegetables and satisfy your sweet tooth with some homemade baked goods all in one place.

Spring Brook is a very impressive spot. It has been a working farm for over 300 years, passed down through family and currently in the care of farmer Frank Matheson Jr. The farm has more than 400 acres of farmland. The family raises beef, pork, and lamb and has won many awards for the farm’s produce. And, as you can probably guess from the headline of this article, they have fantastic baked goods. Yes, you read that correctly, a fully working farm that has an impressive baking operation was not what I was expecting either. When I say they have an impressive baking operation, I mean not only the deliciousness of the treats, but also the breadth of their offerings. Cookies, pies, pastries, breads, focaccia, muffins, and more, all made by a team of rotating bakers who are cranking out fresh goodies every day (except for Christmas). I had to ask how it was all possible, and the answer I received was, “We have an extremely skilled team of bakers.” Clearly.

I want you all to know that my dedication to this column is real, and sometimes it takes sacrifice to make sure you all get a thorough and honest review. This time, that sacrifice was my waistline. How was I supposed to talk about this impressive bakery program if I didn’t try a wide swath of items? With that being said, we’re going to do a speed round review of some of the items before we dive into their king of treats: the homemade “pop-tart.”

Cookies, both chocolate chip and ginger molasses, were excellent. They’re large, have a satisfying, slightly chewy texture and are packed with flavor that even Cookie Monster would approve of. New York style crumb cake—moist cake on the bottom, loads of cinnamon crumble and powdered sugar on the top—paired with a coffee for a beautiful combo. Garlic sourdough loaf had a nice chew on the outside with a fluffy inside, but the garlic wasn’t as pronounced as I was hoping for. Chocolate croissant—lots of chocolate layered throughout, a little more dense a croissant than I prefer, especially when you compare it to the croissants from our friends at Dolce Amar in Groton.

All right, let’s talk “pop-tart,” because I’ve gone back to Spring Brook twice just to grab these. Modeled after America’s favorite rectangular breakfast treat, these are big, decadent, and fun—a flaky pastry with cinnamon-sugar filling, doused with a thick layer of frosting and sprinkles. Pop one of these in the toaster for a few minutes to soften up the frosting and warm up the gooey filling, and you’ll be on your way to nostalgia heaven. The dough is buttery and soft, the filling is almost more of a molasses consistency, and there’s no skimping on the frosting, which forms a protective roof for the pastry itself. I absolutely love these as a dessert option, and regardless of whatever diet you may or may not be trying to adhere to, one of these should always make its way into your basket. Forewarning: These sell out quickly. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to call ahead or ask in person about availability if you don’t want to be disappointed.

Aside from the baked goods, I have also sampled the produce and meat offerings from Spring Brook, and we were very pleased. We are very lucky to have so many great farm options right around Harvard, but if you do find yourself along that perplexing section of Great Road, I highly suggest you make a stop at Spring Brook Farm.

Greg Schneider is a dedicated home cook, a former bartender, and a devoted patron of area restaurants. He currently blogs about local breweries at The Hotter Upper.

 

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