Maps steer cyclists toward fresh air and fresh produce
Follow a Hungry Nomad bike map, and soon you’ll be braking for freshly picked berries, pies, and other fare from local farm stands. The maps are the brainchild of Rosemary Jason, a former cook at Oleana restaurant who received her certificate in culinary arts from Boston University.
Jason created the maps to illustrate food-oriented routes she discovered on her own adventures, and as the former travel editor at The Ride magazine. Since she doesn’t own a car, she bikes out to farm stands whenever she has a chance. “I usually come back with a pile of food to cook up,’’ she says.
The first two Hungry Nomad maps were published in May. One covers the South Coast near Westport. The other focuses on the area near Concord. Each route clearly marks farm stands, ice cream shops, wineries, and picnic areas, with a brief description and contact information. The concept gives locavores a new - and healthy - way to go exploring.
“Cycling, cooking, and eating are extremely compatible,’’ Jason says. “Your food is your fuel. Food tastes great when it’s ripe and freshly picked or caught. It tastes even better when you’re hungry and are outside riding or walking through the region it is growing in.’’
Bike routes range from 8 to 20 miles. The maps also show walking tours, each 3 miles or less, which makes it easy for families and weekend warriors. Connections between routes help more ambitious bikers plan a longer ride. The maps also show the locations of bike and kayak rental shops. A website lists even more area attractions.
West of Boston, the Gaining Ground farm loop starts next to the Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington and goes right through the Minute Man National Historical Park. Off-road bikers can follow a dirt trail through the woods. The paved road winds past the spot where Paul Revere was captured during his ride, as well as fields, stone walls, and clapboard houses. The fields at Gaining Ground, a community farm that donates produce to food pantries, are right behind Henry David Thoreau’s birthplace. At the farm’s headquarters, a pavilion decorated with giant papier-mache tomatoes, you can fill up a water bottle and sign up to be a volunteer - possibly on the spot.
A connecting route on the map leads to Chip-In Farm, where fresh eggs at the farm store come from the hens out back (you can visit them). The store also carries produce and Massachusetts-made ice cream, pies, and breads. For quick energy, there’s a penny-candy counter.
Now that Jason has published the first two Hungry Nomad maps, she plans to add seasonal recipes from local chefs and farms. She is also mapping out routes near Natick, Stowe, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Eventually, she wants to develop maps for the West Coast.
The rides have a wide audience, she says. “It’s a cheap summer day trip for anyone of any age who likes to cook, eat, and ride a bike,’’ she says.
Hungry Nomad maps ($9.95 each) are available at International Bicycle Center, 89 Brighton Ave., Boston, 617-783-5804; and Ace Wheelworks, 145 Elm St., Somerville, 617-776-2100; or go to www.hungrynomadmaps.com
