Summertime Eats in CT, Chapter 24

Thanks to fellow RFer Stacey's comment on RoadfoodDigest's New England Ice Cream Tour feature, we found out about the Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream at 20 Darling Rd. in Salem. “The Barn,” as it's often called, scoops up all the classic New England flavors that fans dream about all winter before the seasonal stands open in the spring. We ordered a sampler boat with three flavors (pictured, l. to r.): Chocolate Mocha, Vanilla Chocolate Chip, and Grape-nut. Most noteworthy was the small planks of chocolate that Salem Valley uses for chips, and the gentle, grainy crunch of the Grape-nuts cereal enrobed in sweet cream. Since it's just a stone's throw from Route 82, you can bet that Salem Valley will remain busy until it shutters its windows later this fall.