Please do come join us on September 17th for our next dinner with the Farmers. Sally and Dick from Sunburst Trout, Christina and Kevin from 10 Mile Farms and Katie and Mike from Lady Luck Flowers will all be here to dine with you and to tell stories about their farms and their work.

 

The dinner will start at 7 on Thursday the 17th. I will be the cook. The farmers will join us at dinner and then will share some of their stories with all of us. (Fun and very interesting!)

 

The menu, for those of you who like to know these sorts of things, will look like this

(though if someone shows up at the Wednesday market with something stunning I might change some parts of this at the last minute.)

 

At the start:

Sunburst Trout Caviar on local Fingerling Potatoes and Creme Fraiche

 

The Salad:

Roasted 10 Mile Farms' Fall Vegetables with Local Salad Greens

and a Dijon Vinaigrette

 

The Dinner:

Oven-roasted Sunburst Salmon Trout Nicoise (or a Vegetarian Alternative if you wish)

with Haricots Verts, Kalamata Olives, Capers, and Sun Gold Tomatoes

 

Polenta Rounds with Yellow Branch Dairy Farmstead Cheese

 

Roasted, Sorghum-glazed Sweet Potatoes

 

The Dessert:

Baked Hickory Nut Gap Apples with Fall Fruits

 

The price is still a very reasonable $37.00 (+ tax) per person. If you'd like to add wine or beer, that will be an additional $12.00. You can call to reserve your spots at 828-252-1500.

 

See you then!

Brendan seems to be settling in nicely. He's the newest fellow in the kitchen and, as he catches on to what WE do, we're start catching on to what HE does.  I'm especially excited about his knowledge of and facility with other cuisines. 

 

Here's a look at an Italian Pork Tenderloin he made the other day.  "Agrodolce" (sweet and sour) with local peppers and bright colors, not to mention sparkling flavors.

 

DO come by for our evening hours.  As long as we don't have a private party, we are now open until 8 Monday through Friday.  Oh! Starting in October we'll be adding music a few times a week but I'll tell you more about that as the time gets closer.

Here's his take on Miso-seared Wild Alaskan Salmon.  That was this past Friday's Dinner to go (or, um, to stay if you felt like sitting in our cafe...)

 

Believe me when I say that Laurey's is now a fine place for easy dinner.  To go OR to stay.

Dinners come with a freshly-made green salad, salad dressing of the day,

and made-right-here bread of the day. We take reservations until noon or so.

Please order by phone (252-1500), by fax (252-0200)

or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

Dinners are ready at 3:00 and can be picked up until we close at 8:00 pm.

Monday September 14 *Chevre and Vidalia Onion Roasted Chicken 10.25

Tuesday September 15 Chicken, Basil, and Peanut Stir-fry 10.25

Wednesday September 16 *Smoked Pork Loin w/Grilled Apples + Mashed Potatoes 11.75

Thursday September 17 Local Eggplant Parmesan with Pesto Pasta 11.25

Friday September 18 Pan-fried Trout with Local Apple Cole Slaw 13.75

 

* these items are Gluten Free

(though it is important to note that we do not have a “wheat-free” kitchen.)

 

We make a special casserole each Wednesday.

Order by noon or so. Order a half if you have around 4 folks. If you have a bigger group, or you just like leftovers, order a full-sized one.

 

Then come pick up between 3:00 and 8:00. (Or bring a gang and enjoy your dinner right here.  WE DO have beer and wine by the glass, you know.)

 

This week's special casserole is for Wednesday, September 16:

Chicken, Sausage, and Artichoke Lasagna

Half: 23

Full: 46

 

Christina and Kevin grow all sorts of things on their farm.  Fortex Beans are one of their favorites, much more so than those little "Haricots Verts." I was sceptical because they look like plump old things that have overstayed their welcome on the vine. But no! They are stringless, sweet, tender and a delight. 

 

You learn something new every day, I guess. (Fortunately!)

Parmesan-roasted fingerlings are a nice early fall addition to our deli offerings.  Lito made these the other day. 

 

If I were to list everything that our cooking staff is making these days I'd need a newsletter five times as long as this.  I'd hurry  on over here if I were you. 

A hearty group enjoyed an evening of foods from Tuscany the other night.  I made a bunch of things meant to be spread on rounds of sliced breads: wild mushrooms, roasted peppers, chicken liver spread, fresh tomato and basil topping, white bean spread and an eggplant concoction.  Oh, and an Italian fresh Bread Salad.

 

End of class, time to eat.  Just like that.  This first series of the fall is sold out, but we'll get them going again in October.  Those classes will meet on Wednesday nights.  Four classes.  $35.00 each.  Want to sign up?  252-1500. 

September 12, 2009

 

What a difference a week makes.

 

Last week at this time I was filled with dread about the coming days. Emily and Adam were leaving to go to Duke to get medical help for their little boy, Henry. I share more than my work days with them and I was feeling very sad about them leaving, sad about what they were headed for, and frightened about what my life would be like without them.

 

Monday was Labor Day. And actually, the day before that, Sunday, I spent most of the day sleeping. I must have been very tired because I think I slept for almost the entire day, off and on. I slept a lot on Monday too and would have hidden away on Tuesday too if I’d been able to. But I’m filling in for Martha, one of our cooks, and I’d promised to be the early girl on Tuesday so I dragged myself up, apologized to the cat and dog for leaving them in the pitch dark, and, with a heavy feeling, went to work.

 

Once I got my apron on and my knife going, things got a little bit better. And, once I realized that my being there was not merely decorative, but actually necessary, I felt better still. I cooked until mid afternoon and then, with a start, realized I was behind, big time, for my first cooking class which was starting in a few hours.

 

Fortunately I’d been musing about it off and on for a while, so the actual getting ready breezed out of me. By 6 the Garden Room’s tables were set, my portable burner’s fuel tanks were ready, and the list of the class recipes were typed. Whew! Just in time, as the guests/students started to arrive.

 

Class was good. Fun. Delicious.

 

On Wednesday I cooked again in the morning. Same on Thursday. In the afternoons I wrote menus, unburied my desk, sorted papers, planned for the next thing. And my mood, with each thing, lightened.

 

It helped to hear from Adam and Emily, to find that they were settled in, that Henry was doing well, that they were having good meetings with their doctors. My own level of exhaustion abated. I even went out to dinner two times, and enjoyed myself.

 

Next week is a big week for Henry, with some bigger medical procedures. It’s big week here too. Lots of parties. Classes. Farmer’s Dinner. Cooking for me for one more week until Martha returns from Maine. And then, soon after, I’ll go see this sweet family and will see for myself how they are doing.

 

And in the meantime, I’m seeing that this team here is really a team. Everyone here is rising to the challenges of this unexpected occasion. Everyone is pulling together. Really good food is being made. The presentations are very nice. The ingredients are the best we can provide. The customers are happy and keep coming back. We’re getting along well, taking care of each other. We’re carrying on. And I don’t feel like I will need to sleep for the entire day tomorrow. (Good thing, because I’m cooking for a party!)

 

Come say hello when you’re in my neighborhood.

 

I’ll tell you some more stories next week.

 

 

Monsieur Henri seems to be coming along well.  He and his mother and father, Emily and Adam, are settled into their apartment in Durham and are now spending their days with doctor's appointments.  Henry is delighted at the wall-to-wall carpeting (oh to be 1 again) and seems to be withstanding the daylong appointments with great spirits.

 

If you want to catch up with them and would like to send them a note, click on the link below which will take you to their Caring Bridge website.