Our Farmers dinners continue this Thursday at 7pm.

 

This round we will be joined by apple farmers, goat cheese makers, and a salmon fisherman.  All three will be here, dining with you on food that they either grew, made or caught.

 

You'll get time to hear their stories.  We call them "Dinner and Conversation" because you'll probably sit with people who will, probably, become your new friends and, I'll bet, you'll have conversation with them during your, YES, dinner!

 

Call to make a reservation if you would be so kind.

Here's our menu for Thanksgiving Dinner to go for this year. We'll be making the whole meal for you to pick up on Wednesday. (Don't worry, we'll include instructions.)

 

Please order before Monday, November 23 if you can.) Order for one or for 40. And yes, you can get just parts of the meal if you wish, though don't you think it'd be fun to have us make the whole thing?

 

 

Here's the menu:

 

Thanksgiving 2009

 

 

At the start:

 

Smoked Trout Pate

with Roasted Garlic Crostini

 

**

 

The Dinner:

 

Oven-roasted Turkey with Fresh, local Herbs

 

North Carolina Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

 

 

Cornbread Stuffing with Hickory Nut Gap Apples

 

North Carolina Sweet Potato Wedges with a Sorghum Glaze

 

Brendan’s Southern-style Green Beans with Bacon

 

Laurey’s Jubilee! Chutney

 

Soft Rolls made with YellowBranch Farmstead Cheese

 

**

 

The Sweet Finish:

Traditional Pumpkin or Apple Crumb Pie

 

 

Price per person: 29.95 + NC State tax

 

 

Call us!

 

I've really had fun with my cooking classes.  This past week I demonstrated four different soups, presented them, and joined everyone in tasting them.  De-LISH!

 

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.

 

 

Monday November 16 *Rosemary Chicken, Green Beans, and Baby Carrots 10.75

 

Tuesday November 17 Grilled Wild Salmon with Lemon Herb Wild Rice Pilaf 15.25

 

Wednesday November 18 Parmesan Pan-fried Pork with Mashed Rutabegas 11.75

 

Thursday November 19 Chicken Cheddar Empanadas with Lime Cumin Slaw 11.00

 

Friday November 20 Crabcakes with Laurey’s Vermont Maple Cole Slaw 13.25

 

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.)

 

Wednesday, November 18

Braised Beef, Butternut Squash, and Balsamic Onions

Full: 55

My friend Connie Regan-Blake recently traveled to Uganda to be a part of a remarkable organization's activities.  Women there make beautiful paper beads that they sell.  Connie, deeply moved by what she learned there, is hosting an event here next Saturday from 2-4 in the afternoon.

 

Do come by, see these beautiful pieces of art, learn more, hear Connie's stories, and have some hot chocolate while you are at it.

 

Austin, a fellow who works here, doesn't usually gush but he came into the office earlier today reminding me to extol the virtues of our Reubens.  I already have, but it IS worth reminding you that Brendan is now curing pastrami and corned beef, making sauerkraut and piling thin slices on top of rye bread, slathered with Andrew's special dressing.

 

Beautiful color.

Orange and red and yellow.

November 14, 2009

 

Today is my half birthday.

Just thought you might like to know. 

 

A week ago I was quivering with excitement and anticipation about what was going to happen a week ago tomorrow.  I did not know if anyone would come to the pancake breakfast or if there would be so many people that it would be completely unmanageable.  Sunday’s weather was perfect and at 8:45 10 people lined up, paid, and made their way into our kitchen where we served them the first of the couple of thousand pancakes we made that day. We started flipping and did not stop until 1, by which point we had run through about 100# of bacon, gallons and gallons of orange juice and coffee, flats of eggs and cartons of fruit and pancakes and more pancakes and MORE pancakes.  We lost count at 350 guests and, once we’d tallied the donations, we found that we’d raised around $17,000.00.  Phenomenal.

 

And meanwhile, things were looking great for our little hero, Henry, child of Adam and Emily, two of our managers.  His cell counts were climbing steadily.  He was feeling better, and all indications were that the bone marrow transplant was working.  There was a dim question of the growing cells being his, not the donors, but after all this excitement that seemed an impossibility, so none of us dwelled on that.  I mean, with this much love, gushing from all of us like a clear spring, how could it be anything BUT a successful operation?

 

But yesterday we got the call saying that the transplant does not seem to be working.  Henry and his parents are coming home to regroup, rest and consider what to do.  Suddenly all the posters and bright colors and hope shriveled in all of us.  Here in the office we cried off and on for most of the day.  No one said much of anything to anyone else, doing only what we had to do to get through this unimaginable news.

 

Today we’re still here, still breathing.  Our hearts are no less full of love for Henry than they were.  This is a gigantic blow for Adam and Emily but they will come home and we’ll try to help them heal and get strong enough to try again. 

 

It’s hard to think about Farmer’s Dinners or music in the café or Thanksgiving or much of anything with this sad, sad news.  But I also know it is important to stand up tall, take a deep breath, scrape together any resolve I might be able to find, and tuck it away for safe keeping until Adam and Emily are ready for it. 

 

In the meantime I WILL come here and play music with friends on Tuesdays, I will continue to teach cooking classes on Wednesdays (unless I am on the radio), and I will keep surrounding myself with the love that pours forth from this community to a child and his parents.  I love being here and that will not stop.  I will cook for you on Thanksgiving and then I will go home and be with my sisters and be deeply thankful for them and for family and for love.  And for the chance I have been given to share some of it with all of you.

 

Here we were last Sunday.  People lining up out the door.  Donations and love pouring out of people's pockets and hearts.  It was a spectacular day, a phenomenal thing to be doing.  We pulsed with energy, with hope, with belief.