This is a very nice way to celebrate the season, my friends. Do consider joining us for this evening of a very nice dinner, VERY nice music (courtesy of my sister - who has a beautiful voice and a new friend, Jenna Lindbo, who ALSO sings beautifully).

 

I'll be behind the stoves and out and about in between courses. There is a VERY fun, special surprise at 7pm. Dinner starts at 6:30.  Bring a friend or two or come by yourself and we'll introduce you to some our OUR friends.

 

Please come. okay?

 

Here’s the menu for this year:

 

At the start:

Bacon-wrapped Scallops

 

Rack of Lamb with Mint Chutney

 

Broiled Figs with Blue Cheese

 

**

 

The 1st course:

Salmon Timbale with Lemon Cream

 

**

 

The Dinner:

 

Duck a L’Orange

(let us know if you prefer a Vegetarian meal)

 

Risotto with Fresh Herbs and Wild Mushrooms

 

Confetti of Winter Vegetables

 

Black Pepper and Cranberry Brioche

 

**

 

The Dessert:

Elsie’s Coffee Cream Torte

 

(GF options are available just let us know!)

 

The price per person is $45.00. If you’d like wine or beer, please add 12.00.

 

 

It's hard to believe this is the last class for the year!

 

I've really  had a good time playing with food in front of you.  Here's a snap of me tossing a crepe, prior to flambeing it into Crepes Suzettes.  NICE, don't you think?

 

The next class will be all about Holiday Side dishes.  The class is Wednesday from 6-8.  You get recipes, demonstrations, wine and ample tastes of everything I make.  Join us, won't you?

 

I'll be making:

Baked Bananas

Noodles with Sherry

A Noodle Pudding

Spicy Roasted Beets

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

AND

Broiled Grapefruit

 

All are easy.  All are impressive.  All are favorites of Blueberry Hill.

Yes, it is true.  We make gift baskets.  It is not too late.  Nope, not too late at all.

 

We have some already made up for you, with various prices and an assortment of fillings.  We're always pleased to put one together just for you too.  Fill your arms with things from our shelves and we'll tuck them into a festive bundle for you.

 

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 for this week are:

 

Monday December 14 Chicken Picatta with White Wine Sauce 11.25

 

Tuesday December 15 Spanakopita and Greek Salad 10.75

 

Wednesday December 16 Braised Lamb with Glazed Carrots and Wilted Greens 12.75

 

Thursday December 17 Crabcakes – Laurey’s Style 13.25

 

We make a special casserole each week. 

 

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 casserole is for December 16

Seafood Paella with Shrimp and Calamari

Full: 30

We're doing TWO special holiday dinners to go this year.  Here are the details:

 

Christmas Eve Dinner To Go 2009

 

NC Oyster Stew

Beef Wellington with Mushrooms

Twice-baked Yukon Gold Potatoes

(with Maytag Farms’ Blue Cheese)

Brendan’s Brussels Sprouts

(with Applewood-smoked Bacon)

Yeasted Rolls

Molten Chocolate Cake w/Crème Anglaise

 

Order by December 22

Pick up on December 24th

between 2 and 4pm

$29.75 per person + tax

(Prefer local Beef? Add $10.00 and we’ll set you up)

 

****

 

Laurey’s Traditional NC New Year’s Dinner To Go

 

Brie in Puffed Pastry

Bone-in Pork Chops w/Pomegranate Sauce

Hoppin’ John

Firefly Farms’Collard Greens

Corn Bread

North Carolina Honeycakes

 

Order by December 29

Pick up on December 31

between 2 and 4pm

$25.00 per person + tax

 

Call or come in to place your orders

Thursday nights are the newest fun addition to our ever-growing list of early-night events right here.  We're calling it "Gourmet Comfort Music."  Come here with friends and listen to local musicians play in our Garden Room.

 

This week we'll be hosting Jenna Lindbo, a sweet singer/songwriter.  She's quite something and you'll be glad you came.  This picture is of last week's guest, Will Straughan.  I'll definitely invite him back.

 

All the glass in our windows is available for your gift-giving pleasure. 

Here's a close-up of one of my paperweights.  There are vases too, not to mention baskets filled with all sorts of ornaments.  I have some ornaments at my house and some are tucked around my garden.  Some of the larger ones hang from Shepherd's hooks and some float in my bird baths.  They're surprisingly sturdy.

 

 

December 12, 2009

 

Oh my! As I write our Garden Room is filled with little girls in shiny shoes and pretty little dresses. There are a bunch of mothers here too (no shiny shoes for them.) Everyone is eating Macaroni and Cheese and Brownies and pretty soon they’re all going to go see The Nutcraker Suite. What fun! There are intermittent shrieks from someone. This is a big day for them.

 

An hour ago the café was filled with Morris Dancers. These old English dancers have bells on their legs and wear old English-y clothes. Tops hats. Long skirts. And they have hoops with greenery and an accordion and a fiddle. They were performing at the Christmas market across the street and came in for some hot chocolate and some warmth. I invited them to dance and they DID!

 

Who can tell WHAT is going to happen around here these days.

 

A couple of parties have left. A couple are still being cooked and assembled. All is good. Busy times are happy times in this sort of business. Today I am quite happy. In a little while I’m driving to see Adam and Emily and Henry. I will have a car full of gifts from folks around here. It will be good to see them all. I mean, for a lot of years I saw them every day, all day long. It still is odd to have them gone, getting treatment for my favorite little boy, Monsieur Henri. Looks like they will give the transplant a second go in January. Keep those toes and fingers crossed, please.

 

It continues to be hard to believe that it is almost Christmas. Is time compressing or is it just me? It used to feel like there was endless time between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Now, nope!

 

This Saturday is our Comfort and Joy dinner. (Come, won’t you? It’ll be a lot of fun.) Next week is the last week before Christmas.

 

WHERE does the time go?

 

Well, it’s time to clean up from the little girls’ party. And there are menus to write and parties to plan. I hope to see you at one of our jams. Old time is this Tuesday. Uke jams are the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. And music for listening, “Gourmet Comfort Music” is on Thursdays. Cooking classes. Breakfasts. Sheesh! You COULD just move in, if you wanted to.