Alrighty folks.  Here are the entries in the recent Black Jar Honey contest. Beekeepers from all over the area submitted unmarked jars of honey which were judged by a panel of non-beekeepers.  We're delighted to have ALL the honey here.  My suggestion is that you select a few and have your own honey tasting.  This is a very limited opportunity.  When these are gone, that's it.

 

Give us a call by noon and we'll have your dinners ready by 3. You can come until 7.

 

828-252-1500

 

Monday, October 24

Smothered Chicken with Green Beans 7.95

 

Tuesday, October 25

Vegetable and Red Chile Enchiladas 7.25 (GF)

 

Wednesday, October 26

Butternut Squash and Chevre-stuffed Pork Tenderloin 7.75

 

Thursday, October 27

Beef Bolognese with Cavatappi and Garlic Crostini 9.50

 

Friday, October 28

Here is this week's casserole:

 

Julia’s Beef Bourguignon

Full: 60.95 Half: 30.50

 

And this week's Lasagna is: 

Artichoke, Mushroom, and Basil

Full: 38 Half: 19

 

 

Scott and Elizabeth, our friends at Firefly Farms are going to bring us some fall produce and some of their Devon Beef and Brendan is going to make a farm dinner for you.  Brendan is envisioning a French-style comfort dinner.  Please do put this on your calendar. November 11th.

 

Oh we have such a wonderful team of cooks here.  Lito is one of the smiling multitudes, ably making chick pea cakes or whipping up masses of sweet potato salad or putting a fabulous omelet together in a flash.

 

October 22, 20011

 

It is another spectacular day here in our mountains. The sun is now rising to the south and comes in at the very edge of the big window in my bedroom. Enough leaves have fallen that I have a clear view of the ridge over which the sun rises. It is easy to just want to stay tucked in, watching the show.

 

Tomorrow I’m going to have a day of cleaning up the yard for the fall. My sister and some folks from work are going to pitch in. My gutters are full of leaves. The ivy is climbing into the chimney – not good! Now that many leaves are down I can see some dead trees that need to go. And speaking of leaves – the rakes and the leaf blower will get a workout too. It’s time to yank out the weeds, tidy up the slope in front of the bee hives, put things in order. And it will be great to have some help.

 

Speaking of bees, things seem good in that department. Warm days are bringing them out to gather whatever they can still find. Pretty soon it will be time for them to cluster up, huddling around the queen. The main job of the gang is to keep Her Majesty warm through the winter. The books say that they keep her at a constant 95˚ winter and summer! Can you imagine that? I’m going to help them along a bit by giving them insulated roofs. Gosh – I need to put that on my list!

 

Last week I puttered in the area under my deck, tidying and getting ready for a load of wood. I have enough to last for a couple of months but I have ordered another cord. I’m ready for it, whenever it comes.

 

I may have told you once that I am not really a spring cleaner, but I can sure get energized by fall tidying. My hibernation instincts come to the fore and I find myself gathering twigs and leaves and pushing them around to make a nice warm nest for myself. The warm blankets are out. The heating pad and the hot water bottle are getting a lot of play these days. Both keep me warm, the heating pad warming up the foot of my bed and the hot water bottle keeping me cozy on the couch. My hot water bottle fits in a black sheep cover so it’s not quite as goofy as it may sound – just looks like I am carrying a little stuffed animal around. What’s so weird about that?

 

I’m thrilled to be on the final countdown (I hope and trust) of these treatments. I am now, as my friend Monroe pointed out, down to just five more - just one hand! At one point 12 treatments seemed unimaginably far away. I really hope to be done by Christmas. What a relief that will be! In the meantime there is a lot going on here that distracts me: the drum class on the 10th of November. The farmer’s dinner on the 11th. A trip to Boston for me – time to check in with my chef colleagues. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Parties and fun. And a few more treatments. But I’ve made it through 7. Just 5 to go. I can do this. I AM doing this. Imagine.

 

It's a bit unusual for a Vermonter to crow about local color, but ours, this year, has been quite lovely.  Best of all, it lasts for so darn long!  This tree is just up the road from my house.  I finally stopped the other day and snapped this picture. (Speaking of pictures - these were all taken with my snazzy new 'app' on my snazzy new iPhone!)