This newsletter is all about my heroes.  Again.  My life is so good and so rich and so full.  A huge reason for this is that I am surrounded by heroes who inspire me and keep me going in dark times.

 

First and foremost is the INCREDIBLE gang who works here.  We had an amazingly busy week and there was only the steady purr of pounds of sweet potatoes being cut, the Hobart mixing yet another batch of cookies (Marty figures he made 1000 cookies in three days!) and lunch boxes snapping shut. 

 

We sent hundreds of boxed lunches everywhere, catered a wedding or two, a funeral, a mess of meetings, and a gigantic opening for our newest neighbors at the Aloft Hotel.

 

This is a big thrill for us.  The new Aloft Hotel is a very snazzy addition to our block.  They have a sleek bar with a patio overlooking Biltmore Avenue.  They have really nice rooms right downtown (having a party with us?  Stay at the Aloft!)

 

AND - most exciting of all, there is a brand spanking new PARKING garage which is run by the city.  The first hour is - get this - FREE.  And then the cost is just 1.00 per hour. I borrowed my sister's car yesterday and parked in the new garage when I returned.  It has bright lights, fun signs, and unbeatable convenience.

 

Monday, August 27

Chicken Niçoise 8.25 (GF)

 

Tuesday, August 28

Roasted Pepper, Zucchini, and Corn Quesadilla with Guacamole 7.25

 

Wednesday, August 29

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde 7.95

 

Thursday, August 30

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Succotash Salad 7.95

 

Friday, August 31

Lemon Garlic Baked Haddock with Spinach Sauté 8.95

 

Wednesday, August 29

Old-fashioned Beef Stew with Hickory Nut Gap Beef

Whole: 60 Half: 30

 

Friday, August 31

French-style Rosemary, Chevre, and Sausage Lasagna

Whole: 50 Half: 25

 

I've told you my Saturday mornings start at the North Asheville Tailgate Market.  I'm doing "research" for my upcoming menus, and I buy things for myself and for the shop.  I meet with farmers and plan events.

 

Our guests are my heroes, of course, as are the farmers we work with. We had a delightful night this past Wednesday as we hosted Anne and Aaron Grier of Gaining Ground Farms for one of our Dinner and Conversations with our Farmers. 

 

What a fine time we had.  Our folks enjoyed Caponata, made with Fairy Tale Eggplants.  We had Vichyssoise made with their leeks and potatoes.  Nicoise vegetables were next, a combination of their yellow and green beans, fingerling potatoes, and mixed cherry tomatoes.  We served NC Tilefish with a fresh tomato sauce and a celery root condiment.  Brendan also roasted some more of those cutie-pie eggplants and spiced them up with some zippy peppers and soy sauce.  Dessert was a wonderful peach Clafouti, a lovely souffle-like concoction. 

 

Okay - I get to by my own hero here for a sec. 

 

I finished editing the first round of edits from my editor (um, do you think I can use "edit" any more in one sentence?)  My deadline was yesterday and - I did it!!!!  I had two weeks to get this project done but felt kind of loopy for most of the first week and was not up to reading, no less editing and correcting with a critical eye.

 

But I have great respect for deadlines and got the thing done and turned in right on time.  Go me!!!

 

Livestrong is my organizational hero.  And Lance Armstrong is my personal hero.  This has been a tough time for Lance, but he is still my hero and always will be. 

 

There is no denying what he has done as a cancer survivor and FOR cancer survivors.  The Livestrong Foundation is celebrating 15 years of fighting for cancer survivors.  I'm completely thrilled to get to go to Austin to be a part of this celebration.  I will be the first one to leap to my feet and cheer this brave man who has overcome tremendous obstacles to do what he does. I found out this week that I will be having dinner at Lance's home and will also have a personal session with him at which I will tell him in person that I respect and admire him and always will.

 

 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

 

G’morning! Hope your day is good so far. Mine sure is. Nothing like starting off with a peach hand pie. Breakfast of champions. Ha!

 

As soon as I finish this newsletter I head home to primp and clean and get things ready for the big photo shoot tomorrow. It’s the first of a few AND the food stylist and her photographer husband are friends of mine, which takes the nervous edge off things. They’re coming this afternoon to scout and plan. Tomorrow we start. Whee! My yard is in stellar shape, thanks to last week’s visit by the Garden Angels and this week of on and off showers. All is lush and richly green and healthy looking. Fun!

 

The week, as you see, was FULL for me. The Farmer’s Dinner was really fun. It’d been a while since we’d done one, and it was a big success. The farmers always get nervous ahead of time because they are used to being in the fields or hidden behind their farmstands. I introduce them to our guests and ask a few starter questions and then things take off in a very natural way. It really is such a fine way to get to know what it really takes to bring food to our table. The Celeriac, for instance, was planted nine months ago. This is so hard to imagine, such care and work and encouragement and belief is needed to coax things from the ground and onto our plates. It is deeply moving for me. I hope you can plan to join us in September for that dinner.

 

The last bit of news I got yesterday, as I was walking out the door, was that I won the new Trek bicycle as a result of my fundraising. I really need to share this bike with all of you (maybe I’ll have a sign-up sheet!) because I asked, but you gave. And as I’ve said, I am honored to be raising money for the Livestrong Foundation, which does so much good for so many, including me. Just before I found out about the bike I spent an hour on the phone with my Livestrong support counselor, talking about the ups and downs of my life these days. This is such a tremendous help for me right now, especially as I head toward the halfway point of my treatments and get ready to go for a mid-run evaluation. So far so good, and fingers crossed.

 

My book is done – again. There are a handful of times in the coming year when I will review it and make corrections. So I get the thrill of seeing it transformed from my head to my computer to the publisher’s first look to the way it will be envisioned by the creative director. It’s all a big fat thrill for me. Really really big fun.

 

We’ve been working on our new shop signs. There are a lot of players, a lot of folks to include and a lot of revisions to consider and input. We’ll review them this Tuesday and will head into production in the near future. Our existing signs are covered with pasted on additions and cross-outs where certain items are no longer available. They look pretty trashy so we’re fixing them up. Stay tuned.

 

And we’re thrilled about the new hotel next door. They officially opened on Thursday. Our block has been positively crawling with folks putting in the finishing touches. It has been a huge project but it has also been fun to watch this building from the very ground up. And now it’s done, open, snazzy and a fine thing for our neighborhood. I once was one of the only enterprises on the block and now look! Amazing what 12 years will get you. It’s hard to believe what has happened. We’re going to get a new brewery on the other side of us and two new restaurants are getting ready to open. We’re still waiting to see who comes into the two new retail stores in the hotel (local and independent, I hope.) It’s quite a time for us here on the avenue. Biltmore Avenue.

 

And on we go. I am now one third of the way through my treatments. Assuming all goes according to plan, I’ll be done before Christmas, a fine thing to think about. When I go to Chapel Hill I’m going to fill the trip there with a detour through Jugtown to see some pottery studios. I’ll have dinner with a college friend and then, on the way home, stop at my favorite bakery to stock up for the home gang. (Pretzel rolls anyone!?) oh, and I’m visualizing nice, clear scans. You can help work on that if you wish. More thought and prayer can’t hurt, right?

 

Okey doke – time to get home to get things tidied up.

I’ll be in touch next week.

 

Ciao,

I also found out this week that I was, indeed, the top fundraiser for the ride across Iowa (that I did not get to do...)  As that top fundraiser I get a brand new bike!!!!