Musings

A lot going on lately--not all food-related.

I trust you survived Irene.  Even though it wasn't as bad as it could have been (or as bad as predicted), it was quite an experience.  We didn't even lose power for a second.  The worst we had were a few small branches down and our garden was sort of squashed by the wind.  (Our Brussels sprouts looked like fallen trees.)  My parents are still out of power (in Haycock, that happens with a nice summer breeze, it seems).  They hope to have it back by Thursday--maybe. 

The flooding in Vermont is devastating.  I saw on the Weather Channel terrible flooding in Jamaica Village, Vermont (see video below).  MB & I stayed in this little artsy village for a couple nights on our first trip to VT a number of years ago.  Sad to see it.  By the way, if you ever get to Jamaica, consider staying--or at least eating--at the Three Mountain Inn, just down the road from the video.  Great accomodations and wonderful food (ate rabbit for the first time here).  Just wait until the water recedes.

After a day's delay becasue of the hurricane, Jake started kindergarten today.  (No pics yet--I think MB took the camera with her when she dropped him off.)  Can't tell if he's excited or not--I think so.  I told him to practice strutting around saying, "That's right, I'm in kindergarten."  He looks like an astronaut with his big backpack on.  I'm looking forward to seeing how he does.  He loves to learn new things, so I think he'll be just fine.

I just read a short article on Philly.com about the "family tree" of Philly's restaurant scene.  These days, the city's food offerings are seen by many to be right up there with some of the great food cities of the world.  I still think that a meal that I had at Buddakan was the best meal I've ever had.  It was amazingly expensive, but worth it.  Read the article here.

How do you open this thing?

We're looking forward to our annual trek to Maine coming up soon.  Can't wait.  Jake's excited about fried Maine shrimp (he learned to love them last year) and he's going to try lobster again this year (he tried it a couple of years ago, but wan't crazy about it--a textural thing, I think). 

Saw on the news that any kind of chocolate (not just dark) might be good for you.  There are some out there who might take that as a call to go on an all-choclate diet.  You know who you are!  Good luck with that.

Vermont Travelogue, Final Episode

It was our last day.  Jake literally held back tears as he said goodbye to the black bear in the lobby of the inn.  He obviously didn't want to go home yet.

Jill, our innkeeper, suggested that we drive up to Stowe and through Smuggler's Notch--a scenic mountain drive.  We were in no real hurry, so we decided to take her advice.  In Stowe, Jake was lucky enough for us to find that the Stowe Volunteer Fire Company was having an open house to celebrate the opening of their new (and incredibly huge) station.  Climbing on trucks ensued.

We passed a number of chocolate and cheese places--if we had stopped at each of them, we'd never get home.  But not far from the inn, in Waterbury Center, we stopped at Cold Hollow Cider Mill.  Their store sold all sorts of knickknacks, but mostly food items--cider BBQ sauces and mustards, jellies and jams, they're own maple syrup and much more. 

Of course, their main item is apple cider.  They weren't in production since it was Saturday, so we couldn't see it being made, but they had a huge tank of cider where you could fill a sample cup (or 2 or 3 or 6, in Jake's case).  I have to say that it was the best cider I've ever tasted in my life.  Just enough sweetness and tanginess, crisp and clean.  I regret not buying some.  It was that good.  Cider is one of Jakester's favorite drinks--always has been--and he loved it. 

 

We didn't buy any cider, but we did buy a couple apple cider donuts.  Now, I don't know if you ever had anything like these before (someone told me that they have them at Tabora).  They don't look like much.  Just a donut.  But they're warm, a little crispy on the outside, wonderfully soft on the inside and filled with apple flavor.  Man, it's a good thing I don't live around this place.  I could have eaten a dozen of them (only had 1, though).  (Oh boy, I just realized that they sell their donut mix on line!)

A beautiful last drive through the beautiful Vermont mountains took us back toward Shelburne, where, a little south of there, we drove onto the ferry to take us across the lake to New York and home.  As we floated across, we pointed out to Jake that behind us was Vermont.  He again got teary and said that he didn't want to go home yet.  I don't think any of us really did. 

Vermont Travelogue, Continued...

We move on to Friday--a beautiful day.  Sunny, breezy, about 80.  Perfect weather to visit Shelburne Farms.

Shelburne Farms is a 1400 acre working farm (circa mid-1800's) on the shores of Lake Champlain.  It includes an inn and is also a non-profit environmental education center.  The buildings are simply gorgeous.  Stonework, cedar shingles, copper roofing.  And the barn building (shown here) is immense.  Really impressive.

The farm houses farm animals of many kinds--chickens, goats, alpacas, horses, cows, miniature donkeys, rabbits, turkeys.  You know how sometimes you go to a farm and the animals seem, well, kind of shabby?  Not the case at Shelburne.  These animals are cared for by a staff that loves to share their knowledge and love of farming with the visitors. 

With our little farmer-to-be, we were there literally all day.  But there was plenty to do.  By the end of the day, most of the crowds had left and that opened it up for Jake to do all sorts of cool things--holding and feeding 2-day old goats, feeding a baby cow, milking a cow and a goat, feeding the horses, holding a bunny.  He was in heaven.   

During the day, we took a long walk around the grounds on some of the many paths.  We visited their "market garden" where they raise all the vegetables served in the inn's restaurants.  The gardens were impeccably cared for and really colorful with the many varieties of vegetables they grow. 

After the long walk, I was hungry and, luckily, they have a food stand there offering all sorts of delicious sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods, etc--all made from local ingredients (some from the farm).  I had a delicious local turkey sandwich with pesto and fresh greens on homemade bread and a wonderful salad.  Jake snacked on a soft pretzel made with the farm's own cheddar cheese (the cheese was mixed in the dough, so he didn't know it--we told him later). 

Speaking of the farm's cheddar, it's some of the best you'll ever taste.  They make it right there on the farm using raw milk from their purebred herd of Brown Swiss cows.  They offer a number of kinds: aged 6-8 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years.  The youngest cheese is mild and creamy.  As the aging gets longer, the cheese gets sharper and more complex.  They also have hickory smoked, something they call tractor cheese (cheese that sort of takes on a mind of it's own as it ages and doesn't come out the way it's expected) and another kind (I'm forgetting what they call it) that's made in a much more labor-intensive way, so it's much more expensive (about $21/pound).  It is incredible.  A little hard with a crunch (sort of like Parmesan) and an intense taste.  Really amazing stuff.  In 2009, they earned Best 12-month Cheddar, Best Smoked Cheddar (3rd year in a row), Best Cheddar Spread and 3rd Place Best Mature Cheddar (their 2-year) from the Amercan Cheese Society.  Read more about their cheeses and how they make them here.

In the picture above, the cork-shaped curds are in the molds ready to be pressed into 40-pound blocks.

A bakery also is right there on the farm.  A wide variety of artisan breads and pastries are made by hand.  Man, it smelled good in there. (Forgot to take a picture.  Sorry!)

So do you need to have an animal-crazed kid to enjoy Shelburne Farms?  It helps, but it isn't necessary.  It's a wonderful place to visit, learn, relax and eat.  Well worth the trip.

Next time, we head home...but not before eating some more goodies!

Vermont Travelogue, Continued...

A little rain on Thursday made us do some indoor activities that we had planned.  (But not before we enjoyed a great breakfast--choice of omelet or incredibly fluffy pancakes; bacon, sausage and/or corned beef hash; hash browns or home fries; and fresh baked toasted bread.  No lunch needed.) 

We started with one of Jake's most anticipated events--our tour of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in Waterbury.  The tour itself isn't all that much--a video of the history of the company, a look down on the productions floor as they make and package the ice cream and then a visit to the tasting room, where you get a free sample.  (We had Cho-cow-late Chip--vanilla ice cream with cow-shaped chocolate pieces.  Tasty.) 

Ben & Jerry's is one of those company's, though, that started out local and small and grew to be a giant.  But they still stand by many of their original principles--local ingredients (all of their milk is from VT farms) and service to the community.  You can add a good sense of humor and fun in there, too.  The tour guides and most everyone who work there seem to be actually having a good time.  You've never heard so many cow puns as on our tour.  It was great.  ("Please mooooove to your right.")

 

After B&J's, we headed to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne.  Another short tour geared more for kids, but it is kind of interesting to see how they make these bears by hand.  Of course, Jake got a dog at the teddy bear factory, but that's OK. 

We then stumbled upon beautiful Mt. Philo State Park.  The rain had stopped, so we went on a great hike--Devil's Chair Trail--with vistas of the mountains, Lake Champlain and acres of rolling farmland.  This ended up being Jake's (and our) favorite part of the day.  "Let's go find more mysteries in the woods!"  If there is rock climbing, he's happy.

All that exercise brought on a much needed nap for the Jakester as we drove into Burlington to walk around by the lake front and get some dinner.  Burlington is a very nice, very small city.  I'm not sure how it is for the arts and things like that, but there certainly are loads of interesting places to eat.

Many of them--probably most of them--are part of the Vermont Fresh Network (VFN), an organization that "encourages farmers, food producers and chefs to work directly with each other to build partnerships. Building these regional connections contributes to stronger local communities and their economies."  Their distinctive green logo is posted on many restaurants you come across--whether in the city or out in the middle of nowhere. 

Having been promoting our screening of Fresh: The Movie (see May 26 post), local farming is kind of on my mind and I love the idea of farmers and chefs and restaurateurs working together to serve the freshest, most nutritious foods all the while making the local economies prosper. 

We ate at The Skinny Pancake, a locally owned creperie in Burlington.  A member of the VFN, they even have a map of Vermont on the wall that shows where all their food comes from.  Food wrapped in crepes...we were a little worried that it might not be filling enough.  WRONG.  It was delicious and a lot of food.  We got some fries (the only thing crepe-related) and artichoke/spinach dip with fried crepe chips.  Very good.  My dinner was chicken, pesto, roasted peppers, grilled onions & VT cheddar in a scallion crepe.  MB got pulled pork with VT cheddar and a sweet/spicy whiskey sauce (that's her's in the picture).  Jake isn't one for things wrapped up, so they actually deconstructed his--ham, chopped apples and the crepe (all of which were very tasty--especially the smoky ham).  He didn't get the cheese--you may know that he's about the only kind in the USA that doesn't like cheese.  Fresh tasting, well prepared, fun atmosphere--we recommend it if you're in that neck of the woods.

Later in Burlington, we stopped at a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop for dessert.  Obviously, Jake enjoyed his cone of Chocolate Therapy--dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate-chocolate chip cookies and chocolate fudge swirl.  I got a scoop of it, too--really good--as well as one of their new flavors for 2010--Peanut Brittle.  A good way to end the day.

Next time...baby goats, very fresh milk, more local food and some of the best cheddar you'll ever taste.

Vermont Travelogue, Continued...

We stayed at the Black Bear Inn in Bolton Valley, VT--a 4 mile drive up a mountain.  The inn needs a little bit of updating decor-wise, but it was clean, the innkeepers were extremely friendly and accommodating and the food was outstanding. 

Our family package included dinner (app, entree & dessert for all 3 of us--including a large children's menu), a full breakfast each morning and passes to 3 of the attractions that we were going to visit anyway.  (More about that later.)

We settled into our room--with a beautiful mountain view--and had dinner at the inn that night.  I must admit, the menu and the quality of the food wasn't what I was expecting.  It was exceptional.  I had Wild Mushroom Soup, Orange/Nutmeg Marinated Duck Breast with Honey/Maple Glaze (even Jake tried and liked this) and Apple Caramel Torte.  MB had a nice Caesar Salad, Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce & Mountain Berry Tart.  Jake chose plain fettuccine (big surprise there) and since the veggies of the night weren't to his liking, they cut up some raw carrot for him.  He finished with Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream.  Wine was not part of our package, but we still got a glass from a list of about 10 or so.

Jill, one of the innkeepers, told us how there was a bullfrog pond nearby where  moose often drank.  We found the pond and the frogs, but no moose, unfortunately.  And no, frog legs weren't on the menu.  Still, we had a nice walk and then turned in to go to bed (and watch the Flyers game). 

 Next time...ice cream, teddy bears, crepes and a great hike.

Vermont Travelogue

Last week we spent a few days in the beautiful state of Vermont.  I'm sure many of you have been there to ski, but if you've not been there this time of year, put it on your list of things to do.

The best word to describe Vermont in spring is...green!  The mountains are just covered with deep green trees as far as you can see.  Really quite incredible. 

Admittedly, we were a little worried about this trip the way things started out.  We left later than we wanted to and thus, hit some major traffic.  Then, somewhere in Connecticut, MB realized that we forgot Jake's sneakers.  The same sneakers that we bought last weekend specifically so he had some good ones for the trip.  So, now he has 2 pairs of new sneakers.  Oh well.

Sorry to say, to save some time, we hit the fast food drive-thru on the way up.  McDonald's.  Haven't been to one them in a long time--years.  I have to say, though, I got some sort of chicken ranch sandwich that--dare I say it--tasted pretty good!  MB got a burger that she enjoyed, but she made the mistake of reading the "nutrition" information on the side of the box.  Something like 760 calories and 30-some grams of fat.  Yikes!  Suddenly, more hiking was on our itinerary.

We stopped at Simon Pearce Glass in Quechee, VT and saw the glassblowers working.  Fascinating--almost hypnotic.  In fact, we asked the guy we were watching how he got into glassblowing.  He said, he was visiting, watched the artists working and decided that he wanted to do that, too.  So he did.  (That's him behind Jake in the picture making the candlestick 2nd from the right.)

One of the things that Jake was looking forward to most was seeing the Vermont Yak Company farm.  Yaks are raised in VT mostly because they can handle the rough winters.  The meat is said to be sweet and healthier than beef.  We looked, but just couldn't find it.  I was disappointed, too.  I was really interested in tasting some yak jerky or something like that.

Well, that's where I'll stop for today.  Keep reading in the coming days for more!

Musings

Just a few things while getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend to start...

What are your Memorial Day plans?  As the "unofficial start to summer", I'm sure there will be plenty of grills working this weekend.  We'll be at my sister/brother-in-law's celebrating the 8th birthday of my nephew, Ethan.  His bday is actually on Sunday--the same day as my parents' 46th wedding anniversary.  Congrats, Mom & Dad!

We're taking a trip to Vermont for a few days very soon.  Jake's very excited.  We're going to try to see a yak farm (they thrive in the VT winters!), a glassblower, Ben & Jerry's, Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Shelburne Farm (a huge working farm with animals, educational stuff, cheese making, walking paths, etc).  I was just reading an article about a town called Hardwick, which is the home to a large number of cooperative food businesses that basically saved the town.  We might try to visit there--it's supposed to have a great organic gourmet restaurant.  Have you been to VT?  What do you like to do there?

Farmers' markets are starting to open all around the area.  I'll be making 3 appearances at 3 different markets throughout the summer--Ottsville, Plumsteadville Grange & Indian Valley.  Look for more info in the future.

Enjoy your holiday weekend.  Eat well, have fun, be safe and don't forget to take some time out to reflect on those that we honor with the day.  Things could be quite different around here if it weren't for them.