And today is a brand new day...

Just back from NYC...will have some food reviews to post. Also, its CSA day! Will post tonight.

Her Competitive Nature Comes Out

I am itching for a fight. No...a showdown...NO a Dinner Impossible episode!!!!!!! I have thought about competitively cooking for a while. Visions of me in a white apron holding that fabulous pie/cake/entree/appetizer and humbly accepting that WHOPPING check while my fellow contestants look on with seething envy.

"How does she do it? It tastes like pure heaven. Bitch.", they mumble under their breath.

Of course, I am there just for the pure joy of cooking - the money and the admiration are nothing next to the satisfaction I feel from just nourishing my fellow human beings. *sigh*

Of course those who know me are now crying BULLSHIT and they would be right. I have a mean competitive streak. Even the other night it lead me to tormenting a 12 year old after wiping up the floor with him at UNO. Hey, he was the one that started talking smack first. But I digress...

Cooking contests...I am ready to join in on the fray. I have won one contest for some Thai spiced nuts - insert Keith Carradine joke here - I will post the recipe later on. But I need more...maybe the country fair in the fall...but that is too far away. I am scouring this web site for possible options. Anyone got any they think I should go for?

The Dressing Makes All the Difference

So since receiving these lovely (though I have to admit also gritty) salad greens, it has felt a bit...um...sacriligious to put regular goopy store bought dressing on their delicate leaves. Inspired by my step mother who has a famous old Grey Poupon jar that doubles as a salad dressing maker, I make a fabulous EASY dressing for almost any type of salad.

Honey Mustard Dressing by Yours Truly (psssst...thats me)

1 TB Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard (yes yes I have tried others including the REAL french ones and NOPE not even close)
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh chopped garlic
2 tsp. honey
pinch of salt and pepper

Now all of these measurements are subject to your personal taste. I say add all the items and then start adding more and tasting along the way. Some people like a more tart taste - more vinegar. Others - more sweet hence more honey.

If you are really fancy - blend them all in a blender for a really creamy dressing. I prefer a jam jar and the old "shake" method = less dishes to wash. I can also keep the extra in the fridge for the next day.

I encourage you to dress the salad as opposed to just pouring it over the greens and eating. Greens really don't need a lot of help to taste good. So go easy and toss the greens lightly with some dressing. Soggy leaves are nasty - even if its with this fabulous dressing.

Enjoy!

A

First PickUp from Bread and Roses

What a lovely way to close a day. I arrived just at the tail end of pick up. Here is the list of delights that I picked.

• 1/2 pd. Arugula


• 1/2 pd Mixed greens


• 3/4 pd Spinach


• Radishes
  
• Turnips


• 1 huge bunch of Choi


• Does Leap Goat Cheese


• Jerico organic eggs
  
• Garlic Chives

Last night's dinner: Adam's 7 seed bread, Does Leap goat cheese, garlic chives, Malden Smoked Salt flakes and a lovely mixed greens salad.

Maybe a roadtrip down south - y'all?

As I looked over the last few postings I noticed a trend my posts...BBQ. Here is an article from the NY Times on South Carolina BBQ. Mmmmmmm.....

Scott’s Variety Store and Bar-B-Q in Hemingway, S.C.

Oh this must be my problem!

http://consumerist.com/5285728/take-currency-symbols-off-the-menu-restaurant-patrons-spend-more

Westford Farmer's Market Opens Tomorrow!

I am so excited my town's farmers market opens tomorrow. My neighbor Mark is the local bread supplier - Mollybean Breads - named after his precocious daughter Molly. That little blond girl walked right up to my door and invited herself in. I have cats you see. :-)

Also, Bread and Roses CSA will be there. I signed up for the small share with the weekly dose of Doe's Leap Goat Cheese. Consuming more goat milk than cow's milk nowadays.

Come on out! Then off to the Burlington Farmers Market on Saturday. I am in heaven!

Westford Farmers Market - Friday 3:30pm - 6:30pm

The Quest for BBQ

I have loved BBQ since I was little. My grandmothers were from North Carolina and they made that delicious peppery-vinegar BBQ. Top it with some coleslaw on a squishy white bun and you were in heaven. My grandmothers have both passed but my mother carries on the tradition but with her own flair - gourmet buns, more hot sauce then my grandmothers would have thought proper and her own stellar coleslaw.

But as I grew older the saucy BBQ of Texas also caught me. That lovely beef with a slight carmelization and then doused with sweet and tangy sauce. Um....um...where am I? Oh yeah BBQ.

Vermont has amazing food. We do. Local...fresh...tasty. But a little lacking in spice. So when I heard of a new BBQ place in Waterbury opening up - I convinced M to take a ride. (it was really hard I tell you - "Hey want to go for BBQ?" *his eyes glazed over and he reached for the keys*.

The name of the place escaped me...I mean Waterbury ain't that big. The place proclaimed to have excellent BBQ and southern sides. We traveled to Waterbury and no luck. Thanks to M's web phone we found LocalFolk Smokehouse in Waitsfield. The place was a lovely dive for bikers. $2 dollar drafts - a bonus for M and quick service.

The menu read like a typical Smokehouse. Combo plates of ribs (pork), pulled pork, BBQ chicken. Sides - mac and cheese, baked beans, slaw. The decor was very divish and rustic - as they should be though my chair was a bit rickety and seeing as I was about to consume large amounts of BBQ made me nervous.

We started with grilled andouille sausage. M is a big sausage fan and for me it is a guilty pleasure after reading Upton Sinclair's The Jungle one too many times. "How many workers lost fingers in the making of this sausage?" The sausage was ok but I wanted more spice in mine. So - Grade C.

We ordered the Pork Ribs and the Pulled pork with Mac and Cheese, Baked Beans and Slaw. I missing one side and maybe M will help me out. Can we hear the WAWAHHHHH please?

No carmelization on the ribs or the pulled. The sauce was ok - tangy like I like it. But the ribs were tough not fall of the bone as is expected. The pulled pork was the better part of the meal but still lacked those lovely crispy bits. The side were poor. Greasy mac and cheese, so so baked beans, slaw that had NO seasoning - the cardinal sin!

We left disappointed. Good dive bar for a good beer and fun location but skip the food.

Luckily I found the name of the bbq place in Waterbury - Cider House BBQ. Stay tuned for Thrusday night's bbq adventure.

On the menu at home tonight - stuffed chicken breasts with goat cheese, baby spinach, sun dried tomatoes over salad greens.

A

The Dead Have Arisen!

And they have risen in Burlington, Vermont. Hi all....its been a while. But I am ready to start blogging again.

I won't go over the last 6 months in detail. The bare facts are...I live in Westford, Vermont in a beautiful, cute saltbox house in the woods. I have a newly planted herb garden and I am now starting to cook regularly.

So we are off....tonight since there is a dearth of good Mexican food I will be attempting healthy chicken enchiladas!

Wish me luck... A