This is our second newsletter and hope you are finding some of the information useful. We want the newsletter to be more than just a promotional tool. Our goal is to provide a seasonal guide to local foods with various recipes utilizing those products. We really want you to look forward to receiving our little newsletter. Hopefully "NO SPAM" at this address! Let us know what you think.....
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New Menu Ingredients
.Every spring we spend a lot of time searching out new ingredients. We recently attended the Black River Produce show that featured a variety of new ingredients. With an emphasis on locally produced foods and sustainable agriculture, we were impressed with the vast array of enticing new ingredients. I would love to be able to incorporate everything we saw into our menu! A new "micro green", lemon basil is now part of our Pescatora. We love the fresh lemony flavor and the texture fresh lemon basil gives to all the seafood and pasta. We also spent time with local cheese producers and will feature "Tarentaise" Cheese which is a great tasting mild cheese and of course we anxiously await Major Farm "shepards" cheese. In the coming months we will tell other new products. Vermont is a great place to eat!
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Recipe For May
We are currently featuring fresh Ahi Tuna, Ahi being the #1 quality Tuna used for Sushi. We get our Tuna from the Honolulu Fish Co, which deals in premium quality Pacific Ocean seafood. We feel the quality is so good that it is worth he cost of Fed Ex Air Freight. We also purchase line caught Tasmanian Salmon, which is outstanding. Tuna is a very lean fish and is best seared in a very hot saute pan. We use olive oil (almost smoking) and sear the Tuna for about 1 to 2 minutes per side depending on thickness. Avoid overcooking, you will dry the fish out. If you prefer your fish more well done bake the Tuna for a few more minutes. A variety of sauces and vinaigrette are great with Tuna, but we especially enjoy a Pinot Noir reduction. Coat the Tuna with cracked black or white pepper. While this sauce is not complicated, it does require a veal or beef stock and fish stock. Both these stocks will be reviewed in our cooking classes this fall. Although not as full flavored, try reducing Pinot Noir with beef bouillon cubes. When reduced to a sauce like consistency, add cold butter (1 Tbs.) at a time, whisking to a create a thicker sauce. Use as much butter as you feel comfortable with. Needless to say the more butter the better.
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Small Plates Update
We are really excited about everyone's response to our new "small plates menu". Most people have really liked the smaller portion aspect, while others have appreciated the nutritious aspect of our Thai Stir Fry and fresh Haddock special. Naturally everyone is appreciative of the price point. We will continue to change the menu to on a bi-weekly basis to focus on fresh seasonal ingredients. Currently our menu for small plates includes; "Jumbo" Sea Scallops wrapped in prosciutto with lemon basil brown butter. A 12oz. New York (Black Angus) Strip Steak with Maitre d butter and sauteed mushrooms. My favorite, Thai Shrimp Stir Fry with seasonal vegetable over Jasmine Rice.... All small plates come with a garden salad and appropriate accompaniments. We are seeing a lot of restaurants going to "Prix Fixe" to include three courses or ala carte menus, we think our small plates are a better value and hope you do too!
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Free Dinner for Two
Each month we pick a name from those of you who signed up for our monthly newsletter. Your name will stay in the pool through 2009 The winner for the month of April is Ruth Sterling of Keene N.H. Congratulations Ruth!
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