It's May!

After what seemed like an endless winter, we've been given another season with extreme velocity. I have lived in Florida and I know hurricanes. I have never seen so much rain, over so many days. And it looks like this week will add to the mess. Right now, I am grateful that my outdoor art fair days are a memory and not something I am having to deal with regularly. As much as I really loved doing the festivals, extreme weather could sure take the joy out of it. Wind was enemy numero uno. Rain, a close second. If I was at a show that had a number of amateur artists there was always the risk that the amateur's booths would be blown into yours and total your booth. That was because they seldom respected the wind and had no real concept of tethering down their booth. The Walnut Festival in Springfield is notorious for always having at least one day of extreme weather.

Our only instance of being affected by last week's weather came on Wednesday or Thursday when it rained REALLY hard during the lunch hour. Even though we have a fairly new roof, the east wall adjoins a 2-story building and water was able to seep into the edge of the flat roof. We were scrambling to get pots, pans, aluminum roasters, etc under all the leaks. We had to remove my quilts as the water was moving along the swales in the corduroy ceiling and dripping onto the quilts. We had quite the concert as all the pots collected water and it was very dark and gloomy. If the weather goes per most years, typically the worst of the weather should be gone by week's end.

Were you one of the lucky few who got to enjoy last week's morels? Hopefully, the local foragers will be back with another load. There are several varieties of local edible mushrooms in the Ozarks. We also have lots of edible wild greens and berries. Watch for them in our weekly menus. Often, they will appear unannounced as I am dependent on what is found and delivered—usually with little warning.

Have you tried our new Pomegranate/ Blueberry Lemonade? It is currently available daily. I hope we can add more exotic beverage options as the weeks progress. Do you have favorite summer drinks? Tell me about them! You can also order an Arnold Palmer— that famous mix of iced tea and lemonade.

Bruce has been busy lately experimenting with refrigerator pickles. We now have dill; sweet and sour; and bread and butter varieties. We make them in-house and use only fresh ingredients. Ask for them as an add-on to your lunch.

Bruce has also been playing with deviled eggs. This is a perennial favorite for the home cook, but seldom seen in restaurants. Bruce's kick these already-luscious treats to a higher level by topping them with shrimp or crab. Because we use local free-range eggs, the yolks are quite yellow. Almost an ochre. And it is sheer fun to peel those green and brown shells. Some are even speckled.

Have you noticed we've been populating our courtyard with containers of herbs, peppers, tomatoes and flowering plants? I am sure all this rain will give them a bounteous start. I am also starting nasturtiums so we can top your salads with fresh, edible flowers. Were you one of the lucky ones to get violets or red bud blossoms on your salad a couple of weeks ago? I've also started a couple of planters in the back. Hopefully, this will make our back door stand out so that those coming for to-go pick-up can easily spot the steps and run in to get their meals. Besides, it is prettier than plain ole wood and stone walls.

This week includes Cinco de Mayo. Our Texas roots have included many a celebration for this festive holiday. To celebrate here we are going to make Gorditas—slow roasted pulled pork—and serve it with a fresh slaw on soft flour or corn tortillas along with some Spanish rice. I'll make some black bean soup and we'll whip up a pitcher of virgin margaritas! We'll extend our celebration into Friday night where we will offer fajitas—both elk and beef.

And speaking of Friday night— It is First Friday and that means Open Mic. Last month was a blast!!! We welcome all who wish to share their talents with us. Bring along your favorite audience so they can enjoy you, too. I have a vegetarian Pesto Pasta Primavera, Elk and Beef Fajitas, and Trout Meuniere (Rainbow Trout with a white wine/shallot/lemon/butter sauce). The elk and trout are sourced locally. If you have Friday night entertainment to attend at 7pm, we can get you fed and out the door. Or stick around and enjoy the entertainment our crowd will provide. We are working to build alliances with the Avenue Theater and the Civic Center to make it easy to dine before a Friday night event.  Sorry. We cannot do Saturday night at this juncture due to care giving activities with my mom.

 This week's menu offerings—

Monday~Leek and Morel Tart with Potato Tabbuleh Salad; Chicken, mushroom and rice soup
Tuesday~Chicken Mole Tamales with salsa and Spanish rice
Wednesday~Spanish Potato and Vidalia Onion Tortilla (Spanish for omelet) served with Spinach and Arugula Salad
Thursday~Cinco de Mayo! Gorditas with Spanish Rice; Black Bean Soup; Virgin Margaritas
Friday~ lunch~Potato and Cabbage Pirogies with smoked turkey sausage.
 dinner~Beef or Elk Fajitas; Trout Meuniere; Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Primavera

See you soon!!!!— Susana