October 25-29--Beef & barley soup; Antipasto salad

Man! Life just got more interesting! We have 2 possible buyers for the trailer. What that means is that we MAY be able to move into a permanent indoor location sooner than expected. But it also could mean that we have to close completely for a couple of weeks. BUT NOT YET!!!!!!!!!

This week's forecast is pretty nice after Tuesday. I have a new recipe for Beef and Barley Soup that comes from the New England Soup Factory. Those guys are famous for their rich, from-scratch soups. It uses beef stew meat and braises for a good long while to completely soften the beef. The pearled barley is one of the most nutritious grains out there. For years one of my favorite canned soups was Scotch Broth, which is basically a beef and barley soup. So when I was reading the ingredient list I went Hmmmmm! This is a stick-to-your-ribs type soup.

The salad is familiar as I am doing the Antipasto salad again. It is also a very filling salad. Downright Manly!!!  With provolone, kalamata olives, fennel leaves, tomato, red onion, corned beef, basil, pasta noodles and asiago on a bed of Romaine and that lovely dressing that is lemon and olive oil based.

Speaking of salads-- The Fuji chicken salad we served last week got rave reviews and is now a regular part of the menu. In case you missed it, it has fresh sliced Fuji apples, feta, craisins, red onion, candied pecans and Jon's awesome wood-fiired chicken on a bed of Romaine with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing-- Heaven on a plate.

 Haven't decided on the "return visit" treat yet-- but I am pretty sure it will be chocolate-based. If you arrive in costume during the week you will also be eligible for my treat--Tuesday or later.

Bring a new customer along and you each get $1 off.your lunch. We need to get the word out very fast now, as we'll be making some changes soon and need to have a strong email list.

We hope to see you this week and look forward to visiting with you. Mancha!

October 18-22 Portabella Brie Bisque & Chicken Salad with Apples, Craisins, & Pecans

I'm a day late posting as we lost a day somewhere. Mom was in the hospital and it kinda scrambled our time. But as of Tuesday morning we have our soup of the week-- Portabella Brie Bisque. This is the return of one of our most popular soups, yet. I got 2 lbs of Portabellas from those nice people at Willow Mountain Mushroom. They are exceedingly fresh. I'll be using rice as the thickener. Although it is pretty thick, the amount of dairy is fairly low.  The brie adds a nice delicate touch. $3.49 cup/ 4.99 bowl

I chose a new salad as my next special. Let's call it Fuji Chicken Salad.  I'll begin with the usual chopped Romaine base. To that I'll add sliced fresh fuji apple, craisins, candied pecans, red onions, Jon's wood fired chicken and feta cheese. Balsamic Vinaigrette is the recommended choice for a dressing but you can have any of our homemade dressings on it. $5.99

Thursday and Friday this week I'll do California Rolls with Miso Soup. $6.25

We hope you will join us this week. If you'd like to see a particular soup or other special-- please tell us. We are here to feed you. To that end we are wanting to know what you want.

BTW-- I finally got the new cookies made for the return visit treat.-- Pistachio rosemary white chocolate. Intriguing and yummy.

October 11-15 Italian pork stew & chicken tortilla soup

Score!!!!! I bought up the remainder of Mary Badiny's basil crop. This image is the bin of basil leaves after I have removed all the stems and flower heads and seeds. It started as a HEAVY garbage sack. I should be able to make enough pesto to make it through the winter. I'll be freezing it. I think I may even have enough to sell some 4 oz containers of it. This is organic basil and the pesto is made using walnuts, asaigo cheese, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and some salt. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing some.

The soup this week is Chicken tortilla soup. I've been looking forward all week to making this. It has become a family favorite. The chicken is pulled and chopped. Lots of corn, black beans, and plenty of spicy punch from fresh chiles but not overly hot..

The second special this week is an Italian pork stew served over polenta. It cooks for many hours and is very tender. Its Italian-ness comes from the use of fennel, orange peel and rosemary. I know, sounds like a strange combination. Think Italian sauasage for flavor direction but it uses pork shoulder. It also has a goodly amount of tomatoes. The polenta is made using corn meal and is allowed to firm up. I'll be saute-ing it before piling the stew over the top. Yum!

Many of you have asked about our move indoors.We are making good progress.  We have the trailer for sale so that we can use the proceeds to purchase kitchen equipment. Don't freak out if you drive by and suddently the trailer is gone. If you'll check the blog and/or facebook we'll be telling you where to find us soon after.We may HAVE to be closed for a week or so when the time comes in order to get our equipment and get moved in. We are not disappearing-- we are upgrading! Mostly, thanks to the support you have shown us, we are looking to be able to move to an inside location so you can visit us year around and not have to face nasty elements while dining. We are looking toward a November- December timeframe. Nothing has been firmed up and all options are still being considered.

This week's "return visit" treat is a cookie that won Epicurious' annual recipe contest. It is Rosemary PistachioWhite Chocolate Chip Cookies. This will be available to those making at least two trips to see us this week. I love picking unusual treats for this prize. Since they are not available for sale, it is fun to choose based on interesting flavors.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you-- hopefully this week. It is a real joy to be getting to know everyone. This town has some delightful gems.

Hasta manana.

October 4-8 Chicken curry & Lentil soup

Well around here the seasons change like the flip of a switch. It was one of the real joys we discovered after moving here from Florida. Can you imagine going 6 years with no spring? or fall? Actually in Florida, these seasonal changes happen a week apart in early February. One week the leaves are finally falling and the next week the new leaves emerge.The week after that the tent worms take over. Orange trees don't even have to have dropped their fruit before new blossums and fruit forms. Here ends the geography lesson for today.

Actually-- we are going to be visiting the Middle East again. This week I am making another family favorite-- chicken curry. I use lots of fresh chicken and fresh ginger, plenty of coconut milk and lime and curry. But this will not be a hot curry. So if you are relatively new to curries- fear not. If someone wants theirs real hot, I'll pass them the habanero sauce. I'll serve it over a bed of jasmine rice and with a side of fresh fruit. It will be plenty juicy and stick-to-your-ribs filling.

We are still recovering from an overwhelmingly busy weekend. So I will make the soup starting on Tuesday. This week's soup will be lentil soup with wholewheat cornbread. This is NOT a vegetarian version. I use lots of smoked sausage (beef and turkey), garlic, carrots and basil. Perfect for a cool weather treat. It can get quite thick-- like a stew. As always, you are welcome to taste a sample.

Our search for an indoor, permanent location continues. We appreciate that several of you have your eye out and are open to bright, resourceful solutions. I have great confidence that the right solution will reveal itself shortly-- and may already have. Last week we had three record days in a row. Each time the numbers went up, we looked at ways to make it go smoother while maintaining our high quality standards. It is almost scary to look back and realize just HOW MUCH we have learned in the last 2 months. My committment to creating delicious food using the freshest, locally sourced (when possible) ingredients has been like a light through the fog of confusing options.  I especially enjoyed being able to serve locally grown Chambourcin grapes and local Jonathon apples last week. As that grape makes my favorite Missouri wine, it was fun to taste it in its raw form.

Later in the week, watch for the new tablecloths. Autumn! Just today I noticed that the turkey vultures have once again arrived and this morning I spied a bald eagle soaring overhead. Aren't they early this year?

We look forward to seeing you this week. The "return visit" treat will be a surprise even to me!
Have a great week!