I can already feel a change of season, though I know this week will be rather hot. At least the nights are a bit cooler and the attic fan is able to do its thing, sucking in the night air over where we lay, making it cool enough by morning to be glad of the light blanket. This is my favorite time of year for traveling. With the cafe firmly in place that isn't likely to happen until the winter holidays. We already have 2 Saturday catering gigs here at the cafe. With the new side open, and due for a fresh coat of paint, it'll be a nice gathering spot for parties and affairs. Please keep us in mind as you plan your holiday events. We have had more and more folks mentioning trying to come see us on Mondays at lunch. We have resisted being opening for that time slot as Jon and I are personally maxed out on our physical exertion. However, we now have enough staff to give it a try. So starting NEXT WEEK, we will be open for lunch only on Mondays. Rick, Paula and BJ will man their battle stations and deliver your lunches this additional day. Tuesdays has such a long prep list that Rick has been coming in on Mondays just to get ahead of the game. We'll stick to our printed lunch menu for starters. Later on, assuming this goes well, we'll introduce some Monday daily specials. After the New Year we might consider being open Saturday evenings. As always we seek your feedback and ideas.
Soups are back! We look forward to serving you a long list of customer favorites plus the addition of some new explorations. We'll start the week off with an onion, apple and cheddar soup. Despite having a pound of sharp cheddar in the broth, it isn't a thick, cheesey soup. Instead it has a fairly light broth. We cooked down a giant pot of onions, carmelizing them over many hours. Fresh apples were sliced thinly and added to the pot. I think you'll find this soup has all the elements of an autumn soup, while maintaining a desirable lightness. $3.49/$4.99/$5.59. The largest is a 16 oz to-go cup.
I have a fresh batch of silk scarves to share with you. I got to spend several hours in my studio this weekend and loved every minute of it. I have the beading on the corners to do to finish this new batch of fall colors. I have not raised the price on my scarves in over 5 years. But this will be the last batch until I can buy a slew more. I know the wholesale cost of the silk blanks will be way higher next time. So enjoy the price of $40/ each or 3/$100 while they last. The Arkansas History Museum in Little Rock has been buying them from me for about 8 years, as well as Blue Stem Fine Crafts Gallery in Columbia. With my time pretty well committed to making the cafe survive, my time in the studio is both precious and rare. One area of play I have missed is dyeing and printing fabric. My next project will likely be printing and dyeing fabric to be the new seat cushions on the cafe chairs. I'll be using stamps I have made to add elements of cooking to the material—like images of sliced veggies and herbs as well as patterns I enjoy. Watch for these updates.
One of my favorite seasonal harvests is the Hatch peppers from New Mexico. You know those glorius red chili ristras you see in New Mexico? Well, if they don't allow them to go red, they harvest them now. Then they are charred and blistered to remove the skin. With the skin still on, but blistered, the chilis are then frozen for later use. When thawed the chilis shed their skins quite easily. We'll be doing an entire case next weekend. I found both hot and mild ones at Harps in Thayer and ordered a case of the mild for us. You see us use those peppers every time we make the white chicken chili and the creamy chicken enchiladas. They'll be along shortly.
Now here's this week's menu specials~~
Tuesday lunch~pesto pizzas with fresh mozzarella, ham, kalamata olives, Juliet tomatoes, red onions and shitake mushrooms. $7.50 with side salad.
Wednesday lunch~Turkey meatball sandwich with fresh marinara on French baguette. $7.50 with side.
Thursday lunch~Shrimp and grits. This was a crowd favorite last year. We use lots of good-sized shrimp. Creamy, smooth and somewhat kicky. Served with a side salad $8.50
Friday lunch~Hawaiin chicken salad made with herb poached chicken breast, rice, pineapple, mango, coconut, red onion, cilantro and an orange vinaigrette served atop a bed of romaine lettuce. $7.50
Dinners~~
Flavor Journey~All week~ Japanese glazed baby-back ribs, fresh garlic and spinach sauté, jasmine rice and sushi maki made with cucumber, carrots, avocado and sprouts. $13.99
Seafood~Wed. through Friday only~Pepita-crusted, baked rainbow trout; sweet potato soufflé; cabbage/pepper/onion stirfry. $14.99
Desserts~
Apple upside down cake and a cranberry almond shortbread tart will be made as early in the week as we can manage them.
I hope you are enjoying the evolution of the seasons as much as I am. Have a terrific week.
~~Susan
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