W/E November 9th The denuding of the trees

Last week's tree colors were pretty spectacular. This week I expect to see the trees drop their leaves and the glorious spectrum of color will dim. Then the season of lines and silhouettes takes over. As you probably already know from my art, I love the contrasts of lines against the sky. I love how suddenly I can see the hawks nestled in their overseers' perches, previously hidden by foliage. I hope the vultures return to Thayer this year. They skipped us entirely last year. When 500+ vultures are a no-show, I notice! They  were one of my Dad's favorite things to watch.

I am quite thrilled to see so many community events this year. The Stroll on the Square that salutes local artists and merchants brought in lots of folks to view Gail Rowley's nature photography last weekend. Phil Wages' organized Home Brew Festival got many folks out to taste local beers at the Yellow House Community Arts Center. The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival brought hundreds of kids to our door for candy. Even with 9 large bags of candy, we still missed a couple of hundred of them (and I didn't get one single piece).  It is lovely to see the level of community involvement, and it happens only because unsung heroes make it happen with huge amounts of effort going on behind the scene. They often meet for months of weekly meetings, launch themselves over unexpected hurdles, and land, though somewhat winded, on their feet and still make it all come together. We are fortunate to live in a community that values having events families and friends can enjoy. So many of us live in rather isolated rural locations where it is easy to go for weeks without another human voice. It is important to keep people having reasons to meld together, and we are proud to be a part of that community.

The music Friday night was quite spectacular. I love hearing a female voice singing the jazz standards and Beci was super! She and Kent Coffey really had the place moving to the beat. We look forward to a return visit from them soon. They were very impressed with the caliber of our audience. You made us proud!!!

This week Renée Wood will join forces with Jon Lumsden and David Moore as the Renée Wood Trio, playing jazz Friday night. They routinely play tunes you'll recognize while making them sound anything BUT routine. The combination of saxophone, jazz guitar and light drums will carry you to the clubs of a big city without all the time on the road. As usual, reservations are strongly suggested for Friday night. You might not know this if you are new to our Friday nights, but we do not make any effort to turn the tables. In other words, you are free to stay and hear the band as long as you like without feeling you need to move along and let others sit there. Just get comfy.

The food this week really celebrates the cooler weather we are expecting. The seafood will be a fish stew from Brazil. It actually is very similar in flavor to a Thai fish stew. (Yes, I know, neither are especially cold locations.) So, if you like Thai you'll most likely enjoy this as well. The recipe uses bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, cumin, coconut milk, tomatoes and lime.  We'll include fish like cod, sole, tilapia, shrimp and mussels. Then top it with a salsa verde. Served with a side salad for $15.99. It is sure to warm you from the inside out. No, it is not spicy in and of itself.

The Flavor Journey is more from Germany than anywhere else, I think. I am doing a beef roulade (roulade means roll) stuffed with peppadew peppers from South Africa, Gouda cheese from Holland, fresh parsley, and cream cheese. The flank steak will then be rolled into a log-like shape and baked. It'll be sauced with a horseradish dill sauce. I'll add some home-made spaetzel (Germany) for a starch and our seasonal stir-fry will round out the dish. $14.99 A good week to feel adventurous.

Now the lunch menu for the week~~
Monday~ Pasta with vegetarian chorizo and mushrooms plus a side salad. $7.79
Tuesday~ Autumn Turkey and Israeli couscous salad with fresh turkey, almonds, cranberries, apple, rosemary, thyme and with a maple syrup vinaigrette   $7.79
Wednesday~ Pork fried rice and veggies; made with our seasonal stir-fry. $7.79
Thursday~ Traditional beef stew made with beef chuck roast, carrots, onions, potatoes. Served with side salad $7.79
Friday~ Pizzadillas—Quesadillas stuffed with pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, cheese and served with a side of marinara sauce and a side salad $7.79

Soup~ unknown but we'll have some!!!
Dessert~ Chocolate hazelnut cake with brandied chocolate glaze. Oh my!

During the month of November it is not uncommon for people to share with others the gifts for which they are grateful. You, our customers have made the last 3+ years a joy and an adventure. I have been allowed a wide range of exploration and creativity. If you had been "stick-in-the-muds" like many others had predicted, I could never have explored so widely. I am grateful for the creativity you have allowed and supported. I feel that my personal mission of expanding your palate is being embraced and you are allowing yourself to be challenged. Whenever I dive into the cuisine of another culture I can be sure that at least one of you will have traveled to that region, will taste my efforts and report how well I've pulled it off. So far, with a lone exception early on, I've managed to duplicate the flavors rather truly. I am grateful for your business, your friendships, and most of all, your caring about all that we do. Thank you.

Have a marvelous week!!!

~~Susan et al.