Simple plans for a busy week w/e December 8th

This is going to be an insane week! We have three catering gigs this week and another 3 next week. We are thrilled to be doing them, but they are demanding an extraordinary level of organization. Fortunately, I was able to learn a few things from last year's experience thus making the learning curve a bit smaller. One of the aspects I learned was to keep other things going on to a simple level.  With that lesson in mind, I am not going to complicate matters by adding a bunch of new foods this week. In fact, I am simply going to discount our usual menu items and treat them as our daily specials. It might not be as exciting on your end, but I am confident we'll still be ble to warm your belly and make you happy.

As the holidays get under way, I would be amiss if I didn't mention that we have gift certificates. What better way to get your friends and employees off to a healthy new year than to give them an opportunity to dine with us? Just to remind you of some of the gems that make us special—our breads are mostly made in house or to our specs by a local baker; we make all our own dressings; you can get a good variety of salads...even at dinner; we use real ingredients, not fake and no hydrogenated fats; we source locally and organically, when possible; we are locally owned; our staff really cares about your experience and we are a happy bunch that are quite pleased you have joined us. In other words...you matter! We can make out gift certificates for any amount while you wait.

I keep watching for the vultures to return to Thayer. They are late this year. I was just looking up last year's blog and for the Nov. 27th post I was remarking how over 500 of them had come in to roost. Hmmm. Perhaps the drought altered things. I'll keep you posted on this natural event! I know you are waiting with baited breath.

Another of our staff I'd like to introduce is Paula Mize. This little bundle of energy just keeps astounding me with her immense heart and warm friendliness. You are most likely to see her when she is refilling your glasses of beverages. When not hiding out behind the counter, she is jumping in on prepping or helping to catch up a mountain of dishes. She is also quite talented in other ways. She is, herself, a fabulous cook and she has tons of experience in floral design. Now when we handle a cater we can also do the flowers and tablescapes. I think of her as Serendipity! She is Rick's mom and came along when we needed someone to fill in for an ailing staff member. She has been here ever since, and we are delighted.

We have not had any live music lately. Part of the reason is that 2 of our most talented musicians work here and we have been so busy we can't easily let them off to play. Jon plays jazz guitar and Rick along with his musical partner Dustin Collins, plays lots of Celtic music on his guitar. We are missing the live music and hope to go into the new year with a lineup. We enjoyed Vinny Ray and his violin with Thom Hoglen on guitar. But it seems he has hit the road and he isn't available. If you know of quality musical talent, please have them check in with Jon for an audition.

Soups this week— Tuesday and Wednesday, Paula's Minestrone; Thursday and Friday, Tomato and Pancetta Soup. Pancetta is an Italian form of rolled ham.

Lunches~~
Tuesday~ Fish tacos with a side; usually $7.25/ only $6.75
Wednesday~ Carnitas with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and torillas chips; usually $7.75/ only $7.25
Thursday~ Equinox Salad; usually $6.99/ only $6.49
Friday~ Spinach salad with wood-fired salmon; usually $5.49 + $3.99/ only $5.49 + $3.49

Dinners~~
Featured Flavor Journey~ Chicken veggie pasta; lots of stir-fried winter vegetables plus chicken in a light creamy pesto sauce on linguine plus soup/salad $13.99
Featured seafood Wood-fired salmon with shallots, white wine, roasted red pepper sauce on penne pasta plus soup/salad $14.99

Note: these items are now regular items on our dinner menu.

As always, we thank you for your ongoing support. You have given us the opportunity to bring you foods we think you deserve—healthy, wholesome and made from scratch with real ingredients. As the crazy pace of the holiday season sweeps you along, we appreciate the moments you take to enjoy a lunch or dinner with friends and family at our cafe. Thank you for letting us be a part of that joy.

~~Susan

Directions and options

From the very beginning we have made an effort to keep you, our customer, aware of decisions that face us and have invited your input. It was after listening we learned that being able to serve beer and wine would increase the pleasure factor of eating with us. We heard loud and clear that while "made fresh" was important, so too, was speed of service. It is in that spirit that we seek your input regarding adding gluten-free foods to our regular menu.

We are seeing more and more folks looking that direction for long-term lifestyle changes. Removal of gluten from the diet frees up one's intestines from trying to digest ingredients for which many bodies are ill-equiped. Quite often we are seeing people whose medical professionals are prescribing that they eliminate gluten from their diets. In our own family, our elder son's whole family has gone gluten-free. For many families the search for solutions to too much mucous, ADHD and autism have sent them down this road. My recent research is showing that many restaurants nationally are adopting some of these practices as an option for that portion of their customer bases. Gluten-free means no wheat or barley. In the American diet, gluten is most often seen in breads and doughs. It can turn up in salad dressings and all sorts of places one isn't looking for it. It is what makes bread have that soft texture and holds the lightness together. It isn't necessarily harder to make gluten-free options but some of the ingredients are more expensive and some of the techniques are more cumbersome. Using alternative flours, such as rice flour, potato flour and similar flours replace the wheat.  For this cafe, many of those techniques are already incorporated into our style—like making things from scratch. We already offer many gluten-free options but perhaps a bread or crepes made this way would open the doors to serve more folks. Have you been advised to reduce your gluten consumption? We invite your input.

I am using this blog today for a bit of shameless self-promotion. The three of us that make this place survive are also artists in our own right. Jon is a wonderful songwriter and has his CD available. If you haven't heard it, Jon has a listening station set up near the register. While awaiting your order sit down and listen for a few moments. His laid back swing style is easy on the ears and will have you humming in no time. Bruce's photgraphic talents are available as prints of his floral portraits. I have silk scarves, flower pins and, of course, my quilts and quiltlets.

If you have a staff or family that need a holiday gift of sorts, our gift certificates are proving to be VERY popular. We can do them in any amount you choose. Twenty-five has proven the most popular but ten dollars is just as nice. If you need to buy in quantity, tell us. We can make you a deal.

It is not too late to order dishes to take to your office party. Last week we did a bunch and we'd like to do more in the next 2 weeks. Keep life simple for yourself—order a platter of something you can bring—like bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos, Tuscan chicken salad on brushetta, or perhaps a dessert such a  a cheesecake or tiramisu. 

This week the menu will work around the wait for a replacement part for our bread machine. It should arrive by Monday afternoon. Until then I'll be making the dough by hand and my time to make other parts of our menu shortened. Therefore, on Monday I'll be making a spicy pork empanada. This "meat pie" is out of Argentina and is stuffed with pulled pork, chopped olives, chipotle chilis and cheese. The crust is a puff pastry. I'll serve it with a side salad for a balanced diet. $6.50

Tuesday Bruce will tantalize us again with the Cashew chicken tamales and fried rice. This take on the classic cashew chicken has all the elements and flavors you expect in a cashew chicken but in a tamale. $6.50

Wednesday I'll bring my pizzas back with a pizza featuring mushrooms, artichokes, grilled onions and sliced Roma tomatoes over a sun-dried tomato zesto. Served with a side salad. $7.00

Thursday I'll do crepes with ham and asparagus with a swiss cheese alfredo sauce served over a bed of freshly sautéed baby spinach. Served with a side salad. $7.00

Friday brings us chicken Marsala over egg noodles with a side salad. $7.00

We are still working on the paperwork for the "Tarvern Permit" and will bring back Friday evenings after we re-open following our 2 week vacation. We'll re-open January 9th, hopefully with the permit in place.  Thanks for joining us.

~~Susan

Picking up the pace

The vultures have come to roost in Thayer. I took this photo last week shortly after most of the flyers had settled down for the night. This was my first image of 5 that I moved from left to right in my view. There are 85+ vultures in this image and the remaining photos had a total of over 500. It is quite amazing to see them stacked up and soaring just before they roost. Someday, I'll learn how to use my Photoshop Elements to make a panoramic shot.

Well, last weekend was not our best. We decided to try to lure shoppers in on Friday and Saturday for lunch. That was a bust. One that will not be repeated this year. So we will NOT be open on Saturdays for lunch during your shopping sessions. I had very mixed emotions regarding being open during those times, so I am not disappointed. We old farts need more recovery time, and giving up our Saturdays was not done easily—but that is happily now rectified.

By the time you read this, we expect to have received our first snowfall of the year. All winter long, if you come in while foul weather is happening, remind us and we'll give you a double Lunch Bunch punch. We appreciate your braving the wet or cold stuff to come see us.   

Did you notice the minor change in the lettuces in the salads? We have been able to get nice lettuces from Mary Badiny/Marantha Farm. She has a good volume now and expects to throughout the winter months. We are adding them into our usual Romaine. Are you a fan of arugula? If so, please tell me and I can add some into your salad at no additional charge. I am a big fan of arugula. It has a taste very similar to watercress—a peppery bite. Just tell me how much to add. Mary tells me she planted lots of it. Throughout the winter months we'll also have access to kale and Swiss chard.  I know to add the kale to soups. But, beyond adding Swiss chard to quiche, I really have had little experience with it. So your input and ideas would be appreciated.

Will your office be having a holiday party of some sort? How about letting us cater it? We can make it quite simple for you and you'll get to eat lots of tasty, even healthy treats. Even our most decadent are at least made from real ingredients—like real whipped cream, eggs, cream cheese or butter. We make sure our flavors are real—like chocolate, vanilla and almond.  We can work with your budget and most special dietary needs. We DO need a bit of warning, so 24+ hours is pretty important.

How about gift certificates for your employees or family members? We are delighted to see how well received our gift certificates have been. People LOVE them! You determine the value. We have them printed on a nice card stock and present them in an invitation-sized envelope. 

We will be helping to cater several private parties again, this year. As we have gained experience, my confidence has grown. I enjoy getting to create outside my usual format. Presenting dishes that get you the kudos while keeping entertainment hassles to a minimum is one of our primary aims. Thank you for trusting me to make it work.

My menu is getting a bit of a shake-up this week as I re-organize from the weekend. Monday, which is usually quite low key, will get a nice entrée in the form of a pork loin stuffed with Granny Smith apples, shallots and white wine. I'll have oven-roasted root vegetables to accompany it. Beyond the usual onions, carrots and potatoes, there will be turnips, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and rutabaga. Don't miss this—perfect for a snowy day.

I invented a new pie last week. It is an apple pie that is topped with pumpkin custard. You see, I had this apple pie that just didn't look as full as I thought it should. I was making a pumpkin pie for our own Thanksgiving and decided to pour some of the custard right in on top of the streussel topping. It is now pretty as well as tasty. The dollop of whipped cream on top is just a bonus.

With the cooler weather, I have been digging into my stash of soup recipes. This week we'll start out with Bruce's beef and veggie soup. It has a nice flavor base and Jon got quite excited about eating it. Then I'll do a Tom Ka Kai for Tuesday. That is the Thai chicken soup that has coconut milk, lime, cilantro and tons of flavor. It is one of our most requested. Later in the week I'll do a beef and barley soup—guaranteed to stick to your ribs.

Desserts this week will include white chocolate cheesecake. Bruce has been tasked with digging out some of his family recipes of desserts.  No doubt, something good will come of it.

So here is this week's Flavor Journeys menu ~~

Monday~Pork loin stuffed with apples and shallots. Served with oven-roasted root vegetables and a side salad. $6.50
Tuesday~ Pulled pork tamales with salsa verde cheese sauce and Spanish rice. $6.50
Wednesday~ Creamy chicken enchiladas with cilantro lime slaw and Spanish rice. $6.50
Thursday~ Spinach turkey crepes with tarragon hollandaise. Served with side salad. $6.50
Friday~ Baked sausage manicotti. Served with side salad and garlic bread $7.00

Reminder: we will resume Friday nights after our vacation in January.

Thank you for sharing your time, your ideas and your resources with us. We all benefit, and I feel very lucky.

~~Susan