Rhythms and fresh starts

Last week I mentioned how my resolve to finish projects has strengthened as the year reaches its final stretch. Also, how this time of year is the time to harvest our efforts. Well, it is also the time of year for fresh starts. I have one more chance to get it right when it comes to gardening. Sadly, I am a plant-it-, water-it-,expect-it-to-grow kind of plant mother. There isn't a lot of time for nurturing. Come to think of it, I was that kind of Mom, too.

Anyhoo... I like that my geranium failures can be replaced with chrysanthemum beauty. So watch for new color in the garden.

Labor Day seems like the cusp of a period when folks go from pursuing a happy-go-lucky free-spirited randomity to finding a more focused direction with its higher level of predictability and regimen. I'm not sure if one is better than the other. As a restaurateur, I am hoping the latter brings in a larger daily lunch crowd. One of the aspects of living here is that usually we have three full months of each season. (I know this year has been quite bizarre) By the time I am bored or fully tired of one season, the next one is announcing that it's arrival is imminent. I have spent more than 30 years of my life living in places where the summers were very lengthy and spring and fall happened in a blink. So I have a high appreciation for noting the seasonal changes. Each season has time to fully roll out its show and no one season is unbearable.

Hopefully, we will soon be enjoying having the front and back doors open to the fresh cool fall air. I love the sound of the cafe when the doors are open to the world. It makes one feel so much more a part of the rhythm of the town and its seasons.

We are closer to having the paperwork done to apply for our liquor licensing. I am having to play catch-up on some of it. But weekly progress IS being made.

Thank you for filling out our survey cards. I am not changing the questions this week so I can get more answers from the questions I posed last week. If you haven't filled one out, (they are on the table in front of you) please do so. We know you have a vested interest in how things develop around here.  It shows in how you often bus your own table. We know you care and want to help.

Are you a seared tuna fan? Have you tried our new Tuna Roman? I pan-sear (rare is the usual, but you may have it the way you like), add a smear of kicky wasabi mayonnaise, spicy sprouts and tomato and stack them on a freshly made Roman bun. Tell me, do you think it needs a slice of avocado? Anyway, it is tasty and gathering a big fan base.

Friday night this week we will be closed. We'll be heading into the Labor Day Weekend and that means we will close Monday as well. So get your fix early.

Now here's the weekly flavor journeys~
All week~Tuna Roman served with side or chips $6.50
Monday~Our usual spinach salad topped with seared tuna $6.50
Tuesday~Chicken Cordon Bleu Tamales—Poached chicken and black forest ham stuffed tamales with Swiss cheese sauce and rainbow rice $6.50
Wednesday~Crab cakes with side salad and garlic parsley red potatoes $7.00
Thursday~Pesto pizza with prosciutto, brie, roasted red peppers and fresh tomatoes and kalamata olives. $7.00 with side salad
Friday~Hong Kong style Chop Suey—a blend of pork and beef chunks with celery simmered in a rich broth of soy sauce and Chinese bead molasses served with steamed rice $6.50

Hope you enjoy your last week of summer! We'll be here cooking for you.

~~Susan

Satisfaction!

Last week ended on a very satisfying note. Despite a roller coaster that was nearly as crazy as last week's stock market, we ended the week in good shape. The response to the fresh Coho salmon we flew in was very exciting. I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed their dinners. This is very encouraging and we'll plan on getting in fresh seafood once a month, for now. As far as I know, we are the only place within 100 miles to serve FRESH seafood. Your support and expanded palates allow this option. We have access to docks on all the coasts. If I know you have a hankering for a particular variety of fish, I can know what to look for. A few people have let us know that they'd be happy to participate in a co-op buy. This would allow us to reach that 25 pound minimum more readily. If you are a fresh seafood fan and want to be able to participate either as a consumer of seafood or purchase it as it comes from the dock, let me know!!!

We seldom give up our days off as they are so vital to our re-juvenation. But we made an exception for Blackberry Winter's CD release party on Sunday. What a lovely affair. It was wonderful to hear them in person. Boy! Are they polished! Great support by the community, too. I think there were in excess of 50 folks out to hear them and purchase their new CD. We are so proud of them and delighted they chose our venue for their party. We are trying to see if we can book them for a Friday night. Would you like that?

The menu this week will be fairly simple. On Monday I have Peri-peri. That is a South African dish. It begins with oven roasted chicken breasts. I chopped and sauteed them with onions and peppers and eggplant. This is mixed with a sauce that begins with apricot jam. So it has a bit of a sweet side. But the Peri-peri is actually a small bird chili that can be extremely hot. Fortunately it is used in a very small dose. The flavor is somewhat sweet and spicy leaning toward hot without the burn. This is served over egg noodles. It is probably not traditional with the noodles but was the direction I took it. I'll serve it with a side salad.

Tuesday Bruce will be building his tamales using the wood-fired chicken that Jon does so well. He'll top them with salsa verde and an avocado puree. One of our customers brought us tomatillas—to our delight! You gotta have tomatillas for authentic salsa verde. Those are the things that look kinda like green tomatoes with little paper bags on the outside. They also look a bit like a Chinese lantern. Mexican wouldn't be Mexican without this vital fruit. They will be served with a side of black bean frijoles.

Wednesday I'll make another lettuce wrap. This time the dish is "Singapore noodles in lettuce wrap." The rice noodles carry the flavors of the Orient along with strings of carrots. This should be a tasty as well as fun dish to eat. Lots of fresh while getting the fill of the noodles and the spice of Asia.

Thursdays, the pizzas have gone quite well. I have a fresh batch of both portabellas we will smoke and shitakes we can serve fresh. We get those locally from Willow Mountain Mushrooms in Tecumseh. I'll top the pesto base with fresh onion, smoked sausage and lots of mushrooms and mozzarella. This is my personal favorite combination.

Friday lunch will feature pork chops topped with garlic jelly. I did a similar dish in June using the strawberry/chipotle jelly. This time I'll use my garlic jelly to season it. This jelly is made with Maranatha Farm's organic garlic. I'll pair the pork chop with garlic/ parsley potatoes and a side salad. Just the right size for lunch. The jelly is also available for purchase so you can use it at home or as gifts. $4/ 4oz or $7/ 8oz.

Friday night—
First of all, Renee Wood and Tom Rowley will be playing their sweet jazz numbers on saxophone and guitar. They always pack the house—so get your reservation in early.

The seafood entrée will be roasted red pepper pasta topped with fresh tomatoes and salmon. The salmon (frozen but from the batch we flew in) will be wood-fired and chopped. The red pepper sauce begins with fresh red peppers that are fire-roasted and peeled, then chopped and sauteed with garlic and onion. Then the mixture is blended with cream cheese and parmesan for a rich sauce. The fresh tomatoes will give it the signature finish for the season.  All will be served over a penne pasta that hugs the sauce. A side salad will accompany the dish. $12

The meat entrée will be chicken with mango and coconut. It has lots of coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger, shredded coconut and dried mango. Served over jasmine rice this Thai dish will feature less heat and lots of tropical flavor. You can kick up the heat with some Sarachi or habanero sauce. A side salad will start and fresh pineapple will accompany. $12

The vegetarian entrée will feature the Hatch chilis now in season. I'll be doing a Raja relleno dish that uses fire-roasted Hatch chiles combined with cheddar and cotija cheeses to make a thick casserole. This will be served with slices of fresh tomatoes (they are at their best right now), black bean frijoles and a side salad. $10

Bruce will be diving in with his luscious desserts and I'll plan to make the decadent white chocolate cheesecake by mid-week.

We hope your summer is going well. We know this is a busy time of year for many with school starting back up and many extra activities. Please remember we are here cooking up our best. Perhaps you could schedule a planning session around a leisurely lunch. If you are in a hurry, remember you can call in your order and we'll have it ready—for eat-in or take-out.

Have a glorious week—
Susan

A Grand Experiment

Welcome to the first posting of my blog. This will follow along as we do the pre-opening steps to getting A La Carte Cafe up and running. You probably found this blog because you have an appreciation for healthy eating and live in the vicinity of West Plains, MO. No doubt someone who also loves good food told you about us. That is as it should be.

I am utterly convinced that there is a pent-up demand for healthy food as an alternative in this region. My personal experience is that there is NO restaurant within 100 miles that focuses on using almost exclusively fresh, in season locally raised produce. I have yet to find a venue that takes pride in knowing where all their provisions came from. I want to connect up the grower with the consumer. There are farmers who raise organic produce and hormone/ antibiotic free meats and have dairies that can provide really fresh dairy and eggs. Why buy from provisioners who buy from out of the region with no control over how the provisions are grown?

I am proud to let you know the sources for my raw materials. In fact, as each new source comes aboard I want to feature their goods in special recipes. That way you get to know them as well and perhaps will buy the products they sell for your home use. By tasting their ingredients in my dishes you can see how they compare with your palate.

From the get-go I want this to be customer driven. I want to hear from YOU what you want to eat.

Please feel free to forward our URL to your friends in West Plains who might be excited about healthy meal alternatives. As the days go by I'll being testing out new menu items. I'll photograph the ones that pass muster and share them with you. Whet your appetite.. Oh Yeah!!!