Won't THIS be an interesting week?



9 days of no power = very cold

 It is visions of scenes like this that prompt me to tell you that if it is icy, we won't be there.

That's Mom at 80 trying to cope in the cold. If it truly looks like ice is heading our way—and so far it looks likely—we'll be heading to warmer parts to avoid having to be stuck in a house without power.

I do actually have a menu planned out for the week. But I am releasing it knowing that ice could prevent us opening for more than one day this week.

Weather Whimps? You betcha.

In the mean time, I'm delighted to tell you that things have been going extraordinarily well. We couldn't be more thrilled. You have no idea what a leap of faith this was for us to do. We've always been dreamers and forward thinkers. But the last few years have taken their toll. We have to look harder at opportunities and more thoroughly investigate the downsides. We never used to do that before. We were always full speed ahead. The learning curve is beginning to lose some steepness. There is a bit more prediciton to our plan and actions and we are getting some of the logistics worked out. Believe me, whenever you are experiencing any frustration due to our greeness in logistics, I am experiencing it three-fold. It can be painful. But we ARE getting things grooved in. If you were here last Friday night you saw some of that in action. Simply by adding table numbers to each table, we were able to get food properly served without incident—yeah we're green!!! We also worked it out so that each meal served was simply a matter of serving and not having to cook to order. The result? Almost no waiting—in fact most people were able to carry their trays right back to the table as soon as they paid. So we feel we are continuing to improve as we learn this crazy food service game.

We are really trying to listen to your preferenes, so please voice them when you come in. Tell us what we are getting right and PLEASE tell us what you feel needs attention. I am most grateful for the feedback. It is all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating a dish and forget who the audience is likely to be.

Bottom line— it is going quite well and we are loving what we are doing. We need to continue to grow and bring in more repeat customers. We are hearing from many that word of mouth is what brought them in. I LOVE that!!!

So here are this week's planned menues—

• Monday~Chicken mole soft tacos with black beans and side salad with jicama; $6.25  Soup~ Chicken corn chowder(the lighter version) cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99; Sandwich~ Chicken Pesto Sandwich (pesto, chicken, provolone cheese, avocado, sprouts with side of fresh fruit $6.25
• Tuesday~Italian tamales with side salad and garlic toast $6.25; Soup~Minestrone $3.49/cup $4.99/bowl; Sandwich~Chicken Pesto Sandwich (pesto, chicken, provolone cheese, avocado, sprouts with side of fresh fruit $6.25
• Wednesday~Chicken pot pie + side salad $6.25; Soup~Honey chili pumpkin squash cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99
• Thursday~Ham and asparagus quiche + side salad $6.25; beef and Italian sausage lasagna + side salad $6.25; Soup~Honey chili pumpkin squash cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99
• Friday~Chicken mushroom crepes with rice pilaf + side salad $6.25; French onion soup cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99 plus lots more tapas at night

This Friday night will be a new concept for us. It will be open mic night. We'll give various local performers a chance to communicate with you and entertain you. This is a new experience and we honestly don't know quite what to expect.  We are excited to be a part of the community and we want to support our local musicians as we can—all part of local sustainability. If you know someone whose performance would work in our small cafe venue, please encourage them to come down and get on the list.

Update on Valentine's Day—we are NOT going to do it. We would rather wait until we can be a bit more organized and prepared. Plan now for NEXT year.

St. Patrick's Day— Plan now to enjoy traditional as well as decidely Irish fare. We will be serving up a very spcial Corned beef accompanied by potatoes and steamed cabbage and several other Irish surprises. March 17th, of course.

Earth Day Local Harvest Feast—April 29th (Friday) We'll be serving up locally raised and produced foods as a part of the Chefs' Collaborative—a national organization of chefs geared toward local sustainability.

Have a great week. We HOPE to see you despite what Mother Nature may throw at us.

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.