Withered and seeking cool relief

The month of July has gotten off to an August-type start. We moved up here to escape the Texas weather! Luckily we grew up with this weather and know the value of a) staying inside in the cool, and b) foods that can make it seem a bit cooler.

In case you are chomping at the bit to see us this week, be aware that we are remaining closed until Thursday. It just didn't make sense to come in for a single day...when we need the rest. But I am using this resting time wisely to get ready for what comes next.

Thanks to the really wonderful support we got from our customers, there was only a single fish left from the sockeye salmon we flew in. I filleted it and Jon lightly cooked it on the wood fire. (I then froze the cooked meat.) I'll use it in 2 dishes this week for as long as it lasts. I expect to get about 8 servings of each dish. The first will be a lunch dish—wood-fired salmon tacos on corn or flour tortillas, with a peach- mango salsa. The last time we made them, they flew out the door. If you didn't already see the color of this fish's flesh, you'll be amazed at the depth of its redness.

The evening use of this salmon will be in a roasted red pepper, wood-fired salmon pasta. The sauce will be cream-cheese based. It'll be topped with fresh chopped local Juliette tomatoes and basil. It is my personal favorite seafood pasta. Of course, it'll come with a side salad, or for an additional $2.50 you can upgrade to a Caprese salad made with fresh local heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil topped with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Have you tried my Solstice salad at lunch yet? It starts with the ingredients of the Caprese (as above) but is served atop a bed of Romaine plus a serving of wood-fired chicken for $6.99.

Friday night the service was slower than I'd like to be known for. To the end of remedying that, we are moving Rick up to the kitchen to assist in food prep on Friday nights. His many years of experience in this arena will make my job much easier and get your dinners out faster. As has always been our policy, we are not trying to turn the tables, merely get you fed in a reasonable amount of time.

To keep things cool we are bringing out some refreshing desserts. Our newest dessert uses fresh peaches. We are grilling sour cream pound cake  and fresh peach slices in butter and cinnamon.
The plate gets a drizzle of vanilla cream. Then we top it with the grilled poundcake and slices of peaches. Then we add natural vanilla ice cream, caramel syrup and sliced almonds. Oh my!!! $5.

The next dessert is a key lime bar that has coconut, white chocolate and real key lime juice and lime zest. We'll serve it with our own coconut ice cream, whipped cream and lime zest and almonds. $5.

Survey time!~~
I want to get back to creating some special "Flavor journey" meals. It is nice to be able to add a special that takes your taste buds on an adventure but it is nothing like a whole meal geared around a specific cuisine. Recent reading has presented me with menus based in Corsica, Portugal and even Somalia. I know it would be fun to create an evening of any of these cuisines. The challenge becomes WHEN? In the past we participated in a "dinner club" that met occasionally and we did exactly that—served a full ethnic cuisine. I was able to share a bit of the history of the foods as well as why the specific foods are part of their cuisine. I think this group faded out. I'd like to bring back the concept. To do it right we'd need to dedicate an evening to JUST that MEAL. So my survey question is—what night of the week, except Friday, would you most likely be available for such a feast? We'd be bringing in special ingredients and the cost would be appropriate—probably about $30 per person, plus wine. So part 2 of the survey is—would you be willing to pay for such a feast?  We would promote it at least a month in advance and take reservations. There would have to be a minimum of 20 participants to make it worthwhile, and you would have to make a committment. Please let me know via Facebook, email, or fill out a survey card while dining at the cafe. Depending on your response, we'll be planning the next Flavor Journey soon.

So here's the short version of this week's specials menu for Thursday & Friday~~

Lunch~ (both days) Wood-fired salmon tacos with peach-mango salsa $7.50;  Pork bahn mi sandwich with side $6.99

Dinner~ (both days) Wood-fired salmon pasta with side salad $12.99, or upgrade to Caprese salad +$2.50
Italian seasoned slow-cooked pork chop served with eggplant parmesan and black-eyed peas and side salad.  $11.99 (Salad upgrade also available.)

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments and your smiling, hungry face. Have a great week; we'll see you Thursday & Friday!

~~Susan

Things are heating up! But cooler inside....

If this photo looks familiar, then you have been one of our customers for a year now. August 3rd we celebrate being open, working from the food trailer, for a year. During that time we have come a long way. What hasn't changed is our committment to using local fresh produce whenever we can. Although we are now doing enough business to benefit from ordering from food purveyors, they can seldom provide local fresh produce. When they finally can, so can our local suppliers. Guess which one we lean toward.

Some of the lessons learned have been hard for one who had very little access to training of any kind. In the trailer Jon and I were able to handle most things fairly easily. We went home tired but satisfied. A week after opening in our current location, I realized I could not add in daily specials if we limited the workload to the two of us. Enter Bruce Carr. He brings many, many years of experience in the industry and really knows his stuff. Through him I have been able to expand my understanding of menu planning and standard restaurant techniques. Of course, I have to do things my way, so sometimes I am sure he just shakes his head. We value his input and consider him a strong part of what we've become. Thank you, Bruce!

This is my second time to write this post as my computer didn't save it the first time. So I'm shortening things a bit. I'll jump right into entertainment this Friday. We have Emily Higgins joining us. She is a very talented singer/songwriter from Springfield. You may have heard her radio show on NPR Sunday nights—Under the Mulberry Tree. Her lilting voice is perfect for her tunes which range from folk to country to bluegrass. She plays both guitar and mandolin. We are VERY excited to have her perform for us. Hopefully, we'll have a good-sized audience come out to hear her. If we want to be able to bring in talent from out of town we need to make it worthwhile for all. There is no cover, but we hope you'll join us for dinner. See menu choices at end of this post. Reservations ARE filling up so please let us know as soon as possible. If the demand is there early enough to respond, we might be able to use the space next door as well. Emily will be selling her CDs and have a tip jar so you can show her your appreciation.

We know it can get rather warm when the room is filled. We've added 3 fans to keep the air moving and hope that will help keep it cool. We want you comfortable. But feel free to dress casually.

Let's talk about the menu this week—
All week I am serving the Spinach Salad with wood-fired chicken at $1 off. We have great spinach, great red peppers and lots of lovely feta. $4.99 + $1.49
Tamale Tuesday just got more interesting. Bruce is making elk tamales with a pureed pumpkin sauce and wild rice with mixed berries. Yum! $6.25
Wednesday we'll have the Thai chicken pasta salad served over a spinach base. I have served this several times and it always gets pretty rave reviews. It is light but filling. $6.25
Thursday another favorite, Thai chicken lettuce wraps with a ginger sauce and rice. You get two. $6.25
Friday we are doing a rustic chicken taco made with the wood-fired chicken. You get two. $6.25

Right now we have access to terrific fresh produce. Customers are bringing me interesting cucumbers, herbs, squashes and have teased me with beets. I am thrilled to have access to it all.  Soon we'll have berries and peaches and I am really looking forward to that. Last week I finally bought an ice cream maker and have been combining fresh desserts with in-house made ice cream. Last week I did a praline almond ice cream served over an apple pie and topped with my almond praline. In the freezer I have a toasted pinon ice cream I'll serve with a special cookie that is the state cookie for New Mexico. I am planning on also experimenting with freshly made soda drinks. I have a soda siphon and I plan to learn how to use it. At some point I am hoping to make our own ginger ale. Oh— speaking of ginger, my favorite ice cream is ginger. I'll make that to accompany the Thai dishes.

Friday dinners—All are served with a fresh salad that includes heirloom cucumbers
a) Pan-seared rainbow trout with cous-cous and fresh corn fritters $12
b) Herb crusted Cornish hen, corn fritters and fresh local green beans $12
c) Cous-cous stuffed red peppers, zucchini fritters and green beans $10

Plan now to join us—the cafe phone number is 417-505-0302
Next week we'll figure out how we'll celebrate being open for a year. Woohoo!!!!You make us what we are. Thank you.

The energy of Hope

Anyone who has rooted for an underdog team and suddenly witnessed their potential triumph has experienced the visceral energy that hope can generate. The energy is tangible and can continue to build or be swept away in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, the fact that hope had entered the scene created a ripple in the environment. It can be contagious, too, spreading and raising the spirits of all who witness it.

Jon and I have had the joy of experiencing this energy with A La Carte. We took on the challenge as a solution to our financial tightrope. After months of dismal news regarding sales in the art world, and Jon's having seen his customer base in massage marketing dwindle, we have been overjoyed at the consistency with which we have seen our efforts result in growth here in the cafe. You, our customers, have had a big role in this result and given us many moments of joy as we meet and get to know you.

Recently, news of political gridlock have taken some of the wind from our sails and left us shaking our heads in disgust at the grandstanding on both sides of the aisle. Promises of national prosperity seem empty and politicians seem only interested in the next election. That was my frame of mind when I picked up a book by Daniel Burrus and my viewpoint expanded. I, once again, felt a sense of hope. Burrus is known for his advice as a consultant to major corporations regarding their role in the future economy. He sees the potential outcome of all the technology coming down the pike and even has predicted future needs that will be filled—whether by the companies that seemed poised to provide those services or by others that heed the signs and jump to take themselves to the front of the pack. He not only is able, himself, to see this future, he has provided the tools and insight for others to make the leaps that solve their own challenges. The world needs more Burrus's.

Rather than tearing down, scattering skepticism and hopelessness, he has chosen to find ways to look over the top of the stampeding herds of the desperate struggling through this economy and be a beacon of hope. In my eyes this makes him a hero. I have stopped reading his book just before bed as his ideas get my mind racing and sleep retreats. However, when I find my energy lagging, I pick up his book and feel uplifted. The name of the book is Flash Foresight—How to see the invisible and do the impossible. I picked it up at the Thayer Library. I'll be buying a copy of my own to keep. Usually, I limit my reading to some form of escapism as a gentle sling to drop me into sleep. I picked up this book knowing that the library was going to be closed for a bit while in the process of being remodeled and I just had to be sure I had plenty to read. I am so glad I did. He has given me reason to embrace the technological changes that have become inevitable and see them for their potential instead of signs that the world has passed me by. I thought I had decided that all the new technology was the realm of the young and that I could happily skip the next few technological upgrades. I am still waiting for hearing aids to become reasonably priced so I can hear at a normal level again. Did you know that the decent ones cost over $5,000? He blew that concern out of the water by talking about how the hearing aid industry will now be going after ways to get Baby Boomers expecting "better than normal hearing." I'm game!

So in the vein of hopefulness, I am delighted to tell you that many varieties of local produce we have been awaiting have finally begun to arrive. Just last week a customer brought me a bucket of heirloom cucumbers. They were gorgeous, preciously rare and most tasty. My supply of tomatoes is outstanding and the sandwiches and salads are benefiting from the rich, deep flavor these properly harvested fruits are capable of delivering. We bought a bag of freshly picked, locally raised corn  and served some of it on the cob Friday evening. More will be served this week. The squashes are abundant. The eggplants succulant. What more could you want? Let the celebration of good food begin!

Renee Wood and Tom Rowley will join us Friday night playing saxophone and guitar in a wonderful jazz duet. They always draw a nice crowd and reservations are strongly recommended! We love how their sounds fill our space. I swear we can hear the sound continuing to bounce off the walls while we do our final clean-up. It is a happy sound.

We are trying again to offer an "Early Bird Special." We lived in Florida for six years and learned to appreciate this local fare. We are offering it only from 4:30-6:00pm Friday evening. By eating early, diners are able to eat inexpensively while the eating establishment is able to make better use of an ordinarily down time. When you have plans for the evening elsewhere, the Early Bird is a good solution that gets you fed and onto your next event—like the performances at the Avenue Theater of Willy Wonka or perhaps jamming with the Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass guys in front of the West Plains Music Store or even a 7pm movie. At 6pm our Friday night menu kicks in and tasty, seasonal, local fare is offered. This is where I get to be more creative and daring and you benefit.

So here is the "flavor journeys" menu for next week. As always, we use as much fresh, local ingredients as we can get our hands on. It is going to get really hot later in the week and I'm working to help cool you down.

Monday~ Pulled pork sandwiches, our own coleslaw and corn on the cob served with melted butter or chili/lime butter. I can cut the kernels off the cob, if you prefer. $6.25
Tuesday~Wood-fired chicken tamales with sun-dried tomato zesto and mozzarella cheese sauce with confetti'd orzo. $6.25
Wednesday~Pimento cheese quesadillas with heirloom cucumber salad. $6.25 Also, panzanella salad. Panzanella salad=lots of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, onions, Kalamata olives and our own bread to soak up the juices. 

Thursday~ Herbed pizzas with carmelized onions, chipotle and sour cream, wood-fired chicken, mozzarella, fresh roma tomatoes and fresh basil served with heirloom cucumber salad $6.75 Also, spinach salad topped with Caprese salad. Caprese salad = fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. $6.25

Friday~Lunch~Chicken and watermelon salad with feta, mint, basil, red onion and cucumber. $6.25

Early Bird Special~ from 4:30-6:00pm~Beef and Sausage Mostaciolli (a fat macaroni)  with salad.

Dinner~A) Cornish game hen with a sweet glaze, fresh corn pudding, and steamed cabbage. Served with Caprese salad $12 B) Seafood Piccata (shrimp, scallops and crab in a lemon sauce over pasta) served with Caprese salad $12 C) Zucchini and summer squash-filled crepes with a lemon parsley sauce, corn pudding and Caprese salad $10 

I love hearing your feedback. Most of all, we are thrilled to get to know so many of you. After years of working alone in either our offices or studio, the interaction with you keeps us jazzed and happy. You are a force of energy and you give us hope! Thanks for being there!

~~Susan 

Grateful for...air conditioning!

I know it takes hot days to get the tomatoes to set. And the peppers need it, too. But I think I could skip the intensity for myself. I am so grateful for folks like Mary and Skip Badiny who get out in that heat every day, just so we can enjoy a delightful lunch. There are many avid gardeners in these parts. Sadly, they mostly seem to produce food for themselves and little gets offered for sale to the rest of us.  We have had lovely customers bring by various herbs and they are most appreciated. I am hoping that those squashes are starting to become available and we'll have a nice crop of organic tomatoes this week. Are there any blueberries available locally? More blackberries? I'm buying!

Monday's lunch will feature organic green beans stir-fried with beef in an Asian inspired dish. We got the most exquisite order of green beans from the Badinys.

Tuesday Bruce is bringing back his Polynesian Tamales by request. They were a big hit last time. It took me by surprise that he was using Spam in his Hawaiin rice. Then he explained that Hawaiins eat a LOT of Spam and it was required in order to be "authentic." Gulp. Okay. The whole dish sure was tasty. He stuffs his tamales with poached chicken and smothers it with a pepper sauce—not a spicy one, just very flavorful.

Also on Tuesday I am making a quinoa based salad. This will be made with green onions, feta, cranberries, basil oil, parsley and fresh tiny tomatoes.

The basil oil we are using this week was made last week with all the nice herbs we've received lately. Bruce made Basil oil, Oregano oil and and a mixed variety that included tarragon, oregano, basil and dill. I am still peeling the 10 pounds of fresh garlic I got to make garlic jelly with. It is lusciously sticky with juice and takes a while to peel. Anticipation......

On Wednesday I am introducing a new item. It is a pimento cheese quesadilla. If you are from the South, you know this ubiquitous dish would grace every family re-union, every funeral and every event where one's reputation as a cook rested heavily on one's own version of Pimento cheese. It goes by various names including PC, and Mento cheese. The extra "i" is typically left out, though the truly authentic version would be Pimiento cheese. If this dish has simply been a scary deli item full of strange colored ingredients, you have missed a taste treat. Good pimento cheese starts with fire roasted red peppers (the pimiento portion), good sharp cheddar cheese grated up, cream cheese and enough good mayonnaise to bind it. Additions could include jalapenos, Worchestershire, slices of tomato, etc. While the traditional way to serve it is on white bread (from which the crusts have been removed, please), I'll be making a quesadilla and serving it with the cheese pretty well melted inside the tortillas. Mine will include a bit of jalapeno and a dash of Worchestershire. This will be its audition to the menu; so feedback is appreciated.

Thursday lunch will be pizza made with fresh pesto, shitakes, carmelized onion, mozzarella, genoa salami and sliced tomatoes. I'll serve it with a side salad. I'm excited that we seem to sell out of them most weeks that I offer them. Just so you know, I have zero interest in trying to compete with the local pizza parlours for their red sauced disks. Mine will always feature local fresh ingedients. If I could easily get fresh local cheeses, they would be included as well. Other parts of the country would have not only fresh local cheeses (cow, goat and sheep!), but also fresh local sausages, and various smoked meats. Sadly, this region has been very slow to go this direction. I'll work with what we can get.

For Friday lunch those lovely herbal oils will be celebrated with a penne pasta tossed with basil oil, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil. Parmesan cheese will accompany the dish. It will be served with a side salad.

In collaboration with the Avenue Theater we'll be offering an early dinner for those attending Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Friday night. I expect a few kids so we are doing a kids' menu as well. We'll be serving a pulled pork sandwich with fresh corn on the cob and cole slaw.  The large size will be $8 and the kid size will be $5. You can have plain butter on your corn or my chili/lime butter. This will be offered only until about 6:00pm. Those attending the bluegrass jam session on Friday night at the music store might also enjoy an early dinner before heading down to pick. It will be our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. After 6:00pm, our Friday night menu kicks in.  This week's dinner entrees are:
a) Almond crusted trout on dirty rice, with praline sweet potatoes and a salad—$12
b) Stuffed chicken breasts made with southern cornbread dressing, squash casserole and green beans and a salad. $12
c) Rolled manicotti made with zucchini, summer squash, ricotta and onion... a salad and sweet potato biscuits. $10

Jon Lumsden, our incredible in-house musician, will play for you this week. Despite a fairly grueling schedule that keeps this place going, Jon plays at home most every night. As the wife of a musician I can tell you that many, many hours go into keeping one's skills honed and sharp. If you like a light jazz sound that is pretty middle-of-the-road and is easy to listen to, Jon has it mastered. His love of show tunes, and classic tunes from the 30's and 40's is apparent in the way he gently lets them roll from his tongue, each individually crafted to pull the beauty from the lyrics and melody. This man LOVES this music and you can tell.  As always, we encourage you to make a reservation and entree choice so we can be assured you get what you most prefer and that we have seating for you. If you have not joined us for Friday night, we think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Bruce and I have been cooking up desserts. With blackberry season in full swing we have a blackberry pie as well as orange infused angelfood cake with mandariancello blackberries. We also have espresso banana bread pudding topped with whipped cream and caramel, and white chocolate cheesecake. So go ahead—indulge!

As always—thanks for being here. You are never taken for granted and we appreciate your every visit.

~~Susan





 

Time for a bit of focus and anticipa-ay-tion

What a difference a week can make. Last week I felt like I was going off in six different directions, at once. Now I feel a bit more centered. Part of that relief has come from my mother moving into assisted living. Although I visit her daily, Monday through Friday, I no longer feel like a part of my attention is focused on wondering how she is faring alone at home. Her comfort and safety are now pretty well assured. Whew!

An area of greater focus comes as we prepare to host the National Audio Theater Festival attendees for their welcoming banquet and morning breakfasts.  This is a real feather in our caps and is causing us to do some stretching and growing. I am already preparing quiches and sweet breads that can be made ahead and frozen. There are a huge number of details that must be planned for and kept track of. Bruce's experience is proving most valuable.

By the way— that image is of my Blood Lily. It bloomed again for the first time in three years. That's our full-sized cat Blossom sitting about 2 feet behind the bloom. It is about 8" across and usually times it's burst with the 4th of July.I've had this lily for 15 years. The same length of time I have had the spider lily you see out in front of the cafe.

Will you be attending the Old-Time Music festival? We will be open that Saturday (the 16th) with a very limited, though, we hope, appropriate menu. Among those items being offered will be Pintos with ham and cornbread, pulled chicken BBQ sandwiches, our version of slaw and potato salad and cold watermelon. The A/C will be on and we'll provide a refuge from the heat. Renee' Wood will be playing penny whistle through the lunch slot. Come join us and bring along your friends who usually don't get to visit us.

My all time favorite flavoring component is garlic—especially, freshly harvested, very juicy garlic. Judging by the little hats my garlic flowers are wearing, it is neary time to dig them out. As is often the case at this time of year, the ground is pretty dry in my bed and will need a thorough watering before I can safely try to pull them. I love how they leave little baby garlics behind as they leave the ground—thus assuring next year's crop. I also enjoy drying the flowers by inverting them from a high point. I am quite sure you will see evidence of garlic gathering in the cafe soon and maybe even smell it.

We are bringing the smoked catfish dip back this week. We do a long smoke of brined catfish then add tasty ingredients that begin with cream cheese and end with onion, jalapeno, and citrus juices. No—I didn't just give you our secret recipe. There are lots more flavor elements. But the reviews have consistently been good. I invite you to try it next time you are experimenting with appetizers.

It is already scorching hot outside and we are in full summer mode learning our A/C system. We're bringing in some fans to help keep the air moving and cooler. We'll try to confine our oven work to the earliest hours to help manage things. Another dang learning curve!

Did you hear Swift Kick's preview Friday night? This local, highly talented bluegrass band features musicians Junior Bunch (mandolin, fiddle, lead and harmony vocals), Sean McCormick (guitar, mandolin, lead  and harmony vocals), and Steve Markley (banjo, lead and harmony vocals). Junior and Steve have been playing together for the last 30 years, and four years ago, when Sean moved back into the area, they formed Swift Kick. They play mainly bluegrass, but also do country and rock covers—and original material. Join us Friday night for this foot stomping treat.

I've so far been disappointed in the produce offerings at the farmers' market. Isn't anyone growing the early ripening varieties? How come no one had fresh peas? Asparagus?  I am sure hoping to see some new offerings soon. If your garden is of generous proportion, perhaps you can sell me some of your chemical-free produce. We don't go through large quantities of any one veggie. I just like enough variety to make it interesting. Anyone growing fennel bulb? What berries do you have? Call me and let me know—505-0302.

Now onto this week's flavor journeys—
All week~ new Chicken Gyro~50cents off = $5.49 Our wood-fired chicken, red onion, cucumber, feta, black olives plus tzatziki sauce on 2 flour tortillas. Served with fresh fruit or Italian potato salad.

Monday~Organic spinach and mushroom lasagna and side salad $6.25
Tuesday~Pork tamales with a white cheese sauce and salsa verde. Served with black beans. $6.25
Wednesday~Mexicali quiche served with jicama and fruit salad $6.25
Thursday~Island shrimp salad with tiny blueberry muffins $6.25
Friday lunch~Elk burgers with carmelized chipotle onions and orange/radish salad $7.00
Dinner~A: Seasoned chicken skewers with a Tunisian mixed salad  and baked potato $10
B: Salmon Oscar is a seared salmon topped with crab, two asparagus spears and béarnaise sauce (hollandaise with our own tarragon vinegar) plus side salad $12
C: Marinated and grilled eggplant and zucchini; tabbouleh and gazpacho $10

Looking forward to a great week. Come see us! and thanks for being there. We are proud to be feeding you. You give me room to stretch.

Susan—

Summer Vegetable Soup with shrimp and Lemon

I wish I could have shown you the 10 cups of veggies that went into 4 cups of homemade chicken broth to make this luscious soup. But, alas, my hands got ahead of my brain and I erased them off my card reader before I got them downloaded. Suffice it to say, this is a VERY veggie laden soup.

It has fresh tomatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic, corn, zucchini, red skinned potato, parsley, basil and cilantro as well as shrimp and lemon juice.

This recipe is from Fine Cooking's Fresh- 350 recipes that celebrate the seasons. I was astounded by the ratio of veggies to broth. I mean there was a mountain of them.

As usual, I made my own chicken broth, so it is msg free and quite simple. However, the first night I thought the soup lacked punch. The flavors were too separated and nothing had a strong influence. Day 2, though, wow! The flavors had married and the herbs were more prominent, too. I don't think the shrimp(and I love shrimp) added much and next time would probably use wood-fire grilled chicken in its place.

I expect this will be a regular on the summer soup rotation with a veggie only version, as well. I'll serve it with my whole wheat cornbread. Get ready!!!!