Tiiiiiiiime, is on my side... Yes it is!

As I sit in my kayak, on a pond that will remain un-named, I am reminded of just how lucky I am!

I live here!  Where is here?   Here is where I am.  Here is now.  Here is Vermont.

I watch the geese fly overhead on their journey to points south.  There are two otters playing in the water not far from where I'm bobbing.  Pike and Perch are jumping on my line.  Pretty Freakin Sweet!

It's moments like these that remind me why I am where I am and why I do what I do.

Soon enough the snow will fall and I'll be on a mountain snowboarding!  Until then you can find me on a river, pond or lake.  Fishing and breathing.  Living...

Ciao,
Jon

Autumn in the Manchester Area

It’s inevitable – it happens every year – nothing I’ve ever been able to do to stop it!  The days get cool and crisp and get a lot shorter, the mums and pumpkins appear everywhere, the leaves turn:  you know the drill.  Some people thrive on this – I think it’s because it’s the last gasp of life before hibernation sets in.  And things certainly get active in Manchester and the Mountains this time of year!

September 20^th  SVAC has “Art on the Hill” featuring arts, craft, music and all kinds of kids activities.

Saturday is also the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure – get out and run and do some giving back.

Mark Twain is making an appearance at The Dorset Theater – September 18^th – 20^th – an evening not to be missed, I’m sure.

Next weekend is the annual Peru Fair (September 27^th) – if you’ve never been, this is one you shouldn’t miss.  They start with a parade that’s so short they parade down the street and then turn around and come back.  It’s adorable!  But the fair is a great country tradition – great artisans, music, kids’ activities and a fabulous pig roast.  What could be better.

The first weekend of October brings back the Weston Antiques Show and the Southern Vermont Crafts Fair…two of our favorite area festivals.

Columbus Day weekend features the Weston Crafts Show and The Dorset Players – our local thespians are bringing “The Heiress” to our Dorset Theater stage – Henry James’ classic tale of life in Washington Square. 

In between all of these happenings, there’s hiking, biking, leaf peeping, shopping, dining, or just plain relaxing.  I guess I can see why people like this time of year – OK, I’m convinced!!

Whatever your preference is, you can probably find it here in Dorset – give us a call – pay us a visit!

Enjoying Vermont

Chefs don't get much quality time outside of the kitchen. Luckily for us, we are surrounded by the great outdoors and Mother Nature's endless possibilities. This summer I was able to take two fishing and kayaking excursions to a few of my favorite spots!

Lake Champlain

The Connecticut River

I was able to get away up to Lake Champlain with my son for a kayaking trip -- Now, there's a way to truly enjoy and appreciate all Vermont has to offer!

Back in the kitchen we've spent this summer enjoying all Vermont has to offer in terms of Mushrooms. Here is Chef Neil with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms delivered fresh from Ed!

Ed, Chef Neil, and Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Here is another one of our favorite guys, Jameson -with all his mushrooms!












Thanks to both Ed and Jameson for keeping us in fresh local products!

Cheers to enjoying Vermont!
Chef Mark

21 Days Later

This is not a zombie blog. It is the incubation period of a chicken egg. Fertilized eggs will hatch after about 18 days -- you may even be able to hear the chick peeping in the egg and in response the mother hen will start to cluck back as encouragement for the chick to hatch. The mother hen will sit on as many eggs as she can, even those she did not lay. She might even move eggs from the nest boxes next to hers!

We take the chick out of the nest within a few hours after hatching. This serves multiple purposes -- the first being it allows the chicks the chance to dry out. The second reason for removal is to protect them from other chickens killing them in a natural reaction to something small, out of place, or just different.

We keep the chickens separated from the older birds because, first and foremost, the chicks only have down feathers after being hatched and aren't able to keep heat in until their real feathers develop. So, for the first part of their lives they are kept under heat lamps. After the heat lamps, the chicks are kept in a separate pen visible to the older chickens. This allows for all the animals to get acclimated to each other without putting the baby chicks at risk.

The term "pecking order" is directly related to a flock of birds as any change (loss or gain) will directly affect the hierarchy of the flock.

Cheers,
Chef Jason and daughter Rowan

Labor Weekend in the Manchester Area

Labor Day Weekend seems to be a natural time to celebrate the end of a fantastic summer and say hello to the start of an exciting autumn in Vermont. The warm days are turning into cool nights and it's time to turn in bathing suits for bonfires! Looking for fun things to do? No worries, you don't need to go very far! This coming weekend there are many different options for excitement!

Stratton Mountain has multiple events including a Food & Wine Event entitled "The Full Palatte." Aug 30 - 31, 2014. Celebrate the harvest at Full Palette, southern Vermont’s premier farm-to-table food festival. This two-day event unites a quintessential country farmer’s market with the culinary expertise of top chefs from Vermont and beyond.
Meet and greet local farmers, artisans and craftspeople in the Full Palette Pavilion. Learn new tricks directly from the pros during cooking demonstrations. Roll up your sleeves at one of the intimate, hands-on workshops. There’s something for every palate, including a Junior Iron Chef competition for aspiring chefs aged 12-18.

For more information about events at Stratton please follow the link: http://www.stratton.com/events-and-activities/index.aspx

If you are interested in staying closer to home, you will be lucky enough to be able to catch the last few productions of the highly acclaimed show "The Mousetrap" at the Dorset Theatre Festival. “Blood, gore, black humor, circuitous chatter…the play is substantial and the characters not just cardboard cut-outs. It’s woderfully structured – up there with A Midsummer Night’s Dream” — The Guardian.

For more information about the wonderful production, show times, ticket prices, or The Dorset Theatre Festival in general please follow the link: http://www.dorsettheatrefestival.org/

For something a little different, right up the road from Barrows House at Merck Forest and Farmland Center there will be a free concert from 5pm - 7pm on Saturday, August 30th. Bring your lawn chairs, blanket and a picnic supper to the evening bluegrass concert at Merck Forest and Farmland Center. Snake Mountain Bluegrass and the Connor Sisters will be playing in the Sap House, and people are welcome to set up inside or listen to the music from the Sap House deck.

For more information regarding the concert please follow the link: http://merckforest.org/news-events.php

Enjoy all Vermont has to offer this Labor Day weekend!

Mud season is well behind us, the days are longer and the mercury is rising. I am often asked if there is anything to do in the area and I always respond……there is as little or as much as you want to do. From napping in a hammock, curling up with a book in a sunny window seat to the more thrilling activities of zip lining, there is certainly plenty of things to do for everyone.

Wildwood Berry Farm and Merck Forest are open to the public and blueberry picking is now in season.

The Dorset Quarry is the oldest marble quarry in the United States and is now a local swimming hole and well known for its jumping cliffs.

The Northshire Bookstore was founded in 1976 and has been a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. Grab a coffee at Spiral Press Café and immerse yourself in some decadent summer reading.

Experience the first Aerial Adventure Park built in Vermont, featuring 63 elements spread over 5 courses, or the one-of-a-kind thrill of the half-mile-long, 50 MPH Sun Mountain Flyer, a ZipRider! Fun for the entire family!

Locally Foraged Mushrooms!!!

Fantastic. It has been a banner year for mushrooms! One of the pluses of cooking in Vermont is the natural variety of the seasons. First the Morels and now the boom of the Chanterelles and the Black Trumpets. The Hen of the Wood and the Chicken of the Wood will makes the scene soon. Menu development is easy when local foragers are crowding into the kitchen. Don't be tempted to bury these in rich sauce, toss them in Olive oil, season them and roast in high heat. Maybe finish with herbs from our backyard garden. Enjoy the the nowness of it simply. Appreciate it for what it is, it wont be around until next year.

Dressing Down Salad Dressings

Why is it that we spend so much money on Salad Dressings that have such lackadaisical taste? Have you read the ingredient lists for these mass produced and mass marketed monsters? Mono-di-what? Hydrogenated who? M. S. Gee Whillikers, no thanks! Theres enough poison floating around in the air why would I put it in my food?

Ranch, Blue Cheese, Thousand Island, Russian, Catalina, and Italian are the originals. Then sprang up Caesar, Raspberry Vinaigrette, Honey Dijon, and a host of others. What many people dont realize, and Kraft doesnt want you to know, is that salad dressings are really quite easy to make. Now I admit, Hidden Valley makes an awesome ranch dressing, but make it with the seasoning packet and your own buttermilk and mayo. Maybe tweak it with a little fresh cracked peppercorn or shaved parmesan.

Try a Raspberry Maple Poppy Seed Dressing for a change.

2 Cups Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Raspberry Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Teaspoons Poppy Seeds
A Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Mix it up!

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette.

¼ Cup Minced Chives
¼ Cup Minced Parsley
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
½ Cup Olive Oil
A Dash of Nutmeg
A Dash of Dried Mustard
2 Dashes of Salt and Pepper

Whisk it all together and love it!

Mark Downey’s Maple Dijon!

1 Tablespoon Dijon
½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Maple Syrup
1 ¼ Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper To Taste

Make it so!

These homemade dressings have four things in common. They are easy to make, low in saturated fat, taste great, and flexible. Take away the poppy seeds and add orange essence to the maple dressing for a citrus twist. Change the vinegar to red wine for a smooth distinction. Slight substitutions change the personality of the dressing. Lemon Herb? How about Orange Rosemary, Cilantro Lime, or Lemon Basil!

Remember when it comes to dressings the sky, with your imagination, is the limit!

Ciao,
Jon

June's the Best!

June is the best month of the year for me.  There’s that special early-evening glow on my back deck about 6 pm when the hummingbirds are dining at my feeder and I’m settling in with my favorite summer cocktail.  I just heard that Killington was open for 199 days this winter!  WOW!  But some of us don’t ski and have to play indoor tennis all winter – so we deserve those 30 days in June when everything in the gardens looks perfect (no weeds yet), the days are getting longer and warmer, and everything is open for the season in Manchester and the Mountains (except Killington, of course!) and tennis is OUTSIDE!!

What’s happening here in Dorset in June? The restaurants are humming, the golfers are golfing, the hikers are hiking and the Dorset Theatre Festival opens for the season.  There’s the Antique Car Show in Manchester June 7^th and 8^th, our two favorite nurseries (Mettowee Mill and Equinox Valley Nursery) are in full bloom, the Quarry and our state parks are open for swimming and sunning, and the farmers’ markets abound.  It’s the perfect month and I know that the whole summer stretches out before me!

So come and enjoy your favorite summer cocktail on the porch of The Dorset Inn or on the patio at Barrows House – Paddy, Colleen & Yuri will be happy to make you one of their specialties, too. 

Cheers -- And I’ll see you on the tennis courts!

Kathy, Assistant Innkeeper

While the chefs spend most of their time working their magic in the kitchen, every once in a while they actually have some free time as well!!  There are a number of Vermont State Parks within a 40 mile radius of Dorset, Vermont that provide free access for great fishing & hiking.  Here are some photos of my favorites:

Gail Meadows, Londonderry, Vermont
Offers views of both Bromley & Stratton Mountains
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/fishing_galemeadow.cfm

Lowell Lake State Park, Londonderry, Vermont
http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/lowell.htm

Gail Meadows, Londonderry, Vermont

 

Lake Hortonia, Rutland County, Vermont
Chef Neil out for an excursion!
http://www.lakelubbers.com/lake-hortonia-1769/



It is definitely worth exploring the local attractions around Dorset.  There are a number of well hidden gems worth getting to know!

Enjoy!
Chef Mark

The pressures and pleasures of planning a wedding!

                          The pressures and pleasures of planning a wedding!

Tis the season in Vermont to be looking for a spot to hold your wedding or to be putting on the finishing touches.  There are site visits, budgets, tastings, music, photography, flowers...  A lot goes into make a very special day and it can seem overwhelming.

Make a list of the aspects of a wedding that are most important.  Do you want gardens, mountains, great entertainment, rooms for all your guests, exquisite food...?  Everyone is different.  Fall in love with the place that can give you what you desire.  If you find something outside of your budget, consider a Friday or Sunday.  Midweek dates have recently become a viable option.  Be candid about what you want and what you want to spend.  It is easier for everyone to accommodate you if they know what you want.

      Everyone should look as happy as Maggie and Kevin did on their wedding day!

                                                         Happy Planning!

                                                               Colleen

Spring in Vermont

Spring in Vermont (or "Mud Season") can actually be a great time of year.  Many are put off by the melting snow and resulting mud puddles, but you'd be surprised at how many engaging things there are to do once those temperatures start rising!

Aside from Spring being the Maple Syrup Season (yes, please!) there's just something about those warm days and cold nights that make Vermont truly special.  For instance, if you'd like to indulge in true Vermont fashion, there is the New England Maple Museum located in Pittsford, VT (just about 1 hour from Dorset.)  At the Maple Museum you'll find a history of the making of maple syrup and the most complete collection of sugaring artifacts in existence!  (Along with samples and a gift shop!) www.maplemuseum.com  There are also sugar houses right in Manchester & Dorset that you can visit for a hands on experience!

You don't even need to leave the Dorset area to experience some hidden Spring gems!  Right up the road from Barrows House & The Dorset Inn is Merck Forest & Farmland Center.  At Merck Forest spring means newborn lambs!!  Merck Forest includes 3,100 acres of managed forest, a sugaring operation, and a 62 acre farm.  At the farm, along with visiting the newborn lambs, you can take a Sheep Shearing Class (April 27th), or even participate in Family Fun Farm Chores (Saturdays April 19-June 14.) www.merckforest.org

If you are an outdoor enthusiast then you should get excited about the fourth weekend of April!  Usually, on the fourth weekend of April, every year the US Army Corps of Engineers releases water from The Ball Mountain Dam (about 40 minutes from Dorset.)  The controlled release produces conditions perfect for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing...not to mention the breathtaking views!

These are just the tip of the ice berg!  Sit back, watch the flowers come to life, and enjoy Spring in Vermont!

Basil & Goat Cheese Panna Cotta 

makes about 24 bite-sized pieces

4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup cream
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup finely-minced chives, plus extra to garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Bunch of Basil Leaves

Chop or crumble the goat cheese finely into a bowl and set aside. Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a separate bowl and set aside. Lightly grease the cups of a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with baking spray or vegetable oil.

Warm the cream & basil leaves over medium-high heat until small bubbles form around the edges.  Let the basil steep for 2 minutes.  Discard the basil leaves.  Stir in the goat cheese and keep stirring until it melts into the cream. Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatin. Whisk vigorously until the gelatin and any remaining bits of goat cheese are thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the yogurt and the chives. Taste season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the warm cream mixture to a glass measuring cup and carefully fill each well of the prepared mini-muffin pan. Refrigerate for four hours, or overnight.

Enjoy,

Chef Matt

 Stalking the Wild Asparagus

“Stalking the Wild Asparagus” is a book written in 1962 by Euell Gibbons. As the title might suggest it is about foraging wild edibles. When I moved to Vermont from Denver Colorado back in 1998 I had no idea of nature’s grocery store that was located out my back door. Then one day I stumbled across a patch of wild asparagus and that was the beginning of my love of foraging.

As I look out my window and see the snow falling it’s hard to believe how close we are to the growing season. In no time I’ll be collecting Morel Mushrooms, Ramps (wild leeks), Asparagus, and Fiddlehead Ferns. Foragers will come knocking on the kitchen doors with pounds and pounds of the freshest spring ingredients you can imagine! Simply sautéed or put into risottos, soups, ragouts, sauces, raviolis, etc…

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite spring dishes, Asparagus Risotto. Risottos shouldn’t be as difficult to produce as you may believe them to be… “Stir constantly in a counter clockwise direction with a wooden spoon in your left hand! Adding fortified stock one ounce at a time, for thirty five minutes until the dish is completed!” um, no. Not gonna do it, not gonna do it.
True, you cannot rush risotto. It takes time but you can do other things whilst it cooks. Check out the basics.

2 ½ cups Arborio Rice
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 bunch Asparagus
¼ cup Minced Shallots
2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1 cup Chardonnay
2 quarts Asparagus Stock
¼ cup Butter
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
To Taste Salt & Pepper
Cut off the bases of the asparagus and add to the water. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Cut remaining asparagus into ¼ inch pieces. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat saute asparagus, shallots, garlic, and bay leaf with olive oil until translucent.
Add rice and stir until hot to the touch. About 3 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and reduce slightly.
Add 1 1/2 quarts of hot asparagus stock and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
* Stirring becomes more important as the liquid is absorbed toward the end, you don’t want it to stick to the bottom.
Check doneness once liquid is mostly absorbed.
Add more stock if needed.
When rice is done, that’s a touch past al dente, add butter and cheese.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Risotto should creamy but not gummy.
Try not to over cook.

I hope you give it a try and see for yourself that it’s not that hard to make good risotto. Me? I’m going to go snowboarding a few more times while I can!

Ciao,
Jon

St. Patrick's Day Fun

Monday, March 17, 2014

 

                             

 Monday night, green-wearing, shamrock-rocking St. Patrick’s day celebrants joined us for our annual St. Patrick’s Day party.

The first Feast of St. Patrick in the 1600s honored the patron saint of Ireland and the arrival of Christianity in the country.  Since then, the holiday has morphed into a celebration of Irish culture world round with particularly enthusiastic hubs of ex-pats in the United States, Canada, and of course, 

The Dorset Inn.

The Inn’s yearly tradition took hold more than 25 years ago and has continued to bring friends & family together to ‘feast, dance a jig and sing along with live Irish music".

Kate Ritter & Friends

Liquid Gold

This is the time of year that many of us locals look forward to for a couple of reasons.  First, the end of winter is at least on the horizon, although that means that skiing and shredding is coming to a close for another year.  Most importantly, the beginning of March brings us to Sugaring season.  The below freezing nights and warm spring days brings the deep forests and farmlands alive with  farmers and the like hoping to cash in on natures bounty of Maple Syrup.


The long process to the finished product begins by collecting the sap produced by the Sugar Maple tree.  The individual sap buckets have given way to more commercial ways of collecting sap by pipelines to a holding tank.  The sap (about 2% sugar) is then transported to the sap house where it is boiled and the excess water evaporates leaving the caramelized sugars.


The weekend of March 22-23 brings us to the annual Maple Sugar Open House at many local sap houses.  There are festivities for kids, tours of sap houses producing maple syrup, and complimentary samples of maple syrup, maple cream and candy.

If you find yourself passing The Dorset Inn, be sure to stop and enjoy a short stack of pancakes or French Toast with Pure Vermont Maple Syrup and a side of Wallingford Locker Bacon.  You'll be glad you did!

Got Bacon?

Where is your bacon smoked?
Ours is applewood smoked in Wallingford Vermont 
by our friends at the Wallingford Locker.

Belgian Madness

Belgian Ales are great any time of year, but on the cold and windy days, they really hit the spot.  We have a nice selection of them at The Dorset Inn, running the gamut. 

On the lighter side we have the really light Stella Artois, and the crisp, rustic, Hennepin Saison Farmhouse Ale.  In the middle is spicy and refreshing, amber, Rare Vos.  The heavyweights are fruity, Burgundian, Brewery Ommegang's Abbey Ale, and the rich, full bodied, Three Philosophers Quad.  Perfect by the fire on a cold winter's night!

PS  Really limited editon!  Monk's Café Flemish Sour Red Ale! 
Brewed in Belgium, when it's gone, it's gone!

Cheers!

Paddy

The Incredible Edible Egg

One of my many hats at The Dorset Inn and Barrows House is that of a Breakfast Cook. It’s one of the hats I enjoy most actually. Egg cookery is a skill that many cooks never master. It’s said that the folds in a classic Chef’s Toque represent the 100 ways to cook an egg. I don’t claim to know them all but I do make a darn fine Omelet. I am asked why my omelets are so fluffy. I feel there are two reasons. I like to use an immersion blender to beat my eggs. This ensures and well blended egg mixture. Also I fold my eggs gently as they cook in

in the pan. This incorporates air and also builds layers in the omelet. Fluffiness is the awesome bi-product!

Here’s a recipe for one of my favorite omelets.
.

The Dorset Inn’s House Smoked Turkey and Cabot Cheddar Omelet: Serves 2

6 Large Vermont Eggs (Come to VT and pick some up!)

4 slices DI House Smoked Turkey Breast ( I’ll sell you some at a bargain price if you ask Nicely!)

3 slices Sharp Cabot Cheddar Cheese

2 Tablespoons Cabot Butter-Unsalted

A little bit of Vermont Spring Water (Got’s to come here to get it)

Either use two small non-stick pans or one large non-stick pan.

Scramble the eggs well with a whisk or immersion blender.

Over medium heat melt the butter.

As the butter begins to sputter add the eggs.

Using a heat treated rubber spatula gently lift and fold the eggs.

As the omelet begins to take shape and firm up, flip it over.  (Go on, it’s fun!)

Add the turkey and cheese.

Squirt a little water around the edge (this keeps the eggs from browning and the steam helps warm up the turkey and cheese), cover with another pan or place into a pre-heated oven for a minute.

Fold onto a plate and enjoy with whatever you like!