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