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