Posts Tagged ‘Craftsbury’

• Outstanding in a Vermont Field

  Date: 08.30.2010 | Category: The Beat | Response: 0

  Great meals are not out of the ordinary in Orleans County, Vermont’s localvore Mecca. Still, August 17 stands out, even in the minds and palates of Vermont’s hippest foodsters. That was the day the Outstanding in the Field’s red-and-white bus pulled into the driveway at Pete’s Greens at Craftsbury Village Farm to begin assembling one very long table for one unforgettable meal. A touring “restaurant without walls,” Outstanding in the Field brings together local chefs and producers for a special culinary experience in a beautiful outdoor setting. Here, the very two people who made the event possible share their experiences:

  Pete Johnson, owner/farmer, entrepreneur, Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, Vermont
  The OITF crew was great to work with. Relaxed, organized, they really made it easy for us to
  host them. Dinner was held in our farm field and for a few weeks I had pondered what might be the best location. Most of our field is taken up with ripening crops or is bare, waiting for fall plantings. There were not a lot of open options. Just by luck, we happened to have several acres of three-foot-tall buckwheat in full flower. This is grown as a cover crop, is a bee favorite, has a sweet scent and would make a perfect location for dinner. We mowed a narrow rectangle in the buckwheat for the long table.

  

  Pete Johnson, owner of Pete's Greens

  After a reception and leisurely tour, we made our way to the far end of the field and settled into the field of buckwheat. Over the next two hours, the combination of incredible food prepared by Eric Warnstedt of Hen of the Wood, beautiful late summer weather, good company and the fragrant buckwheat made for a magical evening. Dinner featured our pork at every course, including candied bacon for dessert. Eric and his crew can really cook—I’d recommend a trip to his restaurant in Waterbury.

  Eric Warnstedt, chef/owner, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, Vermont
  Outstanding in the Field represents everything I focus on and get excited about in the restaurant world—a blend of history and tradition, a casual and relaxed vibe, a focused and motivated crew. Most importantly, OITF is all about the food, the wine and the experience.

  

  Hen of the Wood Chef Eric Warnstedt

  Weeks ahead of time, we decided on doing porchetta as a main course. That gave Pete the time he needed to get the pigs ready for the butcher. I knew I probably wouldn’t think about the event again until a few days before. Sure enough, a “few weeks away” rolled into a “few days away” and it was time to start checking out veggie availability and to begin preparations.

  Brining and curing were at the top of the list. A huge plastic bin held all of the porchettas in their brine, taking up way too much space in our little walk-in. The pork was eventually taken out of the brine and laid out, rubbed with rosemary, garlic, salt, fennel seed and mustard. The event was on a Tuesday and all the produce was being delivered on the Saturday before. We made room for five flats of heirloom tomatoes, 20 pounds of broccoli, 20 pounds of Pete’s gold potatoes, 15 heads of radicchio, 2 wheels of Jasper Hill blue cheese, 10 cases of wine and copious amounts of herbs, nuts, salt, oil, prosciutto, bacon, cornmeal etc.!

  The big day: We’re not really prepared for off-site catering at Hen of the Wood, so it was a bit of an ordeal. Sous chef Jordan had made it clear that his brand-new Subaru was not to carry the pork! Long story short, we rolled into Pete’s Greens at about 1 pm. ready to rock.

  The Outstanding crew had already arrived and was setting up the “kitchen.” We were driven down to the dining table, which was about a quarter mile away in a spot more beautiful than any of us could have imagined. A cover crop of buckwheat had been cut out to create a pathway and then a dining area. From a few feet away you would have never guessed there would soon be 80 people dining in the field.

  We got our bearings and started loading the two six-foot grills with hardwood charcoal.  The porchettas, a glass of wine each and a host of random things all laid out in their proper places. The night went off without a hitch. Every few minutes a guest would come by to say hello or take pictures. My mother attended the evening and was glowing with pride and enthusiasm for the whole affair.

  As the sun was setting, the sky turned shades of blue, orange and purple. We all seemed to be feeling the same vibration—smiling gleefully and peacefully, somewhat overwhelmed with perfect weather and the absolutely gorgeous evening just trying to take it all in before nightfall.

  Heirloom Tomatoes with Grilled Prosciutto
  from Pete Johnson, Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, Vermont

  5 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
  1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  1 shallot, diced
  ½ tablespoon kosher salt
  ½ cup basil
  5 pints mixed heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  6 slices of prosciutto (we use domestic prosciutto from La Quercia), sautéed until crispy and chopped
  1 tablespoon pine nuts
  Pinch of sea salt

  In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallots and salt. Chop the basil and immediately add to the dressing to avoid discoloration. Add the tomatoes and stir gently to mix. Transfer to a decorative platter.

  Scatter the prosciutto over the tomatoes, the sprinkle the pine nuts on top. Sprinkle a few flakes of good sea salt on top to finish.

  Serves 8

  See more great images of Outstanding in the Field on our flickr page!

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• Hen of the Wood’s New Private Label Wine

  Date: 04.09.2010 | Category: Restaurant Beat | Response: 0

  Waterbury, Vermont’s Hen of the Wood restaurant is busy making room in its wine cellar for the delivery of some out-of-the-ordinary Oregon wines. Anne Amie Vineyards, the Willamette Valley winery best known for its world-class Pinot Noirs, has collaborated with the restaurant to release two private label bottlings of its Pinot Noir red and Müller-Thurgau white. (Shred heads and wine lovers alike will appreciate the new Anne Amie/Hen of the Wood release. Stowe’s Lance

  

  Wine Label Designed by Lance Violette

  Violette, best known for his graphic work on Shaun White’s most recent medal-winning snowboard, designed the label on the bottle.) The wines will make their HOW debut at a release party/four-course wine dinner at the restaurant on Tuesday, April 20. Winemaker Thomas Houseman and chef/owner Eric Warnstedt will host the event.

  Chef Warnstedt is confident that the two new house wines will beautifully complement his ever-changing menus. “The Pinot is the ultimate food wine, it works from fish to mushrooms to grilled meats.” The Müller-Thurgau comes from vines planted in 1979. It’s crisp and lively–a perfect match for chicken, shellfish and mildly spicy foods.

  

  Chef Eric Warnstedt

  Hen of the Wood is a recognized leader in Vermont’s and the country’s farm-to-table movement. The kitchen sources its ingredients from more than 40 local farmers, dairymen, cheesemakers, bakers and foragers to produce absolutely fresh seasonal fare for menus that change every single day. Chef Warnstedt

  doesn’t know just yet what will be on the menu for the upcoming wine dinner. He’s waiting to see what’s looking best the week after next. (When we dared ask what he was planning to prepare for the Outstanding in the Field event at Pete’s Greens in Craftsbury this coming August, he just laughed.)

  To reserve a place at the Anne Amie/Hen of the Wood private label debut dinner, call 802.244.7300. The dinner is expected to sell out, so reserve early.
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• A Better Loaf

  Date: 01.07.2010 | Category: Coming Up | Response: 0

  In Vermont, the per capita ratio of artisan bread bakers is perhaps greater than anywhere else in the country–which means the bar is set dauntingly high for the typical homemade loaf. Fortunately there’s hope for the home bread baker, and it’s just off Route 5 in Norwich.

  The Baking Education Center at King Arthur Flour is offering the four-day class “Bread: Principles & Practice” this coming week. Lectures, given by several of the BEC’s world-class instructors, will cover every aspect of bread baking for the home baker, including the function of ingredients, pre-ferments and how to facilitate maximum rise. There will be hands-on work in yeast breads, from basic bread through whole grains, sweetened breads, sourdough and starter-based breads.

  For home bakers with a sweet tooth and just a few hours to spare, there’s a class on sticky cinnamon buns on Saturday taught by Bonny Hooper.

  Enrollment in either class comes with a 10% discount at The Baker’s Store for two weeks beginning the day of your class. Classes fill up quickly—to enroll or check out more classes throughout the year, call 800.652.3334.

  More Regional Events

  (All events take place in Vermont unless otherwise noted)

  Friday, January 8
  Pownal marks its 250th anniversary beginning at 6 pm tomorrow with a celebratory reading of the town charter plus bagpipes and more traditional music, as well as a cardboard cake complete with 250 cardboard candles created by Pownal grade-schoolers. (A real cake will be served too.) All are welcome. The celebration takes place at the elementary school at 94 Schoolhouse Road.
  

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• Holidazed & Confused on Tap

  Date: 12.10.2009 | Category: Coming Up | Response: 0

  Straight-from-the-hearth pizza isn’t the only draw at American Flatbread on a cold winter’s evening in Burlington, Vermont. The St. Paul Street eatery is also home to Zero Gravity Tap Room, where if you were to sip a different beer every night starting tonight, you’d be there until the first day of spring. As the Winter Solstice approaches, Zero Gravity’s staff is getting ready for the annual Holidazed & Confused Festival.

  The celebration of “holiday madness, cellared wonderment, aged beauties, seasonal specialties and winter warmers” takes place for two full nights this year, next Monday and Tuesday, from 5 pm to midnight, and will feature more than two dozen seasonal brews, including ZG cask-conditioned Dubbel with cherries, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence ‘08 and Anchor Xmas ‘07.

  More Regional Events

  (All events take place in Vermont unless otherwise noted)

  Friday, December 11
  Meet the Man With the Magic Hat: Alan Newman, founder and president of Magic Hat Brewery in Burlington is the featured speaker at the “Table Talk: Side Dishes for Thought” monthly discussion at Mary’s Restaurant at the Inn at Baldwin Creek in Bristol. Dinner begins at 6:15 pm followed by the talk at 7:30 pm. $25 dinner; the talk is free. Call 888.424.2432 or email linda@innatbaldwincreek.com. For more information on this event, check out FarmPlate’s feature on it.

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• Looking Forward to Leftovers

  Date: 11.25.2009 | Category: Real Food | Response: 2

  Thanksgiving is a day to soak up familiar aromas and favorite flavors. There’s no need to stick to tradition the day afterwards though, and no one wants to spend too much time in the kitchen. With a fridgeful of leftovers and some hot sauce on hand, you can whip up some very tasty meals in no time at all. Check out four of our favorite day-after picks.

  SPICY TURKEY SOUP
  from the FarmPlate Kitchen

  Everyone has a favorite vitamin-packed soup and a favorite hot sauce—the vinegary heat of North Carolina’s Texas Pete makes this sauce a FarmPlate top pick.

  1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  1 red or green bell pepper, diced
  1 small onion, chopped
  2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
  8 ounces chopped fresh collard, turnip or mustard greens (about 4 cups)
  6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  About 2 ½ cups shredded leftover turkey
  6 ounces fresh or frozen okra, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices (about 1 cup)
  4-5 tablespoons Texas Pete or other bottled hot sauce, plus extra to serve
  Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or scallion greens

  Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, peppers, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the cumin and cook for 1 minute more.

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