Two in the Pot

Local Food: Good turkey is something to be thankful for year 'round. And with Rebel Pine Farm in Wolcott crossing two heritage breeds - the Blue Slate and Bourbon Red - we have unique and flavorful meat to fill a root vegetable pot pie. Starting with sautéed turnips, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas and onions, then adding white wine from Shelburne Vineyard to create a jus, Steven includes kale, finishing with turkey and baking. Topped with a crispy crust of cornmeal from Butterworks Farm and Grafton cheddar, this ultimate comfort food is also available vegetarian with tofu from Vermont Soy, or you can enjoy its rustic simplicity with nothing but veggies. Try the pot pie with a glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc for $9.00 or pint of Trapp Helles Lager for $5.00.

Around the Galaxy: Come to Galaxy on December 4th to celebrate 22 years of a world of reading in Hardwick! Andrea Chesman and Tracey Medeiros will be at Galaxy from 11-1 to sign their cookbooks. Sandy, Stella and Linda will cook from Andrea's book Recipes from the Root Cellar, and Tracey's book, Dishing up Vermont. Come sample recipes and meet the authors from 11-1, and join the Sirius celebration at The Galaxy Bookshop from 8 in the morning until 5 in the evening.

Music Notes: The trio of Katie Trautz on fiddle, banjo and guitar, Jay Ekis on guitar and Noah Hahn on acoustic and electric bass will join us on Thursday, December 2 at 7:30. Don't miss their unique blend of rock/folk/indie originals and covers.

Local Events: Join authors Bethany Dunbar, Caroline Abels, Ben Hewitt and Julia Shipley at the St. John's Episcopal Church at 6:30 pm on Friday, December 3 for a benefit to raise money and awareness around hunger in Vermont. In lieu of admission, please bring a non-perishable item for the Hardwick Area Food Pantry or a monetary donation to benefit the Center for an Agricultural Economy's Food Access Fund. For more information, contact Elena Gustavson at elena@hardwickagriculture.org or call 802-472-5840

Getting Ready for the Holidays: Buy a gift certificate now through the new year and we will donate 10% of sales to NOFA-VT's Farm Share Program.

Book a Holiday Party at Claire's now and you'll be entered to win a $30 gift certificate. For groups of six or more we will offer a $25 prix fixe menu.

We will be closed December 24 and 25 so our staff can celebrate the holidays with their families and friends. Our annual closing will be after "blunch" service on January 2, reopening Monday, January 17.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you reserve a table with us, as it helps us plan a relaxed and hospitable experience for you and all our guests. To show our appreciation, when you call, email, or stop by to make a reservation, you will be entered into our weekly drawing for a $20 gift card for your next visit.

Ah Shucks!

Local News: This week, we've upholstered our generous benches for a scoosh more comfort. Thanks to the skills and dedication of Linda Fox and a little ingenuity and research of our own, our benches are padded with wool batting from Neil and Kristin Urie at Bonnieview Farm and covered with recycled, biodegradable fabric made utilizing a low energy process consuming only 0.1% of solvent.

Local Food: Arriving from a family oyster farm in Maine, the celebrated Glidden Point Oysters have debuted on our menu, shucked to order so they are as fresh as possible. Raised using low impact handling, these plump oysters yield sweet and briny meat for seafood lovers to savor. For that touch of Hardwick, Steven serves the oysters with lemon thyme and horseradish straight from his own garden. He tops them with an herbed butter with roasted garlic, rosemary and thyme, adding a dash of bread crumbs and bits of crispy bacon. Gratinéed to lightly toast them and add crunchy texture to the oysters, the plate arrives at your table with a salad of Napa cabbage from Pete's Greens and pea sprouts from Peace of Earth Farm. Try the Oysters with a glass Shelburne Vineyards sweet riesling or Vidal Blanc Ice Wine.

Around the Galaxy:The bookshelves are practically sagging with the weight of the season's crop of cookbooks. Always a great time for new titles, this fall has brought an especially delicious selection. On Saturday, December 4th, Galaxy celebrates 22 years in business with a Sirius Reader party, cookbook signing and recipe tasting. Come by between 11 and 1 to meet Andrea Chesman, author of Recipes from the Root Cellar, and Tracey Madeiros. Tracey is the author of Galaxy bestseller Dishing Up Vermont.

Music Notes: We will be closed this Thursday for Thanksgiving. Join us next week for Katie Trautz, Noah Hahn and Jay Ekis.

Local Events: Meet the creator of basketball, James Naismith, in a living history presentation at the Jeudevine Library on Tuesday, November 30 at 7 pm. See Robert Cheney, author of Basketball's Origins, become Dr. Naismith. For more information contact the library at 472-5948

Getting Ready for the Holidays: Buy a gift certificate now through the new year and we will donate 10% of sales to NOFA-VT's Farm Share Program.

Book a Holiday Party at Claire's now and you'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate. For groups of six or more we will offer a $25 prix fixe menu.

We will be closed Thursday, November 25 as well as December 24 and 25 so our staff can celebrate the holidays with their families and friends. Our annual closing will be after "blunch" service on January 2, reopening Monday, January 17.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you reserve a table with us, as it helps us plan a relaxed and hospitable experience for you and all our guests. To show our appreciation, when you call, email, or stop by to make a reservation, you will be entered into our weekly drawing for a $20 gift card for your next visit.

Rue-Full Baguette

Local Food: Wandering the streets of Paris on a cold day one November, Steven found what would become his all time favorite street food, made by a neighborhood baker... a cheese covered baguette with thick chunks of pork belly called lardons. Back home, he discovered that the Filone bread from Charlie Emers of Patchwork Farm and Bakery makes the perfect variation, with its hint of rye flour. To bring out the creamy cheese, Steven tops the halved loaf with Coomersdale, a semi-hard cheese similar to young pecorino, from Bonnieview Farm in Craftsbury, with a creamy bechamel sauce and a bit of nutmeg for the right melting silkiness. Caramelized red onions and apples are baked into the cheese with bacon from Pete's Greens to add crunch and smoke, and sunflower sprouts accompany the plate. So if you find yourself wandering Main Street in Hardwick, stop in for a journey that takes you near and far, best with a pint of Hill Farmstead Brewery Citra or a glass of Vermont's Cayuga white.

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:00, Galaxy hosts a Local Author Celebration. Come meet seven different authors representing a variety of genres. And mark your calendars now for a cookbook signing and recipe tasting at Galaxy on December 4th.

Music Notes: Dan Haley returns this Thursday at 7:30 for a solo performance as Dan Haley is Mister Casual. Check out his Indie/Rock/Pop originals and covers and support local music.

Local Events: The Sari Fashion Show and Indian Dinner is this Saturday, November 20 at 6:00 at Hazen High School. Proceeds benefit Child Haven International. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under and are available at the Buffalo Mountain Coop, Gagnon's and Hazen.

The Full Moon Festival is this Sunday, November 21. There will be events throughout the day at Stardust Books and Cafe and The Art House in Craftsbury including a silent auction, music, gallery opening and a full moon feast. All proceeds benefit The Common Place.

Holiday Hours: We will be closed Thursday, November 25 for Thanksgiving and December 24 and 25. Our annual closing will be January 2 for dinner and reopen January 17.

Buy a gift certificate now through the new year and we will donate 10% of sales to NOFA-VT's Farm Share Program.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you reserve a table with us, as it helps us plan a relaxed and hospitable experience for you and all our guests. To show our appreciation, when you call, email, or stop by to make a reservation, you will be entered into our weekly drawing for a $20 gift card for your next visit.

Ribs

Local Food: Beef short ribs from Pete's Greens are more tender and meatier then their pork counterpart. Steven generously seasons the ribs with toasted cumin and smoked paprika, grills the ribs for a smoky flavor, and then braises them in Switchback beer and apple cider from Champlain Orchards, creating a rich jus as the sauce. They are served with sweet roasted acorn squash from Riverside Farm, parsnips from Rowan Farm and creamy polenta made with cornmeal from Butterworks Farm for a variety of complementary textures and flavors. The tender fall-off-the-bone meat is not to be missed.

Around the Galaxy: Just as farms have been busy harvesting and getting ready for Winter, publishers have been sending out the season's new crop of cookbooks. Come in to browse At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka or, for a different flavor, My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South. The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century includes the recipe most requested by readers, Marian Burros' Purple Plum Torte. Come in now and pick up some inspiration for your Thanksgiving and harvest dinners.

Music Notes: Blue Fox returns this Thursday, November 11 at 7:30. Support local music and check out "one of the few authentic blues musicians in Vermont."

Local Events: Sterling College students will present informative slideshows explaining their internship experiences on Wednesday, November 10 at 6:30. The event is free and at Simpson III.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you reserve a table with us, as it helps us plan a relaxed and hospitable experience for you and all our guests. To show our appreciation, when you call, email, or stop by to make a reservation, you will be entered into our weekly drawing for a $20 gift card for your next visit.

Ruby Reds

Special Note: We will be closed for a private event Saturday, November 6, returning to regular service for "blunch" on Sunday. Thank you for your understanding.

Local News: Larry Hamel's restoration of the Hardwick Inn brings light and warmth to downtown Hardwick during the first snow of the season.

Local Food: Vermont Cranberry Company in East Fairfield grows some of the best tartly sweet ruby fruit. With duck just available from Applecheek Farm in Hyde Park, Steven has crafted a plate featuring sauteed breast to capture the rich texture and crispy skin, paired with a sauce composed from cranberries, apples, and plums, a mixture that balances the sweet and tart aspects of each to complement the luscious duck. Steven also brought back a fall favorite, his upside cake starring cranberries and blueberries. Cranberries also arrived at the bar, in our Claire's Cosmo and Cranberry Margarita.

Around the Galaxy: The third annual Read-a Thon starts Friday at 5PM at The Galaxy Bookshop. Last year avid readers raised over $1500 to benefit Hardwick Head Start and Early Head Start. The deadline for registering was last Friday, but if you've missed that and are still interested in participating, please call Sandy at 472-5533 before November 4.

Music Notes: Rustbucket Brothers return this Thursday, November 4 at 7:30. Support local music and get down with their "rootsy Americana rock and country with a helping of Green Mountain soul."

Local Events: The First Friday Artist Talk at the Art House this month features Jennifer Ranz of Greensboro. She will show examples of her work and speak about her thirty years both painting and working with clay.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you reserve a table with us, as it helps us plan a relaxed and hospitable experience for you and all our guests. To show our appreciation, when you call, email, or stop by to make a reservation, you will be entered into our weekly drawing for a $20 gift card for your next visit.