Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Local Food: At Claire's, we have a special fondess for rhubarb, with its unique tart flavor and hint of Vermont frugality. Every year at Spring Festival, the abundance of rhubarb reminds us of the first week we were open, and the friends and neighbors who dropped off bags full of the first "fruit" of the year. While Steven likes to feature rhubarb with savory chutneys and other dinner plates, this week, he turns the pink produce upside down in his upside down cake. After making a rich caramel sauce, Steven adds tangy rhubarb, much of it coming from Pete's Greens (but bring some by if you have extra!). The moist cake is made with cornmeal from Butterworks Farm. Frozen blueberries from Shirley's Produce provide the base for the sauce, drizzled over the cake, with thick whipped cream on top. Look for more rhubarb, in savory dishes, across the dinner menu, and at the bar in cocktails like the Rhubarb Bellini.

With Spring Festival we mark our third year in business and we celebrate all of you who have given so much to make Claire's what it is. Investors, subscribers, lenders, customers - we salute all of you. For those of you who are CSR supporters, your new cards will be at Claire's for you to pick up at you next visit. Thank you all.

Around the Galaxy: Get ready for another World Premiere on Tuesday, June 7th when Ben Hewitt debuts Making Supper Safe: One Man's Quest to Learn About Food Safety. Get an idea about the book here, and call Galaxy at 472-5533 to reserve your copy now. Ben's first book, The Town That Food Saved, is Galaxy's all time bestseller, and will be out in paperback at the same time. Make a dinner reservation at Claire's before or after the event.

Music Notes: Bohemian Blues Quartet bring you gypsy jazz this Thursday, June 2 at 7:30. Bring your dancing shoes and celebrate the music styling of Django Reinhardt.

Local Events: The Children's Parade of East Hardwick is this Saturday, June 4 at 11:00. Registration begins at 10:30 at Hardwick Chiropractic on Route 16. Awards are given in many categories including best costume and decoration for pets, wagons and bikes.

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 use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!