In the Thick of It

Local Food: The bushy bean vines thriving in Steven's home garden are one indication we are in the thick of summer. Steven brings in the white and purple beans from home and uses them alongside others from Mystic Morning Farm and Pete's Greens. Quick fried in a Switchback beer batter with garlic scapes, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower, and served with basil aioli, the beans maintain their crunch and earthy flavor. You will also find them with the ribeye, mixed with French fries. They have their place on the Sunday Blunch menu as well, with the curry vegetable and tofu hash served with a fried egg.

Around the Galaxy: Come to Galaxy on Tuesday evening, July 27, at 7 to welcome Garret Keizer. Garret will read from and discuss his sixth book, The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want. Garret was a guest on the Colbert Report earlier this month, and his book has been favorably reviewed among several recent books about noise and silence. Learn more about Garret at his website and then come meet him at Galaxy on Tuesday.

Music Notes: Nicole Carey and Handmade Blues join us this Thursday, July 29 at 8:00. Nicole Carey will play her originals on acoustic guitar, joined by guitar flat picker Mike Schmidt and Carrie Cook on washtub.

Local Events: The Vermont Fresh Network Farmers' Dinner at Caledonia Spirits in Hardwick celebrates local food on Friday, July 30 at 6:00. Lauren Bowes, a student from New England Culinary Institute, will create the menu to feature products from Vermont Fresh Network members like Vermont Soy, Greenfield Highland Beef, Pete's Greens, Caledonia Spirits and Honey Gardens Winery, Jasper Hill as well as High Mowing Seeds, and others. Contact Todd Hardie at 802-472-8000 for reservations or more information. Tickets are $40 plus tax.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, with dinner reservations available from 5-9 (until 8 on Sunday). 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.

McKibben Writes Hardwick

If you haven't had a chance to pick up the latest issue of Yankee Magazine, the July/August edition is available online with Bill McKibben's article about Hardwick. Bill paints a vivid portrait of what's been brewing, starting with "livestock mortality composting" and moving on up the food chain. In just a few pages, you get not only a picture of one Vermont town and the dynamics in and on the ground, but also from the article a sense of what it takes to make this system work, and how unique it is among the many and varied efforts to restore a sense of community to our food ways.

Of course, you should as well stop and appreciate Tim Zeltner's illustration for the story (above) at Vermont Yankee.

Sweet Dreams of Youth

Local Food: Remember those summer days of your youth, when you refreshed with the fizzy sweetness of a root beer float? Starting this week, we'll bring back those bygone days in a cool pint glass filled with black raspberries from Hardwick's Larry Brochu, strawberries from Hazendale Farm and Pete's Greens, and raspberries from Jen Boucher, blended together and mixed with vanilla ice cream from Strafford Organic Creamery. To finish, Steven adds our homemade dry seltzer to put the pop in the fizz without the syrupy sweetness of root beer, and yellow plums from Champlain Orchards are sprinkled on top to add a punch of sunshine. It's the perfect balance of summer sweet fruit, cool ice-cream, and bubbles. And you can add a small shot of your favorite spirit (over 21 only, of course).

Around the Galaxy: From the newly revised classic Putting Food By to the brand new Put 'em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, Galaxy has a shelf full of books to help you preserve the summer bounty through the winter. Please join us for our next event, Tuesday, July 27th, when we hear Garret Keizer discuss his new book, The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want.

Music Notes: Flatpick guitarist and Radio Ranger Mark Struhsacker returns Thursday, July 22 at 8:00. Support local music and enjoy his traditional fiddle tunes and bluegrass instrumentals.

Local Events: Join High Mowing Seeds on their monthly Trials Field Walk on Wednesday, July 21 from 4-6. This tour will focus on cucumbers, beets, carrots, cabbages, herbs, snap beans, okra, artichokes and fava beans.

Local Art: We welcome an exhibit of works by Vermont artist Vanessa Compton's July 20 through Monday, October 4. Vanessa incorporates the subconscious realm of dreams and nightmares into her artwork. Join us for an artist reception at Claire's on Monday, July 26 from 4-6.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, with dinner reservations available from 5-9 (until 8 on Sunday). 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.

The Reds are Coming!

Local Food: The return of the Cold War in a spy swap with Russia brought back memories of the Red Scare, but our local Reds - luscious strawberries - have been lying low because of this year's unusual weather, with some farmers experiencing a late frost that delayed the harvest. Pete's Greens and Hazendale Farm supply us with the sweet earthy berries, and with a lusty red color, their strawberries soak up attention. But they also balance well off savory and sweet preparations as featured players. Steven includes strawberries alongside a crab cake to add a bright tone and sweetness to the greens, sorrel vinaigrette and bacon lardons that accompany it. At Blunch on Sunday, you find them with spiced cornmeal and rye pancakes, honeyed ricotta, and Caledonia Farm maple syrup. For dessert, they are mixed with their red cousin, the cherry, on top of the mascarpone cheesecake and they star on the berry upside down cake. And who could forget about a summertime favorite, Steven's praline ice cream sandwich with vanilla and strawberry ice cream, topped with strawberries. We're also working on strawberries for our cocktail menu. Stay tuned.

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday at 7P.M. Vince Feeney will talk about the history of Irish immigrants in Vermont and his book Finnigans, Slaters and Stonepeggers. Everyone is welcome and the event is free.

Music Notes: Hardwick residents Jeanne Segretto Miller and Josh Gould, aka The Butterbeans, perform this Thursday at 8:00. With Jeanne on fiddle and vocals and Josh singing, playing guitar, mandolin and banjo, you won't want to miss this hometown hoedown featuring blues and swing.

Local Events: Vermont Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project will host a viewing of the new documentary Silenced Voices and the animated feature Neighbors at the Hardwick Town Hall on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:00. Following the death of Jose Obeth Santiz Cruz in a farming accident in Vermont in December 2009, his family must come to terms with his death and share stories about the causes, effects and experiences of migration. For more information visit their website.

Along with the Craftsbury Chamber Players and Greensboro Music series, the Unadilla Theater in Marshfield has started its summer season.

We hope you will join us on your way to or from any of these events that flavor our summers in Vermont.

Keep it Cool at Claire's

Local Food: Sliced thin and cured, pork belly is more familiar to us as bacon. But oven roasted, a thick slice of pork belly is a full, rich cut with beguiling texture and enticing flavors. We go to Winding Brook Farm in Morrisville for our pork, which Steven oven roasts to provide a crispy edge and keep the meat juicy. He serves the pork belly with mashed potatoes and a salad that starts with fennel from Rooster Ridge Farm, radishes, snap peas and finally cherries from Champlain Orchards to add a cool crispness and some sweet notes. The salad includes shaved pickled egg and a scallion vinaigrette to set off the flavors of the pork.

Around the Galaxy: Two eagerly awaited events come to Galaxy this week. On Tuesday, James Tabor delves into the world of cave exploration with a discussion of his latest book, Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth. Get a sneak preview on his website, where you can also link to his recent appearance on The Daily Show. On Thursday, Galaxy is delighted to welcome back Howard Norman, here to read from his new novel, What is Left the Daughter, which Publisher's Weekly has called "an expertly crafted tale of love during wartime." Both events begin at 7PM and everyone is welcome.

Music Notes: Wasted Lives will put the Ba-Donk in yer Honky-Tonk and a tear in yer beer this Thursday at 7:30pm. This is the first of two scheduled performances by Wasted Lives featuring guitar, mandolin, fiddle and kazoo.

Local Events: The much anticipated Vermont Food Venture Center groundbreaking is Wednesday, July 7th at 2:15. Celebrate the new addition to the local food economy and sample food and other products at the site in Hardwick off Route 15, just behind Aubuchon Hardware.

Just as the vuvuzela heralds the final matches of the World Cup, ending this Sunday July 11, Lance Armstrong is pedaling his way around France for that famous Tour. Join us at the bar for all the coverage.

Reminders: As our temperatures rise, remember Claire's is air conditioned and we open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, with dinner reservations available from 5-9 (until 8 on Sunday). 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.

Who Let the Dogs In?

Local Food: Hushpuppies, a Southern staple, are now a Hardwick snack. Hushpuppies were named for the bits of fried dough tossed to the yard dogs to keep them quiet. As a starter, hushpuppies calm your appetite in anticipation of more. Steven bases his hushpuppies on cornmeal and buttermilk from Butterworks Farm, deep fried for a crispy outside and a soft and chewy inside. Smoked cheddar (also from Butterworks) and bacon from Winding Brook Farm in Morrisville add rich flavor. Moving from the South to Southwest, the hushpuppies are served with cool cabbage slaw and refreshing salsa of tomatoes, onions and cilantro from Pete's Greens.

Today, the Center for an Agricultural Economy hosts a tour of the Hardwick area for delegates from Latin America working in rural communities on women's rights, racism, poverty, and social justice. Arranged by Meridian International and including representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico, the group will be at Claire's this evening, so stop by their table if you come in for the Monday specials.

Around the Galaxy: Ben Hewitt's book The Town That Food Saved continues at the top of the Galaxy bestseller list. Our next event is Tuesday, July 6, when we host James Tabor who chronicles the world of deep cave exploration in his book Blind Descent. On Thursday, July 8, we are pleased to welcome award-winning novelist Howard Norman in celebration of his novel What is Left the Daughter.

Music Notes: Katie Trautz, Director of the Summit School in Montpelier, returns Thursday July 1 at 7:30. Don't miss her old-time inspired melodies on fiddle, guitar and banjo.

Local Events: Summer music season is almost here. The Craftsbury Chamber Players Summer Music Series begins in Hardwick on Thursday, July 15 at 8:00. The concerts at the Hardwick Town House will continue on Thursday nights until August 19. The Chamber Players perform in Burlington on Wednesdays at 8:00 as well.

Summer Music from Greensboro celebrates its 32nd season every Tuesday at 8:00 at the Greensboro Church of Christ, opening on Tuesday, July 20th.

Time to Ketchup

Local Food: Tomatoes are back, and so is tomato ketchup for your burger and fries. Steven slow cooks the tomatoes with a variety of herbs and spices, including cinnamon and allspice, adding a dash of vinegar for acidity. Onions, scallions and green garlic provide "bite" to the ketchup, and dried peppers heat it up for a spicy note. Ketchup is extraordinary when it is prepared with patience to concentrate the flavors, making something quite complex seem very simple.

Around the Galaxy: Join author Stephen Kiernan at The Galaxy Bookshop on Thursday, June 24th for a discussion about American ideals, how they've been abused and how they have been reclaimed. Kiernan's new book, Authentic Patriotism, introduces ordinary Americans who have embraced progressive action and embody the true spirit of patriotism. The event begins at 7P.M. on Thursday.

Music Notes: Singer/songwriter Jay Ekis returns this Thursday, June 24. Enjoy his infectious alt-country and rock originals and covers beginning at 7:30.

Local Events: Circus Smirkus opens the season on Friday, June 25th in Greensboro with two shows. Tickets are available at The Galaxy Bookshop (cash or check only) or here.

Woodchuck's Revenge will perform Saturday, June 26 at The Music Box in Craftsbury at 8:00. The group includes Kristina Cady on fiddle, her husband Peter on guitar and Sandy Morse on mandolin. Their repertoire includes songs about Vermont, mountains and life in New England. Admission is $10, $5 for students and seniors, children are free.

Tour the High Mowing Seeds trials garden in Wolcott on Wednesday, June 30 from 4-6. Learn and share information about growing specific crops, handling pests and disease and get a sneak preview of new varieties of organic seed that may soon be available.