You Can't Type on this Blackberry!

Local Food: Plump, sweet and tart, wild blackberries brighten any dish. Steven uses the luscious blackberries from Provender Farm in Cabot to add sweet tartness to the herby vinaigrette with parsley and cranberries on the Red Bore and Kale Salad.  The juicy, aromatic berries top the Beet and Arugula Salad with toasted almonds and Mossend Blue cheese from Bonnieview Farm.  Savory and sweet chutney of blackberries, peaches and red onion accompanies the maple pork chop. Crossing our fingers for cornmeal from Butterworks Farm, we hope to see Steven's famous upside down cake on the dessert menu, with a dollop of whipped cream.  Look for blackberries at the bar in our Blackberry Basil Margarita, using basil from Steven's backyard garden.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, September 2nd we offer a $2.50 pint of Rock Art Ridge Runner, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. Our Blackberry Basil Margarita is offered for $5.

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday, August 28th at 7PM Galaxy welcomes Julia Alvarez in celebration of A Wedding in Haiti: The Story of a Friendship. The book chronicles her journey to Haiti, first for a wedding, and then again after the devastating earthquake in 2010. She will include photos and audio from her trip in her presentation. All are welcome and the event is free. Please note that the event will be held in the gallery of the Hardwick Inn, just up the street from Galaxy. Be sure to have September 18th marked on your calendar for David Budbill and his new book Park Songs, available now at The Galaxy Bookshop.

Music Notes: Tritium Well bring us their radioactive roots, rock and reggae on Thursday, August 30th at 7:30.  Check out this quintet and support local music!

Local Events: First Friday in Hardwick is coming up Friday, September 7 from 5-10. Celebrate Hardwick, have a good time with family, friends and neighbors, enjoy live music, sales, snacks, and extended hours. We'll be serving Vermont beer, wine, and cocktail specials from 2:30.

Reminders: We are now open seven days a week in summer!

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. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!

Fritter Away the Last Days of Summer!

Local Food: So far, this has been an abundant season for produce in Vermont, and we're thankful for that.  Right now, it almost seems like we have corn coming out of our ears!  Johanna Laggis from Laggis Farm in East Hardwick brought by bushels for this week, and Steven brings out their sweetness with a little roasting. Shaving the kernels off the cob, he adds them to a batter and mixes in garlic from Mystic Morning Farm, red onion from Pete's and cilantro from his own garden. After a quick trip to the fryer, the fritters are crunchy on the outside and hot through and through, a good match for a duo of sauces.  Peach hot sauce made with habanero peppers from Mystic Morning Farm is blended with a bit of crème fraîche to balance the heat and offers a bit of creaminess to the fritters.  Salsa made with grilled tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro adds a smokiness to accompany the corn fritters.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, August 26th we offer a $2.50 pint of Wolaver's, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. Our Q-cumber, with cucumber infused vodka, tonic and lime, is offered for $5.

Around the Galaxy: Galaxy welcomes Julia Alvarez on Tuesday, August 28th at 7PM in celebration of A Wedding in Haiti: The Story of a Friendship. The book chronicles her journey to Haiti, first for a wedding, and then again after the devastating earthquake in 2010. She will include photos and audio from her trip in her presentation. All are welcome and the event is free. Galaxy also has a few more signed copies of Mark Bittman's books, and some delicious cookbooks at bargain prices, including One Big Table by Molly O'Neill for $17.98.

Music Notes: Dave Hall and friends join us this Thursday, August 23 at 7:30.  Support Hardwick's music scene and enjoy Dave on guitar and bouzouki, playing originals and covers of folk, blues, rock, country music and more!

Local Events: Check out Twin City Riot's White Wedding Bout on Saturday, August 25 in Barre.  Doors open at 6pm- whistle is at 7pm.  Presale tickets are $10 or $15 at the door. Help support the Central Vermont Roller Derby League and have a good time doing it.

Reminders: We are open seven days a week in summer!

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. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!

The Colors of Summer

Local Food: Bright and deep purple, Japanese eggplant is known for meaty, flavorful flesh, thin skin and for having few seeds.  These qualities make them a perfect match for the grill, where they become tender, creamy and smokey after a quick trip over the fire.  The eggplant joins with a variety of summer squash from Mystic Morning Farm, Eastview Farm and Steven's own kitchen garden.  He grills sweet and small pattypan to add a dash of sunshine. Zucchini and costata provide a hit of jadeite, while Lebanese squash brings a subtle variation with their muted palette. Crookneck squash has buttery tones that contrast nicely with the vibrant eggplant. The plate is served with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes that are intensely orange-red.  The bright summer veggies are mixed with a vinaigrette of toasted cumin and cilantro (also from Steven's garden), with crumbled tangy feta cheese from Bonnieview Farm.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, August 19th we offer a $2.50 pint of Trout River, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. Our Hot & Dirty, with Jalapeno Vodka, is offered for $5.

Around the Galaxy: Come to Galaxy on Tuesday when naturalist Bernd Heinrich will discuss his new book Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death. At 7PM, Heinrich, one of the keenest observers of the natural world, turns his eye to the lessons, ecological and spiritual, raised by looking at how the animal world renews itself. Be sure you have Tuesday, August 28th on your calendar for a visit by Julia Alvarez!

Music Notes: Spider Roulette join us this Thursday, August 16th at 7:30.  They'll play something for everyone, from blues to folk, jazz to country, and maybe even an Irish waltz!

Local Art: Join us one week from today, August 20th, as we welcome Shelburne artist Mathew Pardue.  Stop by and meet Mathew, enjoy drink specials and snacks from 4-6pm.

Local Events: The Circus Smirkus 25th Anniversary Big Top Tour wraps up this weekend, with 4 shows in Greensboro at the Circus Barn.  Saturday's shows are at 2pm and 7pm; Sunday's at 1pm and 6pm.  Tickets are $20 for adults, $16.50 for children (2-12) and free for those under two.  For more information, contact info@smirkus.org or call 1-877-SMIRKUS to order tickets.

Reminders: We are open seven days a week in summer!

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. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!

Summer's Working Landscape Comes Indoors

Local Food:  A restaurant might not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone says "farm work."  This time of year, with tomatoes from Pete's Greens and Harvest Hill Farm, the working landscape comes indoors, and our kitchen showcases what it means to be a true value-added agricultural operation in Hardwick.  Cleaned, cut, and dressed, colorful bundles of flavor right off the vine are headed directly to the table in the form of an heirloom tomato salad.  Cooked, herbed, and spiced - with a little sweetness along the way - tomatoes are turned into a supply of ketchup we hope to last the year ahead.  And tomatoes are joining the beans and cauliflower that Steven already put up for winter pleasures, just like a farmhouse kitchen almost anywhere.  The vast majority of the food we serve comes directly from the farm and is processed entirely in house, with Steven and his staff adding flavor and value to our region's produce.  Accompanying these efforts are the products of our neighborly bakers, cheesemakers, sugarmakers, brewers, and vintners who provide other ingredients for most plates.  We even start with farm fresh produce at our bar to make our own shrub and some of our syrups, with pure vegan sugars.  With your support and patronage, Claire's has become one of the largest value added agricultural operations in the Hardwick area.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, August 12th we offer a $2.50 pint of Trapp Helles, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. Dunc's Fizz, with Dunc's Mill Elderflower Rum, soda water and berries, is offered for $5.

Around the Galaxy: Essayist and Harper's contributing editor Garret Keizer will discuss his latest book, Privacy at the Galaxy Bookshop on August 7th at 7PM. In Privacy, Keizer examines the nature and changing face of privacy in America. Come to Galaxy for an evening of insightful and thought-provoking discussion. We were lucky enough to have Mark Bittman stop by last week to sign our stock of  his cookbooks, so come by for a signed copy!

Music Notes: Cosa Buena join us this Thursday, August 9 at 7:30 for acoustic music with a gentle Latin-Jazz feel.  Their sound is romantic while at the same time infused with exciting energy to warm the soul.

Local Events: Our next dance party, Shakin' & Bakin', is this Friday, August 10 from 10-2! Bring your friends, get your blood flowing and your dance on with DJ DMD. No cover, full bar and snacks.  Cash donation for music encouraged.  18+, photo ID at the door.
 
Reminders: We are now open seven days a week in summer! 

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. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!