Cherry Garcia

     On my way to my Monday evening lodging in Stowe I passed through Waterbury.  Little did I know that I would pass by the Ben & Jerry's ice cream plant.  It was on my list of places to visit on Tuesday but since I was already there I decided to stop and and tour the place.  Here is what I saw when I got out of my car:

 

Upon entering the building I discovered that tours were given every half hour, so with my senior citizen discount I plunked down my $3 and waited for the next one to begin.  Bob, the tour guide (all 6'10" of him) was eagerly awaiting our group at the front desk:

 

Soon we were off and up 24 stairs to view a brief video which described the humble origins of the landmark ice cream company.  Ben & Jerry learned their craft through a correspondence course on ice cream making from Penn State and combined that knowledge with a strong work ethic and social conscience to become the world's best known purveyor of ice cream.  Their fun loving flavor names are recognized around the globe.  The day I visited the plant was manufacturing Caramel Sutra.  They have a straightforward business principle: "You keep eating it, we'll keep making it."

     Following the tour we made our way down 24 stairs to the Research & Development room

where we were given a walnut sized sample of their product in a small paper cup, minus a spoon.  It was just enough to make us want to go to the ice cream counter and order up a real serving of one of their many flavors, which I did.  I got a large scoop of chocolate therapy.

     Here are some Ben & Jerry factoids:

1.  Only fair trade ingredients are used in their ice cream

2. Ice cream is best served when it is at 10 degrees F

3. The quicker the ice cream slurry is frozen the smaller the crystals in it.  Ben & Jerry's is flash frozen at -40 degrees

4. All ice cream contains air bubbles.  The lower the percentage the better the ice cream.   Ben & Jerry's has 15%.  Bargain brands have up to 50%

5. Ben & Jerry's is sold mainly in pint containers so the ice cream can be consumed at one setting.

     Here are some eager tourists enjoying a Vermontster:

 

A Capital Idea

     It was nearly noon and I was almost in Montpelier, Vermont's state capital.  So I decided to take a break from driving and look for a place to eat lunch.  Coming off the interstate I drove down State Street past the capital building with it's impressive golden dome:

 

Vermont is the only state in New England that does not border the Atlantic Ocean.  With a resident population of only 626,431 it is the 2nd least populated state and the 45th in area, 9,620 square miles.   Doing the math on those stats equates to a mere 67.7 people per square mile.  The capital, Montpelier, has a minute population of 7,855 making it the least populated state capital in the nation.  But at one time Vermont was an independent nation in unto itself.  Before becoming the 14th state it was known as the Republic of Vermont.  It's name is derived from the French verde mont, meaning "Green Mountain."  And it is no surprise that Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup.  But more about that later.

     So as I looked for a place to park my car I spied an interesting little cafe right on Main Street.  I quickly parked on a side street and walked up to La Brioche.  And I came to discover that it was run and operated by the students of the New England Culinary Institute. 

What a serendipitous happenstance!  I got in line and ordered up a cup of soup and half sandwich and began to learn about this premier institution that was founded in 1980.  The foundation of their educational philosophy is experiential knowledge, or as they proclaim, "learn by doing."  They operate a number of eating establishments in Montpelier as well as providing the food service for nearby Vermont College.  With a small student body of only 500 students the student/faculty ratio is an impressive 10:1.  Through instruction and experience the students pursue both degree and certificate programs including on line courses.  Perhaps one of their most noted graduates is Alton Brown who hosts his own show, "Good Eats!" on the Food Network Channel.  He received his degree at NECI in 1997.

     There was one other reason I wanted to stop in Montpelier.  It was the home of a close friend and fraternity brother from college and I enjoyed my visits with Stan Murray and his family over the years.  I wanted to drive past the farmstead one more time and take a nostalgic look at the place.  So after lunch I drove over to Upper Main Street to see if the house and barn were still there.  And they were.  But in the intervening years since I was there last the acreage had been sold and a very nice collection of houses now occlude the once commanding view of downtown Montpelier.  And fittingly the location is now known by the following sign: 

     So it was a very worthwhile stop in Montpelier for me.  I had learned something new and had remembered something old.  Soon I was back on the road on my way to Stowe.

Great American Culinary Tour

     I began my 1st Annual Great American Culinary Tour exactly one week ago today.  After an easy 5 hour drive north the day before and a fantastic evening meal at Johnny Seesaw's in Peru (the place is a mandatory culinary event on it's own), I was ready to venture out for my first day of exploration into the Green Mountain State.
     After about an hour's drive I made my first stop in the picturesque little town of Norwich, home of King Arthur Flour.  They have been providing high quality baking products since 1790.

     Had I thought about it I wouldn't have really set my hopes too high for this visit.  After all wheat is not grown in Vermont.  Neither is it milled there, but on the open plains of the Mid-West.  So Norwich is home to the administrative offices and a baking education center.  There are no tours because there is nothing to really see being made or produced.  A member of the staff confided in me that most of the Norwich employees have never even seen the milling process.  And to further complicate my visit, they are in the midst of a rather large renovation and expansion project so things are in a temporary mode for staff and visitor alike.  So I took about an hour to walk through the store and savored the aroma of the fresh baked items that were for sale from a small on-site bakery before moving on to drive slowly through the little town. 

 



Before leaving, however, I did manage to purchase a few mixes for my bread machine and will enjoy baking up some Scottish oatmeal and cinnamon raisin breads.

     Norwich is classic New England with a village square and iconic buildings that seem to exude strength and stability and a solid foundation for the residents.  Here are a few of the images I captured with my digital camera:

 

 

   From Norwich I headed north and west with more stops to make, some planned and some unplanned.  So I will continue my Great American Culinary Tour tomorrow with a lunch time detour in the state capital, Montpelier.

Weekly Menu Planner

     You have patiently waited for my return from the 1st Annual Great American Culinary Tour and I thank you.  Currently I am sifting through and sorting out all the information I gleaned during my time in Vermont this past week.  I will begin to disseminate it beginning Monday.  But in the meantime, life goes on here at Home, Home on the Range.  So for today I will outline my weekly menu planner for you:

Sunday 

Ravioli and Red Sauce

Steamed Broccoli

Garden Salad

Monday 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Wide Noodles

English Peas

Tuesday

Greek Spiced Shrimp

Rice Pilaf

Asparagus Tips

Wednesday 

Baked Ham Loaf

French Potato Casserole

Sweet & Savory Kale

Thursday 

Steak on the Grill

Pub Fries

Brussels Sprouts

Sentimental Journey

     I'll be gone for a week starting tomorrow.  I've planned a sentimental journey to the Green Mountain State to visit a friend of long standing, Gary Okun.  He runs a magnificent country inn, Johnny Seesaw's, in Peru, VT.  And he's been at it a long time and is now hoping to have someone else continue the legend and ease into a less hectic lifestyle.  I will stay there one more time and in so doing to also take in some culinary highlights located in Vermont.  So I should come back with lots of pictures and lots of stories to share with my world-wide readership.
      Look for this page to return with daily musings on Monday March 12th.


Vinny

Any Hope for New Hope?

Sitting on the western bank of the Delaware River across the bridge from Lambertville, NJ is the little village of New Hope.  At one time there were numerous boutique shops and fine dining establishments lining the streets there.  But that seems to no longer be true.

But now the main intersection is home to Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks.  That is a sad indictment of the current business climate.

     Yes, there are still a few attractions to draw tourists, like a walk along the Delaware Canal or a ride on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad for the kids when it is in operation.

There is also the big hulking building housing the Bucks County Playhouse.  But its way past its prime with large patched holes in the roof and a portable chain link fence delineating the parking lot and preventing patrons from driving into the river.  They claim a long list of "Who's Who" that have performed there, but they are sadly all stars from a bygone era.

     Several store fronts currently seem to be in between tenants and one elegant mansion even has a sign on the front gate and in the window boldly stating "FOR RENT."  And to add insult to injury the famed canal has been drained.

     So is there hope for New Hope?  All I can say is that I hope so.  I was there yesterday on a decidedly damp and dreary day which, I must confess, did not add to the town's ambiance nor my mood as a strolled up and down Main Street (River Road).

     But there is one bright spot there, for me at least.  And that is a recently opened shop called simply "Olive-n-Grape."  They have an extensive selection of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars for tasting and for sale.  And the couple who run the place are at the top of their game when it comes to knowledge and recommendations.

 

You might even call them EVOO snobs.  Dawn goes so far as to carry her own favorite EVOO into restaurants to use in place of the insipid house stock and lightly pours it on her salad.  And their recommendations are pretty amazing.  I would have never considered drizzling some raspberry balsamic on a slice of chocolate cake but it sure does sound appealing.  They even have such unique blends as citrus habanero and chipotle oils as well as a bold and assertive espresso balsamic for the more adventurous palates. 

 

     Perhaps a warm sunny Saturday in May will elevate my mood and alter my opinion of New Hope.  But until then I will just drown my sorrows in olive oil.

Asparagus and Leaks

     Thinking about yesterday's post regarding the theory of Volumetrics, I began to contemplate various vegetables with high water content in an attempt to cook and eat more low energy density foods.  One vegetable that immediately came to mind was asparagus.

     When harvested early it is particularly juicy and sweet with a sugar content of around 4% when first picked.  But alas, after only 24 hours the still growing shoot continues to consume it's sugars at a rapid rate, the fastest of all vegetables to do so, and it's flavor flattens out.  It sadly loses it's juiciness and becomes increasingly fibrous.  But not all is lost however.  Some of those sought after qualities can be partially restored by soaking the spears in a sugar water solution prior to cooking.  Click on the highlighted word for some recipes.
     According to Harold McGee, compiler of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen,  "Asparagus is the main stalk of a plant in the lily family, Asparagus officinalis, a native of Eurasia that was a delicacy in Greek and Roman times."   Looking carefully you will notice that the stalk grows small projections rather than leaves that are called bracts.  And at the tip of the immature stalks are phylloclades, which are clusters of tiny tender bracts that are prized for their sweetness.
     But there is also a downside as well to enjoying this harbinger of Spring.  There is one unusual side effect from eating asparagus that can offend the olfactory nerve.  For when digested the body metabolizes a sulfur-containing substance, asparagusic acid, which closely resembles the essence of skunk spray.  And as many can attest, the aroma of methanethiol as it exits our body through the urine gives off a strong and unpleasant smell.  Marcel Proust in 1913 referred to it in one of his writings as the "aromatic perfume of asparagus." 
     Make sure you empty your chamber pot promptly in the morning after enjoying this low energy density, juicy and smelly vegetable!