First off, I need to make a confession. This newsletter was supposed to be sent out last week. In the original introduction to the newsletter, however, after having basked in a week's worth of temperatures hovering in the 50's and 60's, I boldly proclaimed winter to be at an end and the arrival of spring. Enter winter storm Brandon (a curiously benign name for a storm so nasty) which rendered my musings about the advent of spring inaccurate if not downright delusional.
And yet, as Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, is my witness, the thermometer is rising again and there are signs of spring everywhere: from the rivulets streaming across our pastures as the snow melts, to the chiondoxa and snow drops popping up in exposed patches of grass, to the raucous greeting Kara and I have been receiving each day from a battalion of red-winged blackbirds as we set out for our morning walk with our golden retriever, Molly. The sense of spring has been enhanced this year by the early start of Daylight Savings Time which has had the added benefit of allowing guests to arrive in the daylight and enjoy views of our grounds from the dining room until 7:30 p.m. or so. But, most importantly, with the vernal equinox upon us, there is an undeniable increase in the strength of the sunlight which gives the entire world a lift. Surely, the expression "Hope springs eternal" has greater meaning now than at any other time of year.
I had a preview of the upcoming growing season earlier this week when I went out to the garden to clear sheets of snow and ice off the top of our cold frames and discovered that the vegetables we planted last fall were not only alive but thriving despite having spent the entire winter without heat. As I knelt in the snow and weeded the frames containing carrots, arugula and mache, hands covered with mud, I couldn't resist popping a floret of mache into my mouth. It was the most perfect salad green I have ever tasted-crisp yet buttery with a distinct nutty flavor. Any seasoning, even the most subtle vinaigrette dressing, would have been superfluous. The experience captured more perfectly than words ever can what we are trying to do at Still River Café: the creation of a distinctive cuisine based upon produce of unsurpassed freshness and quality which is raised locally, seasonally and organically in an environmentally sustainable way..
Obviously, this is also the time of year for starting lots of seedlings. In addition to the microgreens mentioned in our last newsletter which we have been using for salads as well as garnishes, we have also started our peas, fava beans, beets, broccoli raab, chard, escaraole, radicchio, kohlrabi, turnips, leeks, and onions. As firm believers in the adage that variety is the spice of life, we are growing three kinds of peas including a dwarf grey sugar pea with red blossoms, an old variety in which the entire plant-vine, tendrils, peas and blossoms-- are edible, three types of radicchio (Round Chioggia, Tall Treviso, and the beautiful pastel-colored Tauro), and four different beets (Bull's Blood, Golden, the candy-striped Chioggia and the all-white Blankoma). All should be ready for transplanting in early May. Next month, we will start our warm weather seedlings-heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil and squash-- and begin direct seeding our fingerling potatoes. Our garlic was planted last fall and should begin sprouting soon.
There has been a parallel explosion of life in the kitchen as well. Kara, Laurent and Kristen have used the quiet winter months to expand our menu with a variety of new amuses bouches, appetizers, entrees and desserts. In addition to most of the items which were popular last fall, we are now serving a sweet potato brulee, a deconstructed Caesar salad, a French onion soup featuring North Ashford Farm onions and housemade croutons, Georges Bank scallops delivered to us just one day after they are caught and which we serve three ways: pan-roasted, baked in the shell and as a crudo, a Berkshire pork and duck confit cassoulet, and pan-seared hake paired with hake fish cakes and hake chowder. Our vegetarian entrée has been changed to house-made sweet potato ravioli along with roasted hen of the woods mushrooms and a caramelized mushroom tart. (The puff pastry used in the tart is also made on the premises). Our desserts now include a trio of crème brulees (cinnamon, lemon and espresso) and a local artisinal cheese plate served with candied walnuts and cranberry nut crisps. The wine list continues to grow. Recent additions include a Louis Jadot Meursault from Burgundy, a Chateau Potensac from Bordeaux, an Avignonesi Vino Nobile de Montepulciano from Italy, a Kaiken Malbec from Argentina and a Huber Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Updated menus and wine lists can be found at www.stillrivercafe.com.
On Easter weekend, we will serve dinner on Saturday night (April 7th) and brunch / lunch on Sunday (April 8th). In deference to the holiday, Kara is adding a lamb entrée consisting of pan-seared loin of lamb with glazed baby vegetables, shoulder of lamb cassoulet with garlic and tarbais beans, and grilled lamb "lollipops" with tzatziki dip. The lamb, which is marketed under the Azaluna label, is local and pasture-raised and is the product of a collaboration between various New England farmers and TuftsUniversity. As promised in our last newsletter, and casting all superstitions aside, we will resume serving dinner on Friday, April 13.
We hope that you are as anxious as we are to emerge from winter hibernation and enjoy the glories of springtime in New England.
