Thursday, July 22, 2010

Leavin' on a jet plane.....

That's right. I'm heading to Tuscany tonight for the next 12 days. In addition to trying to get a decent amount of rest, I'm going to try and answer the following questions:

1) Can I eat an entire ham during my stay?

2) Does red wine taste different if you're drinking it at 9am, poolside?

3) Will the famed Tuscan saltless bread taste like a brick of sawdust or be remarkable?

4) Is there any gelato in all of Italy that is better than the raspberry soft serve in a pretzel cone from York Street Treat?

Those are questions I'm looking to answer. Please check out the blog as I'll be trying to post the answers frequently while I'm there.



Isn't that a cool pic? Well, here's a deal for you: Make a reservation between August 4th-7th, mention this blog post, and I'll send you this very dish(made with our kitchen garden's tomatoes and cucumbers....they look great and will be bursting by the time I get back!) compliments of the kitchen. How can you beat that? Well, you can't. Period.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

State of The Garden July 13th


I'm posting a couple of videos below showing the status of the garden today, however I thought it might be fun to take a look at where we started. Enjoy!



Again, I'll just let the video do the talking. I'm really happy about where the garden is at this point in the season!



I pulled up one German Butterball potato plant today....here's what I found.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Sometimes you have to slow down and look around....

We were lucky enough to have a visit from the PA Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding a couple of weeks ago and one of the many things I took away from our visit was his phrase 'sometimes you have to slow down and look around.' I'm not sure this is the exact quote, but I know the idea is correct.

Yep, that's Secretary Redding sporting the 'Know Farms Know Food' hat in the herb garden.


This past weekend, I noticed a couple of our guests strolling the property either before or after dinner and thought about the Secretary's statement again. We live in a society that has forgotten the pleasures associated with dining and wants everything faster(I just want a 'quick bite'), more casual(you mean I can't wear my sleeveless Budweiser t-shirt to your restaurant? You're a damn elitist), more choices(What do you mean you don't have 17 iterations of boneless, skinless chicken breast?) and most of all cheaper(You mean I don't even get a salad or foil covered baked potato with that?). I have to be honest with you, I think it's a bunch of bullshit. Certainly, there is a time and place for that type of eating, but it's simply that. Eating. It's not dining. It's not an experience. It's not even good most times, it's simply either quick, cheap, casual or some combination of the three, but don't kid yourself. It's not good.

There is a place where you can slow down, look around and have a dining experience that is more that just 'eating'. It's in Hanover, PA. So, slow down, have a glass of champagne or a beer and drink in these photos from the past couple of weeks. If you're so inspired, please come an visit us so that you can see these things in person. I'd love to look out the kitchen window and see YOU strolling our property. Actually, why don't you ask your waiter if you can pop your head in the kitchen and I'll take a short stroll around the gardens with you?