What a community. This morning Paula wrote that if I were willing to put her up for the night, she'd like it if I saved some weeds for her to pull tomorrow. So my itinerant weeder from Canada will be arriving just in time for dinner. You know what that means: She must be treated to an all-Vermont meal. Paula's omnivorous, so I can be adventurous with the cuisine.
My humble garden provides the beets and the garlic scapes that just happen to be ready to harvest. I'll make my maple vinaigrette to pour over the beets once they are cooked, and I'll sautee the greens with the garlic scapes.
I ran to the local farm stand for some baby potatoes to roast, and I've got some ground Vermont farmed venison for some burgers for the grill. My mom just happened to stop by this morning to return a dish I'd given her filled with garden lettuce last week. She returned the dish full of strawberries that she'd just picked in the next town over. I'll make biscuits for the berries and top it with Vermont cream. Dinner is served. Wanna join?
This is pure (delicious!) torture...
Posted by: Vicki | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 05:22 PM
Oh, yummy! I know just what to do with the scapes that came with our CSA veggies now. Thanks, Norma!
Posted by: Marisa | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 05:35 PM
OMG...and I just baked bread (with King Arthur flour from Vermont) that I could have brought along! Too bad it's pizza night in Casa Cooke!
Posted by: Marcia Cooke | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 05:43 PM
I would, indeed, like to join you for dinner! However, I am way too far away!
Enjoy... it sounds delicious.
Posted by: Kathleen | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 05:51 PM
I'll be right over...YUM!
Posted by: Beverly | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 05:58 PM
I wish. But it looks like it's raid night for the boy and little person is sick and I'm stuck with takeout. Sigh.
Posted by: Lee Ann | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:06 PM
I would be there in a heart beat if I could! That all sounds delicious.
Posted by: Kathy | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:08 PM
I live on the wrong bloody coast. /pouts
Posted by: Cookie | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:13 PM
Stop, you almost make me want to pull some weeds for that delish dinner. Lucky Paula and you too.
Posted by: Wanda | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:17 PM
Yum, sounds fabulous....and all part of my Core diet (except for the biscuits!).
Posted by: Annie | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:20 PM
Yum! Can I come too? (OTOH, my husband is reheating the incredible risotto he made yesterday with back bacon and fresh peas, so my life doesn't suck too badly...)
Posted by: Ruth | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:29 PM
Definitely sounds better than the bean dip and blue corn/sesame chips I just gulped for dinner.
Posted by: Chris | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:46 PM
Sounds like a delicious dinner! Enjoy your company!!
Posted by: jessica~ | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 06:48 PM
If only! I'd weed your WHOLE garden if I could come for dinner...sigh.
Posted by: margene | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 07:13 PM
I would LOVE to...and do all sorts of weeding! Sounds yummy, it does.
Posted by: marianne | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 07:54 PM
On my way . . .
Posted by: Kathy | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 08:54 PM
If I could just saunter on over, you bet I'd be there! I wanna try the garlic scapes. :-)
Alas for state lines...
Posted by: Beth S. | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 09:05 PM
Hell yeah! (But I'll pass on the venison.) Love beets. Love beets. Love beets.
Posted by: Kristen | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 09:31 PM
I'd love to. But I'm not walking that far. :)
Posted by: naomi | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Sounds idyllic. Except for the pulling weeds part.
Posted by: Carole | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:16 PM
It's not fair to make me drool on my keyboard; they cost money to replace.
Posted by: Cathy-Cate | Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:51 PM
hi PAULA!!!
Pass the beets!!
LX
Posted by: sandy | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 09:07 AM
Hah, the weeds don't stand a chance! What a wonderful thing to do. Enjoy!
Posted by: Roxie | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 09:50 AM
Never had a garlic scape but I'm a big fan of beets and the cook, what time is dinner? :)
Posted by: Debi | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 10:12 AM
Don't i wish! Beets from your garden and freshly picked berries? Sigh.
Posted by: regina | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Yummmmm...guilty of deep food envy here!
Posted by: Beverly | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 01:21 PM
I am coming over next weekend :)
Posted by: Isela | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 01:58 PM
Our neighbor's raspberries are just starting to ripen and a few branches have made their way onto our side of the fence. I spend a few minutes everyday getting all that I can reach. We only have a little (paved) patio and some front shrubs right now, but we are moving in a week and I can't wait to start a garden. You make my mouth water for fresh peas, tomatoes, berries, veggies, and make my eyes hungry for flowers. Minnesota is similar enough to Vermont, so I have been keeping track of all the tasty and pretty things you grow.
Posted by: Anne | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 03:04 PM
Now exactly how far are you from the New Hampshire/Vermont line near Windsor??? I've never eaten venison...everyone says it is wonderful...but, I've not tried it. Your dinner sounds wonderful...
Posted by: Sara | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 03:50 PM
Droooooool.
I can't seem to grow beets. Or radishes for that matter. They both get full of little white wormy things. Blech.
Posted by: Renee | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 03:51 PM
Hell, if that's the spread you put out for plucking a few weeds, what's the treatment for redecorating that tired old dining room? Or rewallpapering the upstairs hallway?
Posted by: Dave Daniels | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 08:36 PM
Yes, please! My mouth is definitely watering imagining all that. I'd gladly pull weeds. When I was a kid we would have to pick rocks for a dinner that good!
Posted by: ailikate | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 08:38 PM
Mmmm. Beets.
Posted by: claudia | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 08:46 PM
i just read about garlic scapes, and i'll definitely be planting garlic next year!
Posted by: minnie | Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 01:04 AM
Norma, Norma, Norma...........it sounds SO incredibly delicious that I may have to come up and visit....yum!!!
Posted by: Kim | Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 07:10 PM
Oh my god. The weeds. The WEEDS. Paula is wonderful, and even cheaper than cheapsummerhelp.
Posted by: Laurie | Thursday, July 05, 2007 at 05:13 PM