Category: Activities

If you know me or if you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’re probably aware that I have an appreciation for wine. It’s an appreciation I’ve been cultivating for a good, long while and that has led me to taste many a wine.

I’ve toured several vineyards in my travels—in France, Italy, and California—but I’ve never participated in the winemaking process before. At least not until last week when I volunteered as a grape harvester at Lincoln Peak Vineyard, an award-winning winery owned and operated by the Granstrom family and located just outside the town of Middlebury.  Harvesting starts at 7:30 am, and as I drive the few miles from my house, passing mist rising from fields in the early sunlight, the first two lines of Keats’s poem “Ode to Autumn” come to mind:  “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!/ Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun….” During this most beautiful time of year, I’m glad to have packed my hat and sunscreen, but the sun’s rays will be far from oppressive today. Gone too is the humidity; at noon on a day like this, the air will feel like silk on my skin.

The rest of the crew, six other pickers ranging from recent college grads to a man in his 70s, arrive at the vineyard around the same time. We’re met by Sara Granstrom, who was in high school when her parents Chris and Michaela transformed their former strawberry farm into a vineyard back in 2001.  After graduating from college, Sara worked at a few places in Vermont, getting “as far away as Waterbury,” before returning to work full time at the winery with her dad.

Since I’m new to grape harvesting, Sara shows me how to go into the vine “like a surgeon,” removing only the clump of grapes, which sometimes are twisted around vines and leaves and supporting wires.  She demonstrates how not to snip your finger in the process (which I accidentally do, midway through the morning, but only slightly). The other hazard to watch out for is yellow jackets who like to feast on the ripe fruit. More than once I surprise one whose head is deep inside a grape, but they’re so drunk on juice that they simply fly sluggishly away.

We’re tasked with picking Frontenac Gris, which is a gorgeous deep plum color, touched with a misty grayness.  When you peel back the skin on a grape, the fruit inside is pale yellow. Despite the grapes’ deep outer color, they’ll be used to make a white wine, called Sycamore.

It’s meditative work, snipping the clumps of grapes and dropping them into stacked buckets. The other pickers, Sara included, are scattered along the grapevine rows, and sometimes when our work converges we strike up a conversation.  I pick for a while beside Erik, a recent college grad who just flew in the night before to take a job in the winery. He grew up in Minnesota, where his father works in the grape breeding program at the University. The grape varietal we’re harvesting, Frontenac Gris, was actually created by his father, along with several other winter hardy grapes grown at Lincoln Peak. In recent years, these new varietals have transformed viniculture in northern climates like Vermont, enabling winemakers to produce higher quality wines. Lincoln Peak has some awards to prove it: in fact, they’re the only winery in America to win three Best of Show awards at the International Cold Climate Wine Competition.

Part of the reason for the Granstroms’ success is most likely their sustainable farming practices. That, and the obvious love and care that this father/daughter duo puts into their twelve-acre vineyard and winery. Although Lincoln Peak wines are available only in Vermont, they sell out every year and at this point the Granstroms are not looking to expand. They’re already the largest grape producer in the state, among more than a dozen registered wineries and even more vineyards.

At around 10:30, after enough grapes have been gathered, Sara drives a tractor through the rows and she and Erik load the buckets onto the wagon.  Then they haul the grapes, all 2,300 pounds of them, down the hill to the winery where Chris, head winemaker, awaits their arrival.

The three of them soon organize into an efficient assembly line: Chris unloads a bucket of grapes, weighs it, and records the weight in a notebook alongside the picker’s name; Erik grabs the bucket and dumps it into a machine that destems  and crushes the grapes.

The stems are spit out to the side and form a mound destined for the compost pile that will eventually fertilize next year’s crop. As the buckets are emptied, Sara rinses each one out, while the crushed grapes make their way through a tube into the press. Inside this vat, a giant, inflatable balloon gently presses the fruit against an interior side that has a series of holes. As the fruit is compressed, its juice flows through the holes and into a container below the press. An earthy sweetness floats in the air. From here, the juice runs through more tubing and finally makes its way into a huge tank where it will ferment and age. Since Sycamore is a blend of 60% Frontenac Gris and 40% Frontenac Blanc grapes, the two will eventually be combined and then bottled before the wine is ready for consumption next May.

Harvesting is hard, physical work, especially since the season has been condensed this year, thanks to favorable weather. It usually spans about a month, Sara explains, but since the process has been accelerated, it will probably only last 2½ weeks. That puts some pressure on the winemaker to gather and press it all within a shorter time frame. These 2,300 pounds of grapes will yield approximately 180 gallons of wine, or 900 bottles. Not bad for a morning’s work. But Sara and Chris are far from finished. The rest of the crew is still up on the hill picking, and down here in the winery the process will be repeated a few more times before they all call it a day.

As for me, I head home with a bottle of last year’s Sycamore and later that evening sit down to enjoy the fruits of my labor. The wine is deep golden in color and has a rich, smooth mouth feel. It tastes of lush peach with a hint of spice: a glass of “mellow fruitfulness” that captures the morning mist and waning sun of a mid-September day in Vermont.

Originally Published on Sheila McGrory-Klyza’s blog, The Vermont Epicure

Source: Dig in VT Trails

I always knew the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival was my kind of event. Whenever I saw the posters (kudos to Scuola Group and the illustration powers of Amy Ruppel) I would close my eyes and dream about tasting some of Vermont’s finest cheeses on the banks of Lake Champlain at Shelburne Farms. Can it get any better? Well it actually does. The festival name is a bit misleading because in addition to cheese you can sample well-known chocolates, beers, wine, spirits, and more. Put this all together with a beautiful sunny afternoon and it’s virtually paradise. So I have to thank Nicole for giving me the nudge to buy tickets early to this, typically, sold out event.

So what was the event like? Since it was a balmy afternoon in July, it was inevitably hot and crowded. I don’t know if there’s a maximum capacity for the tent and coach barn at Shelburne Farms but I’m sure we reached it. When I first arrived, I ran into a client of ours and asked him if he was inside sampling, his answer was pretty telling, “This isn’t an event for me. If I can’t have real face time with my customer, I don’t attend.” I quickly understood what he was referring to, it was a little intense with arms coming from everywhere, toothpicks in hand, everyone standing in line. But with that said I think the frenzied energy would be there no matter how many people came. With so many treats to be tasted you’ve got a new favorite around every corner and can’t wait to find more. So when my wife and I needed a break we merely took to the nearest exit and in seconds were enjoying a cool breeze along the lake.

The greatest part of the festival is obvious, there are so many cheesemakers there and each has their spin on the standards plus a few “you’ve just got to try.” You start negotiating with yourself, “Yea, this could be my dinner. Why not?” Though after about an hour I was hit with a hard cold reality that not only was I not going to be able to sample everything, but I should have stopped at one bite per vendor. That’s ridiculously hard because if one bite is good two is better. Some of my favorites: the 4-year aged cheddar from Thistle Hill Farm and the Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill. I typically like a strong blue but the mellow creaminess of this one won me over. For the non-cheese delights there were a number of smoky items from Vermont Smoke and Cure and a sweet favorite from Big Picture Farm, Sea Salt Caramels. So good!

Overall it’s a great event and a superior demonstration of the food scene in Vermont. My plan next year will be to stay longer, pace myself and come with my own stash of toothpicks. Hopefully the organizers can address the space issue (more tents?) so that there’s an opportunity to put a face with the cheesemakers and for attendees to have a little breathing room, much like a fine wine.

Originally published on Skillet Design & Marketing blog.

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Recently I spent seven months travelling around New Zealand. What a landscape! Agriculture as far as the eye can see. Sheep dot the classic green hillsides, vineyards have emerged as one of the major export industries, cow dairies have sprung up like weeds, and fruits and vegetables are grown in abundance. I couldn’t wait to taste the bounty of this land at the local farmer’s markets, the restaurants or at the very least, pick up some fresh produce or cheese at the local store. To my surprise, even though I was surrounded by a thriving agricultural landscape, I could scarcely get my hands on anything fresh and truly local. After much inquiry and exasperation I discovered that 95% of what New Zealand produces is exported and that New Zealanders are usually left with the worst cuts of meats and ‘second’ hand food at a very high price. I had expected to be sucked into the wonderful world of New Zealand agriculture never to be spit back out again, but instead I found myself eager to come back to Vermont, where even though our growing season is only 6 months of the year, I can still get my hands on fresh nutritious food year-round. This is due to the thriving diverse farming community that I live in in Central, Vermont. While I help run a farm we do not produce all that we need to sustain ourselves and we rely heavily on our other neighbor farms to help round-out our diet for the year. On any given day I can get a hold of fresh meat of any kind (including goat meat), fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruits, milk, cheese, sweets (maple syrup, honey and caramel), and other homemade goods like granola and fresh bread. About 90% of my diet can be accessed within a 15 mile range of my home. Our agricultural community comprises a variety of farms and businesses some of who have formed a group called The Floating Bridge Food and Farms Cooperative.

The group takes its name from the renowned Floating Bridge located in Brookfield, Vermont built in 1820. The only floating bridge east of the Mississippi, it spans scenic Sunset Lake in the center of charming Brookfield Village.

Individual member businesses offer locally produced farm products, farm tours, cooking classes, on-farm workshops, events, farm vacation packages, and farmstays. On any given day you could attend a hands-on cheese making class, eat locally produced food at Ariel’s restaurant, cut down your own Christmas tree, learn how to dye wool with natural plants or stop by a farm during kidding season and play with all the baby goats. 

Summer is a great time of year to visit Central Vermont and experience life on a farm. While we may not be growing too many kiwis yet, we are a vibrant and active group of farmers and entrepreneurs who want to ensure that everyone has access to good food and a connection to the farmers and land. See our list of farms and local businesses at www.floatingbridgefoodandfarms.com  Check out our intro trail to the area http://www.diginvt.com/trails/detail/floating-bridge-food-and-farms-trail

Like us on facebook facebook.com/floatingbridgefoodandfarms

Source: Dig in VT Trails

There are a few essential ingredients to a great meal in my book: exceptional food with a nod to what is in season in Vermont and outstanding customer service. You can certainly have one without the other but when I experience the combination of fine dining and attentive, respectful and genuine service, the restaurant usually moves up my list of top favorites. The Wednesday following Valentine’s Day found me weaving my way up Route 15 from Essex to Jericho with the final destination of Caroline’s Fine Dining adjacent to the Village Cup. The building housing both the coffee shop and the restaurant dates back to 1835. The interior of Caroline’s exudes warmth and elegance with the windows and walls beautifully decorated. Paintings by Vermont artist Robert Aiken can be seen in each of the three seating areas.

Chef Joseph Ianelli and owner Stephen Burke (eldest son of Caroline Burke for whom the restaurant is named) aspire to create an eclectic selection of seasonal entrees from Roasted Baby Beet Salad ($9) to Fragrant Orange and Delicately Spiced Misty Knoll Chicken Ruby ($24). The Misty Knoll chicken is accompanied by fresh cranberries, herb mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables.  I was also pleasantly surprised to find an enticing selection of vegetarian fare on the menu. And I’m not talking about just tossing some tofu with some veggies but rather home-made seitan in a dish called Provencal Seitan Casserole ($22). I was also intrigued by the deliberate effort by Chef Ianelli to create hearty but healthy dishes that utilize whole wheat, wheat barley and even toasted squash seeds.

I choose to start my meal with the Maple Brulee Local “Fair Haven” Pork Belly ($11). The sizable portion of pork arrived atop of a black bean and Cabot cheddar polenta cake drizzled with a maple cream sauce. The pork which practically melted in my mouth was combined with an incredible sweetness of the maple cream and crunch of the polenta cake crust. It was so decadent that it could serve double duty as a dessert item. Pork belly for dessert?  I imagine that might be a hard sell so it’s worth trying as a start the meal.

My server, Anna Jordan, did a wonderful job keeping tabs on me as well educating me about the nearly two dozen local vendors that supply much of the food on the menu. Many are names that most of us would recognize such as the Vermont Soy Company, Maple Leaf Farm, LaPlatte River Beef, Paul Mazza, Shadow Cross Farm, Cabot Creamery, and a variety of local wineries and breweries. For my main entrée I went for the Whole Wheat Basil Gnocchi and Fresh Maine Lobster ($26). I thought the entrée appeared a little pricey but by after seeing the generous portion of pasta, vegetables and an impressive display of meat from the lobster’s claw, the cost seemed justified. In addition to the gnocchi and lobster, fava beans, sun-dried tomatoes and porcini mushrooms were all tossed with a mushroom cream sauce and fried sage. It was the type of dish that you feel good about eating because you are combining high quality grains like whole wheat with a crustacean jammed packed with protein.

The dessert menu also features a seasonal spin with Pumpkin Cheesecake ($7) and a Citrus Tartlet ($7).  Caroline’s also offers a small selection of Vermont ice wines and can put the barista in the Village Cup to work creating delicious and rich coffee drinks. The Chef even on the dessert menu provides choice to consumers that may have food allergies. They highlight several desserts that are gluten-free and offer a dairy free option that includes biscotti and a selection of sorbet.

Caroline’s Fining Dining is the perfect stop on the way home from a day skiing or snowshoeing at Smuggler’s Notch. It’s conveniently located and the staff will make you feel as though you have just pulled up a seat at Caroline’s table and joined the family.

Originally published on the Flavor Communications blog.

Source: Dig in VT Trails

The day-to-day swing of life at Orb Weaver Farm is determined by the season. Spring, with its lengthening days, finds us ending our cheese-making and cow chores and looking forward to the summer growing season. Beginning in June our cows are literally “put out to pasture” for the warmer months, and our efforts turn toward our market garden, which for the past 29 years has supplied our local food co-op with a variety of organic produce.

As the fall vegetable season winds down with broccoli and shallots, energy shifts back to the barn. Our herd of seven Jersey cows freshens (calves) just before Thanksgiving. By the end of November we are back in our cheese room, making cheese every Monday and Thursday. We produce an aged raw milk cheese that either ripens in our cave with a natural rind, or is aged in a walk-in cooler in wax. When the days are at their shortest, and the sun makes its low arc in the south, it can be cold and icy here in the Champlain Valley, but with the sun streaming through the south-facing windows, the warm milky aromas, and folk music on the iPod, there truly is no better place to be.

Spring and summer meals on our farm tend to be light and spontaneous, revolving around whatever is ripe and ready for eating. Winter meals are based on all the produce we’ve frozen, canned, or dried; cooking can be more complex, but the goal is still warmth and gentle comfort. This cheese puff recipe is an elegant and fun way to begin a winter feast.

Marian Pollack and Marjorie Susman have been producing cheese at the their Orb Weaver Farm in New Haven since 1981. The cheese can be found in stores in the Middlebury and Burlington areas, and at food co-ops throughout the state. Visit their website and blog at www.orbweaverfarm.com.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2009 issue of Vermont’s Local Banquet.

Orb Weaver Farm Cheese Puffs

1 1/2 quart, heavy-bottom saucepan
1 cup water
6 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
4 ounces grated Orb Weaver cheese
2 baking sheets covered with parchment paper
Standing Kitchen Aid-type mixer with paddle attachment (optional)

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring the water to a boil with the butter, salt, and pepper, and boil until butter is melted.
2. Meanwhile, measure out the flour. Remove the butter and water mixture from the heat and stir in the flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon for a few seconds, then return to the heat and stir over medium-high heat for a minute or two.
3. Put the hot mixture into the bowl of the mixer, and start beating it with the paddle (or beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon). Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one, and continue beating. Add the grated cheese to the warm mixture.
4. Put scant tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment paper. You should have approximatley 40. Bake until they are golden brown and have doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Source: Dig in VT Trails