Locavore Eating- End of the Summer Blues

Farmers markets, wine pairing, and eating local can go hand in hand. If you prepare yourself to feast upon its bounty, and except every bit of what you buy can be incorporated into a meal...then you can help keep your community sustainable.

Purchased: spring onions, beans, zucchini (Vegetable Marrow White Bush variety- creamy greenish color, oblong shape), other green vegetables, Elephant garlic, blueberries and lots of them! Duck breast and cut up chicken from Griggstown (only $1 more than whole), herbs, bread, and so much more!

Had on hand: fennel bulb, mustard, and all the rest of ingredients to make 'Blueberry Chutney' for desserts and sauce for the duck. Sad thing is...we will not see it again until next May.

Terhune Orchards has apple and other fruit available for fresh picking. This is where I got my blueberries for my sauce making, and 'Putting Up'.  I am making plans to jar and sell locally, along with some chili paste I have been selling by the half pound. I plan on staying in the kitchen professionally any way I can, but over the summer I formed a group called Red Dashboard, and we perform my writing, poetry, songs. I was in NYC on Saturday, after getting invited by a Lit Group- Caper Journal.

If you want to hear my work, you can come over to my Creative TMI blog and listen...we need lots of practice, and I am still in the gym (not happy with my body shape), but enjoy; it will only get better...

News! The Big Day Has Arrived

Nope, I am not quitting, I just wanted to share with you wonderful bloggers the reason I have not been over to your sites much; it is because this weekend is WAMPP- Wine Art Music Poetry Project, the big one. We had the winery event July 31st and raised lots of money for Cardiomyopathy. Our soft opening was great!

This is the big one, and I have been running around all week getting ready, and I will say this is a two martini night with all the stuff I have to check and double check. We have tents, we don't have tents, now we do...people are driving me batty! Part of the job, and I love it.

Enjoy some pics- of the buffet spread we had for the Amalthea Cellars guest, my new best friends (in blue chairs, they drank three bottles of wine, and I had a glass!).

I was running from the kitchen, and back outside. I have to figure out a better way to host and be in the kitchen, I could not move the next day!

Pasta and sauce, Chardonnay Caesar Salad with Chicken, Dill Potato Salad, Masa Boats, Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta, Gouda Pasta Salad with Prosciutto, Fruit and Cheese Board- all for a $10 donation. Wine was sold separately. Donations were taken at the front entrance.

Artist set up tents with their wares, people all over the grounds, relaxing and watching the musicians and poets, and me performing with my new 'Poetry' band, Fora and Eli.

We went into rehearsal studio today and cut a CD, and will work on putting them on sale after first of the year, and all money from sales will go to this charity!

I am so excited I could kiss you all, so put your mugs to the computer and I will be back over next week! Smooch!

Wine Art Music Poetry Project @ Amalthea Cellars Harvest Stomp Festival will be October 23, Noon - 6 PM, come down and join us!

BTW Doc, we played your song for the crowd and I shared your story- I am going to do it again this Saturday on stage...I do this for all those we have lost, to remember and pay homage...