Summer is here and Abbott’s Glen is now offering lunch to guests on Saturday & Sunday at the Tiki Hut Grill.For those of you who have not been to Abbott’s Glen yet, this is officially our summer grilling station. The structure itself looks like something you might see at a local baseball field, a concession stand. It has 3 sides enclosing the structure and a bar top to the widest side with wooden stools for guests to watch their meal prepared. There is a music system & some great bantor while scents of grilled items waft from the hut.

 

We try to vary the menu with 1 hot item & 1 cold. This weekend Sarah, our breakfast chef, made up some yummy turkey sandwiches served on a whole grain bun. Lettuce, mayo & a dollop of rhubarb chutney was the sauce that made the sandwich special. This would be equally good on cold sliced lamb, or even ham.

We have lots of rhubarb as guests & friends are bringing it to the inn in hopes that I will know how to use it. Hmmmmm, how about drinks?

Sarah made up a batch of rhubarb syrup called shrub. It is a mixture of rhubarb, sugar, fresh ginger & vinegar. Boiled up and then strained , the color is a dreamy pink reminding me of memorable sunsets. Chilled & then shaken in a matini shaker with gin & lime juice, poured into your favorite glass & topped with bubbly seltzer, and you have an ahhhhhhhhhhh moment.

This will definitely become a summer favorite. It is  equally delicious without any alcohol. Sorry Abbott’s Glen does not serve alcohol, so this one you will have to enjoy at home.

Rhubarb Chutney

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

4 tsp of minced peeled fresh ginger

1 stick of cinnamon

1 tsp grated orange zest

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 1/4 lbs rhubarb

2/3 cup scallions including green stems

1/2 cup currants

Combine sugar, ginger, vinegar, cinnamon, orange zest & cardamom in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves & comes just to a simmer.

Trim rhubarb and cut into 1/2 inch slices to equal 4 cups. Add rhubarb, scallions & currants to sauce pan & turn up the heat. Cook for 5 minutes until rhubarb is tender  and slightly thickened. Do not overcook or rhubarb will become mushy. Cool to room temperature.

Then remove cinnamon stick. Chill until chutney thickens a bit more. Can be stored for 5 ~ 6 days. If serving with a tray of cold cuts, put chutney into a small bowl & let come to room temperature. Garnish with  a curl of orange peel.

Makes : 3 cups

Rhubarb Shrub

6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 in pieces

1/4 cup fresh ginger in slices, no need to peel

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar& we use organic)

1 1/4 cups sugar. Being Vermonters I will try maple syrup next time.

Boil all the ingredients in a saucepan, about 15 minutes, until rhubarb is completely broken down, stirring occasionally. Strain the mixture into a glass container & chill.

Later, Combine 2 oz. of gin, and 1 1/2 oz of rhubarb syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice & shake 30 seconds. Strain into a glass filling in only 3/4 full. Top with seltzer or club soda.

Makes : 12 cocktails. Shrub will hold in the frig for a week.

What’s cooking this summer from the Abbott’s Glen kitchen?

The start of summer always brings a new excitement to the menu at Abbott’s Glen. Salads vibrant with fresh colors & flavor, organic meats spiced & grilled, homemade ice cream with fresh berry sauces! Sound good?

Summer is our busiest season at the resort. To meet summer demand,we hired Sarah. She comes to Abbott’s Glen wilh great baking skills and a young enthusiasm for producing great breakfasts for our weekend guests. You will also see her smiling face out at The Tiki Hut Grill where she will prepare lunches on the weekends.

 

Sarah busted out some terrific items this weekend including a whole wheat oat loaf which screamed for a big pat of butter, while hot from the oven. A Blueberry Buckle with a lemon glaze was a perfect ending to dinner on the patio Saturday night. We served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & a fresh mint leaf.

Rhubarb made a big showing this weekend too, with many guests bringing some from their gardens. Sarah made up a double batch of rhubarb bars similar to a raspberry bar with a bottom crust. Tart & sweet altogether. I could not decide if i needed a cup of herb tea or a big glass of chilled sweet tea. I think no matter what you team it with, you’ll be happy.

Kate, our sous chef of 1 year,  was busy in the kitchen too, making up juicy burgers for Friday night dinner. Her burgers are gaining a great reputation. She starts by making a mixture of soft whole wheat bread crumbs soaked in milk. With the addition of a few eggs, herbs, roasted & chopped balsamic glazed onions & maple BBQ sauce , it sets itself apart from most burgers. We purchase our meat from a local farm called Millies Heritage Farm. The beef is grass fed & even without embellishment, is excellent in taste & texture.

Kate made a batch of rhubarb chutney to top the burgers . The sauce added an unexpected tartness to the robust flavors of the burger and was a great hit with our guests. She also makes a great potato salad with the addition of fresh herbs from our garden, adapted from Ina Gartens( Barefoot Contessa)cookbook.

Lemon Blueberry Buckle

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup white flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 in square baking pan.

To make the crumb topping, mix flour, sugar, salt & lemon zest together in a bowl. Add butter with a fork or your fingers, cut it into the flour. Chill the mixture until you are ready to bake the cake.

Cake

1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbs of white flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 Tbs butter , room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups of blueberries

To make the cake, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & nutmeg together in a bowl. Put aside. In a mixing bowl cream butter, sugar & lemon zest  on high until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl sides with each addition. Add the flour mixture with the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Gently fold in 1 cup of the blueberries. Spread the batter into the 9 inch pan & distribute the remaining berries a top of the cake. Next, remove crumb topping from the refrigerator & sprinkle overt he berries. Bake 45 ~ 50 minutes until slightly golden & firm on top.

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup white sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

To make glaze, combine sugar & lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk & cook over medium heat until syrupy.  Pour the glaze over the top of the buckle as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.

serves 12

 

I am always looking for new salad ideas. It is so easy to get bored with lettuce, tomatoes & cucumbers.

This past weekend, I was looking through one of my Ina Garten’s cookbooks & found this great looking slaw. Although it is called a winter slaw, probably because it has brussel sprouts, and curly kale, I decided to make it anyway. Even though I am tired of winter, I just had to try this recipe.

I have tweaked the recipe to include a little honey in the dressing, thinking the radicchio would make the salad too bitter. My guests loved it and everyone wanted the recipe. Enjoy.

Winter Slaw

8 leaves of curly kale, center rib removed

6 oz of brussel sprouts ( 12), trimmed

1/2  small head of radicchio, cored & sliced thinly

2 lemons freshly squeezed

1/2 cup olive or avocado oil

4 Tbsp of honey

salt & pepper to taste

6 oz of good Parmesan cheese(Reggiano is the best)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Slice kale, radicchio & brussels crosswise into thin shreds. I used the food processor for the brussel sprouts with the shredder blade.. Place in a large bowl.

In a  small bowl, whisk lemon juice, honey, oil & salt & pepper. Pour half over the slaw mix & toss, just to moisten.

Shave Parmesan into big shards with a vegetable peeler. Add the cheese & cranberries to salad & toss gently to avoid breaking the cheese shards. Pour the remaining dressing on top. Add more salt & pepper if necessary. The salad may be served cold or at room temperature. We enjoyed it warm.

 

Anyone who has visited Abbott’s Glen and dined here knows food is very important . And if you have met me, Amy, you know I love to cook. There is no place I feel more at home than in my kitchen. For years, I created breakfasts & dinners for our guests sometimes as many as 40~ 50 . My prior kitchen was a space 11 X 14 with no counter space except for a movable wooden cart in the middle. The space was so small that only 2 people could function it it, in an intimate dance of culinary tango. To open the door to the refrigerator, you had to move the cart. To open the dishwasher, you had to move the cart again. It was a dance I grew to excel in, but with dreams of a larger space that would allow me to have multiple surfaces for creating everything from fancy plated dinners to bountiful gourmet breakfasts with a large center island.

My dream was realized last summer when the new addition to our inn was completed. I now had a space not only for creating gourmet country meals, but also a official check in office & a small gift shoppe.

My proclamation is: I love my new kitchen. I have created a space that functions professionally with a restaurant license, but with the charm & beauty of country antique  pieces. Even when I am not actively cooking, I find great joy in simple gatherings of certain items that I have collected over the years.

March may not be the prettiest month in Vermont, but it sure is the sweetest!

Abbott’s Glen naturist Inn has been cooking with maple syrup since the inn opened in 2004. I have several cookbooks that I call favorites and many have a maple theme. Given that we also make our own syrup here every March, we have a plentiful larder of sweet golden syrup to adorn pancakes, sweeten up a salsa, give sauce a glazey sweetness & making a wicked batch of maple walnut granola. Granola is always part of our country continental breakfasts. Many of our guests were asking for the recipe so here it is. If you are not into making a batch for yourself, stop by our inn gift shoppe & pick up a bag.

Maple Nut Granola

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp of brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup chopped walnuts & sliced almonds

1 cup coconut, sweet or unsweetened

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2  cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup bran flakes

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 15 x 10 inch rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a small saucepan heat oil, syrup, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, wheat germ & bran flakes. Feel free to add some 1/4 cup  flax meal for added nutritional benefits. Pour the syrup mixture over the oat mixture & stir to blend. Spread the granola evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 15 ~ 20 minutes until deep golden brown.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300. Gently turn the granola with a spatula, trying not to break up clumps. Continue cooking until the granola is brown & not sticky to the touch.

Add 2 cups of dried fruit in whatever proportion you like. Our favorite is craisins, currants, chopped dates & apricots.

 

 

 

If you have visited Abbott’s Glen or follow this blog, you know we love pancakes! I am always looking for healthier versions with a new twist on the standard hotcake. I found this recipe in a Saveur magazine and dog eared the page. Since I had a fresh pint of blueberries  just waiting to be utilized, I decided to make this fabulous baked pancake. One tip: don’t exclude the lemon crema. The lemon zest in the sweetened sour cream brings the pancake s final topping all together with a wow………….

Blueberry Quinoa Pancake with Lemon Crema

1/2 cup quinoa

2 sticks cinnmaon

4 cups flour

6 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp baking powder & 2 soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups whole milk

4 eggs

4 tbsp butter or coconut oil for cooking

2 cups blueberries

 

LEMON CREMA: Mix 1/2 cup sour cream, zest or juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp sugar together.

Granola & maple syrup for serving

Heat oven to 350. Boil quinoa, cinnamon & 1/2 cup of water in a 1 qt. saucepan.Reduce heat to low & cook 10 minutes, covered. Remove from heat, remove cinnamon sticks,& let cool.

Combine flour, 4 tbsp of sugar, baking powder & soda & salt & stir.In a separate bowl, whisk quinoa, buttermilk, milk, & eggs. Add to dry ingredients until batter forms.

In a cast iron pan, heat oil or butter, over medium heat. Ladle 1 1/2 cups batter into pan & add 3/4 cup of blueberries & cook for 3 ~ 4 minutes. The flip. Cook 2 more minutes. Transfer to the oven, & bake until it is crispy. Repeat this 3 more times.

Top each pancake with dollops of lemon crema, more fresh blueberries, some granola & a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Our guests loved it!

I portioned each pancake into 8 pieces. Most guests ate 2 or 3 wedges.

As the owner & chef at Abbott’s Glen Naturist resort in Vermont, I always look forward to the sweet month of March. Sweet because that’s when sugaring begins. If you are unfamiliar with that term, it means drawing off sap from the maple trees & boiling it down until you have that golden amber maple syrup.

With help from our guests we tap about 50 mature trees lining our driveway. These trees can accommodate 3 buckets each. The sap begins to run when temperatures reaches over 40 during the day & falls below freezing at night. Generally a season runs from mid March to early April, if we are lucky. Abbott’s Glen produces several gallons of syrup which we utilize at the inn. The whole month of

March we host theme dinners celebrating the new syrup. Each course of the dinner highlights some maple in the recipe. Guests are also treated to a hot stack of buttermilk pancakes for breakfast with a warm cruet of syrup to pour a top.

Did you know it makes a fabulous marinade for salmon? How about a sweet potato & Peanut soup? How about enhancing your roasted veggies with a drizzle? Add some Maple syrup to your morning smoothie? Now that I have you thinking let’s get cooking. Just promise me you won’t use the fake product you find on your supermarket shelf. The real maple syrup is worth every penny..

Maple Ginger Roasted Salmon

¼ cup soy sauce or wheat free tamari

¼ cup dark maple syrup

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp peeled grated fresh ginger

½ tsp crushed red pepper

1 1 ~ 1 ¾ lb. boneless salmon, skin on.

In a large baking dish stir soy sauce, syrup, vinegar, ginger, & red pepper. Lay salmon skin side up in marinade.

Preheat oven 425. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Lay fish on the foil, skin side down. Roast uncovered until fish for 12 minutes.

Pour the marinade into a sauce pan & cook down until syrupy. Pour it over the fish & serve with thinly sliced scallions.

Serves: 6 ~ 7

Maple Glazed Carrots

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

¼ cup water

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ tsp cinnamon

5 cups sliced carrots, ¼ inch thick

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Parsley or chives to garnish.

Heat butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add shallot & cook stirring 1 to 2 minutes until soft & browned. Add water, syrup & cinnamon. Increase heat to high & bring to a boil. Add carrots & return to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cover, reduce heat to medium to maintain a lively simmer, 4 ~ 6 minutes, until crisp tender. Remove lid & stir in vinegar. Increase heat, continue to cook until liquid has thickened & carrots are coated. Sprinkle with fresh chives or parsley.

Serves 6 ~ 8