One of the best parts of being a restaurant owner is all the food; the delicious, exciting, local food. We make it a priority to get as much as we can as local as we can. Maybe we are extra special lucky here in Vermont since there is so much food growing, making and creating going on around us. Even in our long winters there are storage vegetables and a greenhouse down the road that operates year round. People up here obsess about their seed catalogs. I had a long discussion last night over the bar about the virtues and mysteries of hanging tomato plants.

As the year begins to warm up it’s difficult not to get excited about the foods that become available, even if only very briefly. Fiddleheads and rhubarb are this week’s excitement. We’ve even had some early local asparagus. We went to pick up cheese from Twig Farm yesterday and were given two gorgeous, enormous duck eggs. (And the cheese, oh my, this was the first time we’d had their Mixed Drum – so delicious) If you really pay attention to what’s fresh and local it hard not to become some sort of ‘foodie’, because things you might never dream of trying taste so good when they are fresh out of the ground. Let me tell you, I had an epic battle over brussels sprouts for many, many years and in the blink of an eye a fresh brussels sprout from Golden Russet Farm changed everything. I was never a big goat cheese fan and Twig Farm and Blue Ledge Farm completely changed that prejudice. Come to Vermont and try something new, we’re just entering the growing season and we’ll make no promises about what you’ll be able to get, but that’s the fun, you have to wait and see and try what’s in front of you.

Sometimes publicity comes to you unexpectedly. Sometimes it’s wonderful, sometimes it’s unwanted – we thankfully (cross all fingers and toes – it can be a tough world out there!) have had very little of the unwanted variety, but the unexpected? This morning I woke to an email from a friend saying she was so pleased to see The Shoreham Inn mentioned in the Seven Days Sex Issue. Not an email you get every day. And, honestly, not one I ever imagined I’d get in connection with my cozy country Inn. I did a little investigating (had to prepare myself, I was already imagining the calls I might be fielding….) and found a very sweet mention of the Shoreham Inn in an article about sexy food. You can read it here yourself, but the gist of it is that we provide good food and a comfortable atmosphere, and it you’re happy and comfortable, what’s sexier than that?

With that thought, I am looking out the window as I type, and perfect movie snow is falling. Small flakes, straight down. Beautiful. And isn’t that sexy?

I made marshmallows this week and I just felt moved to write about them. Have you ever had a homemade marshmallow? No? They are magic. Light and chewy and sweet. And like most magic, they are also pretty simple. It’s basically a combination of gelatin and water to which you add some hot liquid sugar (corn syrup, honey, sugar….) and then whip, whip, whip. Add flavor (vanilla, spices, lemon….) and whip some more. Pour into a tray and let it sit. Cut and toss in confectioners sugar and starch. Yup, that easy.

They have very little in common with a store bought marshmallow. You’ll have to believe me, or come in a try one this weekend. I understand if you are skeptical, I probably would be too if it weren’t for my grandmother. My grandmother used to make marshmallows, and while I don’t know exactly what recipe she used, (like so many things, I didn’t realize how important that might be until it was too late) I was converted the moment she first opened a tupperware container of them and said, ‘would you like a marshmallow?’ I said yes to be polite, this was my grandmother after all. But, marshmallows? Not really my thing. Oh how wrong I was. And so I continue on my quest to waken the world to the ease and loveliness of a homemade marshmallow.

Next I need to figure out how she made candied grapefruit rind.

It’s coming, the second annual Middlebury Winter Carnival and Chili Contest Saturday February 27 2-4pm. Here at The Shoreham Inn, we’re working on Dominic to enter some chili into the contest, along with about 30 other local restaurants. I know some fabulous chilies won in various categories last year, so the competition is steep. The Vermont Chamber of Commerce just named this one of the top 10 events for Winter 2010. There’s free music, dog-sledding, snowshoe races and of course, chili. Fast becoming a can’t miss activity for our area, come stay at The Shoreham Inn and enjoy all Addison County has to offer!

The title of this post goes down in history as one of the funniest things to happen here at the Inn. And there have been a lot of funny things here, we’re a funny bunch. But, the above quote was the oh-so eloquent description one of my waitresses gave some customers when they asked for more information about the Tunisian Orange Cake. That’s actually what she said. That’s it. You know what, they ordered it. So, what do I know?

I was thinking of this because today I made a birthday cake for a group coming in tonight and I just thought I’d let anyone know, if you’d like a special occasion dessert while you are dining with us here at The Shoreham Inn, please ask. I need a little notice, and I always love to get some guidance; chocolate or not, is carrot a no-go, maybe fruit is better..we all have our personal favorites. Me, I’m not really a chocolate girl, not that I’d turn it down, but if you were making me a birthday cake, I’d want carrot, or something lemon….or, actually, to be completely honest, I want a little box of macarons, all to myself. But, we’re not here to talk about me. We’re talking cake – I love an excuse to get out the cake stands and do a little something fancy. So, just ask.

Vegetable gardening is a challenge, so I have been told, and I’ve taken it on for the first time this year. And then it rained, and rained, and rained some more here in Vermont. It’s very green this summer, but maybe not the most ideal for the novice gardener. No matter, my exciting news is that last night I harvested exactly enough green beans, that I grew from seeds, to give two guests green beans with their steaks. I was so proud!

Strawberry shortcake, strawberry tarts, strawberry ice cream and some strawberries with cream.