Are we half there or half here? The store was host to a lot of eclipse traffic this week from all parts–including Canterbury, Connecticut!–while we stayed here. Our parking lot and the town green watched as we all experienced the magical change in the sky imagining what must be happening “up there”. As Emily (who works here) said, “This is sooooo cool”!
And it was.
Emily, Post Mistress Chris and Dave
Coolness lit upon us this week as more product lines came in and Jane is finding her creative groove in the kitchen bringing out household favorite meals adjusted to take-out.
Honestly, sometimes it is very hard to write these posts because there is so much to spotlight. We are continually amazed and excited about all that our region has to offer in grocery food choices.
For example, Loon Chocolate out of Manchester, NH, is new to us this week. They know their stuff. Instead of adhering to the *cheating principles allowed to call chocolate “Chocolate”, they actually make chocolate. Stone ground from cocoa beans in small batches and blended with organic sugar, this chocolate is like none other. The chocolate reflects the nuanced flavors from the region of the world it was grown, just like wine grapes or coffee beans.
We are sampling all Loon products this week-end so come on in and take a bite. *The food industry only requires that a product contain 10% cocoa beans to be called chocolate. Loon Chocolate is nearly 100% cocoa.
Yes, our store sells groceries–we are after all a grocery store– but because everyone here loves to cook, our shelves are more like a painters palette with ingredients to paint flavors with. Some of that takes the form of our take-out food but most of it hits your kitchen to make your own incredible meals.
Sue Williams that works with us here came up with a great recipe. She was drooling as she spoke of it…and it’s easy.
Smear one jar of the Blake Hills Maple Onion jam over both sides of 6 large boneless chicken thighs. Bake at 350′ for 25-30 minutes. You are left with a savory-sweet au jus to spoon over the thighs and any rice or pasta that you serve with it. Gotta try this one!
Another “color” from our palette is the Loon Cocoa Nibs we now carry. Have you heard of nibs? They are shelled roasted cocoa beans, not sweetened, but left in their crunchy pre-ground form perfect for blending into smoothies or tossed over yogurt as an anti-oxidant flavor boost. They are good for you! I have used them for years in my baking as a replacement for chocolate chips; in cookies, scattered over a pavlova or in a brownie. You can read more about the health benefits of chocolate in a recent post we did by clicking here.
Here is another thought; use them in granola! They give great flavor but without the sugar.
“Mounds” Cocoa Coconut Granola
Mix together in a large roasting pan by massaging it all together with your hands:
one 18oz tub of old fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil; melted
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa nibs
7oz (by weight) flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
Bake at 350′ for 30 minutes stirring/flipping every 10 minutes. Let cool in pan BUT stir as it cools so it won’t clump.
CLICK HERE to see our week-end special menu and next weeks pizza and takeout meals including gluten-free!
Friday night pizza, April 12 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Pesto with choice of salami or mushrooms.
The rain and moistness around town has done wonders for our spring gardens; and wonders for your appetites! The store kept selling out of prepared foods and baked goods all week, something we are pleased about. We are hoping this means that we have hit your flavor-spot and are making the right stuff! Stay tuned for a new permanent menu…
Spring does bring about that certain Joie de vivre though, doesn’t it? We all seem to have a bounce in our steps knowing that we are in for a long stretch of greenery and warmth to buoy our spirits. The store’s organic kitchen gardens are looking good. The perennial herbs are leafing out, the annual herbs are in and the rhubarb is full! It’s going to be an all rhubarb bakery case this Saturday so come and get your first taste of the season! Strawberry rhubarb bars, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb spoon cake…
Our “Scare Krone” who lived outside last winter…we were a little busy last fall so missed our clean up.Original rhubarb plant from Water Goodwin’s gardenLeaf mulch…bean oblisk ready.Chives…they line our pathsBasil for our breakfast salad mixSage for yum fall flavors
What’s new at the store…
New hand painted cards from Aunt JerryNew painted Lupines from Jayne HastingA new batch of hand painted laser-cut earrings from Heidi PauerA new CCS MIX! One of your favorite muffins…Another new CCS MIX: Blue Blueberry pancake mix with organic blueberry powder for true-blue pancakes!Lori’s beautiful flowers for Mothers Day
Brunch; neither here nor there but an excuse for everything all at once!
Continuing our theme for this month, here is another great brunchy recipe for you to try out on Sunday either for yourself or someone whose mothering your are honoring. Click here for the other recipe from last week…
Easy Chocolate Berry Galette
The french countrymen nailed the way to make an easy “pie”; a crust rolled or pressed out any ‘ol way, filled with good stuff and folded back over itself. Baked at a high temperature it yields a nice flaky crust and tender insides in no time at all. It is lower in sugar than most pie so is more of a side dish rather than a desert but serve this version in wedges with sweetened whipped cream for a decadent brunch dish.
Preheat oven to 425′.
Roll out or press out one chilled single pie crust onto a piece of parchment in a circle or as close to one as you can. Actually any shape will work…flouring as need be to prevent sticking. Transfer the sheet to a baking sheet.
Working swiftly while the dough is still cold, dump on to the center of it the following ingredients, then fold up the edges over most of the filling leaving the center open.
2 cups mixed frozen berries
1/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1T turbinado raw sugar scattered over the filling
Top the galette with 1 T more raw sugar to add crunch to the finished “pie”.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until browned and fruit is juicy. Let cool completely before slicing.
Its Friday night pizza again…all the regulars and call in to see if Dave has something special up his sleeve!
Friday night pizza, May 10 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
The starts and stops of Spring around here only make the sunshine more delicious. Like a long simmering sauce that the taste becomes more concentrated in, the anticipation of it is heightened. We are relishing this slow build up as a new season of flavors emerge from our kitchens and new products hit our shelves.
What’s new at the store.
New mustard from France……great flavors for cooking & eating……and great prices!New fresh salads.FINALLY, new local honey!New fresh take-out meals.New leaves on the trees outside!New events around town galore!New bakery flavors.New Sappy Ewe sheep and cows milk cheese with ash rind.New Invierno winter-aged sheep and cow cheese.New views out our back door,New all natural bug repellant and bite salve – it WORKS!New gift baskets for Mother’s Day.New gardening gift “buckets” for Mother’s Day.
What do I feel like cooking?
I bet you have asked yourself that from time to time. What was jumping out at you in your pantry, maybe what looked good at the fish market or what salivating cravings you had. To be honest, this is the way I ALWAYS love to cook..one little taste inspiration unleashes a river-flow of ideas that get flushed out on the stove top in the moment. It’s creativity at its best.
As we move into “sprummer”–that late spring almost summer time–my kitchen gardens are sprouting tender flavor buds, farmer’s first crops are appearing and my mind goes wild with ideas. To this end, Dave and I both are trying something new with our menu. Rather than publishing our meals the week before as we have done all winter, we are committing to keeping certain stand-by favorites in the freezer… then let the in-the-moment inspiration hit to cook something special for you mid-week.
Think about it. When the strawberries are at peak perfection, when we just harvested asparagus that day, when the sorrel is the perfect size for tender salad or if we happen upon some completely fresh fish….nothing could taste better.
As these meals land in the refrigerator, we plan to post them to our Facebook page but if you don’t subscribe to Facebook you could call in. We are figuring this out as we go so please give us your thoughts and feedback.
Brunch!
Like “sprummer”, brunch is that wonderful in-between meal that breaks all the rules and lets you serve up anything and indulge in everything. It’s no wonder why it has become traditional fare around holidays like Mother’s Day where we want to splurge and pamper those individuals that mother.
Here is the first of a few recipes this month that you could make for the mothers in your life. Whether one mothers humans or animals, or relishes the garden as a Mother Nature, we should celebrate everyone.
Savory bread pudding
This is great made ahead to rewarm in the oven at 325 for 15 minutes.
In my opinion, a great bread pudding is one that is moist and spoonable. Using left over stale bread is perfect but, if you do, soak it first in warm to hydrate it then ring it out. Cut moist bread into 1/2″ chunks to equal 5 cups. Scatter into a 2 QT baking dish that has been generously buttered.
Scatter 1/2 cup grated cheese (any kind) over the bread.
Optional; scatter 1/2 cup cooked ground breakfast sausage (Perhaps Robie Farms Crankin’ Sausage) over the bread also.
Whisk together in a medium sized bowl:
4 large eggs
1T sugar
1/2 tsp granulated garlic (try our Backyard Garlic grinder – local dehydrated garlic that tastes fresh!)
1/2 tsp table salt
2 T snipped chives
3 cups whole milk
Pour this mixture over the bread/cheese. Turn on oven to 350′ to preheat while mixture soaks into the bread at room temperature.
When ready to bake, place baking dish inside of a larger pan and pour boiling water into this outer pan (NOT on the bread pudding mixture). Place in oven and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until puffed and firm in the center. Serve at warm or at room temperature. “Kick it up notch” by serving it with a sour cream topping laced with bourbon! 1 cup to 1T.
Do you like recipes? Search our website for any subject or ingredient by typing in your request at the bottom of our home page in the SEARCH THIS SITE box.
Friday night pizza, May 3 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Robie Farms Italian sausage and roasted red peppers on red sauce.
Spring is really here and you all felt it this last week-end! The store was hopping with meeting and greeting and eating…so fun for us to see people gather here. Just like we envisioned.
John and Joanna enjoyed breakfastJohn coined the phrase “the Canterbury Country Store platter” – shared egg wrap, scone and muffin on a pizza tray.Lily and Lukas ate the sameLily and Lukas proudly completed one of Ted’s puzzles.Completed puzzleWarmer weather is here; Asian rice noodle saladBarley salad warm or coldLori Rollason’s beautiful hand crafted tulip vase.Classic enchiladas
We love local.
We also love real. As people who love to cook, we like ingredients that work the way they are supposed to. Meat that actually browns and does not turn to watery mush under heat, pasta that holds together and gives a good chewy mouth-feel when cooked and cheese that has flavor to give finished dishes that tang or nuttiness rather than just melted ooze.
In addition to local, you may notice we carry a fair amount of items from the mediterranean region of this planet. It’s not that we are trying to be Boushy; these items are selected because they are authentic, they perform well and they are moderately priced for what they are. Our climate here in the Northeast doesn’t support the growing of olives, for example. And while we want to eat Macrobiotically [eat food that is in season for where you live] we also don’t want to get vitamin C deprived scurvy like our predecessors did. Because, I am pretty sure, that we all don’t want to boil and drink pine needles for prevention as the natives did. For all of our collective interest in doing things off our land and preserving its bounty, we are all still a bit modern. Right?
About Olive Oil
There are many oils that are good for us like Greg and Amber’s SunFox Farm sunflower seed oil that we carry. But olive oil has it’s own unique quality of flavor and heritage uses. The old world Italians gave/still give a tablespoonful each morning to their children for a grassy-green slurp of micro-nutrients. And when added to our cooking we are enhancing its nutrition while adding some complexity of flavor.
But not all olive oil is the same for several reasons.
The flavor profile is vastly different between varieties of olives further enhanced by the regions of the world they are grown in; some are more grassy/herby, some more fruity, some more peppery. Most of us have not experienced true naturally flavorful olive oil that adds tasty depth to our dishes without the need for the fake flavored oils that abound.
By now we have probably all heard that many of the larger well-know names in olive oil are not actually 100% olive oil but are cut with cheaper oils. Some of you have told me that you avoid olive oil “from Italy” because you heard this. Yes there is some truth and read this book if you are curious. But more than this mystery of I can’t-read-it-on-the-label, is how olive oil is produced; and that you CAN read on the label.
In order to preserve the flavor and the nutrients that olive oil is prized for, it must be cold pressed. This means to simply squish the olives until the oil runs out. Most mass produced oil is “mechanically” extracted with aggressive machinery that heats the oil in turn promoting rancidity & frying the vitamins out of it and/or using chemical solvents–like propylene glycol–that adds toxins to the oil and renders any nutrition useless. You are left with… grease.
Good oil olive is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. This fatty acid has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol and reduce the risks of heart disease and strokes. Olive oil also contains polyphenols which help break down and fight the excess of free-radical activity in our cells which then help reduce disease-causing inflammation in our bodies. And good olive contains a host of vitamins and minerals to boast our daily health just like our Italian grandmothers knew.
We have chosen 3 olive oils to sell here at the store, chosen for their different flavors and of course they are all cold pressed. This week-end we are offering samples by dipping them with our newest cracker, an Italian Taralli (like a crackerized tortellini); the combination is totally yum. Stop on by…
Tastes like peppery lettuceTastes like fresh picked vegetables
If you would like to try cooking with olive oil here are a few suggestions.
Grilled Romaine Salad
We love romaine lettuce for it’s crunchy bite. You may have had it grilled in your favorite restaurant but try it at home as a luscious vehicle for a favorite health-giving oil.
Slice one head of romaine lettuce lengthwise. Remove the outer leaves to put aside for another salad leaving just the heart of paler, more tender leaves. (You could also just purchase Heart of Romaine lettuce). Rinse and pat dry, then refrigerate again over- turned to drain on paper towels keeping there until very cold.
Meanwhile, chop very finely and combine:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2T sea salt cured Wild Mountain Capers ( we got ‘em), rinsed
When lettuce is cold, heat a large skillet (or better yet a grill pan if you have one) on medium/high heat. Brush the cut side of the lettuce with some Merula olive oil. Place the two lettuce halves face down into the hot pan and keep in place until they blacken slightly, just a minute or so. Remove to a serving plate grilled side up, scatter both halves with the tomato/caper mix and drizzle with more Merula oil. The capers are salty and the oil is peppery so you shouldn’t need any further seasoning. Crunchy, tangy and sweet, these are SO good.
Herby Cheddar Muffins with olive oil
Mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour; gluten free mixes work well too
1T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1T dried Italian herb mix, rubbed in your hand first to release the flavors
In a separate bowl whisk together:
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Les Moulins Mahjoub organic olive oil
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Do not over mix. Fill the finished mixture into 12 standard sized muffin tins. Bake 425º for 15 to 18 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned. Serve as a side to meal or use to make sandwiches with. Savory herby/grassy/veggie flavor with the creamy tang of a good cheddar. YUM. Check out our selection of really good cheddar.
Its Friday night pizza again…
Friday night pizza, April 12 . Order ahead 12” pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
SPECIAL: Canadian bacon and pineapple.
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
CLICK HERE to read about next weeks pizza and menu including gluten-free options.
Behind the counter
Just like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain, we have a lot of tricks behind our sales counter to help your experience at the store be excellent. Things you can ask for…
Microwave a meal for you we have one under the counter! Anything you see in the freezer or refrigerator we can micro-wave for you to eat here on-the-spot.
Salt, pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup. Its out but we have lots to pop into your bag as you go out the door.
Bakery boxes we can box up any baked good in multiples up to a dozen.
Samples; is there something on our shelves you would like to try a sample of? We a box of rotating items that we can sample most anything for you.
Gift wrapping; simple, bags, boxes and bows to dress up any gift you put together.
Also behind the counter, lots of good shoulders for leaning on and ears wide open for “hearing” you and what you really want. Just ask us.
We are happy you read this and happy to know you! Have a great week,
Is it spring yet?! At the Canterbury Country Store it is! We are thinking it, believing it and keeping a spring in our step! The generator worked yesterday so no more melted freezer casualties for us and the second part for the power-outage-fried oven came in Wednesday night; testing is happening as you read this so we think pizza night is on for tonight! See the end of this post.
If any of you are still out of power from yesterdays storm come on down use our internet and let us warm you up.
Spring proper started with Easter preparations here and we hope you had a good one at your place. Dave and I enjoyed a day off to just sit, drink coffee and philosophize, putz in our studios and have a great meal. Our thin-sliced herbed scalloped potatoes with Jasper Hill cheese from here, pastry wrapped asparagus, with yogurt marinated lamb chops (see recipe below) and little mint jelly topped our day. We finally watched the movie The Taste of Things that many of you had recommended. LOVED IT. If you love cooking and haven’t seen it we recommend it.
Biscuits and gravy takeout mealCheddar biscuit toppingThomas; The next generation eating baked goods from the storeLuna; enjoying a Hot Cross Bun.Enchillada Verde takeout mealOur next door neighbors waiting out the rain. OMG…they were so cute!GF turkey meat balls takeout.Needs no words. MMMMMRussian Easter breadFinally, a bulletin board outside for all of your business cards and yard sales etc.
Let’s talk yogurt
By now we’ve all heard how yogurt is good for us. If you were a granola free-spirit adult in the 1970s you knew it was health food and making yogurt was probably your regular kitchen experiment [look in the junk stores for all those yogurt makers]. In recent times lanky Jamie Lee told us it was and if you are still older you’ll remember the yodeling swirling-skirt-clad maiden telling us so.
But why is it?
The strains of good bacteria in yogurt populate your gut to regulate the over-growth of yeast and ward off viruses both of which can lead to inflammation and infection. In addition, that same bacteria proliferating there continues to help with digestion allowing your body to receive the nutrients from your food more efficiently. Those pro-biotic bacteria also help to regulate the production of all the neurotransmitters like serotonin that helps us sleep and stay happy, plus it is loaded with calcium and vitamin B12 and any minerals associated with the land that the cows were eating from. Woosh.
Of course yogurt is only as good as the milk it started with or whatever else has been added to it and, even more importantly, is the culture of good bacteria it contains. Not all yogurt has the same strains. Most popular store bought brands—even some organic ones—are highly sugared and also are “stabilized” with gums or gelatin whereas farmstead yogurts are…just yogurt.
But not all farmstead yogurt is even the same. It depends of which breed of cow they get the milk from—some milk is more creamy, other more acidic—and what the cows eat lend taste to the final yogurt—grassy flavors, gamey flavors, woody flavors. But, beyond that it’s the slurried culture that each farmer has developed to multiply that bacteria in the slightly tepid milk, rendering each yogurt it’s own unique flavor–some more tangy, some more sweet–each nuanced with the terroir of that place here on earth, here in New Hampshire. It’s magic.
And it’s incredible food.
We have Matty Hutchins yogurt now in the store and we are happy that we can get it. There is a state wide shortage of farmstead milk products right now. Matty’s cows are Jersey cows and these are this authors favorite milk cows. Lots of cream and a sweet grassy flavor, we think that this, plus Matty’s developed culture, makes this a to-die-for yogurt. Less tangy, more smooth, slightly sweet, gentle on the stomach and very creamy.
We also have some of her cheeses made from her yogurt. We are sampling all this on Saturday so stop by for a try!
How to use yogurt:
STYLE A; the glob. Glob a spoon-full on top of a pancake or hot oatmeal or vegetable fritters or a baked potato. Think: a superb, less-caloric sour cream replacement.
STYLE B; the pour. Thin some yogurt with splash of vinegar and some olive oil, mix in herbs of choice and it becomes a pourable salad dressing. Thin some yogurt smoothie-style by whirling it in a blender with ice and/or fruit juice and possibly some veggies/fruit and pour it down your gullet :).
STYLE C; the scoop. Use yogurt as a measured replacement for buttermilk or sour cream in ANY baked recipe. The culture works the same to interact with the pH of baking soda so your recipe gets some lift and the fat tenderizes your baked goods. Sue that works with us at the store tells me she uses it in some her yeasted rolls. I use it in “Buttermilk” pancakes. Also, measure out yogurt as an oil replacement as many Mediterranean cultures do.
Our gardens will be waking up soon or maybe you have over-wintered some plants in your home. Try these recipes using them or simply grab a bunch at the big box grocery store.
Yogurt Marinated Lamb Chops
Stir together:
1/2 cup unflavored whole milk yogurt
1T good olive oil
1 plump clove fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp minced fresh mint of any kind
!/4 tsp kosher satlt
a few grinds of fresh pepper (Or check out our new all-in-one S&P grinder with 4 types of pepper corns and pink Himalayan salt crystals)
Spread this mixture on both sides of 4 lamb chops. Cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for 2-6 hours. The lactic acid in the yogurt tenderizes the meat and the culture helps neutralize the gaminess that lamb often can acquire.
These can be fried or grilled. When ready to cook, gently scrape most of the marinate off but leave some in place to make a charred caramelized coating. If frying, no additional oil is needed in the pan.
Herbed Yogurt Salad Dressing
This is best if you can blend it in a bullet style blender to really emulsify the herbs. If not simply briskly whisk together:
1 cup unflavored whole milk yogurt
2T apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1T minced herbs of choice. I like spring chives or lemony sorrel or both.
CLICK HERE to see our weekly menu for sandwich specials and takeout meals including gluten-free!
Friday night pizza, April 5 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Margherita; basil, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.
The Easter traditions of promise and renewal abound here at the store. The storm and the generator failure earlier this week fried our oven and melted all of our ice cream. BUT, like the lemony color of daffodils blooming underneath the snow, we made lemonade! This was an opportunity to bring in new kinds of ice cream and gelato and sorbet and stylish ice cream sandwiches (including dairy-free), all arriving today. Your beloved Walpole, Shains and Hersheys will follow per their delivery schedules sometime in the next 2 weeks. AND our ovens are being restored perhaps as early as today so call in to see if pizza night is on! 603-783-9933
Goodness indeed!
Free eggs! Also today, Friday, our customer Joya will be here at 11:00 to hand out free dozens of eggs to anyone who wants them. As part of her business plan, she is committed to supporting her favorite local businesses by purchasing items from them—eggs from us—and then handing them out. We will be handing out copies of the recipe at the bottom of this post for marbled deviled eggs.
The store is closed this year for Easter Sunday—and so is Market Basket—so scan your cupboards for any last minute item we can help you with. Don’t forget our large selection of flavoredmustards for your Easter ham! Hope to see you at Shaker Village for sunrise service and enjoy the Easter breakfast at the church.
Do you know who Christina Tosi is? We first heard about her years ago. Serving cereal flavored milk in her nostalgic NY bakery brought her fame (doesn’t everybody like the milk slurped at the bottom of the bowl once you’ve eaten the cereal?!) She now makes ice cream flavored the same way! We thought it would be fun to try some.
Husband and wife southern chefs came up with these special ice cream sandwiches. Decadent 14% butterfat ice cream sandwiched between fresh baked brownies and cookies in sophisticated flavors. Kids have their Hershey sundaes and these are a little something just for us. But if I were a kid I would want to try one too!
And more…oh summer’s gonna be a good one!
We’re still having fun in the store….creativity abounds.
Puzzles Ted made for us to try…..cut with a laser cutter from……the Makers Space. Love the recycles hummus containers!Easter treats in our bake cake. White chocolate brownie nests with dye-free coconut and marzipan eggs.GF vegetable fritters from this last weeks menu.
Upside-down Marbled Deviled Easter Eggs
Hard boil eggs. Let them cool then randomly crack the shells. Put the whole egg into a dye bath made from food coloring and water then let them sit over-night refrigerated.
Right before using, peel them and fill them with your favorite deviled egg recipe. Place them upside down place on a bed of snipped chives. Chives keep them from sticking to the dish and look like easter grass. Serve with a spoon to scoop them up. NOTE: if you peel them too soon before serving the crackled veining will blur.
Deviled Eggs with a twist! (for you Pam 🙂)
Remove the yolks of one dozen eggs. Mash with a folk and add:
1/4 – 1/3 cup mayonnaise
2T Blake Hill Botanical jam (any style)
1T horseradish
2T capers (optional)
Fill into egg whites and serve.
In case Friday night pizza is on, here is what we plan…
Friday night pizza, March 29 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Margherita; basil, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.
It’s Dave’s 60th birthday this week-end! Yep, your storekeeper has still got a lot of pep in him and a ways to go; we are all grateful for that! Help us celebrate him this week-end with specials and cake and a proper day off. Here’s what’s happening…
DAVE’S BIRTHDAY WEEK-END CELEBRATIONS
Order his own favorite pizza as our Friday Night special pizza ; Pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives on red sauce
Have a special Saturday Dave-Wich, his favorite sandwich; turkey, roast beef with good cheddar cheese on a baguette.
Come in to wish him a happy birthday then have a chunk of free birthday cake on Saturday/Sunday while it lasts…Dave’s two favorites Coconut and Carrot. We’re sending him home early so see him before 3.
Play our 60 Groceries Game this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and maybe win a $60 gift certificate to the store. See if you can find at least 60 items for sale in the store that are made in New Hampshire; we have well over 300!
If you can list 60 or more you will be entered into the drawing for the gift certificate. Download the form HERE or come into the store for a copy to work with. All forms must be turned in by 4:00 Sunday. Drawing will be held Monday morning.
We are giving Dave a proper WHOLE day off on Sunday. So instead of him coming in early to make breakfast wraps Jane is making her famous quiche, sold by the slice in classic bacon and swiss OR veggie broccoli and red pepper.
See our entire weekly menu, including all of the above, by CLICKING HERE.
This week at the store…
NEW! Famous homemade potato chipsSparklng water from herbs, fruits & flowers.Family business-Maine grown potatoesCharcuterie board from Country Craftsman in Franklin, NHnew jewelry sectionCutting boards; Christian Ayer @ Country CraftsmanMolly Grant’s glove leather clutches for springNew hand painted earrings by Pamela SullivanNew! Take-home bottles of our famous all-natural coffee syrup for spring; no artificial chemical flavors.
And Gordon’s coffee cup experiment (leave it to an engineer)…
The cups hold up after many uses and with coffee sitting half full for over 24 hours with NO leaks. We like these…better than what we opened with!!!
In case you love Dave’s coconut birthday cake when you have some here on Saturday, let me share my recipe with you.
Dave’s Fav Coconut Cake
Prepare two 8″ cake pans. Trace around the bottom of a pan onto folded waxed paper using a knife or scissors then cut the tracing yielding two circles. Liberally grease the bottom and sides of the pan with unrefined coconut oil. Stick a round of waxed paper onto the bottom of each pan smoothing it out then grease over it. Sprinkle and shake flour around in each pan until it is evenly coated; shake out the excess. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°
Sift together and set aside:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose wheat flour*
1 5/8 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
Mix together and set aside:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Separate then set aside:
3 eggs
In a stand mixer or with hand-held mixer mix until very creamy:
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter that is room temperature and squishy soft
Add to the butter bit by bit mixing until it is light and fluffy:
1 cup + 2T granulated sugar
Add to this mixture one at a time until creamy:
3 egg yolks
Add reserved flour mixture alternating with milk mixture, one then the other in three batches, mixing very well after each, scraping down the sides of your mixer with a spatula.
Whip the egg whites with:
a heaping 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar.
When creamy and white, add bit by bit whipping until soft peaks form:
3T granulated sugar
Fold these whipped egg whites into cake mixture. Scoop into prepared pans and smooth. Drop pan firmly on counter to level batter and get rid of air bubbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes in pan then run knife around edges to loosen and turn out onto a rack to cool. Peel off waxed paper. Let cool completely before frosting.
* Any flour will work but the taste of fresh wheat flour enhances the coconuttiness of the cake.
The back story on this recipe…Dave was traveling for work and was hungry and lonely one rainy night in Long Island. He stumbled into a diner and there on the counter was a mile high coconut cake loaded with flaked coconut. Of course he had a slice then called me to tell me how amazing it was. I went to work developing a recipe that could produce that taste memory and it was waiting for him when he got home. It’s now Dave’s Fav.
Its Friday Night pizza again.
Friday night pizza, March 22 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Dave’s Fav, pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives on red sauce.
There’s been a lot happening this week around the store and even more this week-end; Town Meeting and…
…it’s the Irish-Sugar-Flower week-end! What?
It’s St.Patricks Day on Sunday, it’s maple sugaring week-end and Amber from Sunfox Sunflower Farm in Concord, NH will be here 11-1 on Saturday to tell us about and sample their healthy culinary sunflower seed oil. Learn about it’s nutritional benefits and we are doing some mash-up recipes using sunflower oil and maple. Come by for free samples and grab some great recipes to take home and try. There’s a lot going on!
Support our local sugar shacks around town this week-end–just look for the steam–then stop by the store for breakfast or lunch while you are out; Irish burritos, gooey maple treats, maple Irish soda bread muffins and more. See our entire menu for the week by CLICKING HERE.
Voting dayCandidates stepping up to help our townMaple jams to pair with cheeseMaple jams to pair with cheeseMaple walnut sconesMaple muffinsWe are proud to sell Canterbury’s own North Family Farms organic maple syrup harvested from old Shaker property.Infused with Green Mountain Organics Distiller’s Maple Liqueur. Sample this on the week-end.
Maple as a nutrient
We all love our maple; sticky sweet goodness to put in coffee or over yogurt or on pancakes. It’s uses are actually endless but did you know it has some health benefits too? Some of us use maple syrup as a replacement to refined sugar due to the fact that it brings about a lower glucose and insulin response in our bodies; less buzz, less let-down and less stress on our body’s internal systems. But besides that, maple syrup contains high levels of minerals and amino acids that support our bodies health, in addition to enzymes and dissolving compounds that break down the free-radical activity in our cells that can lead to early aging and disease. Whew.
It’s good stuff. Here are a few recipes using maple.
Maple syrup makes an excellent face mask. Yep. The enzymes it contains dissolve dead skin cells and it’s mineral content helps hydrate the skin. Spread on a thick layer while in the shower then rinse off in the end. Keep in place for up to 10 minutes if you can for best results.
Want a healthy blueberry syrup for your pancakes? Put one quart of maple syrup in a sauce pan then add 4 cups of blueberries, perhaps from your frozen stash picked last year at Hackleboro Orchards or Apple Hill Farm. Heat until boiling. Turn off the heat and put a lid on it. Let steep for 30 minutes then pour out the syrup straining the berries; refrigerate. Voila, real blueberry syrup. Save the discarded blueberries for sweetening yogurt or making jam.
Next time you are roasting some meat–or that easter ham–use maple syrup as a glaze. To each 1/2 cup of maple add: 2 T finely minced fresh rosemary, 1 tsp granulated garlic, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Jack it up even further with a 1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika for a deeper, smokier flavor. Brush the meat with the blended syrup before it goes in the oven then keep brushing the syrup on several times during roasting and it will give a dark caramelized crust. If you don’t eat meat, consider tossing this along with some olive oil into cut up vegetables and roast them as you would. It’s all very yum…
Friday night pizza, March 15 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
It started with great customer Alex telling David, “You know Dave, I think your pizzas are giving Jane’s scones a run for the money” [and that’s sayin’ somethin’ cuz he is a HUGE fan of our bakery cases].
“Take that!” said Dave to Jane.
“Game on!” said Jane to Dave.
So our throw-down commences!
Tonight’s pizza night includes a pizza headed towards Jane’s baking flavors and today you will find some scones heading towards Dave’s pizza flavors. Tonight’s PIZZA SPECIAL: Vermont Farmsteads Windsordale Blueberry Cheese and Smoke House bacon with olive oil. Todays SCONE SPECIAL: Margherita; tomato flavored with basil and mozzarella cheese.
Check out our menu for the week with all sorts of throw-down creations by CLICKING HERE.
The store has had all sorts of new arrivals this week.
The arrival of spring. Out the backdoor at the church.The new art show arrived this week.The arrival of artists to their showThe arrival of spring sunsets
What is delicious? Are you salty or sweet?
We humans do tend to settle into either of these camps. Salt and vinegar chips or brownies, peanuts or toffee, poppy seed salad dressing or a caesar…
But interestingly, those very best favorites on either side contain some of the other side to balance it out. Like politics? Like a great marriage? Reading the label will give you some clues as how to season your own cooking.
Just like Dave’s and my THROWN DOWN, his sweet-take always includes mostly his savory salty ingredients and even in my savory scones their is a hint of sweet to balance it out.
Here is a recipe for you to try and see if you like this mix-up.
Coconut Chicken or Fish Gratin
Butter four individual or one medium sized gratin dishes. Place into each individual or all into the medium gratin dish:
4 half fillets (2 full cut in ½) of haddock, cod, sole or other mild white fish*
OR 4 quarter chicken breasts (2 halves cut in half & pounded thin) *
Mix together and pour over the fish/chicken dividing evenly between the dishes:
½ cup coconut milk (unsweetened; look for pure milk that does not contain thickeners.)
Juice of ½ lemon
1/16 tsp ground pepper (preferably white)
1/8 tsp salt
Mix together and scatter over the top of the prepared chicken/fish:
3/4 cups bread crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
3 T. sweetened flaked coconut
The grated peel of a ½ lemon
Bake in a preheated 350’ oven for 20 – 25 minutes until crumb topping is browned and sauce has bubbled thick. Good served over rice.
Friday night pizza, March 8 . Order ahead 12” organic sour dough pizzas to take out or sit down and eat here. $15.95. Call ahead to order and choose a pick-up time slot. 603-783-9933
Choose:
Pepperoni on red sauce.
Vegetable choice of mushrooms, green peppers, onions and pepperoncini on red sauce
Fig with gorgonzola and a honey drizzle over olive oil (no garlic)
Cheese only on red sauce always by request
SPECIAL: Vermont Farmsteads Windsordale Blueberry Cheese and Smoke House bacon with olive oil.
March is maple month and we are feeling sticky just thinking about it. Old-Man-of-the-Mountain slurps of fresh syrup and bourbon, caramely oozy maple pie and the smell in the air of maple steam coming from Canterbury’s sugar houses. The sap has been running in vast amounts this week we hear so it should be a good season. The sugar houses in Canterbury that we know of will be open the week-end of the 16th and 17th so you can watch them boil and taste some.
Here at the store we are happy to feature the end products from maple sugaring.
We are mounting the newest art show for the Feed Loft gallery today; “Bloom Where You Are Planted; A Visual Celebration of the Gardens in New Hampshire”. There are some wonderful things to grace our walls and much of it is for sale, if you are so inclined. Meet the artists, taste some wine and cheese from the store on Thursday night, March 7, 5-7.
We are sorry gang but no pizza tonight. Dave has a boo-boo and will be out today.
Check out our weeks menu by CLICKING HERE. Lots of maple surprises!
I wrote about this previously but it is a great reminder as we are all enjoying Sunnyfield Brick Oven bread delivered to us fresh every Tuesday and Thursday.
Artisan sour dough breads with a crisp oven-kissed crust like these should always be stored in paper. They sweat in plastic and the crust gets destroyed. But if they get too hard after a few days in your paper bag, spritz the crust with water and put in a 300 degree oven for 5 or 10 minutes to freshen it up; it tastes fresh baked. I enjoyed this bread last night even though it was baked last week.
Canterbury Country Store 