Cambridge Life: Another Day in Paradise Cambridge Life: Another Day in Paradise

I'm sitting looking out my patio door at the wondrous display that nature is putting on. It's been an amazing June and the thunder and lightening has put the exclamation point on the month. I'm hoping that this Fourth of July weekend will bring us lots of sunshine and great fireworks. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the fireworks display going on right now.

Even on a dreary, rainy day life in Cambridge, NY is a show stopper!

SUNDAY MORNING SAMPLIER'S LAST CALL SUNDAY MORNING SAMPLIER'S LAST CALL

Spoonful Sunday Morning Sampler at The Rice Mansion Inn
Sunday, June 28th ~ 9am - 12noon
Sample Savory & Sweet Plates
using locally and regionally produced foods

Sue & Christine have LOVED doing the Spoonful Sunday Morning Sampler at the Rice Mansion Inn. However, this Sunday, June 28 will be the final one for the season.

For the next two months Sue will be wearing her full time catering hat. For Christine- well, she has a few beds to make in addition to breakfast! Both are thrilled with the response to the Sampler and look forward to the comfortable groove the end of September will bring.

The good news is there will be two more Small Plate ~ Full Glass events for the season at the Rice Mansion Inn on July 23rd & August (TBD but probably Thursday the 27th). They hope to continue this monthly event throughout the year.

Both Sue and Christine want to say, "Thank you for your support of our small businesses. The Sampler and the Small Plate events stemmed from our belief that our friends and neighbors- and maybe their friends and neighbors have a similar understanding of food and community. And you do."

The Sampler will start again at the end of September.

See you Sunday ~
best, SueQ & Christine


Savory Plates ~ $6 each
Creamy Spring Greens on Sesame Toast, Two Poached Eggs, Romesco
Red Flannel Hash with Smoked Pork, Poached Egg
Buckwheat Crepe, Greens with bacon & raw milk gruyere Fried Egg
Soft Polenta with Asparagus, Peas & Chive ~ Fried Egg and aged cheese

Sweet Plates ~ $5 each
French Toast, Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote, Maple Whipped Cream
Cream Scone, honeyed Fruits traditionally prepared scone with currants and orange zest lots of strawberries with tropical fruit

Beverages
Help yourself to Coffees & Teas ~ $2.50 featuring Dean’s Beans Fair Trade Organic Coffee
Order a French Press ~ $2.50 Pot of Tea ~ $4.00 Teas available by the pot and are also for sale at BellaVino at the Mansion
Cold Mulled Cider, Honey Sweetened Berry Iced Tea~ $1.50 & $3.00
--
Spoonful Catering: preparing foods gathered from local farms and regional producers and Connecting People to Place, One Bite at a Time

Sue Quillio
P 518.692.9037
F 518.375.3619
E susan@spoonfulcatering.com
POB 43
Greenwich, NY 12834

Christine Hoffer
Rice Mansion Inn
518-677-5741
www.ricemansioninn.com

Hoedown From Rodeo on Vimeo Hoedown From Rodeo on Vimeo

Hoedown from Rodeo from Eleanor Stewart on Vimeo.

By Eleanor Stewart

Summertime and the Grillin' is Easy Summertime and the Grillin' is Easy

Smell that? That amazing blend of beef, char and hops? That, my friend, is summer grillin'. You know, when you pull out the BBQ, rustle up some meaty goodness (because in Grilltown, we're all red meat eating cowboys) and crack open an icy cold beer. And the time for grillin'? She has arrived.

Sure, I live in LA, where you can pretty much grill 325 days a year. (The other 40? Uh, you're out of town. Duh.) But even here, there's something special about summer barbecuing. So when we made these kick ass burgers on Monday, it really and truly felt like summer had arrived.

Even if the weather 'round these here parts isn't exactly co-operating. Um, November? Any interest in trading your 80 degree days for June's high 60s? Thanks.

I think I'll call these Western Burgers, and not just cause I'm feeling so very cowgirly right now. I promise, you take one bite of this juicy, spicy goodness and you'll feel like you're way out West too. Even if you're stuck at your house in Newark. C'mon, get out the grill and live a little. It's summer, and it isn't gonna last forever.

Western Burgers
by Sarah

1 lb beef (I used 92/8 and you can definitely want to go lean beef with these as the bacon adds back fat and juicy goodness)
3 slices bacon, diced
2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, diced
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
salt, to taste (I used uncured bacon, so I went w/ 1-ish tsp)
garnishes (see below for suggestions)

1. Heat grill nice and high.
2. Combine above ingredients. Divide into four patties of roughly the same size.
3. Grill for 3-4 minutes each side for a good medium rare. If you're squeamish about the bacon, you'll definitely want to go medium rare or pre-cook the bacon. We went just this side of rare and are still alive and kickin'.
4. If using a harder cheese, add it on in the last 1-2 minutes of grill time. On the second side.
5. Remove from heat. Add buns (if desired). Garnish to your liking.
6. Pop a beer, turn up the music and enjoy.

Garnishes - grilled buns (sourdough or kaiser), grilled onion, beefsteak tomato, lettuce, muenster cheese (Noah), Cowgirl Creamery's St. Pat's cheese (Sarah), mustard

This wonderful recipe and image come courtesy of my niece Sarah and our family food blog called Attack of the Killer Zucchini.
Next week will have amazing grillin' ideas for veggie lovers!

FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND - 2009 FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND - 2009

What a good weekend to visit our area. Rain or shine, there is a lot going on. Of course, the big news is that Sunday, June 21st is Father's Day.

There are lots of ways to celebrate, but my personal favorite would be to treat Dad to the Sunday Morning Sampler at the Rice Mansion Inn. All the food are locally and regionally produced and turned into fabulous treats by Susan Quillio and Tim Holmes of Spoonful Catering.

Here's a peek at the menue.

Spoonful Sunday Morning Sampler
at The Rice Mansion Inn
June 21st ~ 9am - 12noon

Savory Plates ~ $6 each
Creamy Spring Greens on Sesame Toast, Two Poached Eggs, Romesco Braised Beef & Vegetable Hash
Poached Egg Buckwheat Crepe, Greens with bacon & raw milk gruyere
Fried Egg Soft Polenta with Snow Peas, Turnip & Chive ~ Fried Egg and aged cheese

Sweet Plates ~ $5 each
French Toast, Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, Strawberries & whipped cream
Cream Scone, Fruits traditionally prepared scone with currants and orange zest

The Sampler is a Spoonful Catering event at the Rice Mansion Inn.
The Mansion provides a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere for the casual service of breakfast.

Help yourself to coffees, order a plate or two, mingle with friends and shop at BellaVino at the Mansion.

Upcoming Sampler dates ~ June 28th mark your calendar now J

Christine at The Rice Mansion Inn (518.677.5741)Christine@ricemansioninn.com>
Sue at Spoonful Catering (518) 692-9037sue@spoonfulcatering.com




June 19-20, 8 PM – SURF CITY SINGERS, 100 Years of Broadway

Young people from California’s Orange County, under the direction of part-time Salem resident Tim Nelson, celebrating song and summer in their only East Coast performances.

Admission: $15.
FORT SALEM THEATER MAINSTAGE, 11 East Broadway, Salem, NY 12865
Reservations and Information: (518) 854-9200 www.fortsalemtheater.com




June 19, 20, 21, 2009 - Whipple City Festival

There are many exciting things planned for the 17th Annual Whipple City Festival

Photo courtesy Greenwich, NY Chamber of Commerce

Saturday June 20th:
10:00-12:00 pm: Bubbles the Clown
1:00-4:00 pm: Live! Radio Disney Show - Fun for the entire family with
music and audience participation.
Open Mike with local talent at 6:30 - 9:30

Sunday, June 21st:

12:00 to 12:30 - Greenwich Interfaith Service at
1:00 - 3:00 pm - Bubbles the Clown
1:00 - 4:00 pm - Bob Warren

NEW THIS YEAR "Old Fashioned" fun games for the entire family

Saturday Only: Mobile Laser Tag Games on Academy St.

Throughout the weekend: Country Craft Fair, Great Food Vendors, Community Organizations Info booths, Live Animal Exhibits of Alpacas, Emus, Reindeer and local wildlife demos, free Horse and Wagon Rides thru the Village and Much more to come

Back Home in Cambridge Back Home in Cambridge

Good day to all the readers of the Cambridge Buzz blog. I've returned home from my stint house sitting for my sister. It was a long three weeks, but Hilary has been posting amazing tidbits about our region and the various things you can do here. Thanks Hilary, could not do this without you.

So what did I return to? Before leaving, I huridly put in some vegetables and made sure the lawn and garden were in good shape. But with all the rain we've been having....


Photos by Debra Pearlman

It looks like a jungle at my house. The cats think they've arrived in heaven. Mice, voles, lots of birds and bunnies to chase. With the grass so tall, I'm thinking of seeing if a meadow would be possible. I don't hate mowing, in fact, it's sort of my summer exercise regime, but I love wild meadows.

On the other hand....


Photos by Debra Pearlman

I remembered to stake the peonies before going away, but they are just too darn heavy. My house smells great from all the flowers I cut down. Now if I can just get those darn cats to do some weeding.

How's your garden doing this year?

Cambridge Life is easing into summer.... Farmer's Markets are in full swing, the river is running full tilt, and the hiking is great. Come join us and see why Grandma Moses loved this area so much!

Roger's Photographic Meditations 6 Roger's Photographic Meditations 6

Dog on the run.

Photo Credit: Roger Wyatt.

Photographer's Log Photographer's Log

(Photographs by John Carlson copyright 2009 all rights reserved)

Another Successful Balloon Fest!
Congrats, Cambridge!

Cambridge Balloon Festival 2009 Cambridge Balloon Festival 2009

Photo: John Carlson, copyright 2007

My wife and I love the balloon festival, the colorful giant behemoths floating over the village with that fantastic fiery propane blast for buoyancy, all the fun food and family events around town, and getting to meet the pilots and people from all over who come to enjoy our little slice of paradise.

Don’t miss the great events all this weekend (June 5th- 7th); starting with launches Friday night during the opening ceremonies at the Cambridge Central School.

For more information visit the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cambridgenychamber.com/ or call 518-677-0887

See you here!

Saratoga Battlefield events Saratoga Battlefield events

Tales from the Trails
Date: June 6, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Battlefield

Details:
Sights, sounds and surprises await bird watchers, walkers and history buffs joining various hikes of 2 miles or less in the park. Registration required.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring drinking water and insect repellant.

Bird and Wildflower Hike -- 9:00 AM
History Hikes (with surprises) -- 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM

Roger's Photographic Meditations 5 Roger's Photographic Meditations 5

Bridge along the Hudson at twilight, heading toward Ft. Edward.

Photo Credit: Roger Wyatt