The Amazing Food at When Words Count Retreat

At first, I thought it was a scam. Around Christmas, my mother had sent me a sweepstakes link on Facebook, and on a whim, I entered it. A few weeks later, an email arrived, informing me that I had won. The prize was a 3-night stay at the country-inn-turned-writer's-retreat When Words Count Retreat in Rochester, Vermont. The stay would be my prize; I had to pay for the "gourmet meal service." If you're reading this, you know I don't mind paying for good food, so after I poked around the Internet looking for proof that this was a real thing, I called and booked my reservation. I figured it was a small price to pay for food when I'd have a long, quiet weekend to myself to work on my writing. 

To say I was right would be an understatement. I could write a whole post about what an incredibly positive, possibly life-changing experience this one weekend retreat was for me. I arrived as a blog writer with a few articles published in some local magazines. By the end of my second day in Vermont, I had written almost 3,000 words of what I'm hoping will be my first book. The environment was ideal. The setting was inspiring. The schedule was accommodating. The discussion was stimulating. I really do want to go on.

However, when I first started this blog, I was determined to keep it focused on food, and so I will. The food at WWCR is, in a word, sublime. First, let's define what comprises their "gourmet meal service," and I take this from their website:

• A sit-down, two-course country-style breakfast
• A buffet farm lunch (fresh salad, protein portion, cheese board, crackers, soup, etc.)
• Cocktail-hour hors d’oeuvres
• Daily Coffee and tea service and
• A four-course Gourmet dinner, prepared, each evening by our celebrated Chef

This costs $60 per day plus a 17% service charge which covers both gratuity and VT sales tax. I think I should say a mere $60 per day, because I found this to be an outstanding value for what I received, considering at most upscale restaurants where I live, I could easily spend that on a four-course dinner alone.

Here is one of my breakfasts, and yes, I mean both pictures constituted one breakfast: a bowl of creamy, tangy vanilla yogurt topped with crunchy granola and fresh berries, accompanied by scrambled eggs, thick country-style bacon, and strawberry-rhubarb-stuffed French toast.

For lunch the first day, this beautiful salad plate:

The next day's lunch, smoked salmon chowder and a flatbread topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and arugula:

Are you drooling yet? Because recalling these meals is making my mouth water all over again.

Coffee and tea service was available all day, and we had a cocktail hour before dinner during which we were offered cheese and crackers, crudites, and the like. Needless to say, none of us went hungry that weekend. And I haven't even gotten to the dinner course.

So here's the teaser - my next post will focus on dinner alone, and will include at least one recipe. So check back soon! And writers? Check out When Words Count Retreat. You won't regret it.

Maple Cheddar Dutch Baby, Baby!

It's a SNOW DAY, which in this two-teacher house means sleeping in and making something fancy for brunch. Today's fanciness is a Maple Cheddar Dutch Baby, a light, airy oven pancake with a savory flair. We have to give props to the food artisans in Vermont for this one, though. First, we love Grafton Village Maple Smoked Cheddar, which is made right outside of Brattleboro, and we sprinkled this on top as we put the batter into the oven. Not only did that offer a cheddary tang, but it crisped the top of the Dutch baby perfectly. A drizzle of maple syrup made by Amy's cousins at Maplehurst Farm in Greensboro, right when it came out of the oven, heightened the maple flavor. 

Maple Cheddar Dutch Baby

slightly adapted from this recipe from The New York Times

(serves 2-4)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

1/3 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup shredded Maple Smoked Cheddar cheese

sea salt

Preheat oven to 425F (this is very important!). Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Whisk the wet and dry ingredients until they are combined. Melt the butter in a 12-inch, preferably cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Let the butter cook until it is brown (2-3 minutes) and swirl it so it coats the whole bottom of the skillet. Pour in the batter and sprinkle the whole thing with the cheese and a pinch of sea salt. Place the skillet in the oven and cook until puffed up and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with real maple syrup. Or Amy will hunt you down and she can not be responsible for what happens after that. 

Burrata, Prosciutto and Tomato Chutney in Carrozza

We are cheese people. We can easily by-pass a candy store in favor of a cheese shop, especially a really good cheese shop. Italian delis are some of our favorite places to buy cheese, but we are trying to branch out beyond our usual mozzarellas, parmigianos, and provolones to ripe, stinky French cheeses, strange-sounding Swiss cheeses, and best of all, any of their counterparts, locally made.

On a weekend jaunt to the up-and-coming village of Brattleboro, Vermont, our cheese cravings were satiated by the fantastic selection offered by the welcoming and knowledgeable staff of the Brattleboro Cheese Shop and Cafe. The shop was busy and the cheesemonger did her best to meet everyone's needs while she made suggestions, wrapped purchases and created gorgeous cheese plates for sharing. We bought a beautiful fresh burrata made an hour away from the shop, plus some house-made tomato chutney to pair it with. Both of us had visions of the gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches we would make when we arrived back home.

We grabbed a rustic loaf from nearby Brattleboro bakery Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe, and when we got home, we laid our our purchases. The burrata was soft and pillowy, filled with curds, and reminding us of a delicately poached egg. We broke it open and used some of the soft curds and the outer, more-mozzarella-like layer  to make a fancied-up version of mozzarella in carrozza*.  It was fabulous. The tomato chutney had a deep, dark, slightly sweet richness about it that contrasted beautifully with the creamy burrata. The addition of prosciutto contributed a chewy texture and smoky flavor. Deep frying it to an eggy golden brown? Well, that's just good lovin'.

The next day, via email, we received a perfectly timed invitation to the Connecticut Cheese Festival to be held at the Coventry Regional Farmers Market on Sunday October 13th from 11 to 2. Tastings! Pairings! Classes! Food trucks! Even a cheese-wheel-rolling contest! We can't wait to see how our state's offerings compare to Vermont's. For more information about the festival, read the press release here. Hope to see you there!

*Note: "in carrozza" is Italian for "in a carriage" - the golden-fried bread being the vehicle for the delicious fillings. No chutney? Use your favorite preserves!

Burrata, Prosciutto and Tomato Chutney "in Carrozza"

Ingredients (per sandwich):

2 slices rustic bread

1 tablespoon tomato chutney
1/4 large burrata

2 slices prosciutto

1 tablespoon flour

1 egg, beaten

oil for frying

Fill large skillet or frying pan 1/4 inch high with oil and heat. Spread one slice of bread with chutney or preserves and cover with folded prosciutto. Break open the burrata and spread some of the curds onto the sandwich; add some of the mozzarella as well. Assemble into a sandwich. Dip each side of sandwich first in flour, then in the egg. Fry in hot oil on both sides, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.