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Spending An Indian Summer Day In Williamsburg, Virginia

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

A few weeks ago I woke up on a beautiful fall morning on a day that promised to be one of the last days of Indian Summer here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Temperatures were forecast to be in the low-70’s, sunny, not too breezy — in other words, virtually perfect. As I got the coffee started, I began plotting as to the best way to get my husband, who was in the middle of a project, to turn the potential of this virtually perfect day into a little trip I’d been wanting to take to Williamsburg. Now there are three crucial stops when first visiting Williamsburg, Virginia: 1) Its amazing historic area, a world class restoration project done by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2) The College of William and Mary, a college with a stellar reputation, attended by Thomas Jefferson, among others, and 3) The Williamsburg Outlet Malls . Or you could put them in reverse order– ha, ha, just kidding, Freudian slip.

Lunch at Gabriel Archer Tavern

So it was a leisurely walk down Duke of Gloucester Street that beckoned to me that fine day. ( And afterwards, if truth be told, a brief side trip to the Outlets, just a tiny little visit, hardly anything at all, really.) From my house to Colonial Williamsburg is about an hour and a half drive down I-64 west, which for much of the trip cuts through beautiful wooded scenery and over small bridges with winding waterways below, an easy and pleasant drive. Although we often have lunch at the Cheese Shop or the Trellis on Merchant’s Square when we visit, that day I wanted to stop at Williamsburg Winery ( www.williamsburgwinery.com ), located just a few miles from the historic area, for lunch at Gabriel Archer Tavern. On a beautiful day this pretty cafe with an outdoor seating area overlooking the vineyards at the Winery is especially delightful. And its French Country Platter, a medley of pates, assorted cheeses and fruits served with a crusty baguette, is excellent, especially when accompanied by a glass of the Winery’s buttery Chardonnay.

The Shoemaker's Shop

After lunch we were ready for our walk in the historic area, the warm day so pleasant, the fall foliage on the huge oaks and maples absolutely vibrant. Although I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg ( www.history.org ) dozens and dozens of times I never tire of it– thank you, John D. Rockefeller, your money and your interest made this fabulous restoration happen. The historic area is located on about three hundred acres and involves the full restoration and reconstruction of hundreds of Colonial buildings including homes, out buildings and commercial buildings ( including the reconstructed taverns, the restaurants of olden days, now re-opened serving delicious food prepared from Colonial recipes, my favorite being King’s Arms Tavern ), common greenway areas with grazing oxen and sheep, beautiful Colonial style vegetable gardens and interpreters in costumes ready to explain the history and answer just about any question. The Williamsburg Foundation bills this fascinating slice of 18th century Virginia as “the world’s largest living history museum”. Something new is always going on, new restorations are constantly getting underway, new historical features are frequently popping up on their excellent website, one of the latest being Thomas Jefferson’s “blog”. In my opinion, Williamsburg is one of Virginia’s greatest treasures, worthy of repeated visits, especially in different seasons, with Christmas as a “must visit” time for us nearly every year.

Just A Little Peek, See What's New

And then, like a small but tasty after- dinner mint, a quick trip to the Williamsburg Premium Outlet, my favorite outlet mall, primarily for a peek around to see what’s new. Also a stop at Bass for a pair of boat shoes and a stop at Nautica for a shirt for my oldest grandson. Did the quick peek, got the new shoes and shirt, also checked out the brand new Calphalon cookware store, poked a quick nose in at Harry and David for a jar of their cherry preserves, tempted but said “no” to a bag of Moose Munch. Then, lickity-split, as requested by my husband who was hoping to get back to his project, on the road again headed back to the Eastern Shore, our delightful Indian Summer day in Williamsburg officially over.

Tags: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Day trip from Virginia's Eastern Shore, Eastern Shore of Virginia, historic homes in Virginia, Williamsburg Virginia
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From Virginia’s Eastern Shore To Blue Ridge Mountain Wineries — A Wonderful Trip !

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

From the seashore to the mountains in only three and a half hours of travel through beautiful scenery — that was the essence of our trip from the Eastern Shore of Virginia to Charlottesville, Virginia last week-end. October is wine month in Virginia, no better time to take a little break to follow the Monticello Wine Trail ( www.monticellowinetrail.com ) and to have fun visiting a few of the 25 wineries on that Trail. Question: What do Dave Matthews, Thomas Jefferson and an extremely wealthy Virginia family have in common ? You’ll see.

Visiting The Big Apple

The first stop on our trip was up Carter Mountain where we hooked up with my eldest son and family for some apple picking, cider sipping and hayride tripping but more on that in another post. Carter Mountain Orchard has added a wine tasting room where we tried several different wines from the Prince Michael Winery, including a particularly good Chardonay. I ended up getting a bottle of the Chardonay for a friend who is having foot surgery on Friday — if you are confined to the sofa for a week or more, what better than a good glass of wine to liven things up.

Jefferson Vineyard

Our next stop was Simon’s Market which specializes in picnics and sandwiches for the many winery visitors in the area and is located just around the bend from Jefferson Vineyards. We popped in for two of their cream cheese, kalamata olive spread, roasted peppers and Genoa salami sandwiches to enjoy with a glass of Jefferson’s excellent Viognier out on the vineyard’s patio, overlooking the beautiful views of the vines and the Blue Ridge mountains. Only a mile from Monticello, this land was the site of Thomas Jefferson’s first vineyard, planted in 1774 . Jefferson became very interested in wines from his time in France and the winery website, www.jeffersonvineyards.com , offers a lot of detail on the interesting history of this property. Jefferson has a very attractive tasting room and the wines here are delicious, especially the velvety Cabernet Franc and their Viognier, which is particularly crisp and refreshing.

After a good dinner at the Boat House, a restful night’s sleep and a late breakfast at Brodo’s Bagels, it was off to a trio of wineries, all near Monticello. We wanted to visit the tasting rooms of First Colony, Blenheim and nearby Kluge. We had thought about Keswick Vineyards because we had read about their interesting tradition called “Yappy Hour” where on Sunday afternoons from noon till closing, doggie loving customers can bring their canine pals and socialize with other dog owners. Even though our dogs were not with us, it still sounded like fun but Keswick was too far away from other the three vineyards we had already decided to visit and still depart Charlottesville by 5 pm.

First Colony Vineyard

First to First Colony. The driveway approach to the tasting room winds around the 12 acre vineyard with the mountains as a familiar back-drop. Once inside, the main room is lightfilled and airy with a separate dining area for special events. We tasted several whites as well as the reds. My favorite red was the Petite Verdot and I loved the Zephyr, a bright white wine with flavors of pineapple. Just off the tasting room at First Colony is an elevated deck surrounded by large hardwoods dressed in their intense fall colors– a good place to rest with a glass of wine and some of the available cheeses.

Blenheim Vineyard's Tasting Room

From there to Blenheim Vineyard not far away and owned by, you guessed it, Dave Matthews of the famed Dave Matthews Band. The land was owned by his mother before Matthews decided to begin the vineyard and it is a family run operation. The tasting room is in a handsome timber-framed building which features a full glass south facing wall overlooking the vineyard and the mountains and includes a large outdoor seating area for a picnic with a bottle of Blenheim’s excellent wine. The most interesting part of the tasting room however is the floor– or rather, lack of floor. As you walk in the door, the center portion of the tasting room floor is made of clear plexi-glass so customers can see into the barrel room below. That’s a very unique feature in my experience and one that I’m sure everyone “oo’s and ahs” about — I know we were impressed. The wines were impressive as well and we ended up with several bottles of the spicy Cabernet Franc.

Wine And Cheese In The Garden At The Kluge Estate Vineyard

From Blenheim we were off to Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard just a few minutes away. The Kluge family is a very wealthy family and the vineyard and winery established by Patricia Kluge in 1999 are located on a tiny portion of their very beautiful 2000 acre farm. The tasting room is nestled in a grove a mature hardwood trees and features outdoor seating on the patio and in the garden area as well as indoor seating surrounded by warm hardwood paneling. Kluge’s tasting proceedure is also unique– instead of small pourings into commemorative wine glasses, Kluge has a custom upright tray with 6 slots for tall cylindrical vials. Customers select from two tasting flights of six wines each, approximately $10-14/flight, select a cheese plate if desired and then find a quiet spot to sip and evaluate the wines. We picked the flight that included two of their superb sparkling wines, a rose and three different vintages of their “New World” a luxurious blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot. Needless to say, as we left Charlottesville and these four fine vineyards behind, jumping on the interstate to head back to home- sweet- home on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, we were well armed with red, white and sparking wines for the upcoming holiday season !

P.S. Back to the question of what Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews and the Kluge family all have in common. The answer is of course, a love of good wines and the creation of memorable vineyards as testiments to that love. See these wineries on the web at : www.jeffersonvineyards.com , www.firstcolonywinery.com , www.blenheimvineyards.com and www.klugeestate.com .

Tags: Blue Ridge mountains, Charlottesville Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Monticello Wine Trail, vineyards, week-end trips from Eastern Shore Virginia
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The Fun-Filled Cape Charles, Virginia Annual Tomato Festival ! It’s Right Around The Corner, Don’t Miss It !

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Putting on the Ritz at the Tomato Ball

When is the only time of year when dressing up like a tomato is not only acceptable, it’s de rigueur ? Tomato Festival time, of course, that wacky, fun time of year in Cape Charles, Virginia when marinara sauce meets “Beautiful Baby” contest. And where you must wear red ( and preferably a tomato-like Mardi Gras style costume ) in order to get into the annual Tomato Ball. Talk about putting on the Ritz, it’s definitely time to dust off those zippy red slingback heels and get ready to step out with your baby tonight !!

Second only to the fun events scheduled for the 4th of July week-end, Cape Charles’ Tomato Festival week-ends offer a wide variety of events, something for everyone. For art aficionados, there is the Mason Avenue ArtWalk where many of the best artisans on the Eastern Shore of Virginia will have booths to show their latest work. The ArtWalk exhibits in many mediums including watercolors, oils, pottery, mosaics, photography and carvings and features many fine . Several categories will be judged and winners selected by a regionally recognized art professional. ( One of the art booths is always set up outside Blue Heron Realty’s office at 113 Mason Avenue. So if you are thinking about buying real estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, please stop in to say hello and pick up our free property catalogue. )

Into the hole on the next shot

On Friday, September 24th, the 3 rd Annual Cape Charles Open golf tournament will be held at Bay Creek, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the United Way of the Eastern Shore. This event is open to the public and is a great chance for non-member golf enthusiasts to strut their stuff on the incredible Arnold Palmer Signature course, which was designated last year by Golf Digest as one of its “Best Places To Play”. This 7204 yard beautiful waterfront course, with perfectly manicured greens and fairways, is built along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and Old Plantation Creek, a bay inlet. Most golfers say that it’s hard to keep their eyes off the scenery and on the ball, so participants in this event will just have to try to ignore the sparkling waters, soaring ospreys and gorgeous landscaping to focus instead on less interesting matters like stance and swing. A golfer’s life is hard but someone has to do it …..

Marinara Sauce In The Round

For foodies, there are mouth watering tomato pies, bubbling, wonderful fragrant aromas for as far as the nose can smell. I’m sure the local tomato pie champions ( who actually were invited to Washington DC to cater an Inaugural event in 2008 ) will be there, holding forth with their ambrosial offerings. ( If you’ve never had tomato pie, think a perfection blend of tomatos, cheeses, herbs and spices in a rich, rich crust. ) Other food vendors will be there preparing regional specialties plus wine and beer tastings usually are held as well. Definitely no fear of hunger at the Tomato Festival. And of course the week-end “Pizza Train” luncheon ride and evening gourmet dinner trip will be running on the usual schedule, as always, advance tickets required. All aboard, all aboard, train buffs.

Grand Finale And Perfect End To A Fun-filled Day In Historic Cape Charles, Virginia

For kids, special contests and events are scheduled including the always fun Face Painting booth. Also for kids and kids at heart, there will be an antique and classic car show, always a great hit. For the girls there will be a no-swimsuit “Miss Hot Tomato” contest as well as a pre-teen tomato contest. The demands of the baby lobby are covered by the “Beautiful Baby” contest. Last year music lovers were entertained by the Pop, Rhythm and Blues concert featuring Clarance Smith, presented by Art’s Enter at the Palace Theatre. So I think that just about covers everyone — foodies, golfers, music lovers, babies, teens and pre-teens, kids, car enthusiasts, art aficionados, train buffs, tomato costumes, dancing the night away at the Tomato Ball….. is there anything else that can be piled into this fun, wacky, tomato week-end ? Just one more thing ? Yes, of course…. for everyone out there who loves a parade, the Tomato Festival Parade kicks off on Mason Avenue at 10 AM. Last call, anything else ? Yes, the fireworks ! High in the sky above the Cape Charles beach and reflected in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the brilliant flares and ka-booms of the fireworks show brought the 2009 Tomato Festival to a ( http://www.capecharles.biz/fallfestival.html ) to a dramatic close. Yep, with the parade and the fireworks, there truly is something for everyone. So, everyone, remember, it’s coming, it’s right around the corner. Get ready, get set, mark your calenders, it’s tomato time in Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore !

Tags: Arnold Palmer golf course, Cape Charles Art Show, Cape Charles golf tournament, Cape Charles Virginia
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Have You Seen The Muffin Man, The Muffin Man, The Muffin Man ?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

How many tens of millions of toddlers over the ages may have sung this Mother Goose song, I wonder ? At any rate we have do have a Muffin Man— well, actually a Muffin Lady— right here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. And you’ll find Beth Flynn, in her sweet glory, not in Drury Lane, but in the Yellow Duck. That would, of course, be The Yellow Duck Bakery Cafe on Main Street in Exmore, Virginia.

What I can never figure out is why Yellow Duck’s muffins always taste better than my muffins ! I consider myself pretty handy with a baking pan when I’m in the mood but mine never seem to be as good. (It’s like fried rice- why is fried rice always, always better from a Chinese restaurant than what one prepares at home ? It’s like a Law of Nature or something ! Or maybe it’s just me…. ) Anyway, Yellow Duck also offers scones, cakes (including some excellent cheesecakes and beautifully decorated special occasion cakes ), pies and pastries but the headline attractions are its 36 varieties of delicious muffins. ( www.yellowduckcafe.com ) Quack if you like muffins !

Watching calories or sugar ? Not to worry — you can choose from their three no-sugar varieties, including the “Morning Muffin”, my husband’s favorite. I, of course, have many favorites. Quack, quack, quack ! Hard to choose between the cranberry orange, the blueberry crunch, the lemon poppy or the toasted almond, maybe pumpkin with a cream cheese filling. And when one cannot decide, there is only one solution — just get one of each ! ( Which is why I try not to drop by Yellow Duck too often– too much temptation, too little will power ! ) And when I arrive at the office toting a large white bakery box with a Yellow Duck sticker, you should see the anticipatory grins and the eager outstretched hands — – it’s a Muffin Morning at Blue Heron Realty Co. , the start of a quacking good day !

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Saturday Mornings At Quail Cove

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Although the name “Quail Cove” sounds like it might either be part of an inlet or a great birding area, it is neither. Located on Virginia’s Eastern Shore between Machipongo and Nassawadox, Quail Cove is actually our treasured local “organic foods plus much, much more” store. It’s formal name is Quail Cove Farm and it’s a fun place to visit. About twice a month, usually on a Saturday morning, I go and stock up on goodies and staples for the weeks ahead.

I first started shopping at Quail Cove about eight years ago when, for health reasons, my husband decided to switch from regular milk to soy milk. Now one wouldn’t think, in this era of emphasis on watching calories and sugar content, that it would be difficult to find soy milk that has no added sugar. Ha ! Just try it ! (Although I’ve heard that now the Silk brand sold in the milk section of most grocery stores has a no- sugar- added offering I’ve never found it.) Anyway, a friend mentioned that Quail Cove had recently opened and that they might carry it. To my pleasant surprise, they did and they do, in no -refrigeration- till- opened ( is that a great invention or what ! ) quart boxes which we now purchase by the case. (Here’s a plug for the company who makes this great product – Westlake Organic Unsweetened Soymilk ) And that is the story of how, years ago, we got started shopping at Quail Cove ( www.quailcovefarms.com ). We’ve been going strong ever since.

I wouldn’t want anyone to think that Quail Cove is just about relatively boring items like unsweetened soy milk or Muir brand canned tomatoes, so good, or a brand of yellow grits that cook up into the creamiest ever. ( I refer folks who have never eaten grits to the side-splittingly funny scene in one of my favorite comic movies, “My Cousin Vinnie”, where the main character tries grits for the very first time.) No indeed, there are lots of goodies on them thar shelves, Missy ! Like wonderful coffees blended and roasted locally by the Eastern Shore Roasting Company, Amish baby swiss and other specialty cheeses, all kinds of organically grown frozen berries, frozen whole wheat pie crusts (try finding these somewhere else), free range eggs, organically raised chickens from a Pennsylvania Mennonite farm, sweet potato chips crunchingly great with chicken salad sandwiches, lots of chocolates, my personal favorite, dried fruits and nuts in bulk, local honey, top quality vitamins and much, much more. And of course, seasonal local produce and fruit, bursting with organically grown freshness. It’s easy to see why, hot or cold, rain or shine, every other Saturday morning, it’s Quail Cove time.

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Picking Some Of Franco’s Figs

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Picking In The Breeze

The first thing to be said about Franco is that he is a Northampton County icon, an interesting, feisty, warm-hearted transplant from New York as of about 20 plus years ago. Born in Italy, he still retains a colorful Italian accent but overlaid with a strong twist of Brooklynese. Every Tuesday night you can tune into his radio show on local station WESR to hear him play some classic tunes and expound on the issues of the day. Franco is a tireless fund-raiser for community causes, an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, a Sunday afternoon fishing guru to his grand kids and he bakes a mean pizza too !

The pizza part is important because Franco and his wife Kathy are the colorful proprietors of the Little Italy restaurant in Nassawadox, Virginia, home to the best meatball subs ever. (http://littleitaly.homestead.com) When he’s not overseeing the kitchen, Franco is busy planning Little Italy’s next fun event– possibly a night with a singer of Sinatra tunes or an Elvis impersonator or the bi-monthly Texas Hold-em Poker Tournaments, with profits going to charity, this month to Habitat for Humanity and the Little League. The list of Franco’s activities and accomplishments is almost endless, including a run for the Board of Supervisors.

So when my middle daughter was picking up a vegetable calzone from the restaurant the other day, Franco inquired as to whether she liked figs and if so, stop by his house and pick some, his back yard tree is loaded with an early ripening variety. Well, we all love fresh figs and our two varieties do not ripen for another couple weeks so we took advantage of his offer last Sunday. It was a beautiful breezy day, sun shining but not too hot, I was in the neighborhood to take some photos of a new waterfront lot listing and it seemed like a perfect time to round up a few figs for breakfast.

Fruits Of Our Labours

Now the first thing to be said about fresh figs is this — if you’ve never had one, you’ve missed a real winner in the fruit arena ! Unfortunately, they are very a delicate, soft fruit and so fresh figs are seldom found in a grocery store– you usually have to have a friend with a tree or better yet, your very own tree(s). The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a great place to grow figs because we have rich soils and a mild climate ( figs don’t do well in cold climates, freezing usually kills them, so they have to be grown in pots and moved indoors in the winter). Here they are grown in the yard just like any other fruit tree and they thrive without any work. Just stick them in the ground in the late fall, forget about them and in a few years you’ll have a tree with all the figs you can eat and give away. There are at least a dozen varieties here which with I’m familiar, with different sizes and ripening times, but the most commonly grown figs on the Eastern Shore are the Brown Turkey, small, only about an inch long, the Black Mission fig, very large, almost the size of a small apple and the Celeste, a lovely pale green variety.

We have a huge Black Mission tree and a smallish Brown Turkey tree in our little home orchard and they keep us well supplied with mid to late season figs. But Franco’s early ripening figs are a different variety, not sure what– they remind me of those candies with a liquid center because when I bite into one of his figs they squirt juice from what seems to be a hollow, juice filled center. Absolutely wonderful , sweet and acid at the same time, sort of like fresh pineapple in that respect, after a while your tongue starts to tingle. While my husband likes fig preserves and dried figs as well, I only like them fresh, preferably well chilled, usually for breakfast or for dessert. However, served with a thin slice of salty Virginia ham (http://smithfieldhams.com ) , they make a tasty lunch or appetizer, which is what I think I’ll do with the rest of the figs we picked from Franco’s backyard tree. Yum, yum !

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The Hen House

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Here Chicky Chicky Chicky

You probably have never thought about having a few chickens but if you have thought about it you have probably wondered … how does one get chickens, and more importantly, what kind of chickens should one get ? Are they all the same ? Do you need a rooster if you just want eggs ? You will have so many questions once you decide to get started. I can share my limited knowledge and perspective on the topic but I am by no means a chicken expert. (As a long time subscriber to that amazing magazine, Mother Earth News, (www.motherearthnews.com ) we have put into practice many of their tips on sustainable living and going green. (I’ve been reading some of their suggestions on raising chickens at home for years.) At any rate, we now have a few chickens and we enjoy having chickens, that’s the long and the short of it.

For us, everything “chicken” started with some friends giving me a dozen eggs from their little farm, “Shoestring Farm”, located on Church Neck. (On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a “Neck” is a protrusion of land surrounded on two sides by broad saltwater inlets from the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean. A “Neck” is named for one of its bordering inlets, in this case for the Church Creek inlet from the Chesapeake Bay.) My husband cooked these colorful brown eggs the next morning for Sunday breakfast. WOW, I remember thinking, I didn’t know that eggs had actual FLAVOR. That was it for me, I was sold on having fresh, flavorful eggs which did necessitate getting some chickens to lay them ! My husband , who also reads Mother Earth News , had wanted to get some chickens for years and I had always said NO. I’m a light sleeper and the thought of a chicken waking me up at 4:45 am was not in my plan. (My mother had chickens and her rooster would crow at the full moon, at the rising sun, at just about everything and anything. Ummm, NO THANK YOU, not for me.) Also, I didn’t think noisy chickens would help us stay in the good graces of our neighbors either. We live in a lovely home, with a huge back yard situated on nearly two acres, in beautiful waterfront neighborhood. Absolutely none of our neighbors have chickens, maybe never saw a live chicken either ! However, research revealed that if I wanted laying hens that I didn’t need to have to a crowing rooster, which solved the “waking me at dawn” and the “annoying our neighbors” problems. I figured if I addressed it with enough finesse, my husband would give up the rooster idea and settle on a compromise acceptable to me (and the neighbors) — laying hens or nothing, so…. laying hens it is.

With my compromise agreed to, we were ready to select our chickens. That was the next big question. What chickens do I get and where on earth does one get chickens ? Surprisingly, it turns out that there are literally hundreds of chicken breeds for a home chicken enthusiast to choose from, different breeds for different purposes. My interest was in eggs so I wanted Pullets (all female chickens) and they need to be sexed. Yes, that is an actual occupation. Someone looks at the little parts and says boy or girl, unfortunately, not always with 100% accuracy. (Most large online hatcheries have a full time “sexer” and I ordered my pullets online http://www.hoffmanhatchery.com/). And how do they arrive ? Believe it or not, through the US Postal Service…yep, they call you and say “your chicks are here, PLEASE COME GET THEM ! ” And so we picked up our fluffy little baby chicks who cheep- cheep-cheeped so cutely all the way home. The next step in your egg husbandry adventure is what to do once you actually get these cute, fluffy little baby chicks home … but that’s next for the next post, so bye for now.

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Marinara Sauce On The Vine

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

Just Getting Started

The Eastern Shore, especially Northampton County, is the prime agricultural spot in the entire state of Virginia. This has been the case since the early 1600’s when the county was first settled by the Virginia Company of London, (remember Sir Walter Raleigh ?). Our level, rock- free lands, sandy, loamy soils and good rainfalls have made farming a profitable enterprise here. Additionally, our mild climate, moderated by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean which surround this slender peninsula on 3 sides, offers farmers the option of being able to harvest at least two crops each year. Often an early crop of potatoes, for example, is followed by late soybeans and later still by a cover crop of winter rye. Obviously this is more profitable than the one crop to which many farmers in other area are limited.

Maintaining the rural feel of the Eastern Shore and maintaining agriculture and aquaculture as two of our prime economic engines is an important goal as set forth in the Northampton County Comprehensive Plan, a public-input document which provides guidance to the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission as they make various land use and other decisions. (www.co.northampton.va.us/index.html ) We have a lot of open space and our little waterfront/water access neighborhoods are nestled in between family farms. Unlike the large farming operations out West where individual farms may often be several thousand acres in size, most family farms here are 200-400 acres and have been passed down through the generations. Land preservation trusts are becoming quite popular here in an effort to help maintain farm land yet still offer current owners some financial benefits.

About Ready To Pick

Although, in days gone by, when more labor was available for hand-picking the truck crops such as strawberries, asparagus, lima beans, etc. which were grown here then (in fact at one time 11 canneries operated on the Eastern Shore), nowadays the most prevalent commercial crops are potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans and string beans, with bell peppers, cabbage and cucumbers coming in a distant second. (Of course, our little farmers markets here have a wide range of local fruits and vegatables grown by their owners to serve the local community . I especially love the local peaches and cantalopes, sweet, juicy, completely delicious.)

Marinera Sauce On The Vine

Of the large commercial crops grown here , the most colorful are the tomatoes. Most tomatoes are picked while still green so that they can be boxed and shipped without bruising to grocery stores throughout the Eastern Seaboard. Driving past hundreds of acres of pale green tomatoes gleaming in the sun is a pretty impressive sight. But after the second or third picking , when the very best have been harvested for slicing tomatoes, the rest of the crop is left to ripen on the vine to send to the canneries for catsup, stewed tomatoes. V-8, tomato paste, etc. You name it, if it’s tomato and processed on the East Coast, then it’s likely our Eastern Shore tomatoes are adding to the flavors. Which is why, when I am driving along the back roads this time of year and seeing large baskets full of the pale green globes being picked from the fields, I know that deep red marinara sauce on the vine will shortly follow, the essential ingredient in the delicious Chicken Cacciatore or Eggplant Parmesan which I look forward to fixing when the cool autumn weather arrives.

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The Okra Is Doing Fine But The Swiss Chard Isn’t Much

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Purple Okra -- Delicious and Nutritious

Like many folks on the Shore, we love a garden, be it small or large. But it seems like there is never enough time to plan and plant in the middle of everything else that is always going on. Our entire garden, this year and most other years, got put in late. Because the Eastern Shore of Virginia has a very moderate climate and Northampton County, at its southern tip, has exceptionally sandy loam soils, a lot of folks here plant a wide variety of vegetables — beginning with cool type crops in early Spring, ending with fall cabbage, collards and broccoli, etc. which can winter over in the ground. Because of the Shore’s moderate climate, we can have a garden for all seasons and who doesn’t like something fresh-picked all year round ? We usually get organized too late for early lettuce, etc. and this year we were later than usual. So now, almost August, it’s too hot for the swiss chard which is finally the right size, what’s left of it. But the okra plants are coming right on along but are still too puny to really be cranking out the amount we need to give some away to friends who like it but don’t grow it and to fix a “good mess” for ourselves.

I’m originally from the North so it took me a while to get used to the fact that on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a large pot or pan of certain foods is usually referred to as ” a mess” i.e., for dinner tonight I’m going to cook a mess of greens (collards, kale, mustards, etc) , or a mess of beans ( green, lima, butter, etc.) or, of course, a mess of okra. If you have never grown okra, it is a very striking plant — we always grow the purple variety, which looks even more dramatic. (The stalks are a deep, deep purple and the pods are purple as well, until they are cooked, when they turn green like their cousins.) About 5 to 6 feet tall at maturity, okra really stands out in a garden, towering over everybody else, master of its domain. The okra pods are a little prickly and, for simplicity, I always cut them off with a scissors, leaving a short stem at the end because for us, okra is a finger food.

Of course, once you harvest the okra, for the very best flavor, it should be cooked within a day. Washing okra is a pain because circling the top of each pod are little floppy things ( reminds me of hangnails) which need to be removed while washing, a bit time-consuming. There are of course a myriad of ways to cook okra but only one way is acceptable to me. I’m not big on slime and that includes slightly slimy okra. In my opinion, when okra is cooked in the more traditional ways, stewed with tomatoes for example or added to a gumbo, it gets a bit slimy. Not for me, not at all ! But I do love the flavor of fresh okra. So, to keep the flavor and cut the slime, I fry it. Now a lot of people cut okra into pieces, roll it in cornmeal and deep- fry it and I’ve eaten some mighty good deep- fried okra, crispy-crunchy. But, as Vinnie from Brooklyn asked the Alabama short order cook just as he was about to fry Vinnie’s eggs in a lake of Crisco, “Youse guys down here ever heard of the on-going cholesterol problem in the country ? ” (from one of my favorite comic movies, “My Cousin Vinnie”, starring Joe Pesci in his best performance, ever ).

Unfortunately (or fortunately, however ones sees it), we have heard of the on-going cholesterol problem at my house so we don’t usually deep- fry, not even to get crispy-crunchy cornmeal- battered okra. Which leaves my favorite way to fix okra. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan till hot, throw in the okra and pan fry, uncovered, over medium heat. It’s important to keep turning frequently until done, which takes a while . ” Done” is when it has turned almost black, (not burned, just looking black, trust me here), black and shriveled looking. Because that is the secret– the dry heat dehydrates the okra, evaporating the slimy feel, leaving only delicious, nutritious okra which you then devour, picking up each pod by the little stem you left when harvesting it. Thank heavens the okra is doing fine because just writing this blog post made me want to cook up a mess for dinner tonight.

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It’s De-lightful, It’s De-licious, It’s De-Lovely — A Summer Dinner at Aqua’s at Sunset

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Aqua's Restaurant At Sunset

I love having a summer dinner at Aqua’s at sunset, it’s as magical as an old Cole Porter tune. On a balmy summer’s eve , at a table on the deck, savoring the de-licious food as the glowing sun nears the horizon truly is De-Lovely. Aqua’s, located right on the Chesapeake Bay at the southern tip of the Shore in Cape Charles, is one of a number of waterfront restaurants on the Eastern Shore of Virginia including the very casual Pelican Pub right on the beach near Townsend, Island House in Watchapreague, Stella’s at Willis Wharf, Wright’s near Atlantic and Mallard’s in Onancock , to name a few, but it is my very favorite. And it seems like my food tastes better accompanied by “watching”– watching the sailboats drift by, observing the seabirds, ready for their dinner too, swooping down to catch it, seeing a couple of kayakers leisurely paddle towards the shore and, as the twilight fades, seeing the glow and twinklings in reds and greens of the channel markers out in the Bay , calling boaters home for the night.

The other fun componant of dinner at Aqua’s is that you invariably run into several people you know and it’s fun to catch up on the news with friends we may not have seem in a while. I especially enjoy running into my real estate customers and clients and hearing about how they are enjoying their new lives on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. ( The Shore is a small and friendly area, it’s easy to get to know people. As a realtor, I meet a lot of people and it seems like whenever I’m at the grocery store, etc. I’m always bumping into someone I know, which is quite pleasant.)

It goes without saying that the food is delicious. Although I don’t agree, my husband and youngest son both claim that I am very picky in restaurants. But what they call “picky” I call an expectation of “getting it right” and at Aqua’s they really do get it right almost every time. My husband is very fond of the appetizer they call “crab lollipops” which are served with an excellent chipolte aioli. Because I don’t often prepare fish at home, he usually selects the seared tuna, the blackened mahi-mahi or the mixed seafood grill for his entree. I always peruse the entire menu, consider various selections carefully and then, since I seldom deep fry at home either, usually select the fried jumbo shrimp. They come dressed in a feather light batter, sweet and succulent, accompanied by a delicious coconut jasmine rice. Although we usually don’t order dessert, every once in a while we will indulge in the smooth and creamy chocolate chip cheesecake, a house specialty, which is indeed quite special. Aqua bills itself as “concentrating on fresh regional cuisine” and as a restaurant “you’ll want to come back to over and over again.” We agree completely. For a delicious meal at sunset, no place is more De-lightful, De-licious or De-Lovely than Aqua’s.

Posted in Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Regional Foods & Wine | No Comments »

Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia