I have wanted to do this for so long... - 4/27/12

Our cold weather picnic: run to nearby Wild Oats amidst the beginnings of an April "frozen mix," buy two loaves of bread, fresh baked kalamata olive and roasted garlic variants. A gargantuan block of sharp cheddar and a quick wine (from California, where else?) stop before an indoor picnic in the living room of campus' old fashioned, homiest dorm. Half a loaf of bread to rip, quarter block of cheese for each of us, wine in mugs and plastic cups, followed by french press coffee and satisfied laughter and conversation, sinking into the soft chairs in the light of dusk. A wonderful start to the weekend.

Local Log Lunch - 4/27/12

In honor of a senior thesis presentation on the local aspect of the Berkshire food movement, gallons of raw milk from nearby Cricket Creek Farm were distributed to each table. It's a completely different drink than regular milk, and I relished the thick creaminess and overwhelming fresh taste. Indeed, the entire meal embodied spring time in the Purple Valley.

The Williams Sustainable Growers Salad consisted of crunchy greens and spicy radishes from the student garden, sizable broccoli florets, and chopped cashews. The thick dressing was flavorful - a mustard variant, I believe - and creamy without being cloying. I reveled in the way it coated the dense broccoli pieces, seeping deep into the brushy top. The soup was an "edamame chickpea seaweed" mixture, not completely homogenous with its slightly grainy texture. It was rich and subtly flavorful, each element careful not to overpower any other. The garnishing seaweed was a nice touch, and dipping the elastic and sweet honey mustard oat bread into the light liquid was, as always, a delicacy.
I didn't get a picture of the customary sweet - I usually take a dessert picture at the meal's conclusion, and there were no "Drowning Strawberry Chocolate Cake" pieces to be found by the end. A testament to its divine deliciousness...

Almond slivers fuse

With embedded strawberry

Decadent chocolate

Second Half of Break

The second installment of my delicious break... See below for a full description of how I have divided my decadent two week stay at home. 

Bright, fluffy farm eggs
Make best french toast, dense fusion
Fresh blackberry jam

Mom's homestyle Chinese

Puttanesca pasta lunch

Tender cross rib roast
Israeli cous cous, yogurt
Mix of fresh flavors

Baby arugula, green apple, mustard vinaigrette, topped with shaved parmesan

Macaroni and cheese with lemon zest, parsley, and smoked trout

Oysters & Lagunitas at Hog Island

Learning to shuck

Feta, bacon, green olives, caramelized onions

Trout, meyer lemon, four cheese

Fresh farm egg

Mom's requisite (and exquisite) galette, apricot blackberry

First Half of Break

I certainly feel overwhelmed by the multitude of pictures I accumulated over break. So overwhelmed, in fact, that I've broken the blissful time at home into more manageable "halves." A couple words and the occasional haiku encapsulate the essence of each tantalizing meal, and I hope my documentation does justice to the extraordinary eating experience that characterized my past couple of weeks. 

Dad's farm raised chickens
A hint of garlic, lemon
Infuse tender meat

Moist banana bread loaf

Seeded sourdough
Layers of roasted squash, egg
Makes a rich grilled cheese

Fresh kale salad
Kneaded till tender, with care
Pine nuts, dried fruit top

Mom's fresh fruit salad

Bento box at Hana Japanese Restaurant

Al dente pasta
Infused with meyer lemon
Rosemary, rich cheese

Composed salad plate