The Hills Are Alive…

Spring in New England somehow seems to get shorter and shorter every year. Partially due to the east coasts unreliable weather conditions in March and April, winter has a tendency to drag on causing summer to arrive faster than expected. With this in mind it seems to me that right about now would be a great time to start planning how and where to spend my summer months.

One thing any good Connecticut Yankee learns after enduring many long winters on the east coast is, to enjoy the good weather when you can.  Summertime in Connecticut offers some of the best weather around, it’s exactly why we live in this area. Leaving town now, for the shores of Rhode Island or the beaches of Cape Cod, would be like eating homemade chocolate chip cookies without the milk, why bother? With everything that Litchfield has to offer, it looks like staying local this summer will allow me to enjoy the best of everything I could be looking for.

Litchfield, Morris, and Bantam have the state’s largest natural lake, “Bantam Lake” with its almost 1000 acres of summer water fun.  Known for summer home rentals on the lake, Bantam Lake offers fishing, boating and swimming at its best. The White Memorial offers miles of hiking, biking, fishing, camping and kayaking in one of Connecticut’s most picturesque public park settings.  Litchfield is also just a short drive to the world’s largest casino “Foxwoods” and Connecticut’s newest casino Mohegan Sun. Beaches like Sherwood Island and Westport’s Compo Beach are also within reach if you just have to visit the shore.

A little closer to home there is always great dining, shopping and walking on the Litchfield Green. In recent years the off the green expansion of restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores has widened the area that summer dwellers can enjoy. Two of the town’s biggest shopping plazas “The Litchfield Commons” and “The Village Green Shopping Plaza” offer some of the area’s best stores and restaurants.  Seafood lovers come from miles around to enjoy the amazing fresh fish and raw bar display at the three year old, award winning Litchfield Saltwater Grille. With its wonderful outdoor patio serving lunch and dinner daily, and its local professional late afternoon happy hour crowd, the SWG has become the areas hottest place to be seen this summer.

Theater lovers have a vast array of choices to keep them busy all summer long.  Movie theaters in Bantam and Torrington show all the latest releases, while the Warner Theater in Torrington and the Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk, stage many of the country’s best artists of numerous genres. The Abby Of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem also offers summer stock theater with shows ranging from Shakespeare to Satire, and from Opera to Musical revivals. There are also many local farms worth a days visit like the White Flower Farm in Litchfield, The Marble Valley Farm in Kent, The Hidden River Farm in Morris and the Arethusa Cow Farm in Litchfield.  Wine lovers will also enjoy the wonderful Connecticut Wine Trail with some of the east coasts most beautiful vineyards.

The Litchfield Hills are alive with the sounds of summer and summer will be here before you know it.  Take my advice if you want the world to be your oyster this summer, stay local, enjoy the lakes, farms, stores, theaters, and parks that are right here in the Litchfield Hills and be seen at the Litchfield Saltwater Grille as often as possible. This way your friends will know where to find you and while your waiting you can enjoy fresh Oyster, Clams and Lobsters at the best seafood restaurant around.  Enjoy your summer and hope to see you soon at the Litchfield Saltwater Grille.

Albe Galotta, SWG Blogger

More Links…Things To Do…

Sunset Meadow Vineyards

Miranda Vinayards

Arethusa Farm

Bantam Cinema

Warner Theatre

CT Wine Trail

Salmon Gravlax in the Wild

After years of having enjoyed the pleasure of many long weekends spent fishing with friends, my list of campfire recipes has grown to a staggering abundance. Depending on the location of a trip different supplies would be packed in anticipation of the areas daily catch.  Enjoying a dinner of fresh local fish simmering with flavor and steeped in tradition was always a hit amongst our small group. Fresh rainbow trout (from the banks of the Esopus in upstate New York) and eggs for a mid morning breakfast, or fire roasted Striped Bass ( from Chatam Lighthouse) for dinner are two that stand out over all the years. If your lucky enough to enjoy Salmon fishing  anywhere in the US or Canada this would be a recipe that would set your skills apart from the other fisherman.

Plan to make this recipe when you are staying for at least 3 to 4 days on site. Pre pack all ingredients separately and keep dry.  Next it very important to catch a large Wild Salmon on the first day of your trip.  When returning to the campsite with your trophy, after showing it off, clean the fish by cutting off the head, and filleting the Salmon and remove all skin and bones.

Lay both filets gently down on a table on a clean towel.  Mix salt, pepper, sugar and dill in a bowl.  Rub Salmon generously with olive oil on all sides.  Pat salt mixture on all sides of the salmon. Drizzle more olive oil and pour brandy all over Salmon. Rearrange all ingredients so they are covering the whole fish.  Pour any remaining Brandy on the outside of fish “do not drink the remaining Brandy’”. Wrap the Salmon tightly in the towel and fasten with a few rubber bands.

Dig a large hole near your bunk approximately 1 & ½ feet deep. Place wrapped salmon in the hole. Fill the whole back up with dirt, pressing hard to make a tight refilled whole.

After three nights remove the Salmon from the earth. Remove towel. Separate Salmon sides and place on cutting board.  Brush away most of the remaining salt mixture. Slice thinly on the bias starting at the head.  Serve with mustard sauce and toast or crisp crackers.

EXTRA TIP… To assure a quality Salmon Gravlax in the Wild it would be a big help to say the “Gravlax Prayer” each night at midnight. This is why you should dig a hole close to your bunk. ….First  stand on the area above the buried Salmon and repeat after me.

SALMON, SALMON BENEATH THE EARTH

WRAPPED SO TIGHT AROUND IT’S GIRTH

BRUSHED SO GENTLY WITH BRANDY FINE

NOTHING BEATS GRAVLAX W/A BOTTLE OF WINE!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup xvoo

1Cup coarse kosher salt

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 small jar Dijon mustard

1 cup butcher block grind black peppercorns

1 cup California Brandy

1 cup white granulated sugar

4 large rubber bands

1 clean white towel

Toast or Crackers

SWG Chef Albe Galotta

Introducing…The Mount Veeder Blog

“…Whispers…”

My home is in the lounge. The light from the windows doesn’t reach me, but dances in the space around me. It would be so nice if it could warm me, but I suppose the hearth is an adequate constellation prize. People hustle and bustle around me – most of them oblivious to my presence. But I notice them. It’s hard to help it when you preside over them, even if it is from just the wall. My name is Lily and have I got stories for you.

Leaving California for Connecticut was a big change. New people. New weather. And new food and wine. I doubt that I’ll ever see the ­­­­Veeder Vineyard again, but that’s okay. I like it here.

I arrived in the Litchfield Saltwater Grille via a packing tube. Getting rolled out was a wonderful stretch, but I’m afraid my dark living space has rendered me pale. I fear my skin will rival the glow of the snow come winter as my new home lacks the ever sunny skies of my previous home. But enough about me… I hear someone coming…

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and sit at the CHEF’STABLE…

Before you know it, summer and fall will be long gone and the Holiday season will be upon us. Most of us spend way too much time trying to decide on just the right gift for that special someone, or even the relatives that come to town and expect the royal treatment, and even the boss or the employee that did so much extra work this year to help put your company over the top. An over the top gift of appreciation is always an unexpected gift that can reward the giver as much as the receiver. This is where the Litchfield Saltwater Grille can make your gift giving routine just a little bit easier and lots more OVER THE TOP.

The Litchfield Saltwater Grille offers it’s now famous CHEF’S TABLE as a great way to please even the most discriminating wine and food lover on any occasion. From our wonderful but simple chef inspired wine and food parings, to the Saltwater’s amazing gourmet wine dinners  deluxe style, we are sure that the SWG will fulfill all your personal or corporate needs when it comes to gift giving in the up and coming holiday season. With all the menu choices and ideas the SWG has to offer we are sure you can find that perfect gift for a group as small as two, or even for a larger party if that’s what is needed.

This holiday season we here at the SWG have been working with numerous local business owners and some of the area’s most discriminating families planning some wonderful holiday dinners to fulfill their seasonal gift giving needs .With this past year’s grim economic structure a popular option seems to be a simple four course gourmet dinner paired with four wines chosen by the SWG’s house sommelier Brett Clugston, all for under one hundred dollars per person. For example, one local company has reserved our CHEF’S TABLE for 6 people and opted to choose our gourmet seafood wine and food pairing, which includes a first course of Maryland Crab Bisque, followed by a choice of three different salads, then on to a entrée of our famous Saltwater Sole with lemon and capers, and finishing the meal with a light but amazing homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake, each course paired with a wonderful wine that complements the occasion. Choosing to give a gift of gourmet food and wine not only lets your employees know they are well appreciated, but gives the boss a well deserved night out while fulfilling all their gift giving needs.

If the holiday season seems like it’s going to be another year of the same old doldrums, then it’s about time you made the call and reaped the benefits of giving the much appreciated holiday gift of dinner and wine to those who deserve it most, your family, your employees and you.   Just give the Litchfield Saltwater Grille a call @860-567-4900 and ask Brett how she can help get you started on making this year one to remember.

Albe Galotta, SWG Chef

Happy Labor Day 2009!

Enjoy this recipe at one of the summers last party days…

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Fresh cucumbers

Butter

Leeks

White potato – peeled and diced

Chicken or vegetable stock

Fresh dill

Heavy cream

Salt

White pepper

Dry mustard

Chopped chives

Halve & seed cucumbers.  Wash & chop leeks.  Sautee leeks in butter till translucent.  Add sliced cucumbers, potatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, pepper & dry mustard.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Cool.  Puree soup in batches.  Put soup through food mill and chill.  Before serving taste for seasoning.  Add dill & cream.  Garnish with chopped chives.  Serve in a chilled glass on a chilled saucer with a decorative paper napkin as an under-liner.

SWG Chef, Albe Galotta

Saltwater Organic Tomatoes…

Chef Albert Clugston III uses fresh ingredients from his own organically produced garden. Fresh peas, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Fennel, Beans, Cabbage, Romaine, Squash, and many varieties of tomatoes to name just a few of what is currently growing! Watch the blog for updates and recipes.

Green Zebra Tomatoes: Spicy & Zingy

A bright green tomato with lime green stripes.
Check out the NY Times today… July 31, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/03/dining/what-s-green-and-has-stripes-a-zebra-tomato.html

SWG Chef Favorite Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes, Topped with Goat Cheese and Crab Meat. Great for a summer cocktail party!

Black Tomatoes

The most popular Tomato for 2009 is the Black Tomato!

http://www.tomatocasual.com/2009/03/06/black-tomatoes-continue-to-be-popular-in-2009

SWG Chef Favorite Dish: Black Tomato BLT. Eat while sitting on your deck with an ice cold root beer.

Red and Gold Teardrop Tomatoes
The food network likes Teardrop tomatoes too!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fried-green-tomatoes-with-lobster-and-tear-drop-tomato-salad-recipe/index.html

SWG Chef Recipe: SWG BLT Salad, Iceberg, Red Teardrop Tomatoes, Double Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese

More dishes with summer heirloom tomatoes by Saltwater Chef Albert Clugston III

Shrimp and Lobster Linguini, Light Lobster Cream Sauce, Shallots, Yellow Heirloom Tomato, Artichoke Hearts, Shiitake Mushrooms

Dinner Side Dish: Grilled Heirloom Tomatoes, Red Onion, Crisp Bacon Demi Glaze

Panko Crusted Salmon, Mango Yellow Tomato Salsa, Lemon Olive Oil, Steamed Texmati Rice, Avocado Aioli

Brett Clugston and Albert Clugston III, SWG Chef