For all of my local news followers, you’re probably wondering why I’ve stayed mum on one of the hottest topics to hit the local news stations in a while, well ok after the incinerator debate and early city buy-outs. Yes I’m talking about the HPC.

I’ve stayed mum because I can’t believe its gotten so much attention and press. I’ve stayed mum because you’re probably tired of hearing about it. I’ve stayed mum because I always thought it would be flattering to have a bunch of men fight over me but that thought quickly evaporated once I realized there is no Johnny Depp look alike in a pirates outfit participating in the fight.

But allow me to simplify the matter…

Our first year anniversary is fast approaching - July 25 (more on that later) - and I just remembered that I spent our opening night last year at City Hall begging for us to have our name over the door. A full year later and I am right where I started. Lucky me, July 25th this year falls on a Saturday and I know the busy bees at the HPC will not be working on a Saturday night.

Just a simple question - Is it crazy to want an unobstructed view of our name over the door? Apparently, some think yes.

But I decided to have a little gathering. Just to ask some neighbors what they thought. A silly gathering request which I thought no one in their right mind would attend. I even talked my husband into quitting golf early so I wouldn’t be in an empty room.

But more than a few neighbors, business owners and candidates for office showed up. To name a few, candidates running for aldermen, Bill Ashton, Joe Cohen, John Shupe, Michael O’Conner, Kelly Russell, Karen Young (phone calls and emails from John Daniels and Amanda Haddaway). Those running for Mayor Jason Judd, Clint Hoffman and Randy McClement.

The great Frederick institutions, Bert Anderson (who singlehandedly built the historic landmarks and shopping centers Shab Row and Everedy Square), Phil Bowers owner of Brewers Alley, Acacia and Isabellas, WT Mills radio personality and barber to the who’s who of Frederick.

Including Frederick News Post and Frederick Gazette reporters with their photographers in tow.

These figures only to name a few, who left the comfy of their couch on a Monday night to join me, in a discussion about my sign.

At one time during my speech Mr. Anderson even referred to our gathering as a “McCarthy moment” — that moment when when enough people realized that there was something wrong with a government body.

Another simple question posed to McCarthy “Have you no sense of decency, sir?” The question focused the country on McCarthy’s mean-spirited destruction of any person who might disagree with him. I’m sure this simple question has been posed to the HPC on numerous occasions.

Fielding several phone calls from our current aldermen, requests for meetings from merchants and candidates running for office - all of this - over four metal letters, welcoming guests to our restaurant.

What are you doing on the 4th?

If you’re like me, you probably have 6 formal party invites, impromptu yard gatherings, a myriad of concerts and food vendors along baker park to attend to all before the fireworks go off at 9:00.

I’ve been thinking about you because we share in the same dilemma - how to save your appetite for the best backyard barbeque ever to hit a backyard.

Yes I’m talking about VOLT’s dinner menu for the 4th. This is a once in a year opportunity at VOLT and maybe once in a lifetime. Like everything else this past year, its our first 4th celebration. So we’re trying something new. Something very much unlike our usual. But don’t you worry. Our regular menu will still be offered inside.

Take a look at our backyard menu served from 5 pm to 10 pm:

FISH AND SHELLFISH
selection of chesapeake oysters on the half shell 18
marvesta farm steamed shrimp classic cocktail 12
steamed rappahannock little neck clams drawn butter 9
crisp crab cakes fennel and green apple slaw 14

SALADS AND SNACKS
ceasar salad marinated white anchovies, petite romaine hearts, grana padano 6
orcchiette pasta salad house cured salami, kalamata olives, capricorn farm goat cheddar 6
crisp porcini and saffron arancini garlic scape aioli 5

MEAT AND POULTRY
smoked duroc pork shoulder sandwich dill and fennel potato salad 12
chicken fried steak caramelized red onion gravy, black eyed peas 12
hot pastrami sandwich fried pickles, warm 1000 island 10
country fried chicken basket braised greens, scallion biscuits 12

SIDES
dill and fennel potato salad 3
sweet potato fries 5
cole slaw 3
warm jalapeno corn bread 2
bowl of chili 5

DESSERT
chocolate chip cookie spearmint ice cream sandwich 4
raspberry and blueberry filled doughnuts vanilla ice cream 4

Oh and a solution to the dilemma - put on your walking shoes, it’s Frederick after all - you can pretty much walk to everyone’s house and to Baker Park and the band shell. By the time you make it to our end of town you will have worked up a good appetite.

And as an added bonus, we are close enough to Baker Park to see the fireworks!

Whitmore Farm Eggs

This chicken coop is no ordinary coop, its looks like a dollhouse and its on wheels so it can be carted around the farm.

The curtains in the house are cut from denim jeans. Anyone want to give up their 7 For All Man Kinds to the cause, let me know. I hear the chicken produce better eggs with designer jeans hanging in their house - ok just kidding, I was thinking about myself.

This lady is about to lay eggs for your morning brunch. Come over Sunday for the best eggs you’ve ever tasted.

Just posted our Father’s Day Dinner MENU online

June 21 is the day to honor Dad. It’s also a day to celebrate all the men in our lives, a day to celebrate man at his best - witty, spontaneous, chivalrous, gracious, honorable, courageous and courteous.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, you may already know one man with all of these qualities. If not, come to dinner with all of the men in your life who sport at least one of these qualities and bask in the glory of man at his best.

After 3 days of rain, the clouds parted, the sun shined and the West Frederick Farmer’s Market had their very first cooking demo featuring VOLT! I think the farmers really enjoyed seeing the before and after of their products. Of course there were just so much to choose from.

Smoking the lamb over a camp stove. No special equipments needed, you can do this at home.

Before and after on the strawberries getting ready for the dessert.

Pretty picture of the chives, and tarragon and basil.

Dessert all plated up. The scones came from Cakes for a Cause, topped with South Mountain heavy cream with some goat cheese from Kapricorn Farms whipped into it.

Here is the before of the lamb from Rohrer’s Meats, cooking in the brown butter. This is the point where I usually dig in. But wait for it …

The beauty of the plated dish.

Sorry, I don’t have exact cooking directions. It really is our neighborhood farmer’s market. So I was catching up with neighbors and only half paying attention. Shannon, who organized the whole demo, however, did memorize every ingredient and technique, very impressive.

Saturday, June 6, West Frederick Farmer’s Market Chef’s Challenge with Bryan Voltaggio beginning 10:00 a.m. - Shop along Chef Voltaggio as he chooses amongst the best produce and ingredients and then whips up something tasty at the Farmer’s Market. Frederick Farmers Market

Tuesday, June 16, Downtown Frederick Progressive Dinner, VOLT is preparing the Dessert Course in a four-course progressive dinner. This event is to celebrate the vibrant culinary offerings found in Downtown Frederick and to help raise funds for Downtown Partnership. Tickets can be purchased for a 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, or 7:00pm seating. Price per ticket is $85 including tax and gratuity. About $40 of your ticket is tax deductible. To purchase tickets, contact Downtown Frederick Partnership at 301-698-8118
Progressive Dinner

Past Fun Events
Colorful VOLT Crew

Keeping the peace alive

I think their having a good time

Not sure what’s going on with the outfits. Kind of cool though - I think.

What was all the madness about? Chef Graeme’s birthday!!

Why are these pictures in this blog? I’m a big believer of short paragraphs and colorful photos. I guess I never outgrew story time.

And for all of those who have been rocking it for so many years… for all of the great causes and people who spearhead those efforts - we saulte you!

We have the pleasure of participating in a lot of various fundraising efforts from local to national charities. It certainly is a Herculean effort to put on each of these events and we hope that our participation helps raise much needed funds for each of the causes.

Earlier this month we took part in the 10th Annual Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction to raise funds for the American Heart’s Association. We were amongst some incredible chefs, restaurants and wine distributors.

Our Foie Gras and Beet Macaroons!!! Pretty and tasty to boot. You usually only get one of these as a canape to begin. My friend Nicole just told me the other day, it would be her dream to get a whole tray of these to take home. Well, lady, you should have bought a ticket…

This was totally cool. The three ladies in the middle, from one of my favorite tv shows, were right next to our table.

Upcoming we are participating in the Share our Strength’s dinner this Wednesday June 3rd. Chefs On Tour to End Childhood Hunger because in the world’s wealthiest nation, no child should grow up hungry. This is an organization that Bryan has been involved in for many years.

Wednesday night is a multi-course seated dinner with various chefs preparing each course. Participating chefs this year include:
Charlie Palmer
Matt Hill, Charlie Palmer Steak
Bryan Voltaggio, VOLT
Jeffrey Buben, Bistro Bis
R.J. Cooper, Vidalia
Todd Gray, Equinox Restaurant
Brian McBride, Blue Duck Tavern
Keith Luce, Past White House Sous Chef, currently at The Herbfarm, Woodinville, WA
Walter Scheib, Past White House Executive Chef

Tickets for the event start at $500 for an individual and continue up to $20,000 for a table of 10. For the lucky Chef’s Table priced at $20,000 you also get to take home with you Matt Hill, Executive Chef, Charlie Palmer Steak and Bryan Voltaggio. The duo will prepare a multi-course, wine-paired dinner for six in your home on a future date.

Tickets available by calling Andrea Agalloco at (202) 478-6528 or emailing aagalloco@strength.org
Click here to bid on some fabulous items.

And then there are our local causes. The calls for help that we get from people we see on the streets everyday. And those that pull at our heart strings. This one is called Jeffrey Hayek’s Memorial Fund. Jeffrey was a little boy whom I never met, who lived with his family down the street from VOLT. As the website dedicated to his memorial fund states, “when you talk about a life story, it should span much longer than ten years. Still, Jeff squeezed a lot into his decade. As we wrote in his obituary, Jeff sought out fun so enthusiastically and so successfully, that it was almost as if he knew he had to hurry.”

The Jeffrey Hayek Memorial Fund will pay for the construction and maintenance of a very special baseball field in the memory of Jeffrey. To help raise funds, Jeffrey’s parents are putting on a fundraiser and auction on June 19th. To help with the fundraising VOLT is donating a wine tasting event hosted by our sommelier including 10 wines and canapes for 10 guests. This is valued at $2,000 and we hope that it will bring a big donation to the cause. If you wish to begin a pre-event bid on this item please email me and I will pass along the bid to the event organizers. You are also welcome to purchase tickets to the fundraiser festivities. Ticket Information on the poster below.

jeffyposter.pdf

This month’s short shout out list:

I went a little crazy shopping for heirloom tomatoes at the House in the Woods Farm. I bought Striped German, Speckled Roma, Valencia, Prudens, Sungold, Brandywine, Black Krum, and also Perpetual spinach, Black beauty eggplant, jalapeno and a whole slew of herbs.

My scientific, restauranteur reasoning for choosing what to purchase for the VOLT garden? I chose them because I liked their names. Also, I got caught up in the moment - Pouring down rain, driving along this scenic route to get to the farm.

Come to find out, we get absolutely zero sunlight in our planting bed area. I’m no farmer but I’m pretty sure sunlight and water are a must for plants to produce. But me and George Michael, two peas in a pod, we both have faith. So here we are, me and mini me, planting our little seedlings.

I did take half of the tomatoes and herbs home to plant in full sunshine.