This past Sunday marked the Carroll Creek Band Shell Bash - the final concert on Baker Park for the summer and a celebration for Rotary Club of Carroll Creek which headed up the renovation of the band shell.

Being on the Bash Committee I quickly scanned the to do list and stuck my name next to the easiest, quickest, least effort task - flowers and taking pictures. Easy. Party starts at 4:00, purchase flowers at grocery store 3:30, pick up kids 3:45, arrive at bash 4:00. Ready to socialize, eat, drink and take some pictures. Done.

Except I receive this email on Friday from our events chair, “Hilda, we need 40 arrangements for Sunday. Ok?”
40 arrangements? Did she just write 40 arrangements?

Glade Link at Saturday Farmer’s Market was the perfect source. I bought all of her flowers. Sorry folks. I know people who came after me must have been very upset.

Storing the flowers overnight was a whole other matter. Good thing I have connections with someone who owns a walkin. Even though I didn’t have the nerve to stick all of the buckets in the walkin with a super busy weekend approaching.

Half of them ended up at That Cuban Place down the street. Go eat some cuban sandwiches and support TCP! He’s so sweet, he gave up his display case for the weekend to store my flowers.

Making 40 arrangements took longer than I thought. But in the end, it was beautiful and lovely on the picnic tables.

And everyone went home with a bundle,

B Que by the Black Hog was insane

And after the flower madness was over I got to hang with Mayor Jeff and Mike T from TR. Which was a double bonus.

So even though my flower detail didn’t take the 15 minutes tops as anticipated, I should know by now that nothing ever goes as planned.

HKS

Since Bryan is way too humble to bring proper attention to his win on the 2nd episode of TC, let me do it. Remarks below from the judges…

Tom Colicchio, “Bryan clearly deserved the win. His dish was an example of how to take an old favorite and redevise it freshly, originally, and delightfully…. If you had given every one of our chefs the simple challenge of reconceiving chips and guacamole, I guarantee you that not one of the others would have done what Bryan did. And the dish was not only creative, it was well seasoned and beautifully executed.

Gail Simmons, “But it was Bryan who provided us with the party’s show-stopper and the winning dish of the challenge: a Sweet & Sour Macaroon filled with Guacamole, Corn Nuts & Corn Puree, an ingenious play on “guac and chips” encased in the most perfect dollop of meringue…. Tasting a dish as creative and playful as his woke us from our jaded comas and made all four of us hungry for more!”

There are tons more just like this out there in the TC blog chatter.

A big thank you to Mike Tauraso and his crew at the Tasting Room and ML and her crew at Canapes Catering for the beautiful flowers you sent.

HKS

I dream of you and me and nothing between us but a fork

HKS

Of course I can’t blog another entry without touching on the premier of Top Chef. How totally fun was that? I even thought about breaking down and finally getting into some twitter action for the play by play. But it was only a fleeting thought. Had another beer and thought better of it. Well, I have nothing to add and no commentary to provide since I’m totally biased and can’t provide a fair evaluation. So this is just a shout out.

HKS

So do we have a dinner planned for YOU!

Get out your calendar and pencil in Tuesday, September 15th. We are picking up VOLT and going to the farm and we want you to come with us.

Chef is planning a six-course dinner at the organic-certified Whitmore Farm. You remember me talking about Whitmore Farm in previous blogs yes? That’s the location of the now infamous pig - um - procedure. And you know, its no secret I’ve had this adoration of Morrow and his farm since the day I set foot on the farm.

We’re hosting a very limited spaced dinner set inside the twinkling lantern-lit red and white barn overlooking a pasture of grazing Katahdin Sheep and Fainting Goats.

Here’s the barn. Wait till you see the inside.

Here’s one of the fainting goat. Seriously, how cute is this guy? The goat’s alright looking too I guess.

Don’t you just want to be at this dinner? It’s really a postcard fairy tale but better. This fairy tale includes food!

The six-course dinner complemented by beverage pairings will showcase Whitmore Farm products and those of other local farms - Summer Creek Farm and Scenic View Orchard to name a few. Beverage pairings for the dinner bring together truly exceptional local vintners including Flying Dog Brewery, Black Ankle and Elk Run. The cocktail reception will feature handcrafted libations featuring local ingredients.

Here’s a quote from Chef from our press release - “By hosting this dinner on the farm, we’re taking our guests through the journey that we go thru everyday in selecting ingredients that make up the menu. Hand selecting each purveyor, visiting each farm and taking a real interest in how our foods are grown and handled from the farm to the restaurant. The menu will be focused around products from farms within Frederick County. So the purpose is to give our diners a unique farm-to-table setting that shows our commitment to the farmer - chef relationship.”

The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $285 per guest. Reservations can be made by calling VOLT: 301-696-VOLT (8658). Whitmore Farm is located at 10720 Dern Road in Emmitsberg, Maryland. Please visit the VOLT website for event details, hotel and transportation recommendations (but not yet, I haven’t gotten to the website yet - check our site in a few days).

Here are url’s for our event participants. Please visit them:
• Whitmore Farm: www.whitmorefarm.com
• Black Ankle Winery: www.BlackAnkle.com
• Elk Run Winery: www.ElkRun.com
• Flying Dog Brewery: www.FlyingDogAles.com
• Sota Dzine Photography: www.SotaWeddings.com

This is a not-to-miss event! Save up now.

HKS

Once again we’re participating in the Washington DC Restaurant Week - August 25-30. If this is new to you, RW is a one week dining extravaganza where some of the best restaurants in the DC-Metro Region offer a 3-course prix fixe menu of $20.09 for lunch and $35.09 for dinner.

No more excuses as to affordability. Get out there and eat great food.

We’re even opening up on Tuesday, which is usually a closed day for us. That’s how much we care.

My suggestion to you. This is the perfect week to get your VOLT fix on. Chef has written a beautiful menu. Something different for you to try each day of the week.

Here - take a peek Dinner and Lunch

This is a popular week so please make sure to call for a reservation.

HKS

We have several new and exciting things we are working on. Upcoming is our outdoor seating in the courtyard. We’ve had outdoor seating all season long, but nothing official. Just me and a cocktail. And sometimes if I ask nicely something gorgeous from the kitchen.

So officially we are now under construction on the courtyard patio. It’s all but done, if only we could find furniture we liked. We’d be set.

Here they go. The fist dig. That brick wall to the right is the Spite Wall. The ladies who lived in this house in the 1800’s built the wall to cover the windows on the adjacent building. They wanted privacy for sunning in their courtyard. Can you imagine this conversation? “Dear Sir, I’m going to brick up your windows but do you mind bringing in my newspapers while I’m on holiday?” Talk about neighborly love.

Pouring the pads.

It’s really very pretty out here. Right on Market Street but it is so secluded and quiet.

Stay tuned for an official VOLT email announcing our new seating area.

HKS

Oh not this time!!

I have two words for you TOP CHEF! Alright folks. Ample warning. You have one full week to make sure your cable and electric bills are paid and your Tivo is set on BRAVO.

Wednesday August 19th at 9:00 p.m.

Check out the BRAVO link to see some clips of the upcoming season featuring our very own!

HKS

I got word that Debbie’s Farm had been hit with a tornado. I don’t know Debbie and never been to a honey farm in Ijamsville. But it was a call for help and with all that we do in promoting our local farmers, it was the least I could do. Get up at the crack of dawn and head out to the farm to help with the clean up effort. There was a promise of hot donuts for the help. And who can resist hot donuts.

Amazingly, no other farm had been hit with the tornado except for Debbie’s. And the devastation was breathtaking. Look at this. It used to be the barn. I wish I had before pictures.

We even had some of our wonderful, couldn’t do it without you, Pete and Tom, VOLT investors out for the day.

This bird house was all that was left intact.

At the end of the day, sweaty and gross, on my way home, I ran into this group of equestrians.

In the midst of all of the destruction, this was so beautiful that I had to stop on the road side to take a picture of them riding.

And who knew, Debbie is a loyal fan of VOLT. Didn’t realize she was the same lady who dines with us until she called me by name and asked about the restaurant.

HKS

We had a cocktail reception this weekend to welcome our new local artist showing. Christos, local artist from Baltimore, brought his giant colorful revolution to our main dining room. Imagine seeing everything all at once. In true color, in perfect light. Envision a globe sliced open and laid flat like a world atlas. Points once meeting in the round, now at opposite ends.

I hope I saw you sipping a cocktail talking to Christos and Renee. If you missed this weekend’s opening, you’re still in luck. We’re fortunate to have the art for several more weeks. However, you missed your chance to hang with a totally cool, amazing, creative couple. Christos is the artist. And Renee is the believer. Her enthusiasm is infectious. You may be a genius but without the unequivocal assurance of someone who believes in you, it’s all lost. I guess we all need a Renee.

My favorite piece is hanging in the foyer - the bus. Love it. But still thinking about taking home the Lost Melody.

Here we are in front of the bus.

You can find more information about the art by visiting his website at www.giantcolorfulrevolution.com or stopping by VOLT.

HKS