It is with great pleasure and excitement that we welcome VIETRI and its fabulous Italian style to the Village!  Susan Gravely, one of the owners, is not only a college friend, but someone whose business model I have observed and admired for 25 years.  The idea of VIETRI was born on a mother and daughters’ trip to Italy when they fell in love with the colorful handcrafted dinnerware at the famous San Pietro Hotel on the Amalfi Coast, and has matured into what is now America’s largest importer of handcrafted Italian products for the table, home and garden.  As a member of a family of seven designing women (including my mother, two sisters and three nieces) with lots of ideas in the hopper, I applaud them for acting on their dream!  What an inspiration to all of us who at one time or another entertained the idea of a family affair.

This charming shop offers the full range of VIETRI products including handpainted earthenware, mouth-blown glass, hand-turned vases and garden urns, wall décor, linens, hand brushed candles, bath accessories and lamps….making it possible to bring Italian style into your home without the hassle of lugging it back from Italy in your suitcase!  Come by this Sunday from 12-4pm for a special event with VIETRI founder Susan Gravely and Alisa Barry, the founder of Bella Cucina Artful Food.  They will be serving up delicious treats and Alisa will be on hand to sign her latest recipe book.

Benvenuto, VIETRI!

daneen

We are on the verge of entering the best season for local and diverse produce. This is when we start to see the hard work of our local farmers. Not only do we use ingredients from our great local sources, we also use the Farmers Markets. Visiting the Farmers Markets this spring, I realize even though it is the most exciting season, it can also be a challenging one as well.  What to use first with such an abundance of ingredients at our finger tips?  I like to say we have “creativity overload” for the first few weeks as we change menus and make recipes that showcase ingredients from our local and regional purveyors. We are leaving the time of year when “comfort food” reigns as we transition into the bounty of spring! One of the most consistent local ingredients this time of year is  the sweet potato (well alright, maybe there are still a few comfort foods to be had as the weather warms).  This recipe is one that we use at Fearrington.  It is great served on its own or as a compliment with any kind of meat.  It is also a delicious side dish for spring picnics or potlucks.

Colin

Roasted Sweet Potato, Blue Cheese and Arugula Salad

Ingredients
4pc Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Red Onion
4oz Blue Cheese Crumbles
4oz Toasted Pecans
8oz Red Grapes
6oz Arugala
¼ c Chopped Parsley
¼ c Maple Syrup
½ c Olive Oil
2tbsp Chopped Rosemary

Dressing

1c EVOO
1/3c Sherry Vinegar
1tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Clove of Garlic
 Salt and Pepper

Method

Peel the sweet potatoes. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and cut the potatoes into bite size pieces. Coat them with maple syrup, olive oil, chopped rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the edges start to color, do not over-cook, and take out of the oven when they are almost cooked - about 25 minutes.  Next, slice the onions thinly, and cut the grapes in half. To make the dressing add all the ingredients together in a measuring cup and emulsify with a hand blender.  To make the salad, combine the cooked and cooled sweet potatoes, red onion, blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans, cut grapes, arugula and chopped parsley and mix in a bowl until well distributed.
Just before serving add the dressing mix and serve, you can either place it into a large serving bowl or into individual dishes for each of your guests. This salad goes very well to proscuitto and cooked beef on a buffet. Be sure to add the dressing last minute or it will turn the arugula brown.  Enjoy!

Hello All Wine Lovers,

I have just come back from a fantastic trip to Washington State where I attended "Taste Washington", a tasting of over 200 wineries from the state and, once again, I find myself even more in love with that state's wines than ever before.  By chance, my trip occured two weeks before The Fearrington House wine dinner with Susan Neel of McCrea Cellars (on April 19th), one of the best wineries in Washington.  What does all of this mean? Is it an oracle telling us to stand up and take notice of the greatest wine growing area in the country?  The short answer: YES!!!!

Having been a fan of the McCrea wines for a long time, I have no qualms about saying that they produce the best Rhone Varietal based wines in the United States.  The winery is located outside of Seattle, but they source grapes from the best growers in the state, something they are able to do because they spent almost twenty years building those relationships.  If you have heard of such lauded vineyards as "Ciel de Cheval" and "Bouschey" then you know what I am talking about, and the McCrea wines from these sites are the best examples from these vineyards.  Susan Neel and Doug McCrea started the winery in the early Nineties, and it was the first winery in Washington to focus only on Rhone Varietals.  They produce Syrah, Grenache Rouge and Blanc, Roussane, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Viognier based wines from single vineyard sites, showing the diversity of "Terroir" that exists in the great Columbia Valley.  It is rare to have a world-class Washington wine owner like Neel come to North Carolina and we have been anticipating for this for almost a year.  Executive Chef Colin Bedford has created a "stand-out" menu for this occasion, and the pairings are some of the best that we have had in our three years of wine-maker dinners. 

To start we will have the McCrea Sirroco Blanc, which is a white Chateauneuf-du-Pap-esque blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, and Roussanne.  It is paired with Black Pepper and Jasmine Tea Cured North Carolina King Mackerel, with Rhubarb and Fennel.  Have you had cured Mackerel before? Neither had we until Chef tried it out and it is full of flavor.  From there we go on to the McCrea Sirrocco Rouge which is a blend of Grenache Rouge, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Counoise, paired with a Wild Mushroom Pithivier and Braised Oxtail, a dish fit for winter, but will go so well with the wine that it does not matter what season we are in.  Then on to the McCrea Washington Syrah, a rich fruit driven wine, with dark plum, hoisen, black pepper, and gamey aromas that with the Duck and Dumplings will really stand out.  For our main course we will serve the McCrea "Ciel de Cheval" Syrah, a richly aromatic wine with strong plum, bramble, clove and cinnamon spice, also showing some charcuterie elements as well.  This is a powerful wine that needs power to dance along with it, so we have a smoked short rib with seared foie gras as a partner.  On to dessert, or shall I say a play on dessert.  Our last wine will be the McCrea Roussanne, the famous white grape that is found in the white versions of Hermitage and St. Joseph, this wine has exotic aromas from peach and pineapple, mint and cream, with just a touch of residual sugar but not enough to warrant a very sweet dessert.  So, we have a Hillsborough Camembert Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit Sorbet, savory with only natural sweetness so as to not take away from the wine.

There are a few spots left for the McCrea Cellars dinner on April 19th; this is a great opportunity to see how Washington State wines are at the forefront of American wine-making.  Susan Neel is a great host and passionate about wine and food.  Call 919-542-2121 to reserve or if you have any questions about the dinner please stop by the restaurant.  I would love to talk to you about it and Washington wine in general.

Until then Cheers and I look forward to seeing soon,

Max

Another of our newest spots to land in the Village is aptly name “Roost”……and I must admit that several of us wish we lived in this charming space!  A portion of the structure was once the corn crib on the farm, but for the last few years, this building in its current form housed The Potting Shed.  As we were putting this little shop together this winter, it began to exude a certain Bohemian chic with its eclectic mix of product set against rustic planked walls with ribbons of sunlight  streaming through odd little windows…..a place one might  like to “roost” awhile….filled with wonderfully unusual things to feather your own “roost.” And just like that….”Roost” was hatched! 

This shop is better defined by lifestyle than by category of merchandise.  You will love Roost if you are looking for casual chic that is a little out of the ordinary…..unusual finds from roads less traveled….romantic lanterns and vintage throws for an impromptu picnic……life-size mossed dog frames to nestle in your garden…..exotic scents and charming herb compositions……and perfect little gifts when you need just a little something. 

As we move into spring, watch for exciting things to come in the adjoining garden spaces! 

daneen

April showers are ushering in May flowers galore throughout the Village as well as an outcrop of special points of interest that I will be chattering about today and in my posts to come.  So much to share with you! 

Although the grounds of Fearrington are beautiful every season, this is the time of year when you can stand and almost see the blossoms unfurl before you.  With the luxury of longer days, I have taken time to stroll the grounds the last few evenings and have watched in amazement as the gardeners’ canvasses are unveiling petal by petal.  Trust me when I tell you it is pure magic!

Of particular interest at the moment……luscious tulips, tulips and more tulips…..and don’t miss the spectacular White Garden behind the Inn. Ahhh….the lucky bride and groom who selected this weekend for their wedding!   

daneen