One of the benefits of living at Fearrington is The Belted Goat….where I send guests who stop by for coffee on any given morning when there is nothing brewing in my pot!  I sent a diehard Starbucks fan to The Goat the other morning, and he called me before hit the traffic light at the entrance to ask why I had not shared these ‘”best kept secrets” with him before now…..the fabulous coffee (which  he went on to say was far better than his “usual” down the street and at a fraction of the cost!), the incredible selection of newspapers, and in his words – “the best scones on the planet!”  (He was referring to Jill’s scones and they are to die for!  Her secret?.....CREAM in the batter. You cannot believe how delicious they are!)  For those of us fortunate enough to call Fearrington home, we often take such treasures for granted.  So if you live here, take time to  rediscover the delights in your own backyard.  And if you’re down the road….stop by The Goat for coffee and scones – any morning. There is always something brewing in their pot!

Daneen

Allow me to introduce you to The Barefoot Contessa if you have not already made her acquaintance this summer – your new best friend in the kitchen!  Ina Garten’s incredible line of “pre-packaged ingredients” (I cannot bring myself to call these scrumptious products mere “mixes”) take the legwork and most of the prep work out of these homemade goodies such as her divine and versatile Country Cake.  Layer on summer (fresh peaches, strawberries, blueberries, etc.) and top with clouds of whipped cream for a quintessential summer dessert.  The perfect ode to summer this Labor Day weekend! This and more for your picnic available at The Belted Goat.

Daneen

If you agree that nothing captures the essence of summer quite like vine-ripened tomatoes, I have a not-to-be-missed evening for you!  The Farmers’ Market Dinner at The Old Granary Restaurant  with Joan and Charles Holeman of Flat River Farms will highlight a wonderful variety of Flat River Farms’ heirloom, vine-ripened tomatoes including Black Krim, Banana Legs, Juliettes, Red Zebra, Green Zebra and Pineapple. The four-course tomato dinner will be prepared with great care and imagination by Granary Chef Stephen Amos and complemented by some of North Carolina and Virginia’s finest wines selected by Fearrington Sommelier Maximilian Kast. This fun summer event on Wednesday, July 16^th, will start with an outdoor reception at The Granary with introductory comments from the Holemans, followed by dinner at 7. Reservations are required – (919) 542-2121.  

I missed lunch today and decided to quell my mid-afternoon hunger pangs with a quick stop by The Belted Goat where I bypassed the Veggie Chips and decided on one of Jill’s enormous decadent hunks of chocolate delight better known as a “brownie.”  Like no brownie I have ever seen!  “Sinful” seems to describe them in a nutshell (walnuts, to be exact – scattered throughout).  Available every day at The Goat – while they last. 

Daneen