Grazing

Grazing: Spiked Maple Mocha

by Corin Hirsch on September 13, 2013 at 6:55PM

The propane guy showed up yesterday in his grumbling truck to pump gallons of liquid gas into the tank behind the house. The air was muggy, the leaves were still green, and a thunderstorm was brewing in the distance.

Grazing: The Summer Drink I'll Miss the Most — Orleans Bitter Spritzer

by Corin Hirsch on September 6, 2013 at 3:41PM

Brrr. The heat kicked on last night, and the basil narrowly missed a date with frost-induced death.

Grazing: New Eats in the Northeast Kingdom

by Corin Hirsch on August 30, 2013 at 4:45PM

Parker Pie Wings at Newport AirportEarlier this summer, Megan James and I drove up to the Northeast Kingdom to report on Newport, a city that has long struggled economically but is currently experiencing something of a rennaissance as it waits for $600 million in development projects. As we wandered around town for 36 hours, we were impressed by much of what we ate, including a grilled cheese sandwich spiked with kimchi and charred lamb chops.

Grazing: Rosehip Simple Syrup

by Corin Hirsch on August 23, 2013 at 2:52PM

I strumbled across these gorgeous rosehips the other day. To my excited eye, they looked plump and ready for kitchen action — that is, until I picked them, took them home and made a simple syrup, which turned out to be more the rusty color of coral than the deep ruby that comes from truly ripe rosehips.Rosehips really hit their stride after the first frost, when their tartness gives way to a citrusy sweetness.

Grazing At the Norwich Farmers Market

by Corin Hirsch on August 16, 2013 at 5:26PM

Photo from Norwich Farmers MarketIn the constellation of 70 or so farmers markets in Vermont, a few stand out as regional anchors: Burlington, or course, as well as Capital City in Montpelier and Brattleboro in southern Vermont. In the Upper Valley, the big daddy is the Norwich Farmers Market, which has occupied a field on Route 5 every summer Saturday since 1977.Norwich is such a staple — and has so many craft vendors — that it can be easy to overlook it in favor of smaller, more ecletic and fringe markets, especially if you're always in search of new experiences (like me).

Grazing: Gas, And Growler Fills, at South Burlington's U-Save Beverage

by Corin Hirsch on August 10, 2013 at 10:58AM

When the junior Richard Bushway suggested to his parents, Rick and Karen, that they add a growler-filling station to their South Burlington gas station and convenience store, they were understandably lukewarm. "We didn't know how well it would move," says his mother.They gave him their go-ahead, though, and their son got to work on a wood-paneled, publike nook at the back of the store.

Grazing: Plundering Al Ducci's Italian Pantry

by Corin Hirsch on August 3, 2013 at 10:13AM

Since I'm forever bemoaning the lack of an Italian deli in Burlington, it's ridiculous that I'd never made it to Al Ducci's Italian Pantry — until this week. It's not as though Al Ducci's is a new spot; this deli has been doling out prosciutto sandwiches and balls of fresh mozzarella on a Manchester side street for ... um, 23 years.Walking into Al Ducci’s is like stepping off the street of Ozone Park, Queens, and into an old-school Italian deli, albeit one with Vermontiness layered in: Pressed tin ceilings and beat-up wooden floors are offset by broad windows that look out onto a quartet of tables on the front porch.

Grazing: Blueberry Tom Collins

by Corin Hirsch on July 26, 2013 at 5:14PM

Float the idea of a gin cocktail when you're out with friends, and some might wince. "I hate that stuff!" a coworker told me just yesterday with a shudder.I've never understood this.

Grazing: Raspberries Everywhere — And How Not To Bake A Raspberry Tart

by Corin Hirsch on July 19, 2013 at 2:23PM

Now that the rains have rolled away, we're left with blinding heat and a surfeit of berries. Well, not strawberries, which suffered through our wet spring and whose season is over anyway.

Grazing: The Happy Marriage of Vodka and Lemon Verbena

by Corin Hirsch on July 15, 2013 at 8:53AM

Cocktail writer Warren Bobrow uses the term "gartending" to describe the practice of using seasonal ingredients in cocktails. This is certainly my preferred method of mixing drinks, at least in the summer: Walk out the back door, grab a handful of thyme/basil/sage/mint/berries from the garden, them combine them into something simple, bright and delicious.This no fuss, little muss, late afternoon method of cocktail-making doesn't always yield perfect results, but with ingredients grown yourself — or picked up at the farmers' market — the drinks are always scrumptious and fresh.A loved one recently gifted me with a curly, fragrant lemon verbena plant, which I stuck in the ground of my kitchen garden.

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