Sojourn Bicycling Vacations Announces New Taste of Vermont Bike Tour for Summer 2014

Sojourn Bicycling Vacations showcases Vermont's finest artisanal producers with their new Taste of Vermont Bike Tour. This deluxe summer trip blends visits to a selection of the State's finest cheese makers, craft breweries, and organic farms with exceptional bicycling routes through Vermont's picturesque countryside.

The trip is designed for strong intermediate and avid cyclists, and will run during the months of July and August, 2014. Long at the forefront of the fresh local foods movement and high on the list of top cycling destinations, Vermont is the perfect location for such a trip.

The six-day Taste of Vermont Tour includes 300 miles of some of the state's finest cycling routes. Avid cyclists can challenge themselves on a climb through Middlebury Gap as well as a classic loop through Smuggler's Notch, so named for a Canadian bootlegging passageway during Prohibition. The trip also includes miles of rolling terrain as it loops through farmland across Vermont.

Along the routes, cyclists will visit with the entrepreneurial minded Vermonters behind the successful specialty products for which the state is known. Visit with respected craft producers like those of Hill Farmstead Brewing, Jasper Hill cheese, and the patriarch of an eighth generation sugaring operation that is still using traditional taps for their maple trees.

Specialty dinners are included at the Swift House Inn in Middlebury, the Inn at Mountain View Farm in East Burke, and Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Each property conveys a true taste of Vermont -- picturesque settings, history, and cuisine featuring fresh local products. The trip kicks off with one of Vermont's foremost wine makers pairing his wines with a specially prepared dinner.

For more information, visit www.gosojourn.com

Photo courtesy of Sojourn Bicycling Vacations

Buy One, Get One Seafood Delivery Special Available on Maine Lobster Pies

This week, GetMaineLobster.com is offering a buy one, get one free seafood delivery special on its popular, soul-warming Maine lobster pies. For just $130.95, a discount of more than 40 percent off of the standard price, the live Maine lobster and seafood delivery service will ship eight 8.7-ounce Maine lobster pies via two-day air.

GetMaineLobster’s signature lobster pies were created by Margaret Salt McLellan, 2008 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year. Hand-picked fresh Maine Lobster meat is combined in a rich cream sauce and topped with a flaky biscuit. The pies bring the celebrated flavors of Maine to the table anywhere in the continental United States.

Succulent bites of rich Maine lobster meat is doused in a silken béchamel sauce that has been infused with delicate, natural seasonings and then wrapped with light, flaky pastry. The fresh aromas emerge in a wave of steam as the fork cuts through the buttery biscuit. The Maine lobster pies are also great for freezing for a special occasion.

For more information, visit GetMaineLobster.com or call (866) 562-.4817.


Photo courtesy of GetMaineLobster.com

Farmers Talk

In this TV series from Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFAVT), farmers talk about the history, art and craft of farming.

Featured Clip: Jon Wright, owner/operator of Taylor Farm, Londonderry, Vermont, in conversation with Gerald Wilcox, fourth generation dairy farmer and owner/operator of Wilcox Dairy in Manchester, Vermont.

Courtesy of NOFAVT on YouTube

Harstone Inn Souffle

Hartstone Inn & Hideaway is located in the seaside village of Camden, Maine. The historic inn offers fine dining, a cooking school and culinary tours to some of the world’s greatest “foodie” destinations. 

Bountiful Harvest & Rustic Cooking at The Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill

Chef Cory Williams creates new menu items at The Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill (near Boston) to capture the flavors of autumn.

Blue Hubbard Squash Soup
candied cranberries, house-made duck prosciutto

House-made Ricotta Gnocchi Squash Bowl
pecorino, brussel leaves, pistachios

Stone Rice Bowl
miso lacquered tofu, brown nashiki rice, roasted kohlrabi,
seared greens, daikon sprouts, roasted cashews

"All Star" Turkey Wedge
turkey leg, lettuce, tomato, red onion,
hardboiled egg, avocado, blue cheese ranch

Braised Short Rib
porcini crust, root cellar vegetables, roasted bone marrow

Apple Dumpling
toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream

Dulce de Leche & Dark Chocolate Pudding
black & white cookie, chantilly cream, malt ball crumble

and more. Click here to view MENU

Photo of the Day: Colorful Bowls at Waitsfield, Vermont Farmers' Market

Colorful Peggy Potter Bowls at Waitsfield, Vermont Farmers' Market -Photo by Don Shall via Flickr

Harvest on the Harbor ~ October 23 - 26, 2013 ~ Portland, Maine

Video courtesy of Harvest on the Harbor on YouTube

Get ready to indulge your taste  buds -- Portland's waterfront will soon be abuzz with the sixth annual Harvest on the Harbor, taking place on October 23-26, 2013 in Portland, Maine.

The highly anticipated festival kicks of with the Grand Tasting on Wednesday, October 23, and will showcase eighteen amazing culinary displays from Maine’s most noted chefs and purveyors, accompanied by twenty nine beer, wine and spirit providers.

On Thursday, October 24, Maine chefs will compete for Lobster Chef of the Year. Their delectable dishes will be served, paired with beer, wine, and spirits.

International Maine: Taste the World is a new event at this year's festival:

"Tour the world with Aki Japanese food; Tandoor Indian cuisine; Zapoteca Mexican fare; Café Miranda with a French twist; Brian Boru adds an Irish element, and Phoever Maine providing a Vietnamese sampling to name a few. On the demonstration stage you’ll learn from noted chefs how they infuse their native cultural heritage into modern day fare." --Harvest on the Harbor

For the full schedule of events, visit www.harvestontheharbor.com

Celebrity Chef Classes at Boston Center for Adult Education (November & December)

Discover the chef in you! Boston Center for Adult Education is offering "Celebrity Chef Classes" in November and December, 2013.

Class Schedules:

Brew & Chew with Andy Husbands & Idle Hands Brewing
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

Tasty Tapas with Deborah Hansen 
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

One Dish Wonders with Pino Maffeo Russo
Monday, November 18, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

Comfort food with Peter Hensen
Monday, December 2, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

Behind the Line with Jeff Fournier
Monday, December 9, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

Lovin' Holiday Leftovers with Alex Saenz & lovin' spoonfuls
Monday, December 16, 2013
6:00PM-9:00PM

See website for cost and more details. Visit www.bcae.org.

Portsmouth & The Seacoast Restaurant Week | November 7-16, 2013 | New Hampshire

Sponsored by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, this fall’s celebration will take place Thursday, November 7 – Saturday November 16, 2013 and will feature close to 50 restaurants located in Portsmouth and the Seacoast.

Settled in the 1600s, Portsmouth and surrounding towns make up a vibrant, New England coastal destination with unique locally owned shops and restaurants, and world-class arts and culture. The restaurant scene provides every kind of cuisine imaginable – much locally sourced - at establishments ranging from chef-owned restaurants to local breweries.

“Whether you’re a local resident or a traveler, you can find what you are looking for in Portsmouth and the Seacoast, said Valerie Rochon, Tourism Manager for the Chamber. “Want to shop our independent stores or rich gallery scene before dinner? Take in dinner and a show? Stay the night in one of our charming hotels? Portsmouth and the Seacoast have it all. And, if you are new, Restaurant Week is a great way to introduce yourself to this charming, culinary destination.”

For more information, visit www.restaurantweekportsmouth.com.

Image courtesy of The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce

Get Your "Nightly Fixe" at Grotto Restaurant in Boston

"Chef on Fire" Photo courtesy of  Flickr user mattfour 

Grotto Restaurant, located in Boston, serves up contemporary Italian cuisine in its subterranean setting. Get your "Nightly Fixe" -- $38 per person prix fixe price for dinner every night. The three course option is available seven days a week during all hours of dinner operation. The prix fixe consists of Grotto’s appetizers, entrees and desserts.

For more information, including menus, visit www,grottorestaurant.com

Spa & Dine Package at Wildflower Inn in Vermont

How about a New England spa escape coupled with dining? The Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville, Vermont is offering a spa and dine package through November 3.

The SPA and Dine Package inlcudes:

• Two nights lodging in the warm and cozy inn
• A delicious hot country breakfast each morning
• $50 in dinner vouchers to Wildflower's own Juniper's Restaurant
• One Massage and sauna treatment at the Stepping Stone Spa per adult.
• Afternoon refreshments of homemade chocolate chip cookies and Cabot cheese & crackers

The Wildflower Inn is a pet-friendly, village-like resort located on over 500 pristine acres in Lyndonville, nestled in the heart of the the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

For more information, visit http://www.wildflowerinn.com

Photo of the Day: Rocky the Lobster

Rocky, the larger-than-life lobster, is a popular attraction at the Maine Lobster Festival. This year's festivities will take place July 31-Aug. 4, 2013.

For more information, visit http://www.mainelobsterfestival.com

Photo courtesy of Michael Whitman Photography

Wood Fired Oven Breakfast Pizza at the Inn at the Round Barn Farm

Chef Charlie Menard of the Inn at Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont, prepares breakfast pizza using a wood fired clay oven.

Watch as he makes strawberry-chevre with maple syrup. Yum!

Video courtesy of the Round Barn Farm on YouTube

Meet Kelly Coons from the Skinny Pancake in Burlington

Video courtesy of Vermont Dept. of Tourism

Lobster Recipes on Pinterest

Love lobster? Discover succulent lobster recipes from Maine and beyond, via Pinterest.

Pictured above: Herb Grilled Maine Lobster Tail on Arugula with Chive Ricotta Gnocchi & Corn Milk.

Photo courtesy of Maine Lobster Council