Faboo

Um, I thought it was at the intersection of 340 & Route 9...or it used to be. Guess they changed the name/ownership ← John's is considered in Rippon, WV. Right over the Jefferson County line on 340. Not sure where Rt 9 intersects. We used to go there A LOT for breakfast and/or lunch (it's a Christian restaurant/no alcohol served/closed Sundays), but lately have found that the food tastes like they're reusing the frying oil a little too long. Haven't been to John's in about six months, we prefer Grandma's Diner in downtown Charles Town for breakfast.

Faboo: It's on Catoctin Circle, right? And what do you think about Blue Ridge Grill? I ate there a few weeks ago and found the Brentwood Salad to make a very good lunch. ← Yes, it's on the little portion of Catoctin Circle on the other side of business 7. We went to Blue Ridge Grill about five different times when they first opened and were excited to have such a nice restaurant to go to in Leesburg. I guess I felt the menu was sorta small and the prices kinda high and the portions not so big so I didn't spearhead going there after a while. If I had a choice between Thoroughbreds and Blue Ridge Grill, I'd pick Thoroughbreds just for my own tastes/dining $, but Blue Ridge Grill is certainly excellent as well. I'll go and try the Brentwood Salad this week, I do want BRG to succeed and stay in the area.

So I got my last order on Thursday… The sweet peppers brightened up some store bought pizza… I finally used up the leeks w/the potatoes in a potato leek soup before… …and after… And my food wastage phobia resulted in Epicurious’ Roasted Beets w/Horseradish Cream… The greens were delicious, but the beets, while not horrible… well let’s just say I don’t think I’ll be craving them…ever… Still have about 10 different winter squashes left along w/the lettuce, yams and apples, so don’t be mourning the end of this thread just yet….

Thoroughbreds is diagonally across business 7 from Johnson's Charcoal Beef Something Or Other. I am a vegetarian, and it's always great to come across a restaurant that offers more than one veggie option. I will gladly post more about those in the future.

I didn't see any other petit fours at Harris Teeters other than their own bakery brand for $6.99/15. Are those the ones that are good?

I have no financial or personal interest in this restaurant at all, just happened to eat here again today. The mood was somber. I had the veggie quesadillas: And the big salad w/portabello mushrooms

Craving beets?! Redglass, I have some you can have. They came on the 13th and hubby says no matter how I cook them he won’t even take a little taste. I am so behind in my winter squash, I finally got through the two pumpkins. The first one in a soup that was too spicy…. …and the second one in a soup that was too baby-foodish… The order from the 20th had some really sorry looking collard greens. Don’t know how they made it past the QA dept… I made Epicurious’ Delicata Squash w/Cider, Sage & Rosemary. It involved making a reduction, which I’d never done before and was sure wouldn’t work. Before: And voila! After! It worked. I thought it was delish, but hubby wasn’t impressed. What are you going to do w/the Mizuna and Mei Qing Choi?! I’ve never heard of those before. I still have enough squash to last me through November, so I’m not as concerned about my last order being this Thursday. I wont be cut off completely cold turkey. You're right about challenging my ideas of what I like. I'd never have bought any of these winter squashes and now I'm planning to make the delicata squash dish again and eat it all myself! I just looked at my pic from two weeks ago and realize that maybe those weren't pumpkins I had, but Ambercup squash? That could explain why both soups weren't very good

Today I had the Grilled Portobello Mushroom on Rosemary Foccacia w/a pile of perfectly seasoned fries. Excellent!

We really like Thoroughbreds for upscale yet casual dining. Parking is easy and they brew some nice beers. We thought they opened at 10:30 for brunch, but it turns out they really open at 11am. They let us come in anyway and gave us tea and the Sunday post to read till the kitchen got moving. That was so nice. My omelet came w/”Breakfast Breads” -- a spice muffin, pumpkin bread and cheese Danish. Since butter came w/it, I had to use it. My veggie omelet had Portobello mushrooms, green peppers, zucchini and boursin cheese. It was a massive portion. I think they’ve decided recently to increase their portion sizes or something, which is fine by me. The Pasta Primavera is another goodie on the menu. I’ve had it there twice before. If you’re into Bloody Marys, this is the place for you. They have a make-your-own bar where you start by picking whatever brand vodka you want and go from there. It’s also a great place to watch sports at the bar and taste the different beers. A nice alternative from Tuskie’s and Lightfoot.

Hey, Redglass! Was that your question to Kim O’Donnell on the veggie chat about the turnips? How did her advice work out for you? I’m really behind in my orders as well. Been very under the weather and so not up to cooking or picking, just eating a lot of Chinese take-out. Fortunately, the squashes have been very patient. Still have two acorn, two delicata and two pumpkins to cook up. Anyways, here is what we got two weeks ago: We tried popping a kernel of the corn to see if it was popcorn, but I guess it was just Indian corn. Last Week’s order. The apples were so crispy! Best I’ve ever had. We were wondering why they gave us such holey looking collard greens, but then found a little baby purple cauliflower hiding inside! Cutting up the butternut squash for Epicurious’ Butternut Squash Soup with Cumin was a PITA! Glad I’d had a simple recipe to make instead of the lasagna I’d hoped to make. Before pureeing… And after. The recipe says it serves six but we ate it all in one night. Highly recommend. Last night I finally made a spaghetti squash. It didn’t seem much like spaghetti, but hubby confirmed it was indeed a spaghetti squash and we tossed the innards w/pesto. Served that alongside some roasted acorn squash and cauliflower: I am a roasting fool these days. Still no beets!

Thank you so much for that recipe! It was awesome. Those squashes might’ve wound up in the compost pile if not for you. Before cooking: After: We really are getting a surplus of food lately. It is just the two of us, and even though we are big eaters, and I’ve given some stuff to my mother, it is a lot to plow through. Plus we haven’t even been picking all the veggies we could have like okra, tomatillos, wax beans etc. Joining a CSA is a great value for people that think it’s too expensive. If it’s too much food for me, that means it is A LOT of food. AND THANK YOU AGAIN!

From my extensive experience, you can definitely put celery tops in soup. The trade basket sounds absolutely brilliant. I’m stuck w/some acorn squash I can’t bring myself to deal with. I cut one in half to put in the weekly soup and saw that wasn’t gonna be an option so I wrapped it in foil and put it in the fridge. Two weeks ago we got two acorn squash: And picked some goodies: Along w/some sunflowers: Last week more acorn squash came. I need a trade basket! I was too lazy to go pick anything this weekend but they now have pumpkins and Indian corn till the end of October.

Meanderer and KVentura, thank you so much for recommending Isabella's. We went yesterday and had a marvelous time. Isabella's was 200 times better than my experience at Jaleo. Isabella's Signature Crispy Panko Crusted Asparagus "Fries" with Smoked Tomato Aoili. (Pretty much every table had an order of these, and justifiably so) Warm Asparagus Flan with Goat Cheese Cream and Balsamic Reduction. Garlic Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Wilted Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper and Melted Cheese. Fried House-Breaded Goat Cheese and Almond Fritters with Tangy Shallot Vinaigrette. Spanish Flan. My inner child still had to pick up some goodies next door:

I should've emphasized it's just a little family type candy store, no MarieBelle. I dont know of any other area candy store like it. John Hagen's Tavern has been on my to-do list for many months. Isabella's always has a fantastic specials board outfront, but I've been afraid to risk it. Now I will. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the squash ID tips. I assumed it was spaghetti squash cuz I’d never seen a melon like that and cuz that’s what Redglass had received in her order. To assume… This was my order two weeks ago… And what I picked… Here’s last week’s order…. And what I picked…. Besides the soup, this was the only “recipe” I’ve made the past two weeks: Everything was delicious. My last order comes the week of October 25th, and still no beets! I don’t know how I’ll go on without it. Redglass, you should go w/GCF next year -- no fennel, but no renewing for the fall either. Now, take some pics why dont ya? I want to see those lentils!

You're so lucky to be moving (moved?) to Frederick, the food options are fantastic. We usually eat at the Ethiopian restaurant, Tajitu, but today we did lunch at Zest. The decor has inspired me to repaint all my walls yellow with white trim. The bread was beautifully presented but umimpressive otherwise. The grilled veggie panini was full of fresh roasted asparagus, zucchini & cream cheese. The fries were better than Thrasher's fries on the O.C. boardwalk. Zest must've somehow acquired their secret recipe. Dessert was four or five blocks away at the Candy Kitchen. I love their fresh tasting candy and always stop in for a little bag of blueberry and apricot brandy buttercreams when I'm nearby.

Today I arrived at Four & Twenty Blackbirds in time for a late brunch. They were very busy so it took a while to get the entree, but it was well worth the wait. Eggs Benedict on baby spinach and green onion dill biscuits w/lemon dill hollandaisse. Fresh peaches on pecan shortbread w/homemade caramel ice cream. This is a three star restaurant if there ever was one.

I hope I get to pick some edamame this weekend. This week was dull but delicious. The eggplant went to my mother and the zucchini was bad inside so it went to the compost pile. The tomatoes, squash and cabbage all went in a big pot of soup. We didn’t pick anything cuz of the rainy weather, figured it would be all muddy. I used up last week’s jalapenos in a batch of ole eggs (eggs scrambled w/onion, Monterey Jack cheese and jalapenos). And last night I made a variation of Epicurious’ Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes. The tomatoes were delicious but the overall meal was just so-so. The highlight of the week was the red cabbage. Another veggie I’d never bought or prepared before that was awe inspiring to unfurl and it went on to turn our soup purple!

Last Thursday’s delivery: And what I picked. This is my favorite way to eat fresh tomatoes, with hummus and toasted pita. Ate a lot of these this past weekend I decided to try to make the roasted squash dip that Kim O’Donnell has been touting on her weekly chats. I roasted the squash, zucchini, onion & garlic at 375 for an hour. The garlic was burnt into little charcoal briquettes. I peeled the squash and pureed w/basil, lemon juice and olive oil. It was just so-so. There’s still a lot of it left. I had really high hopes for the spaghetti squash. I did my research and bought some pesto to toss w/it. I roasted it for 40 minutes: After it cooled, it wouldn’t shred into spaghetti like strands. I became concerned. A taste revealed that it was not spaghetti squash but a melon. We had hot melon soup for dinner on Tuesday. I was pretty tasty. Last night I made the recipe from the NYTimes for Roasted Cherry Tomatoes w/Herbed Ricotta: Turned out great. Highly recommend. Looking forward to tonite’s delivery.

I originally heard of Patowmack Farm from Joe's post on C*******d. Since then, it has become our favorite special occasion restaurant. It has the fabulous food and atmosphere without any stuffy pretension. We went last night for hubbie's bday. Here is the view from our table: Beverly's husband Charles is now the sommelier. He was cool with me choosing the least expensive ($22) bottle of red on the wine list, 2001 Horton Norton... They had zucchini bread and oregano bread w/butter. Awesome! Especially as the butter got all melty in the heat. We ate tons. Last nights amouse bouche was lamb, but we were made a special one w/feta & onion and basil oil. Very refreshing. Oven Roasted Summer Vegetable Soup w/Chevre cheese & basil oil was too die for... Field Green Salad w/grilled zucchini and pesto roulade, shitake "bacon" and tomato herb vinaigrette... Blackberry thyme panna cotta on grilled brioche w/raspberry compote & basil oil... Blackberry sorbet... If you squint really hard you'll see Creamy Tomato Basil Polenta w/exotic mushroom ragout, "ratatouille," and roasted garlic cream... "Ice Cream Sandwich" w/whipped chocolate ganache and blackberry mascarpone ice cream... A last little treat from Chef Christian w/fresh raspberries and cream in a chocolate cup... Thank you Beverly, Charles & Christian. We cant wait to come back!

I'm impressed that someone could even think to make risotto. That would never cross my mind in a million years. "Hey, I'm gonna make risotto...not!" I've only made the fried okra twice but both times the bread crumbs stayed on. I dipped the sliced okra in egg before dipping it in the bread crumbs. Also, the second time, the breaded okra stayed in the fridge a couple days before frying. My mother (she's no gourmet chef, that's for sure) says when you bread something, you should set it up in the fridge at least a few hours so everything can stick. I'm sorry you were disappointed. I know you were excited about making it. So far everything I've eaten from GCF has been delicious! Yes, it's all grown on their 200 acre farm. They've got peach and plum orchards, corn fields, and of course, the blackberry field. I think that the blackberries & strawberries are their most popular items. Tons of kids are always there. A good activity idea for parents who dont know what to do w/their kids. Anyway, I've gotten so I dont want to eat veggies from anywhere else, even Whole Foods. Like I'm addicted. When I saw that I'd gotten another order of green beans last week, I was thrilled. A week before that, I wouldn't have cared if I never ate another green bean again in my life. Now they're like little energy sticks. I feel so great after eating just a few. I'm surprised PVF doesnt do fruit. I do know that Virginia is peach country, I've seen peach festivals listed elsewhere. And corn is certainly grown all over VA. I'd ask PVF why they dont do corn and fruit, just out of curiousity.

I'm still here!!! (although I did register at DonRockwell.com too ) If it's just you & me in this forum, I wont feel so bad taking up space w/my CSA pics. So here's what I got last Thursday: and here's what we picked: I could've picked okra too, but I'm the only one who ate it the previous week so I figured I'd pass. Mainly everything was eaten straight up, except the zucchini & squash which I shredded & made into pancakes: and the jalapenos, which I stuffed w/cheese and just heated in the oven till the cheese was melty I use plain old Caesar salad dressing w/the green beans, but they're so sweet they really dont need anything on them. I just like dipping my food. PVF sure does give you a ton of produce. With the heat index feeling like 100 degrees, picking blackberries outside was grueling. That is something to consider when choosing a CSA. I've only eaten risotto once, at the Lightfoot in Leesburg, I know it's a lot of work. You're definitely more accomplished in the kitchen than I am. But I'm learning!

Thank you so much for posting this link! I didn't know that Joe wasn't going to be posting on eGullet anymore. I miss reading his posts on C*******d & eGullet. I wish he'd come back.

Congrats on the new job, Redglass! It's looking like the job market is opening up. Here's last Thursdays delivery...two canteloupes, two squash, corn, green beans and a little pot of Savory. None of it was enough to do something substantial with so the corn and squash went in the weekly pot of soup. We picked peaches (accidentally picked a plum ), blackberries, collards, jalapenos and okra. Finally got a pic of the okra flower and all the other okra plants. Monday I just had the blanched green beans for dinner. It was one of the best dinners I've had since the night I just had the radishes on bread. I made jalapeno poppers last night. They were great. Still have some breaded okra to cook up. Tonite I get a new order. Cant wait!

Hillvalley, thanks for the scoop on the cucumbers. I thought they looked like pickles, so I wasn't sure if they were suitable for salads. Kirbies is a cute name. They had some massive Kirbies for sale at the farm, like melons. GCF does recycle plastic containers. We wash out and leave the empty container on the front step and they take it the following week when they deliver a full container. Some people return their empty containers when they go to the farm to pick fruits/veggies. GCF also encourages re-using the little clear plastic pint size containers they give out for u-pick. We've done that and have brought our own plastic bags for picking the greens. Another cool thing GCF did during their family day event a week or two ago: they had a contest for the kids to see who could pick the most Japanese Beetles. So a little girl picked two pounds of beetles that were then fed to the chickens. I was wondering how they could stand all those people coming to the farm, but if I had people picking my beetles, the more the merrier. I wont feed my chickens the Japanese Beetles, cuz I think they are just too gross. So the beets might still be coming...Hmmmm....