Asparagus, Poached Egg, Prosciutto, and Fontina Cheese Sandwich: Toasted home baked white-wheat blend bread slices topped with melted fontina cheese, steamed homegrown asparagus spears, a poached egg wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto, finished with homemade basil salt, homegrown chive flowers, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a spring of fresh homegrown thyme. For this Beer Pairing, I took Mark Dredge’s advice from his newest book (released last month) “Beer And Food” and went with a Belgian Style Tripel, specifically Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s Three Chopt Tripel Ale due to its hoppy lemon flavor from the American grown Sterling Hops and New Zealand grown Motueka Hops, the lemon tang went great with the egg while the carbonation cleaned up after the richness of cheese and yolk.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms on Tomato Basil Soup accompanied by Grilled Cheese with Tomato and Basil: homegrown fresh squash blossoms gently stuffed with a blend of Mont Chevre’s natural fresh goat cheese, chopped garlic, thyme, cream cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, cumin, and fresh homegrown oregano; then drizzled with melted butter and baked before topping a homemade tomato soup made from jars of last year’s tomato juice flavored with two kinds of homegrown Italian basil (large and small leaf), homemade basil salt, and garnished with fresh garden chive flowers. Accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich consisting of slices of home baked honey whole wheat sandwich bread, filled with wedges from the first of this year’s tomato harvest (to bring that fresh picked flavor to the meal), homegrown basil leaves, and a mix of cheeses including a bit of The Farm At Doe Run’s delicious Seven Sisters Farmstead Cheese. Served with Prairie Ales’ Puncheon.

Homemade Wood-Fired Brick Oven: been busy working on a brand new Wood Fired Brick Oven to take all the baked goods to another level.

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CacaoNibScallops: fresh scallops seasoned with salt, pepper, and Cocoa Powder; then seared before being plated with homegrown micro greens, freshly shelled raw sweet peas, homegrown chive flowers. Sprinkled with bits of Stoltzfus Meats hickory smoked bacon, and Navitas Naturals’ USDA Organic Non-GMO Verified Cacao Nibs; all drizzled with the cocoa and butter pan drippings. Served with Prairie Ales’ and EvilTwin Brewing’s Bible Belt; an Imperial Stout aged on coffee, cacao nibs, chili peppers, and vanilla beans. It really brought the roasted quality out in the dish and accentuated the savory chocolate flavor.

Homemade Pizzas: (Front) home baked Thin Crust pizza with homegrown onions, sausage, and homegrown peppers; with homemade tomato sauce made from last year’s garden fresh tomato harvest on homemade pizza crust. (Rear) Thin Crust Pizza margherita made with homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese chunks, and homegrown basil, Served with Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s Magic Beaver Belgian Style Pale Ale. The American and New Zealand hops in this brew went great with the pork sausage and the pizza in general.

Homegrown Asparagus and Brie Soup: homegrown onions, USDA Organic carrots, celery stalks, olive oil, first year’s harvest of the tender homegrown asparagus, a splash of beer,  homemade pressure cooked vegetable stock, heavy cream, some white wine and President Cheese’s brie combine to form this tasty soup. Paired up with the easy drinking Flying Dog Brewery’s Underdog Atlantic Lager; a brew light enough in intensity to let the brie shine without overpowering it, yet still hoppy enough to match the asparagus.

Dessert Raviolis Stuffed with Carrot Soufflé: homemade whole wheat pasta sheets encasing a dollop of sweet Carrot Soufflé filling made from fresh USDA Organic carrots, butter, natural brown eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and homemade bourbon vanilla extract. Accompanied with a homemade bourbon vanilla sauce and garnished with homegrown greens. Served with Stone Brewing Co’s Enjoy By 070414. This Double IPA has the bitterness to bring out the innate sweetness of the cooked carrots while the sweet bourbon-vanilla icing goes great with the hoppy floral taste from the hop bursting.