June 2nd, 2018
When we share a meal with friends, it is so much more than food (really?)…and, when we share it with girlfriends, and for purposes of this post, like the Swirl Girls, then it is really priceless. Some of us have known each other for years while others, are getting to know each other very fast. Here we were trying to figure out which table would be the best one. Right after Memorial week-end we had the place to ourselves since we arrived early. We did not want a big table. We like to be cozy in order to get that conversation going. The group had just gone to watch the Book Club, if you get my drift.
The majority of us had not yet dined at Our Harvest. This restaurant located at 1106 Coastal Hwy., Fenwick Island, DE 19944, opened last year. Every day, at 5:00 p.m., you can come in and experience a way of eating that has become so popular in the U. S. Telephone is 302-581-0377. No reservations are accepted. The website is http://www.ourharvestde.com.
As the season progresses please have in mind when you would like to eat. You have to have a plan because it gets crowded at the Delaware Beaches. If you arrive and there is a wait, you could have cocktails, relaxing in their bar or in any of the very comfortable leather sofas.
There is an open concept kitchen. You really can see how the kitchen is running. I have to tell you that I probably should have come to try Our Harvest last year. I love their sister restaurant, Liquid Assets, in Ocean City, MD, and I did not want to like this one more. Guess what? They are completely different.
The menu was presented and our server knew the menu well. She explained the concept of eating small plates and shareables. At that moment all we wanted was some wine. Having watched the Book Club, wine was very much consumed by the characters. It was time to relax. The wine that you see at the table was from South Africa. A full bodied Merlot called Immortal Hero.
At first you are a bit overwhelmed because you, actually, do not know how much to order for the table. And, we all have our likes and dislikes. We managed to do a good job and we were all very pleased with how the evening was progressing. Could not believe Jane Fonda looks that good at 81… I know, I know.
We all decided to have a small plate to start our dining experience. Every time I see the offering of a Grilled Caesar Salad, I order it. Years ago I had it at a restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland. Since then, a few have gotten close at how good that one tasted so I wanted to see how this one would be, more so because it had Boquerones which are white anchovies. They are very mild and usually they are marinated in vinegar. It gives the salad a kick. I will have to say that this Caesar was excellent.
Others ordered the Salt Roasted Beets & Two Cheeses. Served on a wooden plank it had whipped ricotta, Stracciatella, local greens, black pepper and beet vinaigrette. Stracciatella cheese is produced from Italian buffalo milk in the southern Italian region of Apulia. They use a stretching and shredding technique. This particular small plate could have been shared by two people.
We ordered the Spring Harvest Flatbread. A crispy crust filled with local peas, ramps, morel mushrooms, local asparagus, ricotta, gruyere mornay, green garlic pesto and crispy capers. Ramps are a special type of wild onion, found in eastern Canada and U.S. And a Gruyere mornay is a bechamel sauce that has Gruyere cheese added to it. It was delicious but to tell you the truth we probably ordered too much. Not that we did not eat it, by the way.
“Friendship is a delicious meal to be shared off one large plate.” So, we decided to order our large plates. This particular dish I truly loved. It was called the Vegan Feast. It was a whole wood fire roasted head of cauliflower, benne cashew crumb, and a lemon garlic vegan aioli. At first we thought it was cheese but it was the benne cashew crumb. Cashews are lower in fat than other nuts. You can find online a lot of recipes for this vegan seed.
A very popular dish at Our Harvest is a whole Amish air chilled chicken…Arnold Palmer brine, (sweet tea and lemonade brine chicken, I believe), wood fired with lemon and rosemary. Liquid Assets has an amazing chicken, as well. Both chickens are completely different and delicious in more ways than one. We ordered TWO.
Needless to say, no need for dessert. We decided that definitely we would be back. Thanks to our server and also to the hostess that so graciously explained to me how the restaurant worked.
And so I end my post with this quote from John Lanchester….”Hospitality is central to the restaurant business, yet it’s a hard idea to define precisely. Most, it involves being nice to people and making them feel welcome. You notice it when it’s there, and you particularly notice it when it isn’t. A single significant lapse in this area can be your dominant impression of an entire meal.”
Until next time….
June 24th, 2015
Eating Gluten Free at the Delaware Beaches has been getting easier and easier as the years go by. Restaurants have decided that offering gluten free dishes is in their best interest. So many people are being diagnosed with celiac disease and the only treatment at the moment is to follow a gluten free lifestyle.
Having followed a gluten free regimen in my household for many years, I know how wonderful it is to find restaurants where you can completely feel at ease when ordering a meal. Not to be afraid of contamination. Hey, it does happen.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the restaurants at the Delaware Beaches are doing an amazing job in creating dishes for those that have to eat gluten free.
Last night, friends got together to try The Cafe on 26, located at 84 Atlantic Avenue (Rt. 26) in Ocean View, Delaware. Tel. 302-539-2233. Website? http://www.thecafeon26.com. Find it on Facebook and Twitter. This restaurant is 99% gluten free. Please mention that you have the allergy and they will tell you what Not to order. Probably just a couple of things, really.
Ocean View is located a couple of miles west of Bethany Beach.
We decided to try it yesterday. I was also giving Allyson some info. regarding my experiences eating gluten free. What to do? Hidden glutens, etc. etc.
What a pleasant surprise! First, Christie, our Server was so good. And funny too. We arrived super early. Yes, it was going to be an early dinner for all.
The Cafe on 26 has a full bar. They open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday: Lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. On Sunday they are only open for dinner from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m.
After a few drinks we ordered salads: Everything that we ordered was Gluten Free!! Note: Menu changes daily.
On the left, a Classic Caesar Salad with Romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, garlic crouton and a Caesar Dressing. On the right, a Summer Salad with spring greens, mandarin oranges, dried bing cherries, seasonal local berries, red onion, cucumber, apples and candied walnuts with a citrus basil vinaigrette.
 
My Spinach Salad was delicious. I had them take out the Queso Fresco….not eating cheese at the moment. Baby spinach, bacon, mandarin oranges, red onion, almonds slivers and a bacon vinaigrette dressing.
Our entrees:
Stuffed Flounder…Fresh flaky flounder filet stuffed with all lump crab imperial and topped with their imperial sauce. Side dishes of mashed sweet potatoes and broccolini.
Their signature dish was the Potato-Romano Encrusted Salmon. Scottish Faroe Island Farm Raised Salmon, encrusted with potato, Romano and Parmesan Cheese, then topped with Lump Crab, and a dill and cream reduction. Side dishes of sauteed zucchini and squash and a Tabouli salad.
My Duck Breast was awesome. Tender and juicy. Pan seared then finished in the oven and complimented with a dried cherry port reduction. Side dishes of mashed sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus.
Another order of the Potato-Romano Encrusted Salmon, but with side dishes of sauteed green beans with carrots and toasted almonds and a Quinoa Salad.
For dessert an order of their Chocolate Cheesecake. Love chocolate? This is the one and Gluten Free!! Dense and rich just like a cheesecake should be.
Relax and enjoy. TTYL
January 26th, 2015
Meatless recipe….but the day is perfect for a nice hot chili!!
This recipe is totally stolen. Cannot take any credit for it. It is a recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. It comes out so good and it can be served by itself, or, as a side dish for meat, chicken or fish. I have served it with a Turducken and I just served it for Christmas Eve dinner with my small standing rib roast from Hickman’s in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Spinach Gratin and sliced tomatoes on the side…yummy! It is by no means a low fat, low cal recipe but some adjustments can be made….substitute the butter for something lighter. The heavy cream can be half and half, and the milk can be low fat, as well.
SPINACH GRATIN
4 tablsps. usalted butter
4 cups yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated (I used ground)
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
5 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (optional)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. About 10 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook stirring for a few more minutes, making a roux. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.
Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the defrosted spinach. Add the spinach to the sauce. Then, add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix it well. Season with salt and pepper if you want to.
Transfer the spinach to a baking dish, 9 x 13, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve and enjoy!!
I made this recipe gluten free. Please grate your cheeses to make sure there are no additives containing gluten.
December 2nd, 2014
I just want a salad!! That’s all I want! Many times this is what we say at a restaurant, referring to having a lighter meal. Actually, some salads can pack those calories without us even knowing it. At this time of the year, after Thanksgiving, and looking forward to Christmas and New Year’s….I really only want a salad; the lighter side.
I have a friend….her name starts with S. When she goes to a restaurant she really deconstructs a salad. Take this out, no, I don’t want that either, don’t like olives, onion? not sure, the dressing….nothing with mayo….really why doesn’t she ask for lettuce?
In the past months these salads at the Delaware Beaches have been so good, refreshing. No more boring greens, or just a slice of tomato. These salads make a meal. Check them out!
AGAVE – Located in Lewes, Delaware at 137 2nd St., 302-645-1232, Agave offers a few salads. The Mango and Avocado Salad with Queso Crema is substantial, full of avocado and mango and you can get it plain and simple or top it with shrimp or something else offered on that day.
Served in a tostada bowl, this salad topped with salmon is also a winner.
THE PICKLED PIG – 18756 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1), Rehoboth Beach, Tel. 302-645-5444. Website? http://www.pickledpigpub.com. This gastro pub has spirits, pretty good food and salads. Their Roasted Vegetable Salad I would say is fairly new but I think it is a keeper. Asparagus, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, quinoa, with a white balsamic-orange vinaigrette and parmesan….topped with grilled chicken, it is a complete meal.
Their Chopped BLT Salad has mixed lettuces, blue cheese dressing, smoked bacon, diced tomato, red onion and blue cheese crumble.
FINS ALE & RAW BAR – 19269 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1) in Rehoboth Beach. Tel. 302-227-3467. I thought this salad looked good and tasted even better. The Chopped Salad has romaine lettuce, mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes, bacon, corn cucumber, Jack and cheddar cheeses….all chopped and served with their buttermilk dressing. I topped it with Calamari.
Their Fins Bar Salad wih mixed greens, almonds, dried cranberries and gorgonzola cheese topped with tuna salad and their homemade whole grain mustard vinaigrette was delicious….nice serving of tuna salad, by the way.
CASA DILEO NORTH – Located at 18701 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1) in Rehoboth Beach. Tel. 302-644-8256. The Tricolore Signature Salad hit the spot. Arugula, Radicchio, Belgian Endive, Treviso and spring mix. To that mix chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and pine nuts. It is hand tossed with lemon juice, plenty of fresh garlic and olive oil.
PETE’S CHEESESTEAK SHOP – It is located at 19287 Miller Rd. Unit 1A, in The Food Lion Shopping Center on Coastal Highway, RT 1. Tel. 302-226-3000. Website? http://www.ultimatecheesesteak.com. This restaurant is impeccable…so clean. Fast service, and comfortable seating arrangements. Their Greek Salad topped withy Gyro Meat is very good. It is a garden salad with feta, Kalamata olives, and pita bread with a side order of a vinaigrette with a hint of strawberry…just a hint. The pita bread is grilled and warm making it extra special and definitely a full meal.
EDEN – Located on 23 Baltimore Avenue in Downtown Rehoboth Beach, Eden is really one of my favorite restaurants in Rehoboth. Consistently good with professional staff, it stands out. Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tel. 302-227-3330. Website? http://www.edenrestaurant.com Eden’s Grilled Caesar is awesome. Sun dried tomato/olive tapenade and pecorino romano cheese. The first time I had a grilled Caesar, it was many years ago at a restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland. I never had any other good one anywhere else until Eden’s Grilled Caesar and it has become a favorite. Two views of this simple and delicious salad follow:
LILY THAI – Located at 10 N. 1st St. in Downtown Rehoboth Beach, Tel. 302-227-3348….I love Thai Food!! The Larb Gai Salad is spicy!! It is so good. Ground chicken breast tossed in lime juice, red onions and fresh mint….a gluten free salad!!
MODERN MIXTURE – Located at 62A Rehoboth Avenue. Tel. 302-227-0600. Website? http://www.modern-mixture.com. All salads are chopped at Modern Mixture. Their House Salad has romaine, onion, tomato, and fresh cactus called “Nopalito”, feta and lime juice topped with avocado….this salad is gluten free!
DOGFISH HEAD – Located at 320 Rehoboth Avenue. Website? http://www.dogfish.com In a mood for a Cobb Salad? Their version, topped with salmon or a crabcake is very good….but their basil vinaigrette dressing is a true keeper of this salad.
LOBSTER SHANTY – Located a few miles west of Fenwick Island. Address: 37310 Lighthouse Rd., Selbyville. Tel. 302-436-2305. It opens Thursday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Great views of the marsh. A fantastic salad called the Seafood Tasters Duo has fresh lobster and shrimp salads over field greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and seasonal fruits with Nantucket’s Maple Vinaigrette. An awesome salad if you like seafood.
So as you are shopping and exhausting yourselves….a little salad!! Have a good one.
September 22nd, 2014
Well, I was not sure how this recipe was going to come out. When I read it….it caught my attention. Meatballs, broccoli, cheese….I thought the almond gravy recipe I have would be great to dunk these little ones in. Plus, it is Gluten Free!
You can use your food processor, but I used the NutriBullet instead for the grinding of the almonds.
For the broccoli, I used the blender.
This is an easy one.
BROCCOLI PARMESAN ‘MEATBALLS’
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 bag of frozen broccoli florets, defrosted…enough to make 2 cups
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese…the finer the better
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the almonds in the NutriBullet or food processor. Go ahead and process until coarsely ground. Transfer them to a medium size bowl.
Place the broccoli florets in the blender or food processor. Pulse until chopped.
Add the chopped broccoli, cheese, and garlic to the almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the egg.
Spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray. Form the broccoli mixture into 12 balls, squeezing them a little to make sure that they hold their shape.
Place each one in its own cup in the muffin tin.
Bake until they are golden on the outside and heated through. Even though the recipe said 20 minutes, mine took about 10 more minutes.
Remove tin from the oven and run a butter knife along and underneath each meatball to loosen them before gently popping them out.
Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese and serve with Almond Gravy….recipe to follow.
ALMOND GRAVY
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 large clove garlic
2 medium tomatoes (I used the cocktail tomatoes that are larger than the grape tomatoes. I cut them in half; enough to make about 1 1/2 cups.
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprikra
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I used any infused Balsamic vinegar on hand.)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons fresh basil or 2 tablespoons Basil Paste found in the vegetable section at grocery stores.
Process almonds in a food processor or in the NutriBullet with the garlic, tomatoes, paprika, vinegar, basil, and milk. Process until smooth.
You don’t have to heat this gravy…it is great also on steamed veggies.
Enjoy and make it your own!!
August 22nd, 2014
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is full of ethnic restaurants. From street food to fine dining, it is a fabulous place to spend some time crawling the City of Brotherly Love.
Pho is the street food in Vietnam that was, originally, sold at dawn and dusk by roaming vendors. My son invited me to crawl Philly and our first stop was Pho 75. This soup parlor has been visited by Anthony Bourdain several times. When my son visited for the first time, he told I, definitely, needed to try it.
There are 2 Pho 75 in Philly. We went to the one located at 1122 Washington Avenue. Tel. 215-5866. Other locations are: Maryland; Langley Park, Rockville, Virginia; Arlington (my son just visited that one, as well), Falls Church, and Herndon.
Pho 75 was immaculate, the service was prompt and no sooner it had opened…..customers kept coming in.
You have to understand that pho is a soup. The soups are served with rice noddles. You can order either a small bowl or a large bowl for sharing like we did. Then you have to order cuts of beef as toppings or do like we did and order the pho straight from the menu.
We order the pho with slices of eye-round steak, well done flank, soft tendom, and beef tripe. The large bowl arrived quickly with extra bowls on the side and bean sprouts, hot pepper, slices of lemon and fresh basil leaves.
Then it was up to me to fix my bowl to my liking.
The broth was delicate, full of flavor but not overly salted, which I was surprised.
Totally recommend it. Great value…I think lunch for 2 including tea and tip was about $10.00.
Note: This soup is gluten free.
Have a great day!.
June 9th, 2014
Meatless Monday is a trend that has been taking the nation by storm…..just a day to stay away from meat!! So, as the weather in Rehoboth Beach turned a little cloudy, I thought that the Red Mushroom Bisque would be a good alternative to anything else you might have thought preparing.
First of all, the original recipe has been completely deconstructed….it is my own now. Hope you like it.
RED MUSHROOM BISQUE
2 tablespoons vegetable oil; more if needed
1 1/4 lbs. mushrooms…..I used two different types of mushrooms; your favorites will do.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Sherry or Madeira wine….or a bit more, if you want to.
3 cups unsalted vegetable broth, plus more if desired.
2 cups almond cream (recipe will follow)
Chopped Chives for garnish
White Truffle Oil for garnish
Basil paste for garnish (found at grocery stores, by the fresh veggies)
Heat a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then mushrooms. Cook, stirring often until the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from the heat, spread on a plate and let them cool off.
Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, cooking them until translucent and slightly browned. Add the garlic, then, the Madeira or Sherry, scrapping the bottom of the pot.
Add 3 cups of unsalted vegetable broth and half of the cooled mushrooms. Simmer and remove from heat.
In your blender, blend the mushroom mixture. Return the blended mixture to the pot.
Whisk in the almond cream.
Heat the soup, having in mind that it could thicken as it heats up. If it does that, you can add a bit of the unsalted vegetable broth and that will take care of it. I don’t think you will have any problems, though.
ALMOND CREAM
1 cup raw almonds
1 large clove garlic
6 or 7 cocktail tomatoes cut in half….they are bigger than the grape tomatoes.
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons of basil paste, found by the fresh veggies in the grocery store.
In a high powered blender or Nutri-Bullet, which is what I used, put all the ingredients and blend until smooth. That’s all! It will be like a cream, not totally smooth, but close to it.
Serve your Red Mushroom Bisque on a pretty bowl and garnish with chives, basil paste and drizzles of truffle oil. If you do not have truffle oil, you can use your favorite oil.
Enjoy!!
Last year, Rehoboth Beach VegFest was a one day event….this year is the whole week-end, but the day to really go and enjoy the tastings, recipes, and talks will be on Saturday, June 14th. All the details can be found at http://www.rehobothvegfest.org.
Have a great day!
June 7th, 2014
“Gather the crumbs of happiness, and they will make you a loaf of contentment.” author unkown
Down the country road I went to pick up 6 dozen cupcakes that I knew were going to make some families happy in Bethany Beach, Delaware. They were going to be served after a half day of deepsea fishing off Indian River Inlet.
I had them baked gluten free. There were a few in the group that had to adhere to a gluten free diet. The others would be joining them, as well. Cupcakes are so easy to take to picnics…It was the perfect choice.
Creative Crumbs Bakes Shoppe is owned by Karen and Patty. They are sisters and they are the bakers!! For many years these sisters had a very successful bakery in Lewes. Then, children and other responsibilites made them close it. A year ago they decided that it was time to start baking again.
I was talking to a friend of mine from Lewes, and I mentioned I was trying Creative Crumbs….when I told her who owned it, she said “OMG, Karen used to bring amazing desserts for Monday night football”. Word of mouth…love it.
Creative Crumbs Bake Shoppe does not have a retail store. Everything is baked to order. You may contact them at 302-645-8588. You can also visit http://www.creativecrumbs.net. They are active on Facebook, as well.
These sister bakers offer traditional baking; so unique is the fact that they also offer baking for customers with dietary allergies and sensitivities. Gluten Free (Karen is celiac), Allergen Free, Dairy Free…and also Vegan.
 My Gluten Free Cupcakes from Creative Crumbs Please note that if you have food allergies, and have questions about their ingredients, make sure you contact them. All of their products do not contain the same ingredients, but they are manufactured in the same facility. In their bakery, they process tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, milk and eggs. They do their best to clean and sterilize the bakery before and after each use….have in mind that Creative Crumbs Bake Shoppe is not an allergy-free facility.
The safety and cleanliness of the bakery is regulated by the Delaware Division of Public Health and in compliance with FDA.
Here are the cupcakes!!
 Gluten Free-Vanilla  Gluten Free - Chocolate  Gluten Free - Lemon On the picnic table, they quickly were sought after. And there were even enough for dessert after the pig roast.
Having cooked gluten free in my household for many years, I think I am a good judge…..the cupcakes had perfect density. The flavors of chocolate, vanilla and lemon were completedly distinct. The frosting was creamy and not overly sweet. And the shells made the Little Pink Houses of Hope…..smile!
Thank you Karen and Patty!!
NOTE: Creative Crumbs Bake Shoppe is participating at VegFest next week-end in Rehoboth Beach.
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