New Year’s Resolution #1…post more pictures, more often!

 

We know that everyone loves to see pictures!  I know I do.  Our friends at Experience Charlottesville on Facebook have some great pictures we should be sharing – I keep meaning to, but whew!  2012 just flew by…

Which is ok – here we are, excited for some new additions at High Meadows, not the least of which is our beautiful new gazebo ceiling mural.  Nearly complete – now we are looking for just the right light…maybe a Moravian star?  ALWAYS wanted one of these! or another fabulous painted metal floral chandelier?  But they are so hard to find!

Maybe we’ll take a vote…I’ll post pictures of the mural when completed, and we can all decide together. 

If you are planning a trip soon – our January special is ‘Lunch on Us’ with a 2-night stay…so make your reservations soon!  We’ll pack you a terrific locavore picnic lunch to enjoy wherever your day takes you.

A new addition to breakfast…our good friends at http://www.hudsonhenrybakingco.com/ are selling out wherever they go!  We are trying not to run out – and hope to be selling it in our new gift shop, opening the March – FINALLY! 

mid summer thoughts.

Such a pretty table for this rehearsal dinner...I am a really big fan of dining outdoors, and have had the pleasure of several really spectacular farm-to-table experiences with Hill & Holler.  Next up is 'A Taste of Nelson', on August 18th.  Hoping to go, and wouldn't it be nice to enjoy dinner with some guests?  I am hoping that a few of those lucky folks staying with us, will also find this too tasty to resist -

In the mean time, here at High Meadows in late summer and fall, we are lucky to be enjoying al fresco breakfast on the patio...so pretty under green leaf canopy now, and soon a bright orange and red roof!  I can't believe I said 'soon', but it will be here before we know it!

On the vineyard front, the grapes are absolutely GORGEOUS.  Too many deer, and too many birds - might be time to put up that fence this winter.  Hoping for a nice harvest - the clusters are huge, and for Pinot Noir in Virginia, that's quite an accomplishment.  Yay to Gabriele and his team!  Will keep you posted...come see us  - less than a month til harvest I would think.

Lavendar everywhere!

 

http://inglewwodlavender.jimdo.com/

SERIOUSLY...have you ever seen a more beautiful place? Just about 40 minutes south of us, and still in full swing for a few more weekends - Inglewood Lavendar Farm.  I have never been to Provence, but as most readers know from many literary descriptions, during the lavendar season, the air all around you is perfumed with the calming scent of lavendar.  It's like this here now - at this magical farm.  Their farm store is a delight - there is nothing to compare to the scent of essential lavendar oil...and nothing is spared here - the products are fantastic!  

Lately, I have been harvesting our own lavendar for Lemon-Lavendar Crepes, with Caromont goat cheese...so yummy.  It's simple to infuse pretty much any syrup with the delicate flavor of summer - just let a small sprig steep in the hot syrup for a while - the longer you leave it and the bigger the sprig, obviously the stronger the taste!  Lemon is a natural paring, but my favorite local jam maker did a delicious strawberry-lavendar jam this spring, which has inspired me to try Peach Lavendar...off again this weekend to Carter Mountain to pick peaches, then home to cook and can.  Guests this winter can look forward to the tastes of summer, even in front of a warm fire! 

Perfect Summer start!

The fabulous view at Bel Air - site of the Sunday night Hill & Holler Farm dinner!  Can't wait - the food at these events has been spectacular, topped perhaps only by the delightful people I have met.  One person, Daniel, is an inspiration for my canning this week...beach plum, fig and rosemary sauce.  His jams, http://accordingtodaniel.com/jam/ are legendary in Charlottesville, and available at the Farmer's Market or our favourite shop Feast! (I think the exclamation point is actually part of their logo...and if you shop there, you will understand why.)  I will be attempting a peach & lavendar preserve this week, and who knows what else?  Such fun! 

The wedding last weekend of Amy & Adam also was an inspiration - Amy spent hours making all sorts of delicious jams, conserves and jellies for her wedding guests, pickles of all sorts graced their reception buffet - all made by her.  What a treat for her guests, and I was so grateful for the gift she left for me - a beautiful selection of her sparkling cookery. 

So - pickles this weekend, jam this week, and maybe continuing through the summer...come see what we serve up for breakfast!  And if you are lucky enough to be around for a Hill & Holler dinner event (check out their website for upcoming dates) let us know and we will get you tickets.

what a happy start to summer!

photos of Spring! Wisteria/Peacock/budbreak

I will let the photos speak for themselves today...

Budbreak this week...I don't think the temps last night did any damage - the vines look greatall trimmed up and ready to grow! There must be 300 new vines planted and wrapped...can't wait to see them spring upwards. We have had a couple of dismal years of harvest...I am thinking positive this year. I'd love to see a few bottles of Pinot Noir, not just the Vin Gris, though I drank a bit of that last night and it was very nice. Got to love what Gabriele Rausse can do!

Debating about the deer situation: I am seeing more and more new vineyards starting out with fabulous - and very very tall - deer fencing. And some existing vineyards adding them! Out here, I am not sure what to do...we have a herd of 10 deer currently, roaming an area of about 20 acres...that is quite a population, and they wreak havoc on a a vineyard. What to do: a discrete bow hunter? guard dog? or fencing?

whew!

We certainly dodged winter this year! Our daffodils are up, Valentine's Weekend saw some delightful new faces here at High Meadows...what a fun weekend.