Just up the hill from the inn is Wood’s Cider Mill.  A place that always amazes us.  In spring the sugar house pumps out steam and the most delicious maple syrup around.  In the fall their antique cider press is making delicious cider from local heirloom apples.  That cider then goes into the maple evaporator and voila! Cider Jelly is born!.  Here’s a great article that ran in this week’s Free Press all about Tina and Willis and their wonderful products.

If you haven’t yet visited them – next time you are at the inn, ask us for directions – we’ll make sure you get there!

Well – we are at the very last week of our ‘Summer/Fall’ season – and what a season its been.  Lots of happy celebrations and great meals served on the deck…. we met lots of new friends and saw lots of old friends too.  And now we hear the forecast for snow on Thursday!  Wow…time to wax up the skis and dig out the mittens.  Here’s a little look back at the season (just a few of the many weddings this last season!)

Another perfect afternoon wedding in Vermont!

Another Happy Couple!

A Beautiful Wedding Day!

At long last – a return to the blog with a very special recipe!  One of our most requested recipes (and most ordered dishes).  Chicken under a Brick is cooked in ‘the old style’ – and literally under a brick.  So fire up your stove, get a good heavy piece of masonry and get cooking!!

Chef Jason's Chicken Under a Brick

Boiled Cider Glazed Chicken under a Brick with Green Peppercorn Mashers

By Chef Jason Tostrup

For the chicken

1 Whole Chicken or 4 skin on chicken breasts

½ cup cup orange juice

½ cup fresh cider

2 tbs hot sauce

salt

2 bricks wrapped in foil

For the pan glaze

¼ cup Woods Boiled Cider

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 each minced Shallots

1 branch fresh Thyme

1 pinch Chili Flakes

For the spice mix

place in spice grinder and grind

• 4 tbl Fennel seed
• 2 tbl black pepper
• 2 tbl coriander seed
• 2 tbl brown mustard seed
• 4 each cloves
• 4 each juniper berry

1. Split chicken in half. Remove wing , back bone, leg and thigh bone. Place half chicken skin side up and gently press down on the breast bone to flatten breast. Place chicken in baking pan to marinate over night( roast chicken bones for stock)
2. Whisk orange juice, cider and hot sauce together and pour over chicken. Let marinate overnight or at least 5 hours.
3. To cook chicken, Set oven to 400. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Place two large saute pans on stove top over high heat. Season chicken with salt and enough ground spices just to lightly cover. (You will have extra spices left from the mix)
4. Place oil into hot pan,-using tongs place chicken in pan skin side down.
5. Next place foil wrapped brick on top of each chicken and gently press down.
6. Let chicken brown on the stove top for 2-3 minutes , then place in hot oven and bake for 15-20 min.
7. Remove chicken from oven take off the bricks. Their should be no pink meat showing.
8. To finish flip chicken in pan so that the skin side is now up. Add shallots, thyme, boiled Cider and balsamic balsamic vinegar. Using a spatula or spoon, mix all the ingredients the chicken pan. Making sure to get all the pan drippings and chicken flavor from the bottom of the pan.
9. Place chicken over mashed potatoes and and drizzle with Boiled Cider Glaze.

For the mashers

2 lb Yukon gold potatoes

2 lbs Russet potatoes

1 cup cream 3 tbl green peppercorns (preferred in can or brine)

1/2cup Cream

2 sticks Butter

½ cup Sour Cream

1. Peel, cut and boil potatoes together in the same pot until potatoes are fork tender.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, and in separate pot, bring to boil cream, butter and whole green peppercorns. Once butter has melted, place mixture in blender and puree until smooth.
3. Using hand-mixer or potato masher mix potatoes add peppercorn mixture and sour cream and continue to mix until smooth. Season with salt to your taste.
4. For an extra flavor you can grate fresh nutmeg into your potatoes!

Well – things have been really busy here.  Have barely had a minute to update the blog and website.  We have had some terrific weddings and events (yoga weekend) and now we are preparing for our 7th Annual Farm Dinner on August 21.  (Still a few rooms and tickets left)

Here are some photos of our recent brides and grooms – great parties – great people!!

Stephanie and Jeff visited the inn a few years ago when they were still ‘courting’.  Several months ago I got a one line email from Jeff asking about weddings at the inn.   Next thing I knew we were planning a winter wedding!!  A few emails, a visit for dinner and we had one beautiful wedding planned.  Stephanie’s custom touches turned our dining room in to an elegant space.

It was a beautiful March winter day yesterday.  Just as the sun set, 46 friends gathered in our living room to celebrate the marriage of Stephanie and Jeff.  Then on to a great cocktail hour with lots of  ‘Lemontinis’, ‘Cider Slammers’ and passed hors d’oeuvres like this tasty halibut ceviche !  Then…the delicious dinner followed by merriment  into the night…

The Weathersfield Family wishes you guys all the happiness in the world!!

I just received a PDF of an article that Jason wrote for Edible Green Mountain Magazine.  Its all about Willis and Tina Wood and their apple products.  Kudos to Jason for writing such a beautiful piece.

As I read the article again this morning I got to thinking about how lucky we are here at the inn.  We have the freedom to play a little…test our theories…learn from our successes and failures.   We get to meet new people, try new (old) products and constantly evolve.  Chef Jason is a classic example of someone who is constantly renewing himself, reinventing his cuisine and inspiring those around him.  Give this article a read – I’ll bet you will  feel inspired to look at something in a new way today – or maybe make a loaf of Grandma Ida’s Oatmeal Bread.

A winter wedding has to be among the list of my favorite things.  Small and intimate – so romantic.  This weekend we hosted Anna & David and their families for a wedding celebration.  The weekend was full of champagne, smiles & flowers.  Not a dry eye in the house.  Chef designed a perfect 6 course dinner in the wine cellar with wines paired to each course. We wish Anna & David a very, very happy future – filled with lots of celebration!

Well – In the wild and woolly world of the internet, sometimes the unspeakable happens…your blog gets sucked into a cyberspace black hole.  Never to return.  Nada. Blank screen. No backup. No return.

So – we look at this as an opportunity to start fresh – keep you posted on the latest news and share all new pictures with you.  Stay tuned – and as we regroup we will bring you a new improved blog!!