Smita Nordwall

Congratulations, Zora.

We live in the area and Food Matters was always the dining room of choice when entertaining friends. Tom, you and the team will be missed a LOT. I hope you stay in touch thru DR so we know where to find your next venture.

Is that good or bad?

I am sorry if this thread is elsewhere. We had dinner at Vaso's last night and I can't say enough good things. It is EXACTLY what a neighborhood restaurant should be. Appetizer stand outs included the artichoke with garlic; spanakopita and a zesty feta spread. They could have done much better by the bread though. Dinner show stoppers included a special of veal chop stuffed with ground veal, cheese and ham. Perfectly roasted. My uber fussy brother proclaimed it the best dish he has eaten in months. I had a wonderfully grilled whole branzino. But the heartwarmer was my Mom's dinner. Mom is a vegetarian. We asked Vaso (Vaso is the owner and chef and her kid runs the front of the house) to make a pasta dish for her. She sent out pasta with tons of veggies and a great tomato sauce. Mom was thrilled. The service was warm and friendly. Brava to Vaso for her lovely little place.

I'll be there.

Dan, how many do you need? PM me, I might be able to help.

I wish I were brave enough to say I have tried it. But I am not. However, these elusive peppers -- fresh, are available at Fairfax County farmers' markets. My friends Kenny and Mary West grow them in Caroline County at Mt. Olympus Berry Farm. If anyone is looking to try them, 'tis the season. I brought home 1 (that's ONE) and plan to use it my pepper jelly recipe -- to replace 5 habaneros.

Can you stand another definate maybe? Smita

Don, Rice and Noodles near Kingstowne does a respectable version. My favorite was the one at the now-closed Cajun Bangkok in Alexandria.

Anyone familiar with Foodzie? Any thoughts or experiences with the site?

Tandoori lobster. Par cooked lobsters marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices, then finished in a hot grill or oven.

And what better way to spend a Sunday morning than munching on the said ham-and-cheese croissant while shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables? They are at the Lorton farmers' market on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thanks for the plug, Sue.

I would highly recommend Mt. Olympus Berry Farm. They have great berries and a ton of friendly folks to help navigate you. The best part is they are only an hour and change south, between Fredricksburg and Richmond. http://www.mtolympusfarm.com/home.html

Thanks. Had no idea they took reservations.

Are we crazy to think we can take friends here for dinner tonight around 7? Will we be collecting social security before we start to dine?

OK I am out of the loop. Sorry. Where is this dim sum feast? And what time?

Next time you are there, go say hi to Linda and Richard Settle of Sunset View Farms in Reva, VA. Since you are such a fan of Allenberg, I'll point you in the direction of another AWESOME peach grower. I swear by peaches grown by both Richard and Henry (Allenberg). Richard also has some great apricots right now. Smita

All you need is a big hat and a tall, icy drink. A few bites of good jam will help also. I promise.

Thought I missed someone. But, as usual, Legant has done a thorough job. Great to have this list. Thanks.

Indeed. More info please. Do you need vendors?

Monavano, I am glad you enjoyed your visit to the Kingstowne market. Wish you had stopped by and introduced yourself. I'd love to put a face to the name. You are right, Fairfax County insists all there producers be local (within 125 miles of the market). I am not familiar with the vendor you bought the corn from but I know the rest of the farmers well. Allenberg Orchard (the cherry guys) are indeed located near Fredrick. Medina's Produce and Level Green are in Westmorland County and Mt. Olympus is in Caroline County. I hope you keep coming back the market. I can assure you that Allenberg will have some of the best peaches in the area and Mt. Olympus is unbeatable for their peppers and cherry tomatoes. Medina's usually has great corn and Level Green will hopefully again have their incredible lima beans.

I am sorry there's not much to the crepes recipes. The crepes were just standard sweet crepes. They were filled with the jams I make and sell under the Crackpot Gourmet label. I used 3 jams: Kiss of Kerala, a roasted strawberry jam with black pepper; Fee-Fi-Faux-Fudge, a banana-bittersweet chocolate jam with orange and walnuts; and Aloha Rose, a pineapple-rosemary jam. I am glad you liked them.

Fantastic picnic all. Thanks so much to Crackers and Cucas87. The food was awesome, the rosemary fizzes memorable and the conversation interesting. It was the first DR picnic for Drone and myself and it certainly won't be the last. Thanks again.

Oh yeah, bacon. I can try and pick up some buckboard bacon at my Vienna market to add to the tasting table, unless someone else is already bringing it.