Planting time

Paul and I spent the last few days planting around 180 tomatoes at our house and at the farm around the cafe. All our tomatoes were started mid-March and grew under lights until we could move them into bigger pots and set them outside on nice days. It was a long process, a labor of love. We are taking a chance planting them outside before Memorial Day, but the weather looks fine, and so in the ground they go. Not sure how many plants we gave away, but there were quite a few. Spread the love, I say.

Opening next week!

Saveur Thyme at the Hearth & Vine, is a cozy café and wine bar nestled into the Black Star Farms estate between the stable and creamery and is open to the public all summer. The café and wine bar features gourmet wood-fired pizzas, delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, and a selection of Black Star wine. Chef Paul Carlson and his team source from local producers including breads, greens, and seasonal produce from 9 Bean Rows and other farms, and grow a few herbs and vegetables themselves outside the café. Our cheeses are sourced from the finest producers, including award-winning raclette from Leelanau Cheese Co. and parmigiano by Giglio, Emilia, Italy. Quality product (and great tasting food) is our main focus, and you cannot beat the originals including Parma—for prosciutto and parmigiano.

The Hearth & Vine also has a small gift shop area featuring the work of local artists. There’s always something interesting and unique!

Please call 231-944-1927 or email saveurthyme@live.com for more information, or to make reservations for larger parties. You can also follow us on Twitter @HearthandVine and check for regular updates at: http://saveurthyme.blogspot.com/.

Wild Caught

18 chefs from around the Great Lakes, including Paul Carlson and one of his mentor's, Chef Deb Pearce, contributed recipes to Wild Caught and Close to Home: Selecting and Preparing Great Lakes Whitefish. The cookbook also covers the history of whitefish as well as some tips in regards to purchasing and handling whitefish. Click to enlarge the article below by Rick Coates, Northern Express Weekly, March 21, 2011.

Sure, it's pretty to look at, but the taste ... fantastic

The art of deliciousness: pear, arugula, prosciutto, blue cheese & balsamic traditional wood-fired pizza.

Sunny Sunday

Looking out the back door from our dining room table, I see our plum tree covered in white blossoms, irises, lilies, lavender and meadow rue bending and twisting in the wind. Paul's out there working on the beds, and after my coffee fix, I am headed out as well. We are anxious to get our 150+ tomato plants in the ground, but don't yet trust that the cool nights won't cover everything in frost. Hard to believe that in just a few weeks, our patio at home will look like this again:

Our team

We are very pleased to announce that Ellie Vratanina and Mickey Humpula will be joining Chef Paul for another summer at the Hearth & Vine. Ellie will be taking care of the front of the house and plans to stock our gift shop area with unique art and local products. Mickey will be Paul's right-hand in the kitchen and will be helping grow and harvest produce for the cafe, tossing pizzas and preparing delicious meals. I will be pitching in when I can on the weekends and am looking forward to spending another summer with a talented, down-to-earth group of people.

Saturday morning breakfast

Chef Paul made a delicious breakfast this morning, and as we were eating just-picked asparagus from our garden, morels from our field, and fresh eggs (yes, we have chickens, too) we pondered how to get all of the sand out of the morels. We always seem to run into this issue with fresh morels--how to best remove the grit--especially when they grow in such sandy soil.

But, what's a little grit when the food is so amazingly good? And I forgot to mention the ramps ... I so love spring in northern Michigan.

A lot of prep goes into opening a small restaurant

In addition to purchasing a new POS system and taking care of the managerial ends of the business, we have been busy with the fun stuff: growing tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and basil, taste-testing recipes (and sample products), purchasing equipment and organizing our space. This year, the Hearth & Vine will be operated by Chef Paul Carlson instead of Black Star.

We will be updating our blog on a regular basis (just getting started) so stop back when you have a chance. You can also follow us on Twitter: (HearthandVine) and find us (The Hearth & Vine Cafe and Wine Bar) on Facebook.

We really look forward to seeing you at the Hearth & Vine this summer, and will be open beginning Memorial Day weekend.