Feeling uninspired in the kitchen? It might be a good time to eat out. Some Upper Valley restaurants are offering special prix fixe menus for restaurant weeks in both states.
First, several area eateries are participating in New Hampshire Restaurant Week, which ends Friday.
Participants include: Suna Restaurant on Brook Road in Sunapee; Lake Sunapee Country Club on Country Club Lane in New London; Weathervane Seafood Restaurants on Plainfield Road in West Lebanon; the Common Man Inn & Restaurant on Water Street in Claremont; the Inn at Pleasant Lake on Pleasant Street in New London; and The Coach Restaurant at the New London Inn in New London.
Offerings range from chili mac and cheese to fish stew and pork osso buco.
For menus and more information, visit restaurantweeknh.com.
Vermont Restaurant Week is scheduled for April 21 to 30. Several Upper Valley restaurants are set to participate, including Colatina Exit in Bradford, Vt.; Simon Pearce Restaurant, the Parker House Inn & Restaurant and the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm, all in Quechee; Windsor Station Restaurant and Barroom in Windsor; and Black Krim Tavern in Randolph.
For more information, visit vermontrestaurantweek.com.
Learning About FoodAnd Food Production
Mike Hebb will teach two different courses in Strafford in the coming week.
First up is a free Cabin Fever University workshop, “Composting with Worms in Strafford,” at the Newton School tonight from 7 to 8.
The course will focus on vermiculture composting, the process of using red worms to break down yard and food waste into a concentrated natural fertilizer called worm castings. It works year-round, indoors.
To register in advance, contact Leslie Berger at info@cabinfever.org or 802-333-4303.
Next up is a workshop on pruning and grafting fruit trees at the Morrill Education Center at the Justin Morrill Homestead on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. The $20 workshop will cover the basics of pruning apple trees for esthetics, health, longevity, better fruit and ease of harvesting and management, including correct pruning cuts and tools. During the hands-on workshop, participants will practice grafting.
To register, visit store.morrillhomestead.org/shop/pruning-and-grafting-fruit-trees-workshop, call 802-765-4288 or email director@morrillhomestead.org.
Apple tree pruning will also be the task at hand during a volunteer learning opportunity on Saturday at Elizabeth Park on Fairground Road in Bradford, Vt. at 1 p.m.
In an activity organized by the Bradford Parks and Recreation Commission and the Bradford Conservation Commission, Bradford Tree Warden John Hanzas will teach volunteers to prune the park’s crab apple trees. Participants are invited to bring sharp loppers.
More information about the two commissions can be found on their respective Facebook pages.
Gardener and landscape manager Paul Goundrey, who was recently reelected to the Orford Selectboard, will offer a gardening workshop at the Orford Social Library on Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Topics of discussion will include composting, soil preparation and determining a garden philosophy. Participants will have the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mill Gardens Farm Stand.
For more information, contact Library Director Laina Warsavage at 603-353-9756.
Nutritionist Holly Westling will offer “Healthy Cooking on a Budget” at Open Door Integrative Wellness on North Main Street in White River Junction tonight from 6:30 to 8.
The $50 class includes recipes, nutrition education and dinner.
For more information or to register, visit opendoorworkshop.com.
New London’s Spring Ledge Farm on Main Street will host a seed sowing workshop on Saturday, from 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It takes about half an hour to pick out seeds and sow them. Walk-ins are welcome, though participants are urged to reserve a spot.
The $20 workshop will include seeds, soil, seed trays and instructions. Or, for $40, the farmers will grow the seeds in the greenhouse until May 1, when participants can pick them up.
For more information or to reserve a spot, call 603-526-6253 or email greg@springledgefarm.com.
Pastry chef and baking instructor Gesine Bullock-Prado will offer a hands-on “Perfect Pie” course at her Sugar Glider Kitchen in Hartford on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The course will include instruction in how to make flaky pie crust, flavorful filling and precision lattice. Participants will leave the $85 course with a pie of their own.
Bullock-Prado will offer a $95 “Baking 101” course on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The course will equip participants to bake treats ranging from scones to quick breads to layer cakes.
For more information or to register, call 802-522-2597, email sugargliderkitchen@gmail.com or visit sugargliderkitchen.com.
Eating Together
Building a Local Economy (BALE), in partnership with Local Futures, Vermonters for a New Economy and Sustainable Woodstock, will host a free “Know Your Farmer — Feed Your Farmer” dinner at Bethany Church Fellowship Hall on Main Street in Randolph tonight from 6:30 to 8:30.
Locally-sourced food prepared by Randolph’s Black Krim Tavern will be available for all. Farmers from the community will share their stories and there will be live music. All are welcome for this celebration of the local food system and farmers. No RSVP or ticket required.
The event is supported by the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Larsen Family Fund, Sustainable Future Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation and Catamount Solar Community Grants.
For more information about BALE, visit balevt.org or call 802-498-8438.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
