As I was working in the raspberry patch early this morning, I started to wonder how many small farms are there on Cape Cod and what do they produce.  I decided that one of the things I would do this spring and summer would be to learn about them and actively support them. Local agriculture is really one of the healthiest ways to eat.

To my surprise I found the Cedar Spring Herb Farm in Harwich, owned by Donna who is a Chartered Herbalist from Dominion Herbal College.  I really wasn’t think about this type of small-scale specialty farm. Or for a new, local place to buy natural cosmetics and treatments - a few years ago, I decided that if I couldn’t eat something, it wasn’t going on my body either - but I’m so happy to have found one.

I also prefer to eat locally grown organic food and gourmet products. One of the things Cedar Spring Herb Farm produces is herbed honey (cinnamon basil honey, ginger thyme honey, lemon balm honey, and rosemary honey.) These only cost $3.50 each. I’m thinking what wonderful gourmet gifts they’ll make for all my fellow foodies. If you’re visiting Cape Cod this Spring and Summer, these are wonderful gifts to bring back home to gourmet cooks and tea drinkers.

Cedar Spring is working to save endangered medicinal plants. If you haven’t heard of this issue, it really is important.

I’m looking forward to my first visit at this organic farm this spring and will report back.

Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod has announced three new wines the Estate Chardonnay, Truro 1709 Pinot Grigio and the Truro 1709 Merlot

I just received an email from the folks at Truro Vineyard announcing that they would be reopening to the public on the weekend of April 3-5.  During the spring there will be limited hours, but starting May 1, they will be open 7 days a week.

And they included the exciting news for wine lovers that they will be introducing 3 new wines this Spring - the Estate Chardonnay, the Truro 1709 Pinot Grigio, and the Truro 1709 Merlot. The Town of Truro was founded in 1709 and Truro Vineyards created a red and white wine to celebrate the Town’s 300th anniversary.

The Estate Chardonnay is “rich and buttery, with hints of vanilla and oak” according to Truro Vineyards. The Truro 1709 Pinot Grigio is described as “crisp, light, fruity and versatile.” The Truro 1709 Merlot is “is a soft, round and lovely red, with notes of red plum and cherry.”

The label for the 1709 series was painted by local artist Robert Cardinal and is of Highland Lighthouse. It is truly a miniature work of art.

So if you want to find out more about Truro Vineyards, to sign up for their wine club, or go to a wine tasting, check out Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod website.

The 1750 Inn at Sandwich will host 3 Gourmet Weeknds this Spring.

As you read Cape Cod for Tourists, you’ll soon see that I’m a foodie. I love trying restauants and going to wine tastings and shopping for unusual food products. So these gourmet weekends or Cape Cod Culinary Capers as they’re called at the 1750 Inn at Sandwich caught my eye.

First you get to stay in one of the luxurious rooms at the 1750 Inn at Sandwich. There are 5 romantic guest rooms, some with fireplaces. Then you have a wine tasting and hors de oeuvres on Friday Night. Saturday afternoon from noon to 3:00 you have a cooking demonstration with Executive Chef Gert Rausch at the Aqua Grille. The restaurant is located at the Sandwich Marina, I’ve eaten there many times. Chef Rausch a good cook, believe me! Then at 7 pm you return for a 3 course gourmet seafood dinner.

The Cape Cod Culinary Caper gourmet weekends are scheduled for March 20 & 21, April 17 & 18, and May 15 & 16. The approximate cost is for a guest room with a fireplace $469, without a fireplace $429. The prices will vary depending on the seafood used in the meal. And the meal beverages, tax, and gratuities are extra.

So give Innkeepers Jan and Charlie Preus a call at 508-888-6958 to get the details on their gourmet weekends. Or check out the 1750 Inn at Sandwich website.

Please CLICK HERE to see a listing of Sandwich Bed and Breakfast Inns.

As I told you yesterday, I decided it was time to warm up this snowy and cold winter with a special dinner centered around a wine friends gave us from the Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod. Gee it was Terriffic. I am not a wine expert, but I do love to try new wines and go to wine tastings.

The 2006 Triumph is a dry red wine that went really well with my pot roast. It also went really well with the Cheesecake Factory cheesecake that I brought home from a trip to Barnes & Noble yesterday. The advantage to buying cheesecake from the Barnes & Noble cafe is that Leo and I each get one piece. We eat it and it’s gone! (That’s how we diet, moderation - something of everything) If not we would probably split the cheesecake in two and eat away throughout the night. I bought the plain cheesecake, no toppings. The 2006 Triumph was really tasty with it!

Oh and if you’re looking for an incredibly funny - laugh out loud - giggle a lot - book, you need to pick up Firmin. It’s about a very literary rat who lived above the Brattle Bookstore (a real place) in Boston. My favorite booksellers were raving about it yesterday. And I can see why. No it wasn’t the wine I was drinking last night that made me giggle. You can’t miss it, it’s the book that has a piece chewed out of it. CLICK HERE to check out Firmin
.

The thought of Cape Cod vineyards and summer wine tasting makes today’s sleet and snow bearable. Leo and I received two new wines released by the Truro Vineyards for a Christmas present; and I think tonight is the right time to try one!  They are both very different and my choice will determine what I end up cooking for dinner.

The newest wine is a 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay. The note with it says that it is citrusy with green apple notes and that it is best eaten with seafood and chicken. The second wine is a 2006 Triumph - a classic Bordaux style wine that makes a bold statement. Unlike the Unoaked Chardonnay, this has plenty of dry, inviting oak. This dry, red wine is best served with beef, lamb, and hardy cheeses.

Due to the cold sleet that continues to fall, I’m going with the 2006 Triumph and and hearty pot roast with pan cooked potatoes and veggies. If you would like to try these two new wines, you can buy them online. The 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay is a limited edition, so I wouldn’t wait to contact them at TruroVineyardsofCapeCod.com.

Oh and there’s an email box to sign up for news and special offers. I just did that. You bet this Cape Cod Foodie will be keeping touch and heading out for a wine tasting this summer. (Just the thought of summer makes me smile!)

If you’re planing on being on Cape Cod this summer and you love wine, they do have wine tastings. Truro very beautiful setting and inspired many of Edward Hopper’s paintings. Free tours are given daily at 1 and 3 pm.