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The Weekly Newsletter for October 20, 2014
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Dear friends,
As my fall schedule is changing "just a leetle bit", I am now dropping in to the cafe "just a leetle bit" later in the day. Whew!! The joint is JUMPING!
Believe us when we tell you - this is a WHIZZIN' season for us. AND the usual week's crop of school lunches and business lunches and people coming in for their lunches... really truly a bounteous season.
At Tuesday morning's staff meeting, Emily reviews the jobs for the week - and This Was The Week That Was. Especially today, this Saturday, Laurey's kitchen crew and shop crew and catering crew managed events that were large, numerous, joyous, and did I mention, large? 100 guests! 200 guests! More? Yeah!!
What better time of year to have a meeting, get married, hold a seminar..? A clear gorgeous fall day, that's what. Everybody picked today. Yeah!
We thank you.
 We thank you for remembering us, and planning with us. We thank you for calling us for next year's weddings.
As that wonderful season (hold your horses, I only said "season" ... everybody settle down..) approaches, and your friends gather to plot and scheme and shop with you - just meet them at Laurey's cafe!
You know, breakfast meetings are extremely popular these days. Everybody gets to order exactly what they want - working on your figure for a party? Fresh Fruit Salad is great! And we certainly are happy to help you share: Laurey's French Toast is wonderful, always always served with real Maple Syrup.
Parking continues to be easy behind us at the Aloft Hotel - you know the first hour is free, and it's so nice to just hop up the alley and be in the know.
In and out on Lexington Avenue - what a way to beat the shopper's traffic!
We are so so happy to welcome you into The Garden Room for lovely smaller parties, rehearsal dinners, evening cocktails, family celebrations. It's a sweet, bright, welcoming room, and thank you for thinking of us when you are bringing all those folks of yours to Asheville to see what the heck we all do down here. 
So many new folks in town these days, so many new choices. We are thrilled that you call us for your parties and luncheons and drop-off catering and cookies and Dinner-To-Go.
Keep up the good work!!
Our photos this week are some of the ZOOMS of the day - so much fun!!
- from Heather Masterton
Laurey's Catering Director, Kate, dreams along with our new favorite: Southwestern Corn and Rice salad...
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Dinners to go for the week
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Here are dinners to go for this week. This, if you do not know, is a fabulous way to have dinner. It's easy - just call us by noon and your dinner will be ready for you to pick up by 3 that very day.
You can stop by to pick yours up until we close at 8.
Add salad (3.25) or bread (1.25) if you like.
 Monday, October 20 Chicken Picatta with
Salad Nicoise $8.95
Tuesday, October 21
Poblano and Cheddar Stuffed Portabella Mushroom with Farro $7.95
Wednesday, October 22
Thai Barbecue Pork &
Scallion Rice Noodles $9.95*GF*
Thursday, October 23
Fig & Chicken Tagine with
Honeyed Walnuts $9.25
Friday, October 24
Pan Fried Trout
with Marinated Coleslaw $11.95
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Casserole and Lasagnas to go!
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Casserole of the Week  whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Wednesday, October 22
Local Beef Shepherd's Pie
Whole $55/Half $27.50
Lasagna of the Week
whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Friday, October 24
White Lasagna with Shrimp,
Salmon & Mushroom
Whole $69/Half $34.50
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"How do you make Caesar dressing?", you say.
All by hand - all the real thing.
Hah!
Hannah grates the lemon peel -- just for you!
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What's new in the garden?
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Fall gardens continue bounteous - and we get the great joy of seeing our farmers bring their own precious treasures in just for us.
Tuesday's staff meetings are punctuated by the arrival of marvelous regular farm deliveries: fresh farm eggs, fresh milk, fresh local bread. Mostly, it's the farmers themselves who bring in their treasures, as if proudly leading their children to school - tenderly offering them to us, and how delighted they are to bring us Real Food. Food they raised. Themselves.
Everything we possibly can, we offer you from our neighbors.
Don't forget to visit the Wednesday Tailgate Market right across the street from Laurey's Cafe! It's a great way to meet your farmers - come on over quick before they have to retreat for the colder weather!
The front of our web page reminds you of What's Fresh - from farmers who have graced us this week:
Common Ground in Yancey County
B&L Organics in Mars Hill!
Meadow Cove Farms in Weaverville!
Lettuce Bee in Fairview!
Carol of Myco-Gardens popped in with her gleaming jewels - swapping mushroom tales with Ariel!
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Laurey's notes (from a lifetime of writing)
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[So much has been written about Laurey and her life projects, but of course the best spokesman is Laurey herself. In this column we present archival reprints of her messages.
[I am re-typing Laurey's OFFLINE early newsletter, a paper version, produced only once a month in the early years. This is from August of 1999. - Heather]
August 1999
Ah, vacation. Summer in the water. Bliss under the stars. I just got back from a transforming journey to Northern Ontario, on a canoe trip with the Environmental Leadership Center at Warren Wilson College. 24 of us paddled along the actual trade routes of the Voyageurs, Canadian fur trappers in the 1700s. Our boats were North Canoes, surprisingly graceful 350 pound fellows which held 5 people and a whole bunch of gear.
Early morning risings, quiet paddles to a stop for hot oatmeal mid-morning, more traveling and then a mid-day stop at our day's destination. No one expected a hard time physically, thinking that a mere half-day would not be enough of an exertion.
What did WE know?
Afternoons were spent swimming (my bathing suit came off only at night) or writing or painting or wandering, nibbling the plentiful, sweet blueberries. Dinners, singing and star-gazing were the order of the evening.
One night I took a boat out alone. Paddled out into the center of one of the major intersections of the Voyageur route. Sat by myself. Thought. Imagined the old days with not cottages or visitors or laughing swimmers. Venus showed up on the horizon. A loon called. A fish jumped. It was so beautifully quiet. I breathed.
One day the group of us negotiated an open water crossing, complete with strong winds, 3-5 foot swells and an occasionally breaking wave, current, and some fear. I was in the stern of the boat, a tricky place to be under the easiest of circumstances.
Imagine keeping all that weight and power pointed smoothly in one intended direction. This was well into the trip and we knew each other's strengths and had a quiet confidence in each other. We entered the swells, paddled hard, and helped each other, wordlessly. We became one. Paddles dipped, pulled, emerged. All together. It was a wonderful sight, and a deeply moving feeling.
My body still feels the lilt of the boats, the songs of the night, the touch of the water. I am back. And I am changed. Forever.
-- blueberry illustration by Laurey
[source: Laurey's monthly newsletter, published on paper, August 1999]
- Heather Masterton
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Oh, my dears - most every morning, Laurey's yellow picnic table at the front of the shop is blissfully bedazzled with clear (compostable! recyclable!) containers with today's lunches...
...on their way to one of you wonderful people (oh, was this lunch for you?? Awesome!!)
So fun to see that THIS group had chosen Chef Salad!
Oh, baby - - it was a great choice!!
Good thinking, say we! Try some!
Below are some ZOOM shots of food whizzing its way to you - from the kitchen, from the case.
Gorgeous, local, delicious.
Yup.
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 Can anything at all be more beautiful?
And this is my favorite salad.
Eat it all the time.
Great for breakfast!!! No kidding!
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Ready to be super delicious.
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Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes.
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with Horseradish Sauce, natch.
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Chicken. Pot. Pie.
That's all we have to say about this.
See you next week!
Hugs,
Heather
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