Mornings are wonderful. A chance to make things better if the previous day did not work out quite the way you planned or to be surprised (and hopefully) delighted by what the new day may bring. In the morning, I look forward to each new day with my toast and coffee … but this is neither any old toast nor any regular coffee.
My toast is Fabled Foods Walnut Cranberry Seven Grain bread made in Deep River, Conn. Fabled Foods has a wide assortment of breads, but, sadly, no retail. You can, however, call for the nearest outlet at 860-526-2666 and ask for Ina - she is the wonderful woman behind the breads.
And my coffee is made in my Nespresso machine. Over the past three decades, Nestle Nespresso has been a leading pioneer in the global coffee market. Its stylish machines and Grand Cru coffees, available both in exclusive Nespresso boutiques and via the company web at www.nespresso.com, appeal to connoisseurs around the world. We bought this machine five years ago and will never drink any other coffee at home.
Another great part of every new day for me is that my husband David will come to the bedroom door with our Jack Russell, Irene, around 7:30 a.m. (he gets up much earlier than I do) and ask, “Toast and coffee in the living room … or in bed?” So my days are always off to a really special start!
We have many significant relationships in our lives … childhood best friend, first love, mother and father, spouse, children, to name but a few. But, as a restaurant owner, I have learned, and now firmly believe, that another really important relationship in my life is the one with my chef.
I stopped cooking professionally 15 years ago, but I feel I still need to have a lot of say about what goes on in the kitchen. Over the past two and a half years of owning the inn, I have courted a couple of chefs without success. Just when I was about to give up and beginning to think that a match to complete this culinary experience would never happen … in walks Kristofer Rowe!
We not only had similar backgrounds, but also the same thoughts about food. Honestly, it seemed too good to be true. Well, 18 months later, I can honestly say I have never been happier. It has gotten to the point that I can just think of a change for the menu and then find Kris has already done it!The inn recently had a format change in its dining, which involved scaling back on kitchen staff, and, on a busy Saturday night, Kris (who is really a mutant from the X-men) transforms, and then uses his extraordinary chef powers to see that the kitchen runs without a hitch. And one more thing … he never (and I mean never) loses his cool.
It is wonderful to have Chef Kris in my life. (And sincere thanks also to Dawn, his real other half, for sharing him with us.)
Have you ever heard of boules? No, neither had I! That was before food critic extraordinaire Lee White, who also happens to live in Old Lyme, invited David and me to her house one day early last year to learn this wonderful game that’s the French equivalent of lawn bowling. It’s also known as pétanque in France. Well, we 
were immediately hooked. In no time, David had installed a court here at the Bee and we started our regular Thursday evenings of boules, fun, and even the occasional glass of rosé! Moving on to this year, I thought, just for fun, I’d throw out a challenge to another group of boules aficionados, who are known as the Boules Des Dimanches (boules on Sunday) team and led by none other than French gastronome Jacques Pépin. I had a white leather glove on a satin pillow inside an antique leather box delivered to him with the words, “We at the Bee Challenge Thee.” Being the great guy (and competitor!) he is, Jacques accepted immediately and then we set about arranging the details.
View across the courtTwo Sundays ago, on August 24, the boules challenge took place. The day was perfect. I got up early and prepared the main dinner. I really felt I needed to cook for that day. The menu was a sweet corn vichyssoise, whole roasted fish with mustard nut crust, forever roasted pork with toasted spice rub. The entrees were served with heirloom tomato bread pudding, grilled vegetables and potato salad. The appetizers were supplied by the Boules des Dimanches. They were fresh-shucked oysters, shucked by professional oyster-shucker Kimmy Koczko, gravlax, lamb sausage in lettuce wraps, grilled (by Jacques Pépin on my grill!) and a gorgeous cheese platter. Boules de Dimanches team members also supplied desserts. The weather was beautiful, the wine amazing, and the people who made up the two teams were simply charming. The game was won by Boules des Dimanches, but they 
graciously handed the beautiful plaque designed by Peter Good of Cummings & Good in Chester, Conn., to our team, now christened Boules à L’Abeille (boules at the bee), to keep until next year’s challenge.
Linnea, David & Jacques with plaque
Photos by Olwen Logan, www.LymeLine.com
I would like to share with you one of our most requested recipes: Buttermilk Scones
3 Cups all purpose flour1/3 Cup Sugar2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1 cup (approximately) buttermilk1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted, for brushing1/4 cup sugar, for dusting4 tablespoons jam or jelly and/or 4 tablespoons diced or small plump dried fruits, such as currants, raisins, apricots or figs for filling (optional)Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425º F.Mixing and Kneading: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using your fingertips (the first choice), a pastry blender or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. It’s OK. If some largish pieces of butter remain – they’ll add to the scones’ flakiness.Pour in 1 cup buttermilk, toss in the zest, and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened – you’ll have a soft dough with a rough look. (If the dough looks dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.) Gather the dough into a ball, pressing it gently so that it holds together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead it very briefly – a dozen turns should do it. Cut the dough in half.To make triangular-shaped scones, roll one piece of the dough into a _ inch thick circle that is about 7 inches across. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and cut the circle into 6 triangles. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet and set aside while you roll out the rest of the dough.Baking Scones: Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes, until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack to cool slightly. These are best served warm but are just fine at room temperature.Storing: If you’re not going to eat the scones the day they are made, wrap them in airtight container and freeze; they’ll stay fresh for a month. To serve, defrost the scones at room temperature and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minutes in a 350º F oven.
Last spring we noticed that a couple of red tailed hawks had moved in to the grounds of the Bee & Thistle and in June we met one of their babies. It fell out of the nest in a black walnut tree. We called in the bird whisperers and they took the (not so little one) and kept it for a week to get its strength back. Then we reunited the bird with its other siblings and to this day we see them all over the property.
And my coffee is made in my Nespresso machine. Over the past three decades, Nestle Nespresso has been a leading pioneer in the global coffee market. Its stylish machines and Grand Cru coffees, available both in exclusive Nespresso boutiques and via the company web at www.nespresso.com, appeal to connoisseurs around the world. We bought this machine five years ago and will never drink any other coffee at home. 
