Les Trois Petit Cochons

The Three Little Pigs…

That’s Our Pig…

And, That’s His Mom…

That’s French for “three little pigs”. We just picked them up last week—our pig is the one with spots. They’re just about a month old, and they couldn’t be happier. Their lineage is impressive—Large Black, Tamworth and Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS). While each breed has a distinct flavor profile, the Gloucestershire Old Spots is a historic pig breed known for its distinctive white coat with black spots, and is a British Royal Family favorite for their tables, and our table too. Last year’s pig is absolutely delicious—our guests recently said, “This is the best bacon we’ve ever had!” Our breakfast menu may be one of the best in New England!

In the summer months at Pond Mountain Inn, our legendary gourmet farm-to-table breakfasts are served al fresco at the Main House terrace under the rough-sawn timber frame pergola surrounded by perennial gardens, early sheep pastures and lush undisturbed distant mountain views. “It’s just magical here, and one of the prettiest outside dining spots in Vermont!”

 

Incredible Breakfast Diversity

The morning begins with fresh seasonal fruit— an assortment of five types of melon and berries. “Elegant, Local and Delicious.” is how our guests describe the morning’s first course.  From exotic fruit, Asian mangos, to locally grown berries, fall apples from Champlain Orchards, to the best and freshest melon found in surrounding markets. We serve mostly local, organic fruit provided by family farmers…

Fresh Georgia Peaches—Local Blackberries and Blueberries, and that’s our mint leaf…

Raspberries and Blackberries from Champlain Orchards.

Philippine Mango or the Manila Mango are the Sweetest Variety.

Sometimes, it’s just about the morning view… and, those are Rainier cherries.

In late-spring, summer, and early fall, our legendary gourmet farm-to-table breakfasts are served al fresco surrounded by perennial gardens, early sheep pastures and lush undisturbed distant mountain views, “It’s just magical here, and one of the prettiest outside dining spots in Vermont!”

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

 

French-Style Omelettes at Pond Mountain Inn

Dakin Farm Big Link Smoked Sausage and Shredded Pan-Fried Potatoes with Seasonal Garnish.

Today’s Omelette Interior has Chestnut, Lion’s Mane and Oyster Mushrooms.

Our signature French crêpe-like omelettes may be the best farm-to-table omelette you’ve ever had. We only use freshly harvested mushrooms from a local farmer, while all our omelette ingredients are locally sourced. See our menu to read why our guests return year-after-year for Chef Kay’s omelettes, and all our exquisite collection of breakfast dishes.

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

 

Vermont Sausage Makers

 

We found out why handmade sausage making is an art that few can master. Surprisingly, we learned quickly, great family fun, and yes, this is the pork that we raised in 2022—incorporating innovative ingredients, championing sustainable farming and gained a following for our exceptionally fresh, and not to mention delicious, breakfast dishes. Good sausage is all about balance. Balance of salt and savory, balance of meat and fat, balance of spices and herbs—and red wine! We’ll be sharing the 20 lbs. of sausage we made for our guests—it’s delicious! Whether visiting for wellness, adventure or a culinary-focused retreat, Pond Mountain Inn offers a full immersion into the Vermont experience. Our breakfast menu is largely sourced from locally grown and foraged ingredients, and may be the nicest outdoor breakfast dining in Vermont!

#farmtotable #vermont

A Breed Apart—The Stonewood Farm Turkey

Stonewood Farm • Orwell, Vermont

The most delicious turkeys come from Stonewood Farm, that’s why we buy our Thanksgiving turkey here every year. And, the owners are absolutely fabulous! Stonewood Farm raises over 34,000 turkeys annually on over eight hundred acres. Kay posed for this photo while we were serenaded by no fewer than 8,000 turkeys – absolutely hilarious! We’ve been to our fair share of Vermont farms over the last six years and with only one other exception this was cleanest farm we’ve ever visited!

Before moving to Vermont our turkeys always came from Jaindl Farms located in Pennsylvania—these are the turkeys that grace the Thanksgiving Holiday table at the White House. Of course, they’re delicious, but we love our Stonewood Farm turkeys, and may be the best in New England!

We’re always doing something interesting at Pond Mountain Inn!  

https://stonewoodfarm.com/

#stonewoodfarm

Cooking with Gourmet Duck Fat

We use duck fat in a few of our breakfast dishes. Duck fat has long been a staple in French cooking and in the professional kitchen. And, Duck fat is considered a healthy cooking medium with many benefits. With a smooth delicate, subtle flavor, and a high smoke point, it’s perfect for high-heat cooking—duck fat just makes everything taste better, from poultry to potatoes, meat to fresh vegetables. This gourmet duck fat cooking oil spray is the only duck fat spray available in the world—it’s all natural with no added preservatives or artificial ingredients, GMO & gluten-free.

Take a look at our extraordinary breakfast menu: https://www.pondmountaininn.com/breakfast-menu

Cornhusker Kitchen’s Gourmet Duck Fat Spray

We always have something interesting going on at Pond Mountain Inn!

#duckfatspray

 

 

Seared New Bedford Day Boat Scallop Recipe

 

 

Our Pond Mountain Inn guests from New Bedford generously brought us 1½ pounds of incredibly fresh scallops. New Bedford is arguably the scallop capital of the world where not only the best scallops originate, but is also home to some of the best seafood, and has been for centuries.

Seared Scallops… From the Beginning

Scallops are one of the easiest and fastest gourmet meal you can make at home—just under ten minutes. Here’s a quick refresher—somethings you probably already know.

Step One: Selection

Begin by selecting “dry scallops”, white in color with a pure flavor, compared to “wet scallops”, which are slightly beige in color and tend to be less fresh. The difference is that dry scallops have never been treated with chemical additives or any type of solutions whereas wet scallops have. Dry or Day Boat scallops are harvested within 24 hours (by law) during their peak season from late fall through the winter, ensuring the freshest catch during these months.

Step Two: Preparation & Cooking

Pat dry scallops with paper towel and season with coarse sea salt and finely ground black pepper.

Select your best cast-iron skillet, heat skillet until very hot, introduce some high-quality olive oil or butter and place scallops comfortably distanced in the skillet—don’t crowd the pan! Note, to get that beautifully golden-brown crust requires high heat.

Cook the scallops undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip scallops and cook for another 2 minutes. Both sides of the scallops should be seared golden-brown and the insides should be opaque all the way through. However, if your scallops are biscuit-sized, you’ll need an additional minute or more on both sides. Add a few tablespoons of butter shortly after the first side finishes to achieve that classic seared scallop flavor profile.

Serve immediately, and make sure to transfer them to another dish for serving, otherwise they will continue cooking—do not overcook the scallops otherwise they will become tough and chewy.

See More Pond Mountain Inn Recipes Here

 

 

Finding Local Farm-to-Table Food at the Dorset and Rutland Farmers’ Market is a True Vermont Experience!

Join us in May… Kay and I love all the local farmers’ markets, especially the two in Dorset and Rutland. The Farmers’ Market in Rutland is outstanding and we regularly visit with our guests, which have become a nice source of vegetables, meats, eggs, cheeses, flowers, fresh breads, cookies and pies—the hot prepared foods are outstanding! The Rutland Farmers’ Market is the largest locally, and the oldest in Vermont that include over 60 vendors. Open May thru October and just 45 minutes from Pond Mountain Inn!

Agricola Farm in Panton Vermont Specializes In Raising and Preparing Gourmet Meats

The owners Alessandra (Ale) and Stefano (Steu) of Agricola Farm in Panton, Vermont were hosting an Italian culinary group from Boston when Kay and I arrived with friends. On our travels for Farm To Table ingredients, Kay and I were curious about this farm that specializes in raising and preparing gourmet meats. We found out they are also particularly known for pork and prepare a nine-course dinner about once a month to showcase their products and share their Italian traditions. They also raise Icelandic sheep and heritage chickens, for both eggs and meat and just started raising ducks and geese.

Together with our friends we purchased a five pound Muscovy duck and two lamb shoulder roasts! About an hour’s drive from Pond Mountain Inn!

See Our Inspiring Day Trips & Unique Itineraries for more sightseeing and exciting places to visit in our surrounding area!

We Serve Vermont Wagyu • Springfield, Vermont

Seasoned modestly with salt & pepper, and grilled to perfection as we all slowly savored steaks so delicious that each could easily exceed $150 at any premier New York City restaurant. We sliced through each piece of Wagyu with less effort than it takes to cut a wedge of soft Camembert. Without getting into the chemistry of beef flavor, it’s nearly impossible to describe the tenderness, slight chew and juiciness of what now has become the best steak we’ve ever tasted. Each steak had consistent well-developed marbling throughout, with an interesting outer-layer of savory fat that most certainly contributes to the overall unique flavor composition.

Find Our Where We Serve Vermont Wagyu on Our Breakfasr Menu.

Vermont Wagyu was on The Today Show—watch the full segment here!