Notes from Nan
by HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati

I am back in New Orleans (what??). Yes, again, working on another festival.

It is July and, children, it is hot!

Now I am not talking about no Yankee dry heat, I am not talking about chickens who don’t feel like laying hot; I am talking about 96 degrees with 96% humidity and it’s not raining outside.  Walk out your house and your glasses fog up, knock an Ashfield chicken clean OUT hot. That’s what hot is. I’m surprised they even have eggs in New Orleans, it’s so hot.

Many years ago I knew a woman in New Orleans who kept her air conditioning on in the summer so cold that she had to use an electric blanket at night to stay warm.

A few weeks ago in Ashfield I heard the fast-talking-weather-man on WAMC say that it was going to be a warm and muggy night in our area, with temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s. I looked at the radio because I thought that man was lying! Then I realized that he was a Yankee and only knew about dry heat.

That’s all I have to say about the weather. It’s too hot to type.

WHAT’S UP AT ELMER’S

In honor of the hot weather of Ashfield, we are going to have the 4th of July this year at Elmer’s Store, and we are going to celebrate it with weekend breakfast hours of 8am – noon and we’ll close at 5pm that day. So while you’re out there at all the tag sales, come on by for a smoothie or something in the afternoon.

Friday night dinner at Elmer’s with our Mexican Celebrity Chef last weekend was a huge hit! So big that we’re going to have a pair of Foreign Celebrity Chevres this week:

Lisa Newman and Joe Frye (from the distant land of Goshen) at Elmer’s Cafe

(Please speak slowly and loud when you talk to them-they’re just learning our ways.)

They will be making a dish from their own country: Braised Lamb Shanks with Polenta

And, as it turns out they have vegetarians in their country and so for them they will serve: Eggplant Parmesan Towers

Both will be served with salad made from local greens and shaved Parmesan,

I hope you like Goshenite Food as well as you did Mexican Food!

This Saturday night at Elmer’s we have an opening of works by Jessie, and I have to admit that I don’t know Jessie’s last name, but she works for Roberta at the Horse Farm and she draws really well! She’s just starting out in the art world, but she’s good and she has her first show on our walls, so we hope you’ll come by and see her work Saturday evening between 7 and 9.

Meanwhile, stay cool by swimming in Ashfield Lake every day!

Hilltown Families contributing writer Nan Parati is the owner of Elmer’s Store in Ashfield, MA. Discover “Notes from Nan” every week here on Hilltown Families, along with Elmer’s Friday night gourmet menu.