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vardens
04 September 2008 @ 08:21 am
Swiss Chard  

Swiss Chard Recipe


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1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 small clove garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
salt

Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard. Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.

Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.

 
 
vardens
04 September 2008 @ 08:09 am
Tiny Bird Bath  
240

These wonderful little bird bathes are hand-made in Louisville, KY.

Standing around 5 inches, these tiny treasures will add a smile to your face.

 
 
vardens
02 September 2008 @ 08:01 am
Jon Carloftis  
Gardener and author Jon Carloftis, a Rockcastle County native whose work has been featured on national television programs and in numerous home and garden magazines, was in town recently to give a lecture.

Varden's was honored to cater this fun event.

Jon Carloftis is a talented and entertaining speaker, for more information visit www.joncarloftis.com

Kara Keeton took these great photos, to learn more visit www.karakeeton.com.


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vardens
29 August 2008 @ 05:27 pm
Day Trip to Beautiful Paris, Kentucky  
Paris is located just 15 minutes from Lexington, Kentucky.

A day trip to Paris is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

US 68 connects Paris to Lexington. The scenic roadway takes you along the rolling hills of the Bluegrass, past horse farms and awe-inspiring views that can only be found in Kentucky.

Downtown Paris has beautiful architecture and great shops.

Along with shopping and eating you will want to visit one of our many historic treasures, including:
The Hopewell Museum
Duncan Tavern
Colville Covered Bridge

Click HERE for more tourism ideas.



Wallace House has beautiful gardens



Tree lined streets



Flower lined streets



A charming visit to Paris.




Lunch, shopping, a glass of wine, or a pipping hot latte
Stop by Varden's on your visit to Paris, KY



"Come and experience why Downtown Paris is a great place
to work, eat, shop, and play"


 
 
vardens
21 August 2008 @ 10:58 am
Indian Cake  
Debby Jett brought me this recipe and a slice of Indian Cake.

Amazing! I hope you enjoy it.


"Indian Cake
 
2 cups of self rising flour
1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapples
1 tsp of soda
1 & 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
 
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 13 x 9 inch cake pan sprayed with pam.
Sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar over the top. (Can also sprinkle 1 cup of crushed pecans or nut of your choice if you want.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
 
In a small sauce pan combine:
1 & 1/2 sticks of butter (not margarine)
3/4 cup of evaporated milk
1 & 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
 
Bring to a boil & boil for 10 minutes stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Pour over cake! Slice & eat!!!
 
Hope you enjoy!!"
 
 
vardens
20 August 2008 @ 09:06 am
SALADS  
Salads are great to start a meal, or be a meal.

One of our favorite things to do is make a few different salads and have a "Salads Buffet".

Here are three great salads for your buffet.

Mixed Lettuce, Fennel and Orange Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 medium oranges
10 cups mixed lettuces, such as chicory, radicchio and leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 heads Belgian endive, sliced
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced

To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Stir in olives and parsley.
To prepare salad: Using a sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from oranges. Quarter the oranges; slice pieces crosswise.
Just before serving, combine lettuces, endive, fennel and the orange slices in a large bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat well.


Spinach, Avocado and Mango Salad


1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil, almond oil or canola oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
10 cups baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch red radishes, sliced
1 small ripe mango, sliced
1 medium avocado, sliced

To prepare dressing: Whisk juice, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl.
To prepare salad: Just before serving, combine spinach, radicchio, radishes and mango in a large bowl. Add the dressing; toss to coat. Garnish each serving with avocado slices.

Make-Ahead Layered Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, torn
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup carrot slices
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a 6-qt. bowl, layer half of lettuce, onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper, water chestnuts and peas. Combine mayonnaise and sugar; spread half over the salad. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with the cheese and bacon. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
 
 
vardens
13 August 2008 @ 10:17 am
Fresh tomatoes  

Mozzarella Martini with Fresh Tomato Consommé



3 to 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes plus 1/2 tomato, cut into 4 wedges
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 mozzarella cheese
, each 1 inch in diameter
4 cherry tomatoes
About 1-1/2 teaspoons basil-flavored olive oil
8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into very fine chiffonade

Chill the martini glasses in the freezer or refrigerate an hour ahead of serving. NOTE: For the most stunning presentation, make sure the glasses are heavily frosted (a freezer gives a heavy frost).

Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper; place in a sieve suspended over a bowl and refrigerate for several hours. As the tomatoes release their juice, it will fall into the bowl, giving you an almost gin-clear liquid with lots of flavor. NOTE: If the tomato water is not clear, pour it through a fine mesh strainer. Season the tomato water to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until very cold. Reserve the tomato pulp for another use.

Halve or quarter the mozzarella if they are larger than 1 inch in diameter. Thread a tomato wedge, a mozzarella piece, and a cherry tomato onto each of 4 wooden skewers 4 to 5 inches long. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with basil oil, if desired. Working quickly, divide the tomato liquid among the chilled martini glasses. Balance the skewers on top of the glasses, then sprinkle the basil chiffonade over the skewers. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

 
 
vardens
09 August 2008 @ 02:56 pm
Corn on the Cob  
This corn on the cob is grilled in husks then served with crumbled bacon, chives, and more butter.



8 ears corn
butter, softened
crumbled cooked bacon
chopped chives

 Pull back corn husks and remove silk. Place corn in cold water for 20 minutes; drain. Spread softened butter over corn; replace husks. Roast on grill for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Serve with chopped chives and crumbled bacon, along with additional butter.



For more corn recipes visit www.vardens.com/recipes on Monday
 
 
vardens
09 August 2008 @ 11:55 am
Skirt Magazine  


Skirt is a fun magazine, and is available free at Varden's.

Published monthly, it contains everything from ideas about shopping to saving the environment.
 
 
vardens
08 August 2008 @ 09:31 am
World Equestrian Games Countdown  


Kentucky Ale brought Varden's this Word Equestrian Games Countdown Clock yesterday.

Paris, KY is very excited about  WEG, and is looking forward to 2010.
 
 
vardens
06 August 2008 @ 01:04 pm
Birthday Celebration  


Saturday, August 30

Varden's Birthday Party & Customer Appreciation Day

All Day

Complimentary Varden's "Regionally Famous" Bread Pudding for all guests

Raffle prizes

"Happy Hour" Wine and Beer prices all day (after 11:00 am)

Birthday Wine and Hors d'oeuvre Celebration
5-7 o'clock
Complimentary "nibbles and sippages"

 
 
vardens
04 August 2008 @ 02:00 pm
Pickle Recipes  

I love pickled vegetables. Try these great recipes.



For more summer recipes visit www.vardens.com

Spiced Peaches

6 peaches
3/4 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Vinegar
2 Sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon Whole cloves
1 teaspoon Whole allspice

Slice peaches. To syrup, add brown sugar, vinegar, and spices. Boil 5 minutes. Add peaches and simmer 5 minutes. Chill several hours.

Pickled Green Beans

2 pounds Fresh green beans
2 cups Water
2 cups Cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Sugar
4 teaspoons Dill seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons Dry mustard
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cloves garlic, crushed

Wash beans; trim ends, and remove strings. Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 5 minutes. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain again. Place beans in a large, shallow, nonmetal dish; set aside. Combine 2 cups water and next 7 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour mixture over beans; cover and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Pickled Limes

20 Limes cut into quarters
1/2 cup Rock salt
1 teaspoon Turmeric
100 grams Chilli powder
25 grams Ginger slices
20 Green chillies; top removed
1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon Onion
2 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/4 tablespoon minced garlic

Put chopped lime pieces in a large pickle or glass jar. Add salt and turmeric. Shake jar to coat all pieces. Add ginger and green chilli to lime. Shake again to mix. Keep aside for 4-5 days till lime becomes tender. Heat oil, add garlic. Allow to cool. Add all ingredients to the lime pieces. Mix well with a clean dry spoon. Allow 2 days before eating. Preserve in clean dry airtight jars. Variation:- If sweet lime-pickle is desired add enough sugar to your taste. Reduce the amount of hot and pungent ,spices.

Pickled Celery

6 Celery stalks
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
splash Sesame oil; more or less

Remove leaves, tough ends and stringy portions of celery stalks; then cut in 1-inch sections. (If stalks are wide, cut lengthwise in half first.) Blanch to soften slightly. Place in a bowl.
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Add to celery and toss.
Refrigerate, covered, only to chill (about 20 minutes).
 
 
vardens
30 July 2008 @ 11:47 am
White Wine Margarita  





White Wine Margarita

1/2 Orange, juiced
Shotglass of Rose's lime juice
8 oz. Dry white wine

Place ingredients in mixing glass with ice, shake, and serve in a salted glass.



For more recipes
 
 
vardens
25 July 2008 @ 11:22 am
Paris Mobil ARTWALK  

Read details about this evolution in The Downtown Paris ARTWALK.

Steve Walton from Vardens said “We weren't really sure about the turnout on the first PMA show, but Ralph (Quillin) said not to worry ... he was right!”
 
 
vardens
19 July 2008 @ 10:33 am
Spend a Day in Paris  

Just a 20 minute drive from Lexington, Kentucky on US 68.




Scenic driving through the beautiful heart of horse country

Blackberry and peach picking at Reed Vally Orchard

Historic Colville Covered Bridge

Duncan Tavern

The Hopewell Museum

Antiques, jewelry, leather work, and artists can all be found on Main Street Paris, KY

Visit our Tourism Page for details and links 
 
 
vardens
18 July 2008 @ 10:48 am
Downtown Paris ARTWALK Pictures  

Biggest turn out for ARTWALK yet!














photos by Ralph Quillin
 
 
vardens
14 July 2008 @ 07:54 am
Lexington Herald-Leader Article about Paris, KY  

We are very excited about this article in the Lexington Herald-Leader. We just want to clarify the statement that opens the article. There certainly were things happening on Main Street at the point in which I was counting cars. Loch Lea Antiques, Frames on Main, and Paris Antique Mall among others were doing a good business and had been for several years. I was commenting on lunch traffic in my statement, at that time there were not many people eating downtown at lunch. Paris has always had lots going on, that is why we chose to come here and be a part of it. Over the last two years we have watched a major change happen on Main Street and we are excited to be part of the Main Street community. Thanks, Steve Walton

Renovations draw crowds to downtown Paris

PARIS — Before Steve Walton helped open a café downtown, he counted cars and pedestrian traffic in front of 509 Main Street during lunchtime.

He was worried about what he saw.

"It was nothing," Walton recalled. "There really wasn't much traffic here at that particular point, and I got real nervous about it. I thought, ‘Well, there's nobody out. "

Vardens café opened anyway, in August 2006. Almost two years later, the parking lot across from the restaurant is packed and vehicles line the street during lunchtime.

The restaurants success is part of a renaissance in downtown Paris, once plagued by empty storefronts. In the last two years, 15 buildings have been renovated into restaurants, antiques stores, a residence and a church. Six others are being renovated, said Linda Stubblefield, director of Paris Main Street program.

"You have more people involved with the downtown area, which makes it more alive," said Stubblefield, the tourism director for the city and Bourbon County.

Inside Vardens, most of the tables in the front room aractivity in the historic 1891 George S. Varden Drug Store buildine filled. Chatter from patrons echoes in the restaurant, creating a buzz of of activity in the historic 1891 George S. Varden Drug Store building.

"People were hungry for something to do," said Walton, who manages the restaurant owned by Phillip and Trudy Tibbs of Lexington. "We had this instant great response."

Other renovated buildings include the 1854-55 Odd Fellows Hall, now Migdalias restaurant; and the 1872 Charles S. Brent Jr./Robert P. Dow Building, a former grocery store that is now a three-story loft residence.

Paris native Hardy Dungan, 50, said he had been attracted to downtown Paris since he was young. Dungan, who bought the Brent/Dow building at 205 Main Street two years ago, said he remembers when "all the farm families came to town on Saturday mornings."

But by the time he headed off to college, most of downtowns department stores and movie theaters had closed or moved.

"You had a lot of open storefronts and buildings in total disrepair, and its been that way for a number of years," he said.

Dungan turned the Brent/Dow building from "an open shell" into a plush three-story loft plus a basement that includes a gourmet kitchen, a freight elevator where the original shaft used to be, and other historic furnishings. Each floor is about 2,300 square feet.

He has used his residence to help promote downtown revitalization.

"Were seeing a lot of empty storefronts downtown being purchased and being renovated," said Dungan, who is on the Main Street Revitalization Committee. "Its getting people in downtown, and people can see what you can do downtown."

When Amy Carpenter-Aich and Nadir Aich bought the 1854-55 Odd Fellows Building at auction in 2002, it was in terrible condition. Flooring was rotting, windows were broken and a portion of the roof was missing on the third floor.

One of the structural beams had so much water damage that "the building was starting to lean and there was concern that the building was going to go," Carpenter-Aich said.

"It was basically a pigeons hole; it was in horrible shape," she said.

It took four years for them to renovate the building into Migdalias, a fine dining restaurant named after Carpenter-Aichs late mother-in-law. The restaurant is on the first floor and the two top floors hold banquet and reception halls.

According to the book Historic Architecture of Bourbon County Kentucky, the Odd Fellows meetings were held on the third floor. In 1879, the second floor housed an opera house and later was a public hall.

Across from Migdalias is Vardens, which opened about five months before Migdalias. Pharmacist George S. Varden had owned the building for more than 60 years. The café retained the name to give a "nod to its past," Walton said.

The café still has the original cabinets Varden made from mahogany he imported from South Africa. One of the cabinets contains a display of the drugstores original items, including bottles of tonics and Vardens medical notes.

The restaurant owners and Dungan say several factors have influenced downtowns revitalization.

Walton said the downturn in the economy has made people take more day trips to see places nearby. Dungan said downtown events have drawn people to the area. Façade and restoration grants have also encouraged people to renovate historic buildings, he said.

"You want everybody to be successful … you are just excited that people are in Paris," Walton said. "We know that our success is tied to each others success."

Carpenter-Aich said the expansion of Paris Pike to a four-lane divided highway also has made Paris more accessible. "I think it was a number of means that came together and started a spark," she said. "I think everyone realizes the potential that Paris has."

 
 
vardens
09 July 2008 @ 12:31 pm
ARTWALK Special Locations  


CLICK HERE for more details about Downtown Paris ARTWALK


 
 
vardens
08 July 2008 @ 04:56 pm
Sally Gates Cash  


Sally Gates Cash is one of 14 artists showing at Varden's Friday, July 11. Her painting of Forest Retreat will be on display along with many other works of art.
 
 
vardens
03 July 2008 @ 04:32 pm
4th of July  









John Adams wrote:
"The Fourth of July ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."

May your Independence Weekend be filled with fun.