Like beautiful new blooms on a Rose bush, ChezHelvetica welcomed the daughter and three grandchildren of a dear friend
(now smiling down from heaven). After researching kid-friendly dishes, a Frittata seemed like a good choice for our meal, made even more fun by using a paella pan in the preparation. With Shallot, Garlic, Cremini Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Eggs, Half & Half and Baby Spring Mix Lettuce (instead of Spinach), it indeed starred as a savory sensation! Sweet Potato Fries (roasted in Sesame Oil, Smoked Paprika and Garlic) created a wonderful side dish, especially accompanied by Stonewall Kitchen‘s Lemon Herb Aioli and Sir Kensington’s Classic Ketchup. 
Homemade Lemonade was the perfect summer beverage to serve at the gathering. Our sweet finish: Mixed Berry Crumble Bars (using Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries from Medina Berry Farms at the VA Farmer’s Market and juicy Blackberries from Tony’s farm). A choice of Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Caramel Fudge and (non-diary) Phish Food Ice Cream toppings brought smiles all around! Meet Nissa Schumacher’s children: Will, Drew (twins) and sister Laney!!!
Comedy and Variety enlivened ChezHelvetica this Saturday Night! Visiting Cugino Primo (First Cousin) brought laughs to the table with great stories from San Luis Obispo and Ohio to Puglia, Italy. 
“Fish and Chips” with giant Zucchini from a friend’s Tam Valley garden seemed the perfect meal for this occasion. 
Reed’s Ginger Beer and Armida Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma paired wonderfully with our food. The final credits go to Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s for their carousel of Caramel, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Vanilla and Cherry Garcia Ice Creams and Frozen Yogurt. Entertainment at its best – SNL+
Red, white and blue or rainbow colors, black and sparkles? With mixed emotions at this troubling time in our history, 
ChezHelvetica presented the most uplifting table possible with William Tabar‘s 
Thank you to Rachel Ray for the simple instruction to brush the cobs with oil and season with salt. A tangy 
ChezHelvetica’s first experience with Cranberry Beans, also known as Borlotti, opened a new world in dining. Sensuous in their curved shells, these beautifully pink-speckled oval beans added creamy, delicious flavor to a Tri Color Barilla Pasta dish, nestling on Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach. An Epicurious 
Grated Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese showered the Pasta Salad, studded with 
From the awe-inspiring shores of France and Spain,
the unique identity of Basque culture enveloped the table at ChezHelvetica on this rainy night. Piping hot 
Organic La Tortilla Factory Corn-Wheat Tortillas, spread inside with Trader Joe’s Truffle-Honey Mustard and outside with melted Butter, wrapped Gouda and Cheddar Cheeses. Oven-grilled Onion Rings adorned the Quesadillas. Pomegranate Dressing bursting with seeds, Pomegranate Syrup, Meyer Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil showered the accompanying Arugula Salad. Pepperidge Farm Double Dark Chocolate Butter Cookies finished our conceptual voyage from the majestic Basque Mountains to the hills of Land’s End. Dulce – Sweet Indeed!
ChezHelvetica wove interlacing culinary patterns into a warm hug for visiting family.
Grilled White Peaches from the VA Farmers Market with choice of (Brown Sugar & Cinnamon, Maple Syrup or Haagen Dazs Carmel Cone Ice Cream) toppings was Friday night’s arrival dessert. Saturday’s dinner Soiree’ delighted guests as fresh 
accompanied by grilled Zucchini and Aidell’s Italian Style Chicken Sausage, warm Baguette and Greek Olive Medley. La Crema Chardonnay from Sonoma’s North Coast added bright Citrus, Apricot and Honeydew scents. Finally, Trader Joe’s Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies completed the heartwarming meal. A classic Sunday Brunch featuring Lox and ‘Everything’ Bagels from the House of Bagels, Deviled Eggs, Early Girl Tomatoes and Red Onion ended this reunion with Big Dreams for the next!
A portmanteau is a linguistic blend of words in which parts are combined to form a new word, like panzanella – the Italian words for pane (bread) and zanella (deep plate). This fine evening, ChezHelvetica served a Peach Panzanella Salad, blending words and the freshest of this season’s 
bounty. From the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Tory Farms Peaches, Acme Bread New York Rye, Zucchini and Celery macerated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Champagne Vinegar, then accented with Basil Chiffonade. Our first course was a creamy 
Delicious “Grandma Harvey’s Cherry Cobbler”, a recipe from Gotelli & Sons Farm at the VA Farmers Market, burst with the sweetest Bing and Ranier Cherries served warm a lá Mode. A truly wonderful celebration for visiting family! 
The duplicity of the season for ChezHelvetica inspires dishes made with relative ease and some warmth, a nod to lazier days and the ever-present chilling fog. Crunchy 
