Happy Buddha...Rejected!

Another day in Paradise. We had some rough weather the last couple days, lots of windswept rain. Incredibly, it began to brighten last night, just about 1 hour before a wedding was to take place on our beach. Perfect timing that's for sure. Two people, young and so in love, openly proclaiming their love and fidelity to the Universe in front of the gleaming Atlantic ocean, complete with Key deer, and of course, Peri. Its always a privilege to witness such an important event, and we wish the new Mr. & Mrs. the very best life has to offer as they move forward together with this next chapter in their lives.

The weather, coupled with my very annoying muscle pull, has pushed me into the kitchen for long hours. I have experimented with close to one dozen new recipes of late, some were catastrophic failures, while others were surprisingly wonderful. It got me to thinking about something which I filed under a "c'est la vie" category, but will share with you.

I mentioned a while ago that Deer Run was featured in Vegetarian Times May/June issue, and we were. I'm actually so proud of that. The article was about vegetarian inns, and only 4 inns were in the article, Deer Run being one of them. There was a lovely photo, a very short blurb about us, then a recipe which I had submitted. Its interesting what goes on behind the scenes so to speak. I was contacted by VT months before the issue. Truth be told, I was thisclose to ignoring the call. First, part of me didn't believe it was really them (seriously, I've been a subscriber for close to 20 years!) Secondly, they wanted a recipe and I was reluctant to share. With a little help from another innkeeper who smacked some sense into me (thanks Dina at The White Pig in Schuyler, VA) I released one of my most popular recipes, called "Happy Buddha" frittata. This photo showcases the Buddha, which I typically serve with organic, fair trade coffee, tea, an organic fruit or chocolate muffin, and juice (take note, an English muffin strikingly similar to those implicated in the flash fire incident I wrote about in an earlier post is also shown in this photo).

At first I was informed my recipe was great, but when push came to shove, they re-contacted me and I was bluntly told their taste testers "couldn't get excited" by my recipe. I was honestly stunned. They asked for a different recipe, basically anything but what I submitted. I'll tell you, I took this personally. I cook from the heart, I bake from the soul. Literally when I prepare food for others, from garden to table I am infusing it with love and care. To be told that something which I have prepared hundreds of times and watched over and over be so thoroughly enjoyed, was instead sub-par, hit me below the belt. After I gathered myself, I submitted another one of my most popular recipes, a muffin called "Compassionate Cranberry Burst Citrus Muffins." I submitted it with its proper name, as well as the fact that virtually every ingredient is organic in this recipe (which of course held true for Happy Buddha). By the time the mag went to print, the title was altered, and "organic" was stricken from the ingredients. Its again another time where I feel someone just "doesn't get it." What we do here IS different. That's the point. It DOES matter if something is organic, or not. It tastes different, its different in our bodies, and its different for our planet. Its important, and Deer Run wants itself aligned with this important difference which so many people DO recognize as important and valuable.

Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, that may very well be true. If we are overly sensitive here, its only because we pour our hearts, souls and everything we have into what we offer. Our goal here isn't JUST to be a wonderful B&B. Our goal here is to be an example for sustainability in this industry. The thought, effort, personal energy expended, and investment is extensive in everything we do here, the food is no exception. I am sensitive to the fact that the word "organic" is deleted from a recipe that's offered at Deer Run, because aside from love being the most important ingredient, organic is the next most important.

I do hope you enjoyed the May/June VT edition, but when you make my recipe featured in the mag, please make sure you buy organic, think happy thoughts while preparing them, and speak softly as they bake... they too may be overly sensitive, LOL.