Happening at Claire's and around Hardwick

Local Food: If the rain has you yearning for summer, a few days of sun this week might do the trick, especially when you think about the arrival of summer beans and peas. Steven has just the thing to remind you that it’s the season’s peak. A salad of heirloom tomatoes, sprouts, and just off the stalk fava beans from Mystic Morning Farm in Greensboro, with sheep’s milk cheese and maple balsamic vinaigrette. To finish your dinner, try a summery Chocolate Raspberry Brownie with ice cream and salted caramel sauce, or a “Neapolitan” Ice Cream Sandwich with Praline and Pecan cookie and chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream.

Local Beverages: Summer Sunday and Monday bar specials, and every day coffee and bar service after 2:30. And the Red Sox games live from NESN. Stop by Tuesday to toast President Obama’s 48^th Birthday.

Thursday Music: Joy and New Orleans Honky-Tonk bring some old school jazz to Claire’s this week.

Around the Galaxy: Journalist and storyteller Paul Lefebvre will be at The Galaxy Bookshop Tuesday at 7:00 pm, reading from his book, Perimeter Check. Collected here are essays from Lefebvre's column in The Chronicle "Yours from the perimeter," plus a few pieces written before he began the column.

Coming Up: Reserve your table for a special August 17 dinner and preview book signing at Claire’s with Allison Hooper, author of In a Cheesemaker’s Kitchen and co-founder of Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. Hooper’s beautiful cookbook showcases the artisan products of Vermont Butter & Cheese Company and highlights the craft of modern American cheesemakers. Though the book will not be published officially until November, the Galaxy Bookshop will have copies available at the dinner. Tickets for the three course menu featuring recipes from the book are on sale at the Galaxy Bookshop. Please purchase in advance.

The Northeast Kingdom Music Festival is this weekend, August 7 & 8 at the Chilly Ranch in Albany. Visit their website at www.nekmf.com. For our friends to the south, Sunday is the annual Summer Social of the Vermont Beef Producers Association, with two farm visits and pasture walks in Waitsfield and Brookfield, and good food.