Wednesday, May 28, 2008

FOOD CZAR ROADTRIP #5: FREDERICKSBURG, TX, PART ZWEI, DAY 3

Final day of roadtrip. Time to head 'em up and move 'em out, as they used to say on Rawhide. (Rawhide was a Western that Clint Eastwood starred in when he was young. Yes, Clint Eastwood was ACTUALLY YOUNG ONCE!!!) Dependable Molly knocked on the door around nine with herb quiche, fruit cup (with bananas instead of grapefruit), orange juice, and best of all, raspberry bread pudding! Yay!! I hope she makes it again the next time we visit. After breakfast, we finished the business of packing and loading, and headed out 290 East, to a place recommended by Molly just the day before.

VOGEL ORCHARD

May is the start of peach season in the Hill Country and accordingly, Vogel Orchards is open from May to August. In true small-town fashion, Vogel Orchards is conveniently located next to Vogel Tractors (yes, they are owned by the same family), a business that I'm sure helps sustain the Vogels year-round. We pulled off the main road and parked and began to examine the fruit. Peaches are quickly perishable, so we decided to forego their nectarinesh deliciousness (is nectarinesh a word?) and instead opted to purchase the peach preserves and peach butter. The next day, we made biscuits for breakfast and served them with the homemade preserves. Wonderfully sweet with a touch of tartness, Vogel's peaches make good eatin'. However, if peaches (or preserves) aren't your thing, don't despair: Vogel also offers plum jelly, blackberry jelly, fig preserves, and other fruits and vegetables, as well as peach cobbler and peach butter ice cream if you show up in person. Website for all this bliss is www.texaspeaches.com/vogel. If you decide you're in need of a tractor instead, that website is www.vogeltractors.com.

After a couple of stops for gas and such, we decided to motor home. However, kolaches and cupcakes were once again calling our name. Deciding that Gerik's was probably closed, as it was Sunday, we headed for another familiar place.

THE LITTLE CZECH BAKERY

Joining the throng inside this nonstop kingdom of kolaches, I once again opted for the breakfast sausage with cheese, which was thoroughly tasty as usual. (They do use Gerik's meats and advertise as such.) My lovely bride opted for the fresh-iced chocolate cupcakes, which were quite moist and delicious. Although I still prefer Geriks, Little Czech Bakery is a great alternative whenever Gerik's isn't open, as they are part of the Czech Stop family. Website:
www.czechstop.net.

Full and satisfied, we happily continued on to our North Texas home. Hopefully, we'll be able to revist Central Texas soon. Plan your own visit ASAP, and as always:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!

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