Our quest for more goodies for the Old Colony Club's annual Past Presidents Night gala brought us to the Quechee VT/Hanover, NH area for the trifecta: the waxed two-pound wheel of Cabot sharp cheddar at the Cabot Store, the King Arthur Flour Company Baker's Store, and the excellent and comprehensive cheese counter at the Hanover Food Coop.

I achieved all my party-related objectives in short order, so we went exploring through the mountains north of Woodstock as far as the Barre quarrylands, then west to the Connecticut River.

At sundown we set out for dinner and home. We had been to Three Tomatoes Trattoria before, but the last time we got stuck behind a belly-dancing team (I'm not kidding) and that table of 10 made service slow for us, as we shared a server. But we knew the trouble was timing, not quality, so we gave it another chance last night, and I am glad we did.

Three Tomatoes makes a special effort to support local farming, as do many restaurants in that area. I usually like to eat light before the long drive home, so this time I contented myself with their Wood Oven Baked Burrata from the Small Plates part of the menu.

A Burrata is a wonderful invention, until very recently unavailable in this country unless you knew someone who could fly it over from Italy. I remember buying one at Murray's in New York City just because I could, and having enjoyed it so, making a special trip to the Salumeria Italiana on Richmond St in Boston's North End, where the lucky ones could get a burrata on Thursday mornings (only).

Now the burrata is being made in this country for the delectation of all of us who want to try this paragon of fresh cheese. Maplebrook Farms makes an excellent one. I had never thought of baking a burrata, but the one I had at Three Tomatoes was baked in a light, perfectly-seasoned tomato basil sauce that brought some Italian color back to this Vermont-born Italian-American food.

It's a good thing that the burrata is avaialable locally now (I have seen it at Whole Foods), because now I want to explore ideas for serving it hot!