Farm To Table Entertaining

Out picking in the blueberry field at March Farm.

We are in the thick of summer and isn’t it wonderful. It’s what we wait for all year round.

A chance to enjoy everything local and entertain outdoors.

Summer is moving fast, so I thought I would load you up with several menus from my journal entries.

There is such a discernible difference in taste when the ingredients are as fresh as can be. 

It’s blueberry month here in the northeast and we are very lucky to have lots of local farms.  So off I go to pick blueberries, with the thought in mind to bake some free form tarts. It would be a pity not to eat blueberries right now.

Rinse the just picked blueberries and spread on paper towel to dry.

The stainless steel dough scraper is one of the best things you can have in your kitchen. NOT only does it scrape together loose pieces of dough, it lifts ingredients, chopped or minced. Better than with your hand and a knife.

My free form tart before it goes into the oven.

 I made the tarts to freeze and serve another time when I entertain. Now I'll have to go back to the farm and pick more, just for eating. There's probably only another week of picking left.

I made two sizes. These are the 4 inch tarts.

And these are the 6 inch tarts.

Some of the dishes to make every summer: Pesto sauce for pasta or hors d'oeuvres, like my pesto toasts. Or as a sauce on the side of fish or to stuff into chicken breasts. Panzanella, the Italian tomato and bread salad. Gazpacho. Tomato and mozzarella with basil or mixed over pasta. Any kind of tomato salad. Sliced tomatoes and sliced peaches in a balsamic dressing. Peppers, grilled. All kinds of vegetables to grilled  be incorporated into pasta dishes or fajitas, or grilled quesadillas. Grilled vegetables pureed into soups.Vitello Tonnato, a cold dish of veal in tuna-anchovy mayonnaise, garnished with fresh herbs and flowers from the garden, or farm.

 Two Summer Menus from my journals:

Farm to table snapdragons.

Herbs from the garden used in chemists vases for the table. Nasturtiums made into posies. Pesto toasts made from fresh basil and garnished with purple and green basil.

A wedge of brie cheese stuffed with sliced tomato and basil.
Penne, sausage, broccoli and light tomato sauce. Vitello Tonnato, garnished with herbs, anchovies, lemon, capers, olives and pimento.

The bread salad, Panzanella from Marcella Hazan's cookbook. Dessert, a Mascarpone semi-freddo with fresh raspberry sauce.

Summer lunch. Grilled asparagus with smaoked bacon and black olive-caper vinegrette on a bed of home grown mesclun lettuce. A tomato concasse garnish.

Grilled shrimp and pepper fettucine with roasted red bell pepper sauce.

Mixed fruit cobbler with creme fraiche.



There's still more summer and more summer entertaining menus next week. 
If you would like any recipe for the dishes above, please leave me a comment and I will list it for you next week.

As always,
xxoo Sheila