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

The Garden Entertains Me

The flower Bouquet our friend Miriam made for the tables at her festive occasion!

Last night my husband and I went to Stone Barns at Blue Hill in Tarrytown for an anniversary and birthday of dear friends. We made a point to leave our home early- 
an effort to combat Friday's rush-hour traffic.
I would've kicked myself if we were late! 

Arriving early has its perks! We got to walk around the property and look at the fabulous parterre gardens (the gardens that supply the kitchens). 

While exploring, I inquired about the mini brown paper bags that were tied so gingerly around the apples hanging on the still growing apple trees. 

The bags were painstaking and lovingly placed on (just about) every apple. This was done to prevent the birds from eating them before the restaurant's chef had the chance to pick them.

The paper bags covering the apples at Stones Barn 
at Blue Hill

Knowing this was just the place that would honor and partake in farm to table traditions,  I could just imagine what seasonal varieties would be served that evening. 

And so the celebration began-  with cocktail hour on the terrace. The variety of hors d'oeuvres were presented like little gems. We were offered mini pea burgers that were the size of buttons! 

There were the 1/2" Vichyssoise cubes. Little pillowy morsels made to mimic the taste of Vichyssoise soup (a creamy potato, leek, onion and chicken stock based 
soup ). Delicious!


There were little Frittata squares topped with black caviar. The eggs for the frittatas of course came from the farm's free range chickens!


Then, we tasted perfect little asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto, and covered with sesame seeds.

And, for dinner-- more offerings from the garden and nearby farms. 

For instance, there were tastes of the sweetest, fresh lobster atop a creamy herb soup in which this season's fiddlehead ferns were featured!

Next, a melt in your mouth buttery fillet of beef.

I thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of dear friends at such a beautiful and natural setting. I was inspired.

That said, I couldn't wait to get into my garden the next morning.

I look forward to harvesting the purple, yellow, white and red radishes- all from Italian seeds I planted in May.
I will have to celebrate them in a garden to table meal. I will find some farm butter to go with them and a sprinkling of sea salt.

I picked some arugula, romaine and red leaf lettuce to put into a salad.

I checked the basil and the beets. 

I  cut some of the profusely blooming clematis to put in my guestroom for my sister-in-law who is visiting us. 

Here is the menu for the welcome dinner I served for my sister-in-law's arrival. It included pickings from my garden.
I suppose it's my garden to table dinner. Perfect for the start of Summer.

 Menu:


Artisinal Cheeses from Arethusa Farm 

Marinated London Broil 

Grilled Sweet Potatoes 
(marinated in a combo of extra virgin olive oil, canola oil and herbs from the garden)
Farm fresh Corn
Garden Salad Greens Vinegrette
(arugula, red oak and romaine)

AND I HAVE TO SHARE: a Vichyssoise Soup Recipe as I can't stop thinking about these flavors after last night's cocktail hour tastings:

Vichyssoise cold or hot

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white part only

1 small onion chopped

3 to 4 cups peeled, diced or sliced potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 quart chicken stock

1 quart water

1 tablespoon salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh minced chives

In a large stock pot melt the butter. Add the leeks and onions and cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes until soft.

Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper .

Pour in the chicken stock and water, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook partially covered until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor.

Stir in the cream and chill if serving cold. If serving warm, reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency. Garnish with chopped chives.

I'll leave you with these snap shots- hopefully they inspire you to get out there to garden, cook and entertain:

The (Jackmanii) clematis ( I cut some for the guestroom)

my herb garden

the basil just starting to grow in my garden

chives growing in my garden

By the way, I love reading Margaret Roach’s Way to Garden for the most informative gardening advice. Check it out this Summer- if you are not digging and planting already--- you will be!


I'd love to get comments!

Till next week-

As Always,
xxoo Sheila