A trip to Satur Farms on the North Fork
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Andrea, my garden editor from television and I went on a field trip to the North Fork of Long Island in search of plants and inspiration for new television segments. I called my friends, Eberhard Müller and his wife, Paulette Satur to ask if we might stop by their farm in Cutchogue for a visit. I first met Eberhard when he opened the famed New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin, along with Gilbert LeCoze. His fabulous work in the kitchen earned him four-stars from the New York Times. He later was the Chef of Lutece after Andre Soltner retired and then became the Executive Chef at Bayard's. Paulette was working successfully in New York City in the wine business.
Their lives began to change when they purchased a farm on the North Fork where they grew vegetables and herbs for Eberhard's restaurant. Friends and colleagues began asking if they could buy some of their beautiful produce. Paulette, who grew up on a farm and has a background in horticulture, decided to move to the farm and expand this new business and Eberhard eventually retired from the restaurant world to join her. Today, they farm 180 acres on the North Fork and have 150 acres in Florida. They are dedicated to growing the finest vegetables and culinary ingredients and it's admirable and so much fun to see how their business has grown.
I was so thrilled that Eberhard offered to cook lunch for me and my travelers. As you can imagine, lunch was fabulous with only the freshest of ingredients used. After a most pleasant dining experience, Eberhard and Paulette took us on a tour of their farm and facilities, which, by the way, are always expanding. Please enjoy these photos taken with my Canon G10.
1 Paulette, Eberhard, and me outside their home
2 Here are beautiful lettuces growing in the 140-acre field.
3 This tractor is pulling a planting machine. The two workers sitting upon it position the seedlings, while the person following, sets them firmly in the ground.
4 These little white domes are called blanching caps. They are placed on top of chicory heads to keep the centers of the plants white. Eberhard imports these caps from Europe.
5 Row after row of very healthy vegetable plants.
6 This machine is called a vacuum cooler. It chills newly picked greens to 34-degrees within 15 minutes, keeping them as fresh as possible for shipping.
7 Bins of greens are placed in this chamber for chilling.
8 Eberhard is so proud and happy with his farm.
9 This special machine chops lettuce into bite-size pieces.
10 This salad blend is all cut and ready for packing.
11 The size of this lettuce is amazing!
12 Bins and bins of tender mache
13 A gorgeous mound of chervil - I love this herb.
14 The quantity of fresh produce is astounding.
15 This is a refrigerated packing room where produce is packed into boxes.
16 The Satur Farms logo
17 Here is Eberhard slicing bread for our lunch. The bread is from the Blue Duck Bakery blueduckbakerycafe.com in nearby Southold.
18 Braised leeks from the farm is an amazing vinaigrette
19 Perfect red radishes freshly pulled
20 Colorful local tomatoes
21 Eberhard sliced the radishes so thinly for this salad.
22 Pan seared sea bass - Eberhard bought the bass from Charlie, his favorite fish monger at Southold Fish Market.
23 Oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes from the farm, nicely seasoned with fresh herbs.
24 Eberhard baked this gooseberry desert - a recipe from his childhood in Black Forest, Germany. We debated whether to call it a pie or a cake.
25 Large jars of currants macerating in vodka - Eberhard will use these in his creations.
26 Impeccably fresh crisp cut salad blend was the base for our first course.
27 I admired these glasses that Paulette served water in. She laughed and said that they were from a Living magazine shoot when we did a story there.
28 The greens were tossed with a lemony vinaigrette and the radish salad was placed on top.
29 Eberhard topped the salad off with herbed goat cheese from the award-winning Catapano Dairy www.catapanodairyfarm.com in nearby Peconic.
30 Voila! The composed luncheon plate - on the left side of the plate are braised cippolini onions. The food was fabulous!
31 The gooseberry desert - It had a wonderful tart flavor and texture from the addition of pulverized almonds.
Ooooh! That food really does look lovely. Its great when you can use things that you have grown yourself.
Do you think you might be able to get the recipe for the leeks, or work on a recipe for the magazine - they look wonderful.
Have a good weekend Martha.
Pru
Posted by: Pru | August 14th, 2009 at 3:38 am
You almost don't want to leave that beautiful farm with all those wonderful veggies'.
I know your getting ready to go to Maine if your in the area of Lubec please take time to stop by Cohills Inn on Water Street my friends Jack and Ellen Gearren own and run the place and it's just a nice little stop for lunch or dinner. Have a great time in Maine.
Bernadette
Posted by: Bernadette | August 14th, 2009 at 7:15 am
My what a lovely sight so clean an fresh looking..My sister in law lives next door to Brent an Beckys Bulb farm an we talk about you often.I could listen to Brent talk plants all day,his voice is so soft an he is so smart..Love looking at your blog each day..Summer is coming to an end so enjoy..
Posted by: Sharon | August 14th, 2009 at 7:41 am
there is a nother farm out east on teh north fork called, "Garden of Eve" thats fabulous as well
Posted by: alison hack | August 14th, 2009 at 8:29 am
MARTHA---How utterly fascinating this blog is! What an inspiration for others to aspire to...giving up tobacco farming and changing over to only the BEST produce...Come on, North Carolina and environs tobacco growers! Get some inspiration from Martha, Paulette and Eberhard!
All The Best, Jonathan Brown
Posted by: Jonathan Brown | August 14th, 2009 at 9:12 am
How wonderful!! Thank you so much for this sharing. I fell in love with the dinner plates. Any idea what they are called or where to get them? They are gorgeous. Love the water glasses too.
Posted by: Lin Valentine | August 14th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hi Martha,
You have some very nice and interesting friends and this particular enterprising couple is amazing. What a farm they have - no wonder hundreds of New York restaurants want their organic grown vegetables!
After reading the caption under the water glasses, I had to find the article in the magazine, (April, 2002) and reread it. The food Eberhard prepared for that article is just as beautiful as the lunch you were served and yes, there’s the water glass on page 230. Their house and food look right at home in the Martha Stewart Living magazine. The roses and ornamental clover flower arrangements are especially stunning.
Speaking of radishes, (picture #19), the “What to have for Dinner” in the magazine has a radish butter on toasted baguette that I think I will try. You grate 8 medium radishes, paper towel dry, and mix with 6 T. unsalted butter. Spread on an 8 ounce toasted baguette. Thanks again, Martha! Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Martha, me and my honey (we'll call him The Lion) are talking about doing the country property life after we get married. I've got to show him this blog post, the food and everything else looks fantastic. Many thanks to showing us pictures from your trip, and many thanks to Eberhard and Paulette for showing us their home and their lives.
Amy
Posted by: Amy in Houston | August 14th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Perfect, only thing left out is the amount of work to takes to obtain that "perfect".
Posted by: Margie | August 14th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Those visuals are so good I felt as though I was actually tasting. Such pretty plates, too.
Very interesting and informative illustration that farming is hard work and involves a lot of manpower, equipment and energy use. Puts what seem to be high prices into perspective.
Posted by: jw | August 14th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I don't have time this evening to write my usually full-fledged short story, but I must say that the photos are compelling and so full of bounty and beauty (as always!)
I admire Eberhard for his retirement from a passion I know he possesses, but I also surmise that farm life fulfills him equally as much. It IS work, nevertheless, but a different kind. It's fulfilling to work with the earth and grow from scratch AND have the knowledge and knack to 'create' with those home-grown fresh ingredients.
Both passions go hand-in-hand, wouldn't you say?!
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | August 14th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Gorgeously prepared food...it's close to the dinner hour here and i am famished. Love the beautiful crisp looking salad with the lemony vinaigrette! Martha...you have the best friends!
Posted by: sherey | August 14th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Flavor is the essence and style the color
My new website is all of this
Posted by: Greta | August 14th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Hi Martha, Thanks for another fabulous blog. I remember
Hi Martha, Thanks for another fabulous blog. I remember Eberhard and Paulette from one of your original shows and a special that has beeh on FNL. They have always had a fantastic farm and produced wonderful vegetables and nothing has changed after all these years. I remember the delicious food you and Eberhard fixed right out there in the field. Everything he fixed for you this time was wonderful also. Thanks for the memories.
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 14th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
We love watching The Martha Stewart Show. We use to view it on Fine Living Network each weekday evening at 8 PM. Now we can not find it. We have satellite dish service and live in Raleigh, NC. Can you tell us what channel and day and time to see you? Miss you.
Posted by: Nida Giddens | August 15th, 2009 at 6:30 am
I love the salad greens from Satur farms. How wonderful to see the "behind the scenes."
Posted by: Alejandra | August 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am
How fresh and wonderful all that food was just leapt off the monitor! Thanks for showing us.
Christine
Posted by: Christine Halfon | August 15th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
This place is magnificent. Thank you for these photos, lovely to visit with you.
Posted by: The Blushing Hostess | August 16th, 2009 at 10:28 pm