Visiting an herb fair down the road from my farm
Right down the road from my farm in Bedford is the John Jay Homestead , the beautiful home and farm of John Jay, one of America's Founding Fathers. Many events take place on the grounds of the Homestead, including last week's 61st annual Herb Fair, sponsored by the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America, which maintains a showcase garden on the site. These people really know their herbs and use them in many wonderful ways. Enjoy these photos.
1 The big white tent on the sprawling grounds of the John Jay Homestead all decorated for harvest time
2 Beware of Rocks & Hollows - a nice way of saying 'walk carefully'
3 As you can see, the herb fair draws quite a crowd.
4 Jars of herb infused jams, jellies, and mustards sell very quickly.
5 Debby Shields manning this table
6 Lovely jams and jellies
7 Herbal infused vinegars
8 Bottles of pickled chile peppers, lemon verbena - opal basil - margoram rice vinegar, and nasturtium blossom rice vinegar
9 This area of the tent smelled especially fragrant. Betsy Jacobs demonstrated how to make herbal wreaths.
10 Basket trays piled with all kinds of freshly cut herbs
11 The herbs are attached to a wreath form using floral wire.
12 A very beautiful and aromatic wreath
13 Ruth Robertson - 93-years-old and the oldest member of the Herb Society of America - holding a jar of her famous tarragon mustard.
14 Cookbooks for sale complied by members of the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America
15 Local beekeeper, D.J. Haverkamp of Bedford Bees sitting with his exhibit - he even brought a display case of honey bees!
16 There were many kinds of herb plants for sale.
17 A collection of culinary herbs
18 Aromatic lovage is the key ingredient in the Herb Society's delicious lovage soup, served at the fair's luncheon.
19 An adorable little basket of hardneck garlic, hot peppers, and various herbs
20 Volunteers - Susan Thorson, Denise Lee, Cathy _______, and Denise Brookes
21 My friend, Lisa Schwartz of Rainbeau Ridge www.rainbeauridge.com, holding a basket of terrific produce and goat cheese from her farm for the fair's raffle.
22 Lisa decorated her hat with herbal sprigs and flowers.
23 The Rainbeau Ridge logo as seen on this log of goat cheese
24 Another display of local potpourri
25 Betsy, my stable manager, enjoying the pleasing aromas
26 Kathleen Liddy explained how this potpourri is made in several stages. She started with 40 bags and had only 2 left.
27 Lavender sachets inside of handkerchiefs
28 These cloth packets contain southernwood, tansy, mint, thyme, and spices - a natural moth repellent.
29 Used gardening books and cookbooks for sale
30 There was even a copy of my magazine from March of 2000!
31 The lunch menu including a smoked turkey sandwich with Ruth Robertson's tarragon mustard
32 The lunch bags
33 This is the line for the society's signature lovage soup.
34 Pat Thompson was busy stirring away.
35 This wonderful lovage soup has a distinctive flavor - similar to celery with a hint of anise.
36 Enjoying lunch beneath a giant maple - its leaves are beginning to turn with the season.
Photos By Eliad Laskin
How's Francesca?
Posted by: http://andyjspencer.blogspot.com/ | September 30th, 2009 at 12:25 am
i love lovage, have some growing in garden, use it fresh and dried in soups. however, lovage is one wild herb, grows like mad, first one to sprout in spring and the last one standing in autumn. i need to replant mine in a plater to leave the other herbs a chance...
Posted by: liisamarja | September 30th, 2009 at 3:31 am
What wonderful pictures, it makes you want to be there. A lovely relaxing day from the photos. Thanks Martha.
Posted by: Susie Parr | September 30th, 2009 at 4:35 am
What a marvelous herb fair. This would be worth a trip to your area to attend this. Lucky you Martha!!
Posted by: Cathy | September 30th, 2009 at 5:59 am
How fun! Looks like a beautiful day!!
Laura
Posted by: laura trevey | September 30th, 2009 at 6:58 am
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this post about the Herb Fair. My kind of event:) Would love to have a bottle of that Tarragon Mustard! She does NOT look 93 years old. The wee lavender hankie sachets were cute too.
Cheers from Nova Scotia!
Posted by: shelagh | September 30th, 2009 at 7:53 am
We also had a great time there and the homestead has been one of my favorite spots since the school field trips. Fab post!
Posted by: The Blushing Hostess | September 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Oh how I LOVED this! Thanks so much. Great way to start the day!
Posted by: Lin Valentine | September 30th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Hi Martha! what a lovely herb fair, love herb infused jams and herbal infused vinegars.
Hope that Francesca is better today Martha!
God bless
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | September 30th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Fairs and Festivals are such a great part of fall when everyone has so much to show.
Herb fragrances inspire many memories,
Peonies are wonderful,too.
Great program today with your perfumed garden.
Posted by: ann | September 30th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Those herb wreaths look awesome. I bet everything smelled great there. Another reason to invent smellovision blogs!
Posted by: Lynn from For Love or Funny | September 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I think I would have bought at least one of everything and all of the lavender sachets and potpourri bags because that is my kind of fair! The hardneck garlic basket was nice also.
~
I checked out both sites and tried to take a tour of the homestead but not all pictures came up so I’ll try again later. I did enjoy reading much of the info on the Herb Society of America site because I was curious about the lovage herb which ironically was listed in the ‘Beginner’s’ Herb Garden. I need to get out more often because I have never heard of it, but actually there is not much information on it for growth in Florida. I guess it smells and tastes like celery and I think anise (?) which to me sounds like a great combo.
~
Btw, ever since your show on the importance of eating breakfast, I decided to give it a try and I have to say it does actually help me to curb my appetite as the day goes on. I actually eat less for dinner – (who knew?)
~
Thanks again for another interesting blog! Trish
Posted by: Trish | September 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Hi Martha,
I loved this post. I love growing and cooking with herbs so I found the address of the New York Unit and am going to contact them about getting their cookbook. Wish me luck.
Thanks for the great photos of the fair.
Posted by: Kathy Fryar | September 30th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
What a great day! I didn't know one coud infuse vinegar with nastriums. I make ice bowls with them and other edible flowers and herbs.
Posted by: Jeanie | September 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Wow, I really want to go to a herb fair now, I had no idea that there were such things!!!
Posted by: Kristina | September 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Wish we had cool things like that near here!
Posted by: Alyzabeth | September 30th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I love this! I mean sunny South Florida is nothing to sneeze at, but how beautiful...green...relaxing. I need a side trip to help me get those creative juices flowing. Jewelry design is my passion, but I need some fresh inspiration. Maybe another trip to Crete...
Posted by: Maria Garefalakis | September 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Your herb fair reminds me so much of fall festivals and holiday craft shows that we have locally in our tri-state area. (Where I live in Maryland, we're hops/skips/jumps from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.) They make you feel so good inside (...that comfycozywozy feeling) - to be outside in the crisp air amongst nature, taking in all the aromas of good food, herbal scentsations, and other creativities made from the heart with able and knowing hands. I find that they can really restore your soul (and I MUST ensure that I make some time to go to some this fall!)
~
It truly looked like a wonderful day, Martha, and I'm glad you got to be part of it!
~
=^..^=
~
"If we keep a green bough in our heart the singing bird will come."--Chinese Proverb
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | September 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
That is great! What a crowd! Makes me happy. Last year I tried chervil. It was so good. I can't remember why I did not try this year...
Posted by: luizacc | September 30th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hi Martha, The John Jay Homestead sure is a neat place to have a lovely herb fair. The weather looked great and the variety of herb products was stupendous. Herbs are rather easy to grow and it's fun to see how people use them in so many different ways. I grow quite a few and use them in lots of different ways, also. I loved your show today. It's always seeing John B. the great baker. That lemon cake sure looked delicious. Was so happy to hear that Francesca is doing much better. Sure hope Sharkey gets over her wheezing. Can't wait to see both of them on your show tomorrow. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | September 30th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I love caladium
Posted by: anan | October 1st, 2009 at 3:32 am
Martha,
Wasn't sure if this was the way to contact you. Many, Many years ago in the late 80's early 90's We met in Chicago. I was director of home store merchandising foe Marshall Fields. I was the creator of all special events, book signings, cosmetic promo's ect.
I 'm sure you don't remenber me but I sure do you. Your inspiration and kind words opened a dam in my creativity. Being of pure Lithuanian decent we had a lot in common in cooking, and family upbringing.
Now at 53 I find direction in careers have changed and I think you would approve of the one I took. Please take a second to look at my new web sight. go to the top of the comp. screen and where it shows hhp/ put in roadofathousandwonders.com- I now reside in the Hawaiian Islands and overlook Diamond Head and the ocean beyound. What I have developed is a copany that takes the ""ART"" of scrapbooking into an educational and colorful dimension. This comes in the form of delux greeting cards, mini cookbooks, invitations ect to a new leval. You have always been a guiding force in my drive to share these lost treasures to the world.
Subjects such as gardening, worlds fairs, home making and everyday life will continue to develope the company.
I won't bore you anymore but your thoughts to me on my e-mail topper562@hotmail.com will be forever appreciated. if you e-mail me I'll send you a picture of me and perhaps it will jar your memory. I work from the house and watch daily...Let me know if you want to see more of this unique educational work and if given an address I will be happy to send some cards , and cook books out to share with you.
Aloha & Mahalo an old aquintece.
Joe Lapinski
Posted by: Joseph Lapinski | October 1st, 2009 at 4:57 am
-- Hi. Thurs., 9/30/09 I harvested grapes in Cambridge, Vt. Pruners & garden shears are used to cut clusters from vines. Thanks for allowing me to attend an herb fair electronically. --
Posted by: Mina I. | October 1st, 2009 at 8:37 am
hello martha you are one of my best friends and your talents and strengths are my inspiration I want to be the Next Martha Stewart
Posted by: Gayle Teague | October 1st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I worked at the Bake Table on the day of the Herb Fair at John Jay. It was a wonderful day and we had a lot of home baked goods. All was sold. Did not see a picture of the Bake Table.
It was filled with all kind of goodies. I have been a member of the Herb Society for 20 years.
Martha Thank You for your beautiful pictures of the Fair.
Posted by: Louise Sacci | October 1st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
What a great idea! I bet you found lots of great things for a fall party! Those herb leaves are just beautiful!
Posted by: Mandy M. | October 1st, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Thank you for the great pictures of the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America's 61st Annual Herb Fair. It was indeed glorious and your team did a great job on the pictures. Not only did many of us can, bake, make potpourri, bring plants, help with lunch and soup, we are fans of yours. An article on our 93 year old champion tarragon mustard maker and retired ob/gyn, Ruth Robertson would be an outstanding piece on a life well lived.
Posted by: Debby Shields | October 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
i'm dying to join this fair if i ever had a chance..lucky you martha...love everything you do...
Posted by: nik | October 1st, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I wish I could have one of each product. They look so real and organic. Anyone knows if they have a unit in Des Moines, Iowa?
Posted by: Ezmaray Mohtasebzada | October 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Lovely photos of a truly superlative event. They make me wish very much that I could have attended the New York Unit's herb festival. As a member of The Herb Society of America myself, I can easily imagine from experience of the Philadelphia Unit's annual herb sale what a wonderful aura of fragrance suffused that big white tent.
The Herb Society may not have a unit in the Des Moines area, but one needn't be a member of a unit to belong to The Society. The Herb Society Web site will be happy to provide details (www.herbsociety.org) Happy herbing.
Posted by: Elizabeth Kennel | October 10th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Martha,
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful images from the New York Unit's Herb Fair. As a member of the Board of Directors of The Herb Society of America I greatly appreciate your support of our organization.
Posted by: Ann | October 10th, 2009 at 3:09 pm