Early fall is such a nice time of year to entertain at home.
Yesterday, I hosted a small luncheon for six at my farm. I worked with Chef Jeff Srole, who has helped with many meals here and up at Skylands, my home in Maine. We created a menu with several ingredients harvested from my garden and my orchard. Our meal began with Smashed Baked Potatoes topped with Crème Fraîche and Caviar, using homegrown potatoes. Next, a classic French Onion Soup made with onions from my garden, finished with three different cheeses, and dressed with garden herbs. And for dessert, I served an Applesauce Tart made with freshly picked apples - a delicious recipe from my 100th book, MARTHA: The Cookbook.
Here are some photos.
After all the rain we’ve had, it was a perfect day for hosting a small luncheon. I decided to serve our meal right at my Winter House kitchen counter. I just picked the beautiful Celosia Cristata flowers behind me.
I used my Wedgewood Drabware plates on the table – so beautiful for a fall meal.
I always love to decorate my Winter House using flowers grown right here at the farm. Also known as American marigold or African marigold, Aztec marigold, Tagetes erecta, is a showy, easy-to-grow annual that blooms from summer to the first frost. The huge, fragrant blooms, appear on top of one to four-foot stems and are available in various shades of orange, yellow, bronze, and creamy white.
Chef Jeff began preparations early. This is my Applesauce Tart before it’s baked. It’s made with thin, peeled apples from my orchard arranged in concentric circles on top of a buttery, flaky crust. Be sure to use my recipe from MARTHA: The Cookbook. You’ll make it again and again this season.
Here’s the Applesauce Tart fresh out of the oven and cooling.
I harvested so many beautiful potatoes from the garden this year. These are washed and prepped for baking.
Jeff made sourdough whole grain croutons to dress the soup.
When selecting the right bowls for any dish, always consider: the primary purpose – if they are for an appetizer or main course; what kind of soup – broth, cream, stew, etc.; and whether the event is formal or casual. And select plates and bowls early, so there is no rush later. These medium sized crocks are perfect for French Onion Soup.
Once the soup is poured into the crocks, Jeff drops a handful of croutons in each bowl.
He also uses three different cheeses – Gruyère, Emmental, and Compte.
The soup is cooked wonderfully in my Winter House oven, They came out perfectly browned.
I always offer freshly made iced tea or juice when I host. This is a loose leaf black tea with a light orange blossom flavor.
I wanted to serve my Smashed Baked Potatoes with Crème Fraîche and Caviar from my 100th book. I always smash my cooked potatoes on the kitchen counter before serving to break up the tough fibers of the cooked flesh.
Here I show my guests how I dress the potato – first a dollop of crème fraîche and then a generous spoonful of the finest caviar one can find.
These potatoes were devoured by everyone.
Before serving, Jeff sprinkles parsley on top – also grown in my garden.
The tart is cut carefully with a very sharp knife, which cuts through the flaky, crisp crust and soft filling without crushing either.
This Applesauce Tart can be served warm or at room temperature.
Topped with sanding sugar and baked until the fruit is tender, and then served with a spoonful of crème fraîche – nothing is better for an autumn dessert.
Celosia Cristata has twisted, dense, velvety flower heads that can grow to six inches wide. It is always so nice grow beautiful flowers and then cut stems right before a gathering. My guests loved this centerpiece. It was a lovely midday meal at Cantitoe Corners.
Here at my farm, even rainy days can be extremely productive.
Whenever stormy weather keeps my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew from working outside, I encourage them to use the time to take stock of our equipment, clean everything thoroughly, and organize the tools and supplies. My Equipment Barn measures approximately 40 by 120 feet, with plenty of height to house our mowers, blowers, tractors, tools, and other important machinery. Yesterday, as the weekend nor’easter brought a third consecutive day of rain, my team took the opportunity to clear the space, wash the floors and equipment, and carefully inspect each item before returning everything to its designated place. Now, everything is clean, properly stored, and ready for use.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I built this Equipment Barn soon after purchasing the farm. I wanted it to be an attractive structure in an easy-to-access location. This building is just off the carriage road next to my hay barn and vegetable greenhouse. Giant sliding barn doors are at each end.
Here is a view of the inside. To clean it thoroughly, everything is brought out, the floor is cleaned and then everything is returned to its proper place. At night, this barn accommodates all our farm vehicles. Above, the space is well lit with these big overhead lamps. I use very utilitarian lighting and fans wherever I can.
Phurba uses the power washer to clean the cement floors of any mud and other debris.
Here, Phurba uses the STIHL battery-operated blower to direct the water to the drains.
Out back, Phurba also power washes each of the mowers and makes sure each piece of equipment is in perfect working order.
Once it is cleaned, Phurba parks it back in the barn, in a designated spot, where it can easily be driven out when needed.
On one side of the Barn, we keep the entire fleet of STIHL mowers. They are all parked together, faced out, during the summer season when they are used daily.
Next, any dirty garden tools are washed.
And then hung on sturdy hooks. These hooks store our spades and shovels in all sizes for different jobs.
We keep like items together, so we know where to find them and how many we have in supply.
These are long handled cultivating forks which are bent at the end in order to turn the soil.
Any STIHL trimmers and other long handled tools are also kept in one place.
Our blowers are also made by STIHL. We’ve been using STIHL’s backpack blowers for years here at my farm. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
Along the wall on sturdy shelves are our Miracle-Gro fertilizers – also ready to grab when necessary.
Blowers, tillers, edgers, walk behind mowers, and generators are all parked by type and frequency of use.
Ladders of various sizes rest against one wall close to one set of large barn doors.
All the Gilmour hoses are gathered, coiled, tied, and ready for winter storage.
In another corner, we have this bank of lockers for the crew. Everyone has their own locker where they can store safety equipment, extra shoes, clothing, and other personal items.
Meanwhile, the STIHL chainsaws are all sharpened. The teeth are filed, two or three strokes per tooth. This is done for every tooth in one direction and then in the other, all the way around.
Nearby, Pasang checks the tires on this Polaris off-road vehicle. He adds air where needed.
Here is Phurba washing our trusted Hi-Lo, which is also used every day here at the farm.
He also gives our Kubota tractor a good rinse. Regularly washing tractors is essential for safety, equipment longevity, and operational efficiency.
Everything is now back in the large holding area ready to use. It is so nice to know all our equipment can fit neatly in this Equipment Barn.
Here at my farm, I work hard to keep everything clean, organized, and in excellent working condition — especially the large and essential pieces of agricultural equipment.
Earlier this month, we baled our second cut of hay for the season, producing more than 500 bales to feed my horses. Once the work is finished, it’s important to thoroughly inspect and clean all the equipment before putting it into my "trailer barn" for storage. Every year, the barn is also completely emptied and thoroughly washed. Keeping everything clean and properly maintained minimizes damage and extends the life of the structure and each piece of machinery.
Enjoy these photos.
I am very fortunate to have all the proper equipment to make nutritious and delicious hay for my horses. I try to impress upon my team how important it is to take good care of everything we have. Once the hay is cut for the season, Chhiring services and washes all the equipment.
My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, overseas the hay production and the baling machinery. Here, he thoroughly power washes the hood and top of the mower-conditioner, which cuts, crimps and crushes the hay to promote faster and more even drying.
Chhiring cleans every crevice of the baler to remove any debris caught in the machine. This is also a good time for Chhiring to check any parts that may need more maintenance attention. A baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store.
This is the pick up cylinder of the baler, which rolls over the cut hay and gathers it into the chamber.
Most of the equipment is pulled by our trusted Kubota tractor, one of the most important pieces of equipment here at the farm. It is used every single day of the year.
And look at the wheels – each one is five feet in diameter. Chhiring makes sure the tractor and all its tires are also well cleaned.
Chhiring cleans and checks all the lights and other safety features.
And then finally, he cleans around the mechanicals, but is careful to avoid any direct contact with bearings and seals.
Once the equipment is cleaned and adequately sun dried, it is all pulled one by one behind the tractor to the barn specifically designated for these pieces.
Meanwhile, before anything is returned inside, the entire barn is emptied, so it, too, can be well-cleaned.
The dirt floor is raked level and cleaned of any small debris.
And then using a STIHL SGA 85 Cordless Backpack Sprayer, Fernando treats the walls with a dirt and mildew remover and then rinses it off thoroughly.
Any hand tool hooks are also checked and cleaned.
And then tools are placed back in their designated places.
Fernando repaints the bird feed storage station. It’s “Bedford Gray,” of course.
Chhiring oils the hay equipment to repel water, slow oxidation, and prevent corrosion during the off season.
And then one by one, Chhiring backs in each piece.
Some pieces fold up conveniently for storage and transport purposes.
Any flat trailer pieces are put up against the wall and properly secured to save space.
This barn provides adequate air circulation and proper drainage to keep them all dry and safe from the elements.
Every piece has its designated space. Chhiring checks the equipment periodically through the year to ensure it is all safe from moisture, mold, and pests. Good, clean, well-maintained equipment of any kind is sure to last many years.
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