A Fall Gardeners Dinner at My Farm

November 25, 2019

Autumn entertaining continues at my Bedford, New York farm with a lovely dinner for friends and colleagues passionate about gardening.

I always enjoy hosting gatherings at my home. Last week, my friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a delicious menu for 19-guests. We served pot-au-feu, one of my favorite French comfort dishes - this one garnished with seasonal vegetables grown right here in my garden. We also prepared red and yellow endive salad with Roquefort and crushed Sicilian pistachios. And, for dessert, homemade quince sorbet and quince ice cream with brown butter shortbread cookies. Preparations began very early in the morning - there is always so much to do, including setting the dining table, decorating the rooms with houseplants, and of course, cooking all the wonderful foods.

Enjoy these photos…

: Whenever I host dinner parties, I always include a menu for each guest – it is a personal detail that is very important to me. The card stock is printed with the symbol of my farm – this great sycamore tree of Cantitoe Corners.

: My housekeepers, Enma and Sanu, work with me to choose the table settings. We create a couple of options, set them on the table and see which one we like best. I wanted this dinner to have a country feel.

: We decided to use my Drabware plates with matching tan linen napkins on top of leaf-shaped placemats.

: Sheets of newspaper are twisted into batons, and placed on the hearth next to the kindling and dried wood logs – everything one needs to create a warm fire.

: The fireplace itself is already prepared with the first few logs and twigs of kindling.

: My coffee table is decorated with piles of interesting gardening books surrounding this handsome begonia – after all, it is a gardeners dinner.

: The centerpiece of the coffee table is a vase of broom corn grown here at the farm. I plan to make a broom out of it later and save the seeds for next year’s crop. in the back, spray-painted asparagus ferns – so perfect for this Brown Room.

: Meanwhile, Chef Pierre is busy in the Flower Room, cutting all the gorgeous vegetables from my garden – carrots, celery, leeks and so many more.

: Several types of meat are used for pot-au-feu. For this dinner, Chef Pierre uses two veal shanks, two beef shanks, four pounds of boneless short ribs, one capon, bone marrow, and Saucisson a l’ail, or garlic sausage. The meats are slowly boiled in large pots to cook the meat until it is tender.

: Chef Pierre uses 15 and 20-quart pots, so the meats can be cooked together – it is the delicious broth that enhances the pot-au-feu. Just fill the pots with water to cover the meats and let them simmer for up to three-hours. The important thing is to skim off any fat from the top. Chef Pierre does this many times while the foods cook.

: Chef Pierre chars onions straight on the flame – these onions add an intense smoky flavor to any dish.

: And he adds the onions and many of the cut vegetables to the pots for a more flavorful broth. He also continues to remove any fat at the top until the broth is as clear as possible.

: In my Winter House kitchen, I am making horseradish to serve with the pot-au-feu. Look how beautiful this fresh horseradish is – so white and very aromatic. It was harvested the same day.

: This is my favorite style vegetable peeler. It is called a “Y” peeler. For horseradish, peel the surface skin off of the tuber. This exposes the clean white roots.

: Next, the horseradish is washed to make sure the pieces are all free of any dirt.

: Here is Empress Qin, right by the door of my Winter House kitchen – my Chow Chows love watching all the activity outside.

: I cut up the horseradish into large chunks and put them in the food processor. When I was a child, I used to cut all the horseradish by hand for my mother. These food processors really changed the way we prepare food today. Cut the horseradish in a well-ventilated area, where the fumes won’t burn your eyes. It is similar to cutting onions. As the flesh is exposed to air, enzymes cause substances in the roots to change to spicy mustard oil, which could cause a little stinging. Some are more sensitive to it than others. This process stops when the root is submerged in vinegar. Pulverize the peeled horseradish root until it is well ground. Add a tablespoon of water if necessary.

: Making prepared horseradish is so easy. Once processed, move the horseradish into a bowl and add rice vinegar, or white vinegar. For about a cup of horseradish, add about 3/4-cup vinegar. Homemade prepared horseradish is about twice as strong as store-bought versions and can last several weeks in the refrigerator.

: Then add some sugar. And finally, add a couple tablespoons of salt to taste.

: I made enough for 10 half-pint containers. These will last me all winter. Horseradish is great with meats such as steak and prime rib.

: Back in the Flower Room, the vegetables and meats continue to simmer until the meat falls off the bones. Once again, Chef Pierre removes any fat that has risen to the top of the pots. It smells so delicious.

: Sous Chef Moises continues to peel and cut all the vegetables for the pot-au-feu.

: All the vegetables are placed together as part of the “mis-en-place.” It refers to having all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before cooking. The main course includes leeks, celeriac, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and cabbage.

: The stock is strained and then these vegetables are cooked in the same meat broth – these are served with the meal. The colors of the fresh vegetables are so vibrant. Cook the vegetables until they are soft.

: Next, quince juice from the quince fruits grown here at the farm is mixed with water and sugar and put into the sorbet machine. For two quarts of juice, we added two cups of sugar.

: The machine churns the liquid at freezing temperatures making more than a quart of sorbet in about a half hour. Chef also makes quince ice cream, which includes dairy and eggs.

: By afternoon, all the vegetables and meats are cooked and placed into pans with the broth. This is when everything can be seasoned with salt and pepper. They will all be brought up to my Winter House kitchen shortly before serving, warmed and then plated together. You will love the finished dishes.