A Business Luncheon at My Farm
Business gatherings are always so much more enjoyable when accompanied by a delicious homemade meal.
Earlier this week, I hosted a luncheon at my home for a group of colleagues and associates. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a wonderful summer menu for 14-guests that included beet borscht with carrots, onion, Red Bliss new potatoes and crème fraîche, risotto with English peas and artichokes, and for dessert black currant and raspberry sorbet with brown butter shortbread. All the vegetables and fruits were grown right here at my Bedford, New York farm and many were picked fresh that morning. It was an excellent lunch and a most productive and interesting meeting.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- Here at my farm, I’ve been enjoying so many of the wonderful vegetables growing in the new garden. We harvested all these gorgeous carrots just hours before they were used for my luncheon.
-
- The artichokes are also so plentiful this year. Artichokes are actually flower buds, which are eaten when they are tender. Buds are generally harvested once they reach full size, just before the bracts begin to spread open. When harvesting, cut the stem approximately one to three inches from the base of the bud. The stem becomes a useful handle when trimming the artichoke.
-
- And look at these beets! Beets are so good, and so good for you. Beets are sweet and tender – and one of the healthiest foods. Beets contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.
-
- We also picked several onions. We planted a lot of white, yellow, and red onions. Most of the onions will be harvested later in the summer when the underground bulbs are more mature and flavorful.
-
- And remember the peas we picked? So many amazing fresh peas – perfect for our lunch.
-
- Inside, my long table was decorated with fresh flowers also from the garden. My housekeepers and I always work on the table settings together. We try to make each one different and beautiful.
-
- Small faux bois vases were lined up along the center of the table and filled with colorful rose blooms.
-
- Also in my Brown Room, I decorated nearby tables with Cotinus stems with their purplish pink billowy hairs attached to flower clusters.
-
- Here, some light lime green. All my guests admired them. Cotinus, also known as smoke bush and smoke tree, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs.
-
- In my kitchen, all the plates and glasses were selected and prepared for service. When entertaining, try to do these tasks early to save time.
-
- Chef Pierre and his sous chef, Aaron, made delicious herbed butter bread to start. Here, Aaron cuts the baguettes still warm from the oven…
-
- … and places them in a basket for serving. Everyone loves these herbed breads – we had to make enough to go around once, twice, and three times.
-
- Alongside the bread, we served glasses of the freshest carrot juice – so, flavorful.
-
- Meanwhile, here is Aaron helping to plate the first course – our beet borscht with carrots and onion.
-
- Each bowl of soup was topped with a potato and a dollop of crème fraîche, and a sprig of dill. Borscht, also spelled borsch, borsht, or bortsch, is the beet soup of Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish countries, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin.
-
- More bowls of crème fraîche are placed on the table in case anyone wants more. Crème fraîche, French for “fresh cream,” is a thick cultured cream often used as a finishing touch for sauces and soups, or spooned over fruit or warm desserts such as cobblers.
-
- The artichokes are cut and roasted for the risotto.
-
- And here are all the peas – also ready for the risotto. When serving a meal, it is important to keep track of the time, so everything can be plated and served warm. Use warming ovens, or warmed trays and covered dishes when needed.
-
- Here is the risotto with our English peas and fresh artichokes. Risotto is an Italian dish made by cooking a starchy, short grain rice like arborio with stock until it becomes creamy. It is so delicious with peas – one of my favorite ways to serve risotto.
-
- Here is a closer look. The risotto is always a big hit – every bowl was left completely empty.
-
- I often serve brown butter shortbread with my desserts. Shortbread is easy to make and goes with many fruit sorbets.
-
- Dessert was most refreshing – especially on this warm and humid afternoon.
-
- A beautiful serving of black currant and raspberry sorbet topped with a scoop of whipped cream and mint. Thank you Chef Pierre and Aaron. Every course, every bite, was divine.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
