Thursday, February 9, 2017

Romantic Valentine's Getaway in Rhode Island for Food Lovers - Where to Dine & Stay

Oysters as Aphrodisiac? At Nicks on Broadway, Rhode Island, it's all about the love 


Consider this your official Culinary Cupid’s arrow or two - and a quiver-full of exciting and delicious food and drink destinations located in the Ocean State -- that’s Rhode Island for the landlubbers and others who are not yet smitten with the US’s second smallest state.

Why consider Rhode Island for a romantic Valentine’s weekend? There are dozens of reasons; I’ll give you more than a few:
  • It’s easier to get to than the Hamptons (no snaking traffic jams.) 
  • Newport and Providence, in particular, have long hosted some of the world’s wealthiest travelers and country estate owners -- think Vanderbilts, Astors, Belmonts, Henry James and Edith Wharton, -- and today’s “It Girl:” Taylor Swift. They know a thing or two about where to stay.
  • Good things come in small packages -- so despite being small in size - there is great diversity in things to do: from the ocean to restaurants to wineries to shopping to artisanal foods. 
  • It’s the home of the famous culinary school, Johnson & Wales so there is a food-centric pedigree that permeates and elevates the state’s approach to dining.
I recently had the great pleasure to tour and taste at a number of Rhode Island’s best and can wholeheartedly recommend an itinerary to keep the love in Valentine’s Day while you fall in love with the authentic charm and hospitality waiting for you there.

Don’t you agree that a big part of true love is that sense of discovery - always learning something new while a certain spell is cast? Visiting Newport and Providence - and seeing the state's delightful countryside is a lot like that fascination.

Make plans to stay at the grand Providence Biltmore either on the front end of your trip or as a finishing touch to end your stay -- it’s located convenient to Amtrak and the train station. Take the train -- it’s easy and fun and you feel transported from the moment you find your seat. View the scenery while sipping some wine and nibbling a snack. It’s the way to go.
View of Rhode Island scenery from Amtrak seat

You must stay at the luxurious Ocean House home away-from-home, but oh-so-much-better hotel - a replica of the 1937 showpiece. 


There’s complimentary transport to and from the station. You can reserve a Mercedes Benz from the nice folks there to drive to nearby attractions during your stay. But really -- you’ll want to nest at this romantic spot for lots of pampering -- voted best spa - and so many groovy bars and six elegant, casual, farm to table, (some of it grown on-premise) dining spots -- from seaside terraces to brasserie to a chefs’ table - all with incredible views and a private beach - so that you’ll feel like you’re in movie or novel straight out of well, an Edith Wharton drama. 

 


Perched on a bluff located in Watch Hill, the award-winning Ocean House also offers signature suites, abundant fireplaces to snuggle in front of (there’s always complimentary tea or hot chocolate or cider or some refreshments available), 















artful viewing of the world’s largest private collection of the Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline series (so whimsical!) 











Perhaps a cooking class at their in-house center for Wine and Culinary Arts will woo your lover.
There’s always the game room and sports (professional croquet, darling?) or squash or the indoor salt water lap pool. 
For those more inclined to the restful pursuits, there are plenty of cozy couches where you can read or pen those poems to share with your lover later over cocktails. 


















The racy, Ferrari red leather stools and banquettes in the Bar/Library will be sure to rev your engines.


Ok, so you will at some point want to motor that Benz over to a few restaurants and explore a winery or two.

Not to be missed is The Midtown Oyster Bar. Come prepared for a true bivalve adventure! 

There were nine oysters on the menu the day I ate there; local treats that I savored for their distinctives taste, texture, salinity, and finish. Oysters are best eaten in the winter - crisp and cold - so indulge in the local Walrus and Carpenter oysters to name a few. Discover if all that talk about oysters and one’s libido are true… 


Brian Ashness, the Midtown’s Raw Bar chef, came up with a brilliant strategy for oyster newbies after seeing a kind of tutorial place mat in Chicago that inspired him - and here’s how it works. 

Your order comes with a large postcard-sized Oyster Tasting Guide - think of it as a kind of report card. 

It first explains what is meant by three oyster properties: Salinity, Body, and Finish. Below the guide is where you rate the oysters to determine “My Favorite Oysters.”  

What a delicious way to try out oysters. Chef Brian is a big man with a big love of his home’s panoply of seafood -- eager for you to love the local treats.

So slurp away! I love that full, crisp, herbal or smoky oyster. The Block Island oyster is spectacular - unexpectedly salty, very bright flavor; so too the Poppasquash oysters from nearby Bristol are spectacular.

Paired with local, craft beer and you’re just this side of heaven because you’ll be seeing stars. (Too bad there’s not local wine available at the restaurant -- you know the saying, “If it grows together, it goes together.” The white wines - especially the dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer - we tasted later at the Nunes Farms’ Newport Vineyards would’ve been terrific.)

The only thing better is the Midtown Oyster Sauce that Chef Brian created. 
Their brand of “hot sauce” will be commercially available this spring, according to Chef. 
Until then, savor as much of this potion as possible! 

The proprietary sauce blend ingredients include brown sugar, serrano chiles, sriracha, and to cool it down: citrus. When Chef offered me a bottle to take home, I lit up, saying, “You don’t have to ask me twice!” Afraid he’d change his mind, we wrapped it up and I found a spot in my handbag. 
I’ve since used it at home - sharing the potion with guests, enjoying it’s wowsy taste on oysters, naturally, as well as plenty of other things. I also love that the graphics on the bottle were created by a fellow staffer at the restaurant. Lot’s of talent in the pool at Midtown. 

Every menu item sampled at this casual restaurant was top-tier. 
Here the clam chowder was exceptional - lots of sherry-cream, herb butter -- and bacon! Everything tastes better with bacon! Giving it a run for taste is the Lima Lobster Ceviche with aji amarillo chili, sweet potato, scallion corn, lime, cilantro and avocado that swirls to a bright taste punctuated with bold flavors that play well together. And for good taste and fun, you simply must try the local Stuffie - a stuffed quahog with chourico, sweet peppers, and breadcrumbs!  

You love this chef - and his brilliant creations! 

The Newport Vineyards was frankly, a surprise. While the vineyard is celebrating its 20th anniversary, I had no idea the extent of the wine-making available there. And that it’s good-tasting wine made me blush for not being aware of this regional gem. The Nunes preserved the land that had been in the brothers John and Paul’s family for generations. The geography provides a microclimate that is positioned to take advantage of the “warm waters of the Gulf Stream to the south and the moderating effects of Narragansett Bay. These conditions provide a long, cool growing season ideal for developing complex flavors in wine,” according the winery.  


The Vineyard boasts tasting rooms, tours, an extensive shopping area stocked with gifts and wine -- you can have customized labels made -- and a casual cafe for eating and take out (I’m told the locals frequent this spot as well as the Farm to Market Fridays), along with an event space, terrace with a view adjacent to the vines in the field, an event space, and a full restaurant upstairs. I loved the fireplace there and long, winding bar - a kind of rustic romantic perch.


Here we got lucky during our two flights of wine tasting: 


While we sipped the Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc and Landot Noir (a terrific cold-weather grape that tastes robust), Chef Andy Teixeira asked if we wanted to taste a few of his creations - noting he knew we were heading to dinner later. 







Chef Andy Teixeira, Newport Vineyards
Lardons, parsnip & wow!
I’m sooo glad we did. Wow. Chef Andy’s food is as remarkable as is his food philosophy. He’s been the chef in residence at the vineyards for a fairly short span of time; therefore his farm to table menu was in its infancy when I visited -- but boy -- his pedigree and samples signal he’s on the road to a culinary culture that is sure to win fans and foodies alike. His brand of “rustic cuisine is so creative! He says he loves all parts of the food chain -- 

Chef Andy's culinary tatoos! 
Chef served up platters of pan-roasted lardo and bacon pork bellies with parsnip, butternut apple carpaccio, golden raisins, and sour apple gel… and a beet semifreddo - kimchi with beet tops, pastrami short ribs with encrusted purple potato “cake.” See what I mean?


With reluctance, we peeled ourselves away from Chef Andy and the Newport Vineyards and headed to what was then the StoneAcre Pantry. 
This top-ranked storefront Newport dining spot was the darling of the farm to fork cohort, enamored with its focus on sustainable, seasonal ingredients. I was told my “culinary cutie,” Carla Hall was reported to have especially enjoyed her meal there while on a Chew TV feature taping

I was there right before Christmas/Winter Holidays -- it was not only a cozy, winter scene out of your dreams - but Santa Claus and his reindeers paraded up the street. I had to blink back - was it the delicious craft cocktail (Vanilla Old Fashioned made with irresistible Bourbon, Vanilla Bean and Orange Zest or their version of a Dark & Stormy with ginger syrup). Or the magic of Newport?


I’ll describe the menu and dishes in a minute but please note that since I visited StoneAcre Pantry, the restaurant announced it was closing temporarily - after three years -- and re-opening La Vasca at its present location -- and plans to reopen Stoneacre Pantry in the summer in the Historic Washington Square area.

The restaurant’s web site says, “La Vasca is (a) Basque style wine bar (beer and wine) offering Pintxos, Tapas, hot and cold appetizers and a selection of entrees including Paella, whole roasted fish and beef. We will follow the same sourcing and sustainability practices we have focused on at Stoneacre.”

Congratulations to StoneAcre Pantry and its foodie fans.

The evening I dined there, the food was as spectacular as that outsize visit from Santa.

First off - the wine list is extraordinary, as is the local, craft beer. Fitting that their location was a former liquor store. The wine and beer list reads like a poem - an homage. I have kept the printed list -- there are five pages of wines to explore. It’s a kind of love letter from the owners -- I was able to meet and dine a bit with co-owner David Crowell. His partner is Christopher Bender - colleagues at Gotham’s Mas Farmhouse. The two grew up in Rhode Island: their roots are waterfront, working class, Crowell notes.

Their philosophy? Working people, hospitality… The restaurant is run as a kind of co-op with the staff -- the team is paramount, according to Crowell. He shared how they want to keep the charm, the vibe, and the hub of activity they provide.. He loves the “pitter-patter” of the place… agreed.

Their Bistro is open year-round; the bar looked into the kitchen.

I loved the Charred Pt. Judith Squid with Pickled Peppers, Fingerling Potatoes and Romesco, for the Appetizer; Local Fluke with Ginger, Lemongrass, Bok Choy and Radish for the entree -that was like a soup -- with the fish accented with cilantro --this dish is in the style of Le Bernardin


A side of roasted cauliflower with almonds ad gribichi - a mayonnaise sauce made with eggs and vinegar was wow.

If you do nothing else - go to the restaurant for the cheese selections. They offer three for $18 and 5 for $28 -- and the local cheeses from Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York is a well curated list that needs to be savored with more of their sublime wine list.

T
he Bourgogne Rouge 2014 Burgundy wine was terrific. Especially with the snails!

We enjoyed a beet and pineapple granita palate cleanser! Be still my heart…











The Elderflower Panna Cotta with Candied Kumquats for desert was over the top delicious: light, fragrant, creamy.


After a happy stay at the Providence Biltmore, the next day we dined at Nicks on Broadway

Without a doubt, Nicks and its superlative chef/owner, Derek Wagner is the consummate professional cook; blending comfort, hospitality, and an elevated, handcrafted menu that celebrates the seasons and the ingredients. And he does it for three meals a day! Incredible…

Not only was the menu and food outstanding - but his team produced a detailed menu for the visit, and Chef Derek took the time to talk and expand on his menu, his approach to culinary art, and his restaurant business (he’s been at it for more than 15 years; seven in the present location and plans to expand).

You cannot miss the opportunity for a meal here: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brunch. Or all that! You cannot be dissapointed.

Here, I’ll take the time and space to share the press brunch menu Chef Derek and his staff meticulously prepared and presented - with all due modesty - and bravado. It’s a tour de force; deserving of a second show.

It’s long a truism in gastronomic spheres that the “eyes eat first” and Chef Derek and the team cued up every visual delight to be found within their precious, luxurious ingredients - so much so that the presentation served to further the integrity, taste, and beauty of the dishes.

Nicks on Broadway

Welcome Cocktail

Dolin Blanc Vermouth (my favorite for nightly martini), Louis de Grenelle sparkling rose, orange twist. The drink was pretty and bright.  


First 

Local, seasonal fruit with house-baked granola, Aquidneck honey + Narragansett Creamery Yogurt. The locally-sourced yogurt was oh-so-heavenly light, as was the honey. The mint was a refreshing touch.


Second

Schartner Farm carrot cake muffin with apple-carrot jam. This was a muscular muffin and the jam flavor combo was jazzy good! A nice counterbalance to the yogurt and fruit course.  


Third

Narragansett Bay Oysters two ways: Chilled with pickled apple-shishito-pepper + mustard seed vinegar and Roasted with kale, horseradish, black pepper, parmesan + garlic butter. OK - you know that I adore oysters but these recipes served to gild the lily; the flavors were balanced yet plentiful, the taste was refreshing, bright, and rich.


Prior to sliding to the half-way milestone of the meal, Chef Derek, himself a graduate of nearby Johnson & Wales, told us how he participates in creating greater awareness of the state’s small, family farms (think apples, cranberries, maple syrup), local fishermen (it’s the Ocean State!), artisanal makers, building sustainable community, and embracing the region’s edible bounty. At the same time, he works on the Board of the the Chefs’ Collaborative and together with associations and convention bureaus promotes travel and tourism in Rhode Island, his home state. I remarked it must be the food that keeps him so calm in spite of all the work. With obvious pride, he pointed out how Nicks’ customers exemplify the vibrant energy that draws tourists, foodies, and eventually, residents to locate here. There was that palatable, frisson when a nexus of sophistication, art, and culture naturally, organically combust and grow.

Fourth

Soup of Cauliflower, leek + olive oil, with creme fraiche. The soup was creamy, smooth - with just a hint of leek.   


Fifth

Lemon roasted Point Judith Scup with autumn vegetables, soft poached egg + herb hollandaise. The brussels sprouts, broccoli, mustard greens - all sourced from local farms - was an orchestral tribute to the other, fresh ingredients and the egg yolk was a silky, rich sauce made all the more mmmm with the touch of herbs. I love that Chef utilizes the scup, aka porgy -- which heretofore was considered not worthy of a white linen restaurant. But he - and other creative chefs in this brigade - pursue ingredients that are overlooked and then delight us with their versatility and taste. Rather than an obstacle they view the pursuit as a creative challenge. The scup has a lobster-like texture that integrated with the vegetables; a perfect foil for the savory dish.   


Intermezzo

Wishing Stone Farm pumpkin sorbet with sea salt + bubbles. This iced treat was utterly refreshing and delicious. It was so nice to see a palate cleanser -- after they became nearly ubiquitous some years back - and because they were nothing more than sugary sherbet made them intermezzo-non-grata. If this is what we can expect in the next iteration of this classic, then even food recipes deserve a second-act in America.  

                                                                        Sixth 

Rhode Island mushroom, Baffoni Farm Chicken + chicken sausage risotto with pecorino, pea greens + sunny quail eggs. Brilliant and beautiful. The quail eggs were a happy, tasty ingredient. The mushrooms added a salty taste and the cheesy risotto along with the “smooshed” chicken was just so much good comfort food...  


Dessert

Walnut + buttermilk crumble with rosemary ice cream + cranberry-lemon sauce

Cocoa chiffon cake with butterscotch ice cream, dark chocolate ganache, caramel sea salt. This confection was nuanced with all my favorite sweet flavors. It was crazy, eyes-closed, transcendentally good…

                                                                       Digestif

Le Pere Jules Pommeau de Normandie
I was in a true “food coma” by the end of this incredible culinary presentation and experience.

Sigh.

That I was able to interview Chef Derek at the same time was the “icing on the cake.” Thank you, Chef.  
The incredibly talented culinary artist: Chef Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway 

Chef Derek and his team are impeccable. His food story is inspiring and visionary. You can’t help but root for this kind of chef. Nicks on Broadway is an exciting, authentic food experience to be savored -- again and again.

We took a little break to check out the local markets in Providence’s Little Italy section. I loved Antonelli Poultry - the decades-old store where one can purchase fresh, live fowl -- from pigeon to quail to duck to yes, Rhode Island Red chickens.  


Incredibly, it was then off to lunch at Cafe Nuovo. One would be forgiven for thinking the location at the Gondola Landing is not unlike being in Venice. I was told the spot is the place to be for the Providence’s light festival -- with bonfires fireworks and music and art. Sounds dreamy. The restaurant is a traditional, white linen dining spot with a classic menu and wine list. The dishes appeared influenced by Italian and French recipes. Forbidden Rice tickled my curiosity and it didn't’ disappoint -- it was elegant black and tasted full-bodied. The pizza anglaise with bechamel and apples was tasty; the sweet potato soup with cranberry chutney was especially good and a nice surprise, as was the sambuca cream. I loved the crispy sage leaves Cafe Nuovo served - and as a matter of fact, I’ve recreated this side dish at home. This is a restaurant you’d want to take a business associate to. It is contemporary and dependable - you know what you’re getting.


Like a Cinderella foodie, I was then whisked away on the train, back to to Gotham.

I can honestly report that the Rhode Island hospitality venues, including the restaurants, possess a dedication to their craft; the culinary prowess is carefully considered and valued. Go for a romantic, food-fueled weekend. And you too will be humming, “More, please.” Thank you chefs and entrepreneurs for sharing your talent and energy.

I must confess that my husband and I honeymooned in Newport; we used to return every year for a long weekend visit but i hadn’t been back for some time. I’m happy to report that the sense of magic for the place continues to cast its spell... Make your own dreams come true in Rhode Island.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Plants of the Future and Edible Foodscapes Premiere at Plant-O-Rama 2017





As Bob Hyland, founding father of the horticultural celebration he christened "Plant-O-Rama" was thanking the packed auditorium at the morning session for coming to the 21st annual horticultural trade show, jobs fair, and symposium he conceived 30 years ago - it was worth noting that as he introduced the keynote speaker, Kelly D. Norris - that the young “hort-hero” is not yet 30 years old!

At the same time, Kelly is at the top of the Hort game - a leader extraordinaire in what has become known as the “Emergents” - meaning those young, up-and-coming leaders in horticulture.
I daresay it’s not far off the mark to affirm the Emergents and Kelly, especially, have totally “arrived.”
Kelly is a powerhouse plantsman with experienced knowledge -- so much so that I got to wondering later -- perhaps he is the long-lost prodigy or better yet - a reincarnation of Carl Linnaeus. While no doubt Kelly would have “grown” and “blossomed” on his own merits - (sorry - too rich to not use the hort references...), Kelly and his Emergent cohorts were introduced in a Rodale Press feature reported as the “next generation” of horticulturists by our favorite garden and hort author, Ken Druse.
(I have every one of Ken’s books - most autographed - and they are always relevant and delightful.) Thanks, Ken!
(And I’ve been buying the Ellen Hoverkamp scanner photography art showcased in his recent, gorgeous book, Natural Companions: The Garden Lover's Guide to Plant Combinations 

I was privileged to first hear Kelly speak at The New York Botanical Garden's 4th annual Hortie Hoopla - a robust career Green Day for NYC-area interns, conceived by NYBG’s Charles Yurgalevitch, Director, and I reported on the event at Garden Glamour.
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Left to Right: Me, Kelly Norris, Ken Druse

More than just plant knowledgeable - Kelly hits the hort “hat trick” of taxonomy/botany/design); moreover he possesses an old-soul dynamic and confidence not to mention, authenticity, that both astonishes and delights garden enthusiast audiences.

Kelly manages to blend solid science with dreamy experience. In fact, that is the essence of his charm. He’s never that “gotcha” horticulturist that is more keen to snap you into ID’ing a plant with its botanical latin name (which he of course does with professional modesty and frequency); rather he is one to provide that essential information in a practical and respectful way while he shares his cosmic love and adoration of all that the plant kingdom has to offer and teach us. 

Plus there is that infectious enthusiasm. This man can’t help teach us about “gardening with a purpose.”

For me as a writer and author, I’m also gobsmacked by Kelly’s language and vocabulary skills. He positively radiates - shimmers - and glows - with redolent phrases, adjectives, and verbs -- to better captivate and intrigue his audiences. This is a rare talent and his linguistic skills and oratory mastery captures, teaches, and excites us - all at the same time -- while never stooping to snarky (well, maybe a bit) or ever stooping to a holier-than-thou hort elitist platform that can be off-putting to many plant and garden design enthusiasts.

Planting for the Future
What Did Kelly charm us with under the rubric of “Planting for the Future”?

He talked about gardening as an “experience.”

There are things that increase the experience - and that is “essence of a garden’s style. “Plants should not just survive but they should thrive,” he admonished.

Gardens need to have a purpose. It was enlightening and refreshing to hear that we need to garden with a purpose. We need to savor our plants and the environment.

Kelly made a point that I personally think needs no amplification - which is that today’s gardeners need to have the passion that today’s chef’s possess. He cited how chefs are focused on ingredients - and that gardeners and landscape designers need to have that same cobra-like focus on using the best plant ingredients in the garden as chefs do in the kitchen and restaurant. I write about food and drink - coming at it from the garden perspective - and I can tell you that my work researching and reporting on farm-to-table and garden-to-glass - has its own struggles and triumphs - all of it based on the ability to source and spec ingredients - by and large those that are plant-based and come from reliable growers.

While it makes sense that food growers and farmers may have led the way because we eat these ingredients - there's that intimate relationship with a chef's culinary creations - there is also a growing awareness about the need to not only bring local and seasonal cut flowers into the home, but there has been a long-standing movement to use native plants in garden design.

From my perspective, the problem isn’t the gardeners, but rather the plant nurseries that don’t stock the natives - they cater to the fashions and vagaries of what - the market? I am confounded as to how nurseries select, grow, and provide nursery stock. While many will readily admit they prefer not to sell exotics, or “invasives” - i.e. non-natives - they feel they must, because it sells.

I personally feel that it’s a closed loop - meaning that too many “landscapers” are merely “mow, blow, and go” guys -- and yes most are men -- and that they don’t know anything about the plants so they’ll take whatever is available at the nurseries - thereby inadvertently adding to the "it sells" strategy. Furthermore, the horticultural industry was too influenced by exotic plants that folks of means could afford to plant at their country houses and estates - so all fell in line to stock them…

Here in America, we gave short shrift to our native prairie grasses until a Dutchman, Piet Oudolf deemed them new and exotic for our gardens and parks, and suddenly they become the ornamental darlings they are today.

I go on..
But I do understand Kelly’s insistence that we need to have that passion for ingredients - in designing and creating our gardens - we need to pay attention to the plants that create the living palette or “dish.” It’s just that it does no good for garden designers like me to research and spec out the right plant for the right place only to have the nursery force the garden designer or true landscaper into a substitute. Or increasingly, breeders are increasingly creating or propagating plants that are patented - and possess branded products that aren't so readily available. We need to remedy this issue in order to truly make a difference and move the garden experience to where it’s beneficial for the sustainable ecosystems. Don’t you agree?

A really exciting element that Kelly presented and got the plant juices flowing - is to discover native and local plants “in the wild” that can thrive in our gardens. We can see how these plants have survived through climate chaos to grow in any number of “crazy situations” - and that because they can readily adapt, will work better in urban environments.

See, the thing is that even though we have a yearning for all things rural, more of us are living in urban worlds - and that’s only going to increase in the future. The plants that have proven themselves to be resilient and ecologically superior - are our friends. Let’s embrace them.

Plants are opportunists -- and context can be informational with a nod to ecology.

Kelly says he never uses wood-based mulch at the Des Moines Botanical Garden where he serves as the Garden’s first-ever director of horticulture. Instead he uses plants. Sedges are green mulch! Natural plant mulch will repair soil, capture nutrients, build biomass, according to Kelly.

He says there is a natural history to the plant combinations and ingredients he employs there so there is also that “sense of place” or Genius loci. 

Lesson learned is we shouldn’t forget that bottom layer of garden design. Plants can be that foil or cover for other plants as they go in and out of their “profile” or “portrait” moments… 
Think 3-D and the art of planting.

Further, Kelly suggested we garden designers - and by extension - you - consider scale. Most US home have a small footprint for the yard, all things considered, that is approximately 8,900 square feet - including the house. He pointed out that here is that enduring, sterile nature of suburbia with its endless lawn and foundation plantings… I think this started in the 1950’s and we’ve done so little or nothing to change our perception of American success from that vision of home ownership/lawn/flag of the housing developments that were created for returning GI’s and their families.  Isn’t it time we take gardening back to some of the natural plant companions that were plowed under to make way for these housing developments on a mass scale?! We can rediscover the beauty and charm of our native and natural plants, for sure.

Despite a garden's small size, Kelly cites the paramount need to provide more plant diversity -- noting that in some of his recent designs he’s included more 24 different species in a garden no more than 150 square feet. We need diversity in our plant portfolio just as we need it in our financial portfolio!

Native Plant Examples:

Examples Kelly provided included Eupatorium perfoliatum ‘Milk ‘n Cookies’ - an oh-so beautiful Boneset (burgundy foliage and white flowers) that “just need some friends to “lean on,” he joked. Don’t we all?

And like fashion on the runway - let’s think about New -- not those same ol’ petunias that one finds at the big box stores. Kelly showed a number of glamourous, strong dames including Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant)- Rosinweed that is a native, sunflower-like perennial is “resilient architecture,” stunning and has a lot of “sex appeal,” according to the Kelly. These plants moreover, hold the soil. Here the plantsman cited the tragedy of the Dust Bowl and how irresponsible plantings and arrogant development wiped away the top layers of soil. On the other hand, native Silphium has 10-15 inches of roots - a resource that does double duty. Plus the Land Institute and others are using Silphium to store carbon as well as to extract its oil for cooking and fuel. (Some claim it can be used with rice and 


molasses to avoid pregnancy!)

The aster family is truly breathtaking. I love its members and cultivars; using a variety of these colorful and strong plants in many of my garden designs.

Other water-wise plants Kelly suggested include, Eryngium leavenworthii - from the carrot family - this thistle or Sea Holly is strong and adds a showy and textured element to the garden palette. Other resolutions: 229 × 240 ...


Another example Kelly showed was the agave - in particular the Mangave ‘Lavender Lady.’ What a dame! This plant offers a big, smoky rosette - and rapid growth.  Geum triflorium, ‘Prairie Smoke’ was another beauty.
For dry shade there is the worst plant name ever: Diarrhena ovata (oops!) This is an American beakgrain ornamental grass that loves deep shade green and is evergreen, along with the much cuter-named Pussy Toes whose silvery foliage and late spring flowers add style to a dry shade garden as well as to green roofs.
What these hard-working natives have in common is their strength, ability to withstand climate chaos, and smart use of precious water -- they thrive when exotics have your water bill clocking ever upwards. So use them. These prairie plants can teach an urban (or suburban) city slicker a few tricks!

Kelly got us excited about being in a time where we are on the verge of “discovering” an entire new palette of plants.

It got me to thinking that while in past generations the adventuring plant hunter was revered because he found ever-more exotic plant species to bring back to our environment - the new plant hunter will instead research and find those hearty and beautiful plants right in our own landscapes - those that have learned to thrive and provide.  Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz said - “Next time I go looking for my heart’s desire - I won’t go looking further than my own backyard.” I’ve referenced those pearls of wisdom all my life but now it seems especially apropos. And it helps this reference that Dorothy was from the Great Plains - just like so many of these plant prodigies.

Kelly continued to provide plantings with a purpose and suggested that we design using plant “communities” using keystone species to achieve a kind of ecological minimalism.

And remember that “Plants provide Beauty and Purpose.”2017-01-30 10.00.02.jpg


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Landscape design is one of the true luxuries that appreciates with time. Unlike other art though - it is dynamic -- it changes every day, bringing added, newfound joy.

Edible Urban Oases 

The irrepressible Brie Arthur - another "Emergent" - spoke about edibles and the Foodscape Revolution which also happens to be the name of her first book - out later this year and now in presale.

She describes herself a true “plant nerd” but also claims to love insects in an “irrational way!” You can’t help but want to hug this woman. She advocates for living green walls -- suggested that if the Mexican “wall” was built using green, fresh vegetables, and herb edibles - she’d be all for it!

She points out how we need green infrastructure and with it we can surely feed the world. And our soils and souls. She suggests using common spaces of communities and streetscapes for planting edible ornamentals.

I’ve used edibles as ornamentals for more than decade for garden clients and they love the color and texture -- and the taste! It’s a delight to group edibles by color and season.

Brie detailed how to grow organics, and use hydroponics as well as aeroponics -- employing a soil-less growing medium - a space saving strategy that works especially for tight urban spaces.

A great suggestion Brie offered is to use edibles at the front of an ornamental garden -- within easy reach and much better for the garden bed than that wood mulch; thus adding more biological diversity, as well.
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Brie stressed the need for diversity in our edible gardens. Don’t think just tomatoes! She emphasized the beauty and ease and taste of growing one’s own grains and cruciferous plants. Lovely to see wheat and rice as part of an edible plant palette. My dear horticulture associate, EunYoung Sebazco was the first to grow rice in New York City - and has since devoted resources and experience to educating and exciting the rest of us about not only how to grow rice, but how this plant has influenced the world via its cuisine, nutrition, art -- think fashion, textiles, pottery, crafts, and fine art! See here at LiveRice.com - you will discover a new-found reverence for this ancient and hard-working grain.


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Brie refers to rice and blueberries as the “gateway” plants to edible foodscaping! She showed chefs at upscale country clubs growing ornamental - and edible - rice (purple and red) with astonishing and tasty results!

Trade Show
         




Later, we walked the trade show element of Plant-O-Rama. Some of my favorites there included:

Pennoyer Newman -- Virginia and her custom, classic garden containers and fountains that are always the talk of the show. Love the collections -- and Virginia!  
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Virginia Newman

Rare Find Nursery - This Garden State plant nursery offers unusual (compared to the aforementioned, nameless nurseries) and intriguing natives that add glamour to every garden I’ve sourced from Rare Find. The container ‘Rochester’ witch hazel they showcased at their table was intoxicating -- strongest of the fragrant witch hazels -- I’d never smelled one so divine. I once gave my girlfriend Jelena a ‘Jelena’ witch hazel for her birthday!
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Curb Allure - These metal tree guards are handsome and offer great utility. I first saw these creations a few years back and admire their look and their smart attention that work for the plants in the beds (including a “Pup-Pee Protector.) Too often the beds are lined with hardscaping that doesn’t allow for the water to reach the plants. This solves the issue.

Thank you, Plant-O-Rama.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Celebrate National Baked Alaska Day: Easy & Delicious Food Network Recipe & Fun Torching with Bernzomatic handheld blowtorch

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                   Baked Alaska - photo courtesy Bernzomatic Blowtorches


If entertaining and dining means not only homegrown, seasonal, and delicious -- but also a bit of theater - then today is your day -- it’s National Baked Alaska Day!

This fire and ice dessert never fails to add drama to the meal; sure to elicit gasps of delight - and applause - from your guests.

That this elegant dessert is oh-so-easy to make - is a behind the stage secret. You can prepare this confection ahead and place in the freezer until ready to serve.


Baked Alaska Recipe

Prep: approximately 45 min

Cook: 4 min

Yield:12 servings

Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Cake:

Vegetable oil, for brushing

1 pint raspberry, passion fruit or other sorbet, softened.

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (about 17 crushed wafers)

1 loaf pound cake


For the Meringue:

1 cup egg whites (about 6 large), at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 cup sugar


Directions:

Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the sorbet, vanilla ice cream and half of the chocolate ice cream, alternating small and large scoops to create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.

Remove the wrap and spread the remaining chocolate ice cream in an even layer on top of the crumbs. Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices; completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you'll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.

Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.)

Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Baked Alaska recipe (with permission Food Network Magazine)


* I make homemade ice cream -- flavors are limited only by imagination. Vanilla with fresh beans is my go-to fancy - but I’ve also made corn ice cream to rave reviews. Try avocado (just experienced this delight while working the gardens at Hacienda Cusin in Ecuador!).

For upcoming Valentine’s Day or for Lunar New Year - try cherry, raspberry, or strawberry or Cotton Candy ice cream, or celebrate Lunar New Year’s homage to all things citrus with orange, kumquat or lemon, paired with Red Velvet Cake or go nutty with Almond cake.

* Feel free to add more cream of tartar if you need to bring the meringue to stiffer peaks.

To brown or “bake” the dessert without fretting that you’ll melt the ice cream, use a torch rather than baking in the oven -- you’ll be able to more readily and evenly brown the dessert. Bernzomatic Blowtorches are ideal -- the best one for the job is the Bernzomatic TS4000, according to company reps. The Bernzomatic is a torch that you buy from a hardware store or online via Amazon or Home Depot. Soon, you’ll find dozens of uses in the kitchen, including searing steaks, fish, crisping vegetables, crème brulee, and more.

 


Chef Michael Ferraro from NYC’s Delicatessen restaurant shows how easy it is to torch meringue in this video: (courtesy of Bernzomatic and Chef Michael)
The Bernzomatic is infinitely easier to use than the canister model I used - with the help of my husband, Bill, to brown the meringue.
You’ll feel so empowered, you’ll be torching and searing all kinds of foods - and cocktails and their Finishing Touches garnishes - to great applause!

Here is my step by step prep for a glamorous Baked Alaska:

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I spread the homemade ice cream on top of the cake - directly onto the temperature-seasoned serving tray (from Frontage Hot/Cold Serving Tray)
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Baked Alaska is the star of any tablescape

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Delicious too...


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Baked Alaska: photo courtesy of Bernzomatic Blowtorches


Take a bow.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Garden Glamour Tablescapes and Holiday Door Decor




One of the seasonal songs that keeps ringing in my head is the refrain, “It’s the most wonderful time … of the year.”

While it can be somewhat unnerving for us horticulturists in the northern temperate climates when the season demands we change out our sunscreen for windscreen and bandanas for winter scarves, I honestly embrace the opportunity to design something different than the garden beds brimming with perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs for my garden client’s exterior -- and bring the garden to the interior designs.

I’m excited to create seasonal container compositions, entrance decor, and tablescapes -- showcasing the beauty of the garden and how plants -- and bit of fantasy -- can help tell their personal and family stories.

Every design is different. No two garden clients’ look is the same -- each is unique because we are all special in our own way -- just as a plant or blossom is..

This season, one of my dearest garden design clients --and a muse -- needed to prepare for a one-two series of family gatherings: for both Thanksgiving and again for Christmas and Hannukah. What good fortune!
So too, there was a series of design and work stages in a series to produce the look she was hoping for.

We started by walking the property and noting where she wanted to change and boost the look. That turned into establishing a border garden on one side of the circular driveway (curiously, the other sides all possessed border beds of mixed plantings.)
Wow -- this area would be brought up to par. More on this later.

Welcome Entrance Design
In terms of the welcome entrance decor, I started by creating a private Pinterest board for my client to respond to. I selected a number of images that we could use -- a little of this, a little of that, and of course, adding our own personal touch and her special personality and taste -- that is her love of beauty.

Once we had a working composition, I set out to source the material to create the design.
That included the floral district in New York City -- those that Martha and Ralph Lauren use for their compositions - not far from my Gotham apartment - in addition to local craft stores, our own backyards and gardens, too.


My client and I determined we’d use/repurpose lanterns I suggested and she purchase some years ago from Restoration Hardware to highlight the pool.
I placed two of the lanterns on each side of the door, filled the bottoms with unpopped popcorn, and loaned my flameless candles that work on timers.
That was backed by two very large flameless candles that my client already had.

In addition, I made three sheave designs for each side of the door -- two each of wheat-color stalks of cereal grass and the center was her favorite color (besides white) of a potato vine bright green.

It was an elegant composition even before I did the posts and door frame! 
 

Later, I wrapped the posts in a spiral of burlap ribbons overlaid with gold silk flowers and berries. Over the door we hung faux Chinese Bittersweet berries -- that glorious, rich, cinnabar, smash-pumpkin hue. Brilliant -- and glowed off client’s signature hair color.


The door was caressed / wrapped in a kind of spun white and gold microfiber that has a life of it’s own -- all the better to nestle sweet moss-covered little bird’s nests and gold and white feathery little birds, perched in the nests and looking to welcome guests in a regal “love-bird” kind of way. 




The custom-made pumpkin topiaries are tiered like a three-layer cake.



For the designer pumpkins I used ghost, Cotton Candy, Blue Moon, Pump Ke Mon (white with green or yellowish stripes), white, the Tiger Tiger and very stylish Brode Galeux d’Eysines -- an heirloom pumpkin from France that boasts a pebbly texture that makes you want to almost pet the pumpkin!



I chose a mix of pumpkin styles with each layer a smaller size to create four distinct pumpkin topiaries.



We created this layered look by drilling a hole into each of the pumpkins in a set, then inserting a rod to hold the topiary together. 



I then “gilded the lily” -- hot glueing a mix of adornments: silk, seasonal flowers, leaves, ribbon, acorns from the property, grass head plumes, and ivy. 

Cinderella should’ve had it so good!


We anchored silk leaf “ropes” around the bespoke address light posts on the street side.


And wrapped a bit of it around the statue of Alice in the Alice in Wonderland garden (all dressed for the occasion to greet her former mistress, the client’s talented granddaughter). 


The entranceway was special, seasonally-appropriate and looks good in the day or glowing at night.














Tablescapes
In the same way, when asked to create a tablescape for the dining table using a crystal vase that measured just shy of a foot tall, I started by selecting some photos to post to the private Pinterest board in order to gauge the client’s reaction to a look and style.

I knew we should do a mix of ornamental and edible - given it was for a Thanksgiving celebration - so it should be about the harvest. 

 
I also knew the flora from both silk and fresh can be maximized.   This means the look can be de-constructed as the fresh flowers wane and the guests depart for home (whichever comes first!)













I created a series of low vases to surround the tall centerpiece (they can take away that away to foster easy table conversation) and still keep a pretty, glamorous, tablescape.


For the centerpiece it was a mix of rich hues: purple, bright green, pink, lilac, blue and white and gold was agreed upon.



For the small vases, it was gold football mums, magnolia leaves, and luscious as a candy apple rose called, Rose-Cherry Brandy whose gold amplified the mums and the delicate cherry color complemented the centerpiece -- and the red wine served up in the wine glasses.

Here too, I shopped the markets in the floral district in New York City where … plus sourced the fresh flowers from a local florist and flower friend.  I picked them up from her storybook home cum workshop and home-crafted greenhouse.



I filled the small vases with acorns, fragrant star anise and the fresh flowers.


I arranged the centerpiece with the silk flowers: ranunculus - green and burgundy red, peony, followed by the fresh: amaranth - red and green, roses, sea holly, ranunculus, two kinds of kale (love that frilly, ruffled leaves look). On site, I added the silk edibles: artichokes, clementines, and a few real purple turnips.

Around the centerpiece I placed faux grapes, gold baubles and beads to add just the touch of elegance this truly glamorous tablescape demanded.

In a room this grand, tall centerpieces can be almost be necessary.
And yet, those low vases facilitate the conversation - so good to have both low and high tablescape designs to accommodate guests.


Cheers to seasonal plant decor, tablescapes that sparkle and Finishing Touches. Remember, the eyes eat first - so be sure to design your home to welcome your family and friends with beauty and love.



Border Beds to be continued…