The Horticultural Society of New York Hosted a Glamorous Affair for “The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook” Premiere

It was, among other superlatives, a delicious success.

Pick any evening in New York City and it’s a sure-fire bet there are dozens of top-tier happenings all over town.

Thursday June 14^th was no exception. 

There was a Chase Bank 5K race in Central Park.

My Metro Hort association had rescheduled their tour of the NYBG Monet Garden to the same night.  Really, what are the chances?

President Obama and First Lady, Michelle were holding court at a fundraiser hosted by Vogue's Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker – for a dinner at SJP’s West Village home – not too far from our building.  (Shhhh...  As an aside, word here is she and husband Matthew Broderick tried for years to buy in our building, but management at that time was “afraid” stars would bring the paparazzi.  Too bad, they are such nice family people. And true New Yorkers, too.)

The Board here has since given up that “discriminatory” policy and we can quietly boast more than a few artists as building mates, though Julia Roberts flew the coop/co-op.

Enough sidebar scoops.

Just enough so you see what rigorous opportunities peek out from more than a few corners in Gotham.

Further, how tough was it to get a taxi uptown?  Impossible. After far too many minutes, the doorman hailed a yellow hack and I had to beg the off-duty cabbie to get us to The Hort in time. 

See, the thing is, not unlike SJP’s Carrie Bradshaw on-screen character, I am a writer. 

So not like her, I write about food, gardens and restaurants, farmers markets, artisanal food making...

But there was a certain karma-like parallelism in the calendar that night. 

And the fact that I was able to nab this cab – was a made-for-TV moment.

The hack driver spirited us uptown in no time, making up for my last minute script rewrites/cuts, and an all-too-short practice run-through.  

And then, just like that, we were getting off the elevator at The Horticultural Society of New York to be greeted at the elevator by none other than George Pisegna, Director of Horticulture at The Hort.  George is an enthusiastic advocate for The Hort’s mission to sustain the vital connection between people and plants; moreover, he is a garden hero.

He was happy and enthusiastic to see us and elated about the attendance for the evening.

Therefore, I was too. 

Foody's chef Bryan Futerman setting up at The Hort for The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook reading

Already setting up was chef Bryan Futerman, Foody's Restaurant and Cafe Facebook page, Water Mill, and a featured Homegrown chef from the book.   

It seemed natural that chef Bryan and his inspired grower, Jon Snow, from the Hayground School would have traveled to Gotham together. 

There, leafing through the Homegrown Cookbook and smiling as we entered, was the inimitable garden sprite, Master Gardener, children’s garden mentor, and artist, Jon Snow. 

Later, during the presentation, we would learn in a personal, almost poetic prose, how he works with the children – and the plants – to weave a magical relationship with the natural world.  The kids get their hands in the dirt, grow food and learn to cook through the “Young Chefs Program” – designed by another featured Homegrown Cookbook chef: Joe Realmuto from Nick And Toni's restaurant, who created a program that was long a dream of the restaurant’s late owner, Jeff Salaway.   That dream – “to bring together kids, chefs, and food in the spirit of community” is a true success.

And not unlike an aim of the Homegrown Cookbook.

The program and the children’s garden is delightful.

Soon, Chef Tom Schaudel arrived, his food larder in tow in what looked like an oversized mobile cooler. 

Chef Tom Schaudel, CoolFish, sets up for culinary creation at The Hort

He’s done this before. 

Chef Tom is an experienced, much-loved Homegrown Long Island chef.  Chef Tom Schaudel Restaurants

He presides over a virtual empire of restaurants, strung across the Island like jewels on an heirloom necklace.

In fact, he owns Jewel (!) – his Melville restaurant – and CoolFish, A Mano, Alure, and, along with his daughter, Ross Schaudel Catering.  Schaudel has also authored the highly popular book, "Playing with Fire: Whining & Dining on the Gold Coast"

Fans of the chefs arrived early to meet 

Arriving from an account meeting downtown, Kareem Massoud, Paumanok Vineyards' grape farmer and vintner – and inspired grower to Chef Tom Schaudel as written in the Homegrown Cookbook, bringing two of his family’s estate wines: a Rose and a Chenin Blanc. Both were rich, nuanced, and tasty partners to the evening’s recipes, and very popular with the Hort’s guests, too.

Chef Tom and Bryan made a recipe – or two – from the four recipes every one of the 27 chefs graciously and lovingly provided for the Homegrown Cookbook.

With a large Hort audience of food and drink fans eager for Homegrown food and food stories, the guests were soon asked to take their seats.

With lots of beautiful images of the natural landscapes of Long Island and the behind-the-scene photos of the farms, gardens, waterways, honey and duck growers, oyster and berry farmers, I told the story of the making of The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook (a coffee table, hardcover cookbook, also available at B&N and now at bookstores) and the larger, food story that evolved in the world surrounding the writing of the book: from Slow Foods to urban farming to the resurgence in Farmer’s Markets and edible home gardening, including the White House’s edible garden. I noted the First Lady is also doing a book tour for her just published book, American Grown.

I also read excerpts from the Homegrown book from the profiles of chefs Tom Schaudel and his inspiring grower partner, Kareem; and Chef Bryan Futerman and his inspiring garden partner, Jon Snow.  

Jon Snow, Hayground School at The Hort

Growers Kareem and Jon spoke about their successful gardening and farming on Long Island.  Noteworthy was the Hayground children’s gardener, Jon, commenting that his 91-year old Mother commented he was a success at long last, because he was speaking at The Horticultural Society of New York!  

Kareem Massoud, Paumanok Vineyards

And speaking of matriarchs, Kareem shared how his mother had a biblical quote framed in their kitchen admonishing, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.”  Clearly, his mother – and family -- recognized a higher authority to a lifetime of honored labor was calling them.  It shows.  

Following the talk, the guests were led back to the area for the chefs’ food and drink demo highlight part of the evening’s program.

With nothing more than a burner –the chefs made their four-star recipes right at the lovely tables – complete with sweet, picture-perfect pot of herbs growing in tiny wash bins -- set by The Hort.

The Homegrown chefs had the attention of everyone around their individual tables, allowing for interaction with the foodie fans, which were again sipping the crisp, bright flavors of the local Paumanok wines.

Local wine – and beer – naturally pairs better with the food made from the local terroir and sea. 

Just try a Paumanok Chenin Blanc local wine, for example, with oyster farmer, Karen Rivera’s Peconic Pearls – also featured in the Homegrown Cookbook.

Truly, heavenly. 

The two Homegrown chefs wielded their magical alchemy to tease out extraordinary flavors to a delighted audience. They had them crying with gastronomic joy at their creative, distinctive Long Island cuisine.

Chef Tom made his over-the-top Up-Island Lobster Risotto with corn, Heirloom tomato, and basil.  So simple yet so complex and a no-doubt-about-it crazy delicious, with a visual impact too.  Savoring the Up-Island Lobster Risotto is a sensory experience.

The Recipe can be found on page 123 of the Homegrown Cookbook.

Chef Bryan would have made his famous pizza with local vegetables and dough made with fresh, local honey – I am not kidding – but without the wood-burning oven, guests would’ve been shortchanged.  (Gotta get Kalamazoo to donate an oven to the Hort, don’t you think?)

Instead, chef Bryan opted to whip up the Cherry Wood-Smoked Brisket recipe found on page 40.  Again, a few simple, local ingredients, but the end result had guests shaking their heads in culinary wonderment. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender but Rocky-strong in its integrity as a star ingredient.

To add to the standout taste, Chef Bryan served the brisket on dark bread infused with sauerkraut (I am not making this up!) with a smoky thousand islandish dressing and a spicy tomato.  

Foody's Watermelon-Red Pepper Gazpacho

Speaking of tomatoes, there are none in chef Bryan’s Watermelon-Red Pepper Gazpacho. For extra credit, Chef Bryan also made the delightful twist on a summer classic – found on page 41 of the Homegrown Cookbook.  

The cool, sweet watermelon flirts with the spicy hot jalapeno right in front of all the others, er, the other locally grown veggies, including onions, celery and peppers.

A perfect appetizer served in small cups for a BBQ or dinner party. Or a main course for an easy-to-make family meal.  It’s sweet and smoky. Dial the flavors up or down…

Book signings accompanied the food tastings.  It was a sell out!  Food and Hort friends from New York, California, North Carolina and the Garden State were there and recognized the Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown lifestyle as featured in the book is one they admire and can cook up at their own home, wherever that may be.

Jennifer Calais Smith (L) & Homegrown author, Leeann Lavin

George Pisegna adds Homegrown to The Hort's Library

George from The Hort honored this author and the Homegrown chefs and their inspired growers by purchasing some books to give as a gift to some key Hort supporters.  Shhh. It’s our secret until they take the wraps off their “Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook!”  

And words can’t express how honored I was to sign a book for The Horticultural Society of New York’s illustrious library.  A dream come true…

Thank you.

Cheers to a Homegrown life.  

Homegrown Chefs & Growers at The Hort for FREE Book Reading, Food & Drink Event

Author and Examiner.com Food & Drink editor, Leeann Lavin tells the good-food stories of farmers who rise before the roosters to bring fresh produce, meats, cheeses, honey, and seafood to these local chefs and area farmers’ markets. She profiles Long Island’s best pasture-to-plate chefs who kick off the day with an early trip to the markets & local growers and wrap it up in the wee hours of the night, after feeding legions of appreciative diners. The food stories are lovingly told—exploring the work and passion of the chefs and the local food artisans, farmers, and fisherman—who together, are dedicated to connecting to the land to produce menus that boast delicious homegrown flavors. The book offers a rare and intimate tour of the kitchens and gardens that create local, seasonal food.

Brimming with food stories from the region’s best real-food chefs and the growers who inspire their homegrown menus, more than 80 tempting recipes, and stunning photographs of the iconic dishes, authentic & sustainable ingredients, and the majestic land and seascapes that are the romantic hallmarks of the area’s food culture. Two chefs featured in The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook

  and the growers who inspire their homegrown recipes will join Leeann to demonstrate their masterful cooking using local, fresh ingredients. Tastings too!

These chefs are Chef Tom Schaudel, CoolFish Grille and Wine Bar Chef Tom Schaudel restaurants 

Chef Tom Schaudel, CoolFish restaurant prepares his lobster risotto at the Hort tonight

(and several other restaurants), 

Chef Bryan Futerman, Foody's Restaurant & Cafe cooks at the Hort

and Chef Bryan Futerman, Foody's Facebook  

The chefs will cook up a recipe featured in the Homegrown Cookbook, using fresh, local ingredients.

Joining the chefs and this Examiner/author at The Hort are the growers who most inspire the chefs and are featured in the book.

Vintner and owner of Aquebogue’s Paumanok Vineyards, Kareem Moussad will talk about growing grapes, making award-winning wine and managing a world-class vineyard on Long Island.  And will bring some outstanding wine to taste too!

Featured vintner & winemaker, Kareem Moussad, Paumonok Vineyards will discuss growing grapes on LI at the Hort (and wine tasting, too!)

Jon Snow, Master Gardener, The Hayground School, Bridgehampton

Jon Snow, Master Gardener and co-founder of The Hayground School and Camp in Bridgehampton will talk about his passion for the Children’s Garden there and teaching kids to get their hands in the soil, to grow food and create a lifetime of better nutrition and diet. 

The Food and Drink event at The Horticultural Society of New York is a fun, free and fascinating must-attend foodie event: http://tiny.cc/7gisfw

See you at The Hort! 

Doors open at 6pm; talk starts at 6:30pm

Free

RSVP to info@thehort.org

Explore the special relationship between a chef and grower....

Home Renovation Diary Update

The calendar for home renovation seems to be in a similar class as that of dog years. 

Or a space-time continuum.  

It’s just that things go slow, then swoosh along, only to hit a pothole, before racing full steam ahead.  It’s like a motorcar that stops and stalls – but the driver knows he’ll push the throttle and get this baby home!

The Home Renovation Diary Update marks the successful completion of the painting in the home’s addition, and on to the delivery of the reupholstered living room furniture that is styling new shades of a cadet or sea blue for the slipper chair  

and the kitchen island stools, and a softer shaded trompe l’oeil of subtle cornflower to sky blue set off with marquis patterned top-stitching with yellow to gold dot joints (that pick up the kitchen and fireplace and fireplace wall of creamy yellow and gold, respectively, for the two love seat couches – to accessorize the blue bay beyond the living room’s composition  window view perch.

I ordered the kitchen stools online from Ballard Designs.  They are the nicest, most helpful team of decorating professionals. 

The only slight snafu is that I ordered the custom fabric from the local upholstery pro in order to match the living room slipper chair – and he recommended some yards less than Ballard suggested.  He said he only used a little under five yards for the entire chair so couldn’t imagine that they would need near eight for the back and seat cushion.  So I urged Ballard to talk to their outsourced upholstery professional and get them to be more realistic – especially at more than $45 a yard. 

It all worked out and in less than a month or so, the completed stools arrived.

Of course the delivery had to be the morning I was racing to catch the ferry back into town.  And I was waiting for the decorative painter, Stacey, who was designing and completing the wall art, transitioning the loft room color to the garden dining room color.  More on that in a second.

UPS must have smelled my urgency, waiting like a cunning cat till I was at the point of departure, when he knocked the door and fled like a schoolboy prankster.

Now I had to bring in those four huge boxes because my fairy housemothers, aka Mother and Aunt Margaret, wouldn’t have been able to quickly maneuver them inside nor would that be fair to them…  So like a longshoreman, I hauled them in and raced down to the ferry dock – but not before ripping open a box top to peek inside and enjoy my first looks at the lovely new blue counter stools, complete with metal foot kicker, dark brown wood legs and base and silver grommets to match the kitchen appliances.

All the better to sit and enjoy the sky-like blue - complete with clouds - of the marble kitchen island, the cook in the kitchen, and the New York skyline on the other side. 

Yes, the stools turn and spring back to crisp attention.

Blue upholstered stools highlight the blue marble of the kitchen island

I didn’t leave the starting line in my race to catch the ferry before wishing Stacey well on her redo of the wall art transition. 

The wall art started off as a brilliant design concept – dreamed up by me J 

I thought I could capture the extraordinary color transitions from the sunrises and sunsets that we bask in at our home on the water. 

Sunrise from the right and the sunsets from the left are both dazzling, shimmering performance art -- and the color transitions embrace the rainbow spectrum.

I especially wanted to capture that blue to orange syncopation.  

The loft room is Benjamin Moore Dix Blue – mirroring the blue-green water beyond and the patina of the copper I left on the fireplace that was the outside but is now the inside wall. 

The Garden Dining Room is the Martha Stewart Sherbet/Gold shimmering color and texture described in the Garden Glamour Home Renovation Diary Update April

With the two rich colors and the bay view beyond, combined with all the sensual elements in between, I dreamed up an ombre color transition between the two spaces.

 

I tried it out with the wall paints on a spare sheetrock sample. 

It came out good, if I do say so myself! (I also do watercolors and I’ve been told that my final colored landscape design “blueprints” are like works of art.  Some of my clients frame them.)

Everyone liked my ombre.

I couldn’t wait to add my personal Georgia O’Keefe artwork to our home and join the lads painting away on other parts of the addition. Ha!

Alas, it was not meant to be. 

Shockingly, I discovered I have a kind of vertigo.  I’m afraid of few things, and this was most embarrassing to learn that without a railing up (too early for that), I couldn’t lean over, or even get close to the edge of the loft in order to render my ombre… Even if Bill held my waist, which is really no pose for a working artist, anyway. 

This was a big setback in more ways than one.

But Roy, the painter was magnanimous, saying no harm in the vertigo admission. In fact he knew of someone who he thought could do the job. 

Crunch to the budget. I hadn’t planned on this expense…

Soon enough, we were working with Stacey.   

She seemed confident, talented, possessed a great online portfolio – and most important, was not afraid of heights.

She saw my painted design sample and said no problem.  We exchanged some emails during the week about the design.  We wanted a small footprint between the rooms, as there is nothing separating the rooms.

I didn’t want someone to walk into the room and exclaim about wall art – as divine as it could be in it’s own right – but rather to admire the soaring ceilings, the sunlight or moonlight streaming in – and that glamorous Martha precious metals sherbet wall color we’d worked so hard to achieve.

Not to diminish the decorative art, but we didn’t want a mural.

I realize ombre takes space, but thought we could modify the process to suit our needs. 

PDF rendering of suggested ombre for wall scanned in on actual wall & colors. Declined. Too much!

By the end of the week, we thought we got it, despite some rather elemental pdf visuals where Stacey took the sunrise image and compressed it on the digital image of the wall. 

With fingers crossed, and hopes high, the following Saturday was art-in-the-addition day. 

We had agreed that an ombre like solution could be a series of the rooms’ colors: blue, peach, pinkish, and sherbet -- blending or morphing into one another – from the blue to the sherbet.  Nice, gentle transitions – like the horizon at sunrise…

I spent the time writing upstairs in the La Boheme-like garret that was and soon will be again: the guest room; while Bill worked putting on the door handles in the addition room below the loft where Stacey was creating. 

The art work didn’t start off too good. In fact, there was an initial whoopsie that took my breath away. 

As Stacey started up the ladder with paint can in one hand and brush in the other, the ladder started to slip away off the loft!  I was speechless, gesturing to Bill with my hands. Stacey had so much presence. Rather than go back down, which is natural I think, she scampered UP the ladder as it slipped away.  If this hadn't been so loaded with disaster, it would have been acrobatic entertainment.

With breathing restored and all precautions reviewed, we were back to our stations.

I never want to oversee or make the professional artisans or trades nervous with someone looking over their shoulder so if I’m home, I make sure to stay out of their way.

Later that afternoon, with the work finished, it was time for the look-see inspection.  I was filled with trepidation. Just like when Roy called me to see the finished sherbet painting.

Unlike that inspection that yielded heart-holding joy, this one was more of an “oh dear.” 

I was tilting my head. Looking at it from different sides.  But it was so much like a rainbow!  The colors were too distinct. Too obvious. No nuance.  With courtesy and caution, Stacey and I reviewed and she said she could remedy it. 

Back to the garret.  An hour or so later: another call to have a look-see.  My heart sank. Same reaction.  Instinctually, I didn’t like it.  Stacey knew it.  We couldn’t look at each other.  The deed was done. 

It was getting late – near cocktail hour.  We agreed we’d live with it a bit. 

We did. For less than a week. 

We asked Stacey to come up with some other solutions.  She did.  She sent us this. 

We agreed to do in our colors.

She returned the next week and redid the wall (for more guilders), after we had to have Roy come back and redo the primer.

The result is it is beautiful, original art and is a conversation piece – in a good way.

We love it.

You?

The “little things” make a BIG difference.

Earthly Delights …"Cultivating the Gardener" Day One is Success. Don't Miss Today!

The Garden State day broke with seasonal misty grey following a night of needed rain that showered part of last night’s cocktail party launch (no worries, there is an abundance of indoor garden room space to elegantly host the better part of the Queen’s jubilee!) marking the start of this year’s Earthly Delights weekend event.

The sun smiled upon the garden tribute by mid day and it was an eager legion of garden enthusiasts that parked in the hay-filled field and,like kids waiting for the start of summer camp, were blissfully in the moment, eyeing the rows of garden vendors, and the magnificent, glamorous garden rooms beyond.

A celebration of gardens, garden design, garden art, plants and horticulture, Earthly Delights and their partnership with the Land Conservancy of New Jersey is dedicated to the mission “to create awareness of New Jersey’s beautiful public parks and garden.”  The event is a benefit for the “campaign and stewardship of New Jersey’s parks, natural areas, clean water, farmland, and historic treasures.”  You can feel good, doing good. Ten percent of all purchases and ticket sales goes to the the campaign.  www.njkeepitgreen.org

 Earthly Delights may be celebrating its terrible twos but it presents itself really more as a classic, sophisticated, superior showcase for all things garden art. 

I was thrilled to see my Gotham garden friends including Anne Raver, New York Times – who’s piercing blue eyes are not unlike the emerging amsonia blosssoms or blue hydrangea … Her lecture, “Milestones in the Organic Garden”  spoke with keen insight about the organic movement. 

My first contact walking the gauntlet of vendor tents at Earthly Delights venue was master potter, Virginia Newman Yocum, Pennoyer Newman www.pennoyernewman.com from whom I have done business with for my garden design clients.  Her pots are top quality, and their customer service is the best in the world.  Bar none.  Proud of their work and their iproduct, the relationship is a dedicated, enduring one.  I can’t recommend them enough. 

When I told her about my soon to be released at retail book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook,” Virginia bought one!  I was thrilled.  I brought her an autographed one I retrieved from the car on our way out.  Nice.

I picked up the beribboned note cards, bewitched by the cover art, thinking to myself, “Where have I seen this?” saying out loud to my husband, “This is the artist who works with Ken Druse on his new book,” to which a voice replied. “Yes, I am!”  And I turned around to find Ellen sitting like a rose among her easled art! I spent some time talking to Ellen Hoverkamp who did the stunning plant art scans for Ken Druse’s latest book, Natural Companions.  (her signature bears an uncanny likeness to Flowerkamp…)

On the way to the display gardens and lectures we reviewed the bespoke, artisanal and antique dealers under tents, flanking the main artery leading up to the first of several architectural structures.  Outstanding among the vendors and artisans, was the incomparable John Danzer, Munder-Skiles and his garden art furniture. 

We bought some plants, but not as many as Donna Dorian and Pat Jonas, my garden friends from Garden Design magazine and the botanical gardens.  

We also bought some almonds in honey from Back to Nature – they also build beehives and chicken coops that they will maintain for you!  www.backtonature.net.

We enjoyed some delicious roast beef sandwiches and pink lemonade, dining at the café tables set up on the terrace area.  I was lucky enough to run into Andrea, the hostess and garden goddess.

Me (L) & Andrea Filippone

Pictures are worth a thousand words and I think I took about that many!  The estate is eye candy for anyone interested in beauty. 

Enjoy the glamorous garden tour!

Earthly Delights is held on the estate of Andrea Filippone and her husband William Welch, garden guardians and design   sylvan space for the 2-day affair  held on their 35-acre idyll.  A fusion that is equal parts display garden, movie-set magic and inspiration.  

If you live in the tri-state, New York Metro area, Do NOT miss this event.  

What an axis!

Foreground is front-of-the-border apple espalier!

refurbished Rutgers greenhouse houses plants galore & object de art including an arbor

Potager: box-lined beds surround a fountain

Box-lined gazing pool

Tool caddy is vertical plant stand!

espaliered apple tree in potager

LECTURE SERIES - Click here for details on Lectures
Dick Lighty - Caring for the Garden: Is it a Delight … or a Chore?, June 2, 11-12pm 
Anne Raver - Milestones in the Organic Garden, June 2, 1-2pm 
Rick Darke - Emerging Ecologies: Gardening Sync'd to the Nature of Our Time, June 2, 2:30-3:30pm
Pete Johnson - Pete's Greens, Vermont's Four Season Organic Vegetable Farm, June 3, 9:30-10:30am 
Eric T Fleisher & Paul Wagner -Creating a Healthier Landscape Through Organic Practice, June 3, 11-12:30

Event Catering by Ross & Owren

WHERE
The home and garden of Andrea Filippone
129 Pickle Road, Pottersville, NJ 07979
*If using GPS enter the town as Califon, NJ