Farm Lunch and Blueberry Pie

Magical is the word I will use to describe

last Sunday at Carding Brook Farm

Jon and Jen allowed me to show up early

in the morning to prep for lunch

While they readied the farm for our 100+ guests

due to arrive at 2pm

My goal this year with the food was to keep it as

simple and pure as possible and to make as much 

of it as I could right there at the farm

Always, as a chef, my inspiration has come from the 

essence and spirit that emanates around fresh, local foods

Surrounded by abundance, I tucked myself into this blissful,

 corner of the barn overlooking the fields and animals

and spent all morning chopping, seasoning and tossing

immersed in the soft rhythms of a hard working

farm and it's family

The menu,

Texas Style Beef Brisket on grilled flat bread

Mesclun and Calendula blossoms tossed

in a grapefruit jam vinaigrette with fresh herbs

Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes, sea salt and borage blossoms,

drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with herbs

Rainbow Bean Salad

New Potatoes with a creamy Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Sauce

Blueberry Pie with Organic Blue Hill Berries and Pasture Butter

Anise Hysop "tea"

Let the party begin!

The beef was from Buddy the Bull -two huge briskets that

took over 8 hours to cook!

Live music from Isle of Jazz, that's Renee on the right playing the bass

Ed was happy as a clam at high tide, chomping beef bones all day

 

 The anise hyssop tea was a curious success

 David's coffee took the nip out of the air,

or did the red wine do that?

I was told the blueberry pie was "blue ribbon" good

After lunch, people strolled the farm

and hopefully left with the same feeling of peace and good fortune

that still fills me today.

MY BLUEBERRY PIE

Crust: 

2 sticks cold organic pasture butter

(pasture butter is available from May - September and is the

butter made from the cow's milk while they feed on the

fresh grasses and pasture of the season - you can find this here locally

from farms that raise grass fed dairy cows, but Organic Valley

sells a quality product available country wide)

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 T sugar

1 tsp salt

4 T cold water

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor,

whir to stir, then cut the butter up into pieces and add to the flour

Process the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse meal

With the motor running, add the water 1 T at a time and

process until a soft dough forms

Gather together, divide into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in

wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes

Meanwhile make your filling and pre heat your oven to 350 degrees

Filling:

6 cups fresh or frozen organic wild Maine blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of ground clove

pinch of kosher salt

3 T flour

zest of half a lemon - no white parts!

juice of half a lemon

Toss well to combine

Roll out 1 chilled crust to cover pie pan with about an half inch overhang,

fill crust with berry filling, dot with a tablespoon of butter

Roll out remaining crust and cut into strips for simple basket weave top

Crimp as desired

Bake in 350 degree oven until golden and fruit is bubbling thick juices

approximately 45 minutes to an hour

Let pie stand until set before cutting

Enjoy!

Kyra