2011 Orchard Luncheons
 

MAY

Lilac Luncheon- Wednesday, May 11th,  12:30 p.m.
The lyric softness of spring. The magnificent fragrance of bloom time. Walking through our rows of lilacs planted for harvest, contagiously inspires one to gather, share and celebrate. With a backdrop of our historic barn, and vases tumbling with blooms our melodious luncheon will include our many May taste treats...

Apple Blossom Luncheon - Thursday, May 12th, 12:30 p.m.
Artists and poets have tried over centuries to describe most eloquently apple blossoms - so simple, yet so complex - so delicate, yet so sturdy. Imagine our cathedral - like barn filled to overflowing with fresh pink and white bouquets. Imagine also the exceptional luncheon we'll create to celebrate the promise of a bountiful apple season. Our own apple blossom festival.

Lovely Lemon Luncheon, with Grace Wong, harpist - Thursday, May 19th, 12:30 p.m.
Once when I was a girl and living in Toronto, Canada, the Queen of England came to town. While she passed by in a stately parade an elegant elderly spectator was overheard to remark: ' Oh doesn't the Queen look Lovely in Lemon!'. Since that charming day 'lemon' has had a special place in our homes. Even more wonderful - lemon tastes fantastic with all of our fruits!
This May luncheon, served amid the appropriately soft and melodious strains of the harp, is a formal springtime repast with lemon embroidered both subtly and boldly
throughout the fresh garden tastes.

Cobblestone Luncheon - Wednesday, May 25th, 12:30 p.m.
Our gorgeous stretch of Ridge Road, pebbled and sandy and perfect for fruit trees, is home to the most impressive collection of Cobblestone homes. Their history is tilled from our soil and our heritage, and their presence fills our landscape with grace and grandeur. This luncheon will feature delicious recipes from the cobblestone era.
 
 Crepes Galore  - Thursday, May 26th, 12:30 p.m.
     A warm crepe with blackberry jam
     A crepe with cheese and chutney
     A crepe with sauce and herbs on top
     A crepe with cinnamon honey
     From appetizers to entrees to desserts, the versatile crepe absorbs and
         showcases the flavors of the season.
     Recipes will be included with this lovely luncheon - rhubarb and watercress, asparagus, and mint...



JUNE

A Meadow Melody Luncheon - Wednesday, June 1st, 12:30 p.m.
The light touch of the landscape in early summer set the tone for this spring luncheon party. Appetizers flavored with the wild onions of the fields and a beehive honey cake made with this year's honey harvest are but a few of the tastes offered. From the call of the red winged blackbird to the chirp of the cricket the outdoor chorus of meadow dwellers will be interpreted and accompanied inside by the soft strains of classical guitar.

Buttercups and Cupcakes Luncheon - Thursday, June 2nd, 12:30 p.m.
There is a magic moment in June when waves of yellow buttercups carpet the orchard floor. This is one of our favorite visions - a bucolic paradise in youthful expression. Couple the buttercups with cupcakes! Chocolate and strawberry - lemon and rhubarb make tiered tray and pretty platter dance and laugh while vases of buttercup sunshine don our tables.

Poppies and Popovers - Wednesday, June 8th, 12:30 p.m.
By early June the magic of poppies spreads across our flower fields. Suddenly bursting in shades of carmine and coral, crisp white and true orange, poppies of every variety sweep early summer with energy and radiance. This happy luncheon will also feature fresh-from-the-oven popovers served with warm preserves from the kettle.

Gourmet Spring Garden Luncheon, with Grace Wong, harpist - Thursday, June 9th, 12:30 p.m.
On elegant tables set in and beside our beautiful herb gardens, we will serve our gourmet spring and summer menu. While the strains of music float along an early summer breeze and flowers nod along the lavender paths, our servers will greet you with garden recipes that we have been practicing and perfecting. Enjoy this special moment in time on our farm. 
(This luncheon is limited to 30 guests. Alternate rain venue provided) With harpist Grace Wong

Strawberry Shortcake Luncheon - Thursday, June 16th, 12:30 p.m.
Big bowls of strawberries with whipped cream and hot, freshly made biscuits...pitchers of daisies on farm tables nestled between summer salads and fresh breads with herb butters and jams.

Of Geraniums ( Red) and Delphiniums ( Blue) - Friday, June 17th, 12:30 p.m.
         'There once was a Doormouse who lived in a bed
         Of delphiniums ( blue) and geraniums ( red),
         And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
         Of geraniums ( red) and delphiniums ( blue)'... A.A. Milne
What a lucky mouse! Imagine our 200 year old barn filled with pretty tables topped with geraniums and delphinium and for lunch imagine those colors translated into the menu! Enjoy a wonderful lunch featuring June's best flavors and colors.

The American Epicure - Wednesday, June 22nd, 12:30 p.m.
There is a quality in the air, and the slant of the sunshine across the barn, that is restful. There is a refreshing authenticity and a quiet grace to the starched cloths laid amid the patina of the old barn beams. There is a simple sumptuousness to the offering of the array of sun- fresh fruits - just gathered, and just-pressed juices, and just baked breads, and just-poured preserves, and remarkable cheeses on the serving table. This luncheon is an expression of the understated sophistication of life on an American fruit farm.

Peonies and Old Roses Luncheon - Thursday, June 23rd, 12:30 p.m.
Soft and the palest pink peonies have nodded in the June gardens of the country for centuries. A hallmark of early summer, the elegant peony gives us a sense of suspended time. Enjoy this luncheon, with wreath rings of blush and sherbet twined about the punch bowl, and a menu of equal delicacy. Drop back in time.

Lavender, Roses and the June Garden - Friday, June 24th, 12:30 p.m.
Lavender is such a celebrated herb for soaps and perfumes, but have you ever tasted lavender shortbread, or lemon and lavender tea cake, or lavender chicken, or lavender jelly? Let us inspire and delight you with the many possibilities that lovely lavender affords us in both taste and treasure.

Watercress Soup and Juneberry Jam - Thursday, June 30th, 12:30 p.m.
The excerpts from the diaries of Mrs. Curtiss Cook, pioneer settler in Clarendon New York, tell about gathering wild Juneberries in the forest for jam... This luncheon is about summertime delicacies. Juneberry jam, as so many of the lost flavors of long ago, is one such delicacy. The bright spring green of watercress soup will make you smile. Can we tempt you with the first blueberry? Or adorn your plate with the earliest sweet cherry? Discover the delicious!



JULY

Cherries Jubilee Luncheon - Wednesday, July 20th, 12:30 p.m.  AND  - Thursday, July 21st, 12:30 p.m.
Mid summer on a fruit farm really means to us farmers standing beneath a shady cherry tree looking up through the fat glossy green leaves and the ropes of succulent cherries to glimpse the clear blue sky. It helps if you've just picked baskets beyond baskets of cherries, the truck is loaded and has rumbled away and your hot and strain is refreshed by a handful of cherries divine. yes, this is cause for Jubilee! This is the summer of our experience and joy. Come for our cherry celebration!

Blueberries Up, Blueberries Down!... delicious blueberries all around! -
Wednesday, July 27th, 12:30 p.m. AND Thursday, July 28th, 12:30 p.m.
Blueberry soup or blueberry catsup,
Blueberry muffins and blueberry pie,
Blueberry bouquets and blueberry baskets,
Blueberry jam under blueberry sky!

Brambleberry Luncheon - Friday, July 29th, 12:30 p.m.
Endless rows of red, red raspberries, neatly trellised and trimmed...tarts plump with purple berries, pails brim full of inky black raspberries...and the wild brambles of the hedgerows. The history and presence of bramble culture are a part of baking and jammaking, a part of nutrition and a part of July on our farm.





AUGUST

Amazing Apricots and August Fruits Luncheon - Wednesday, August 10th, 12:30 p.m.
"A" is for August and Apricots - big, fat, rosy cheeked apricots, smaller tasty yellow ones. A splash of color in jams or marmalades, a luscious surprise in salads and fruit bowls, apricot bread, apricot cake, marinated apricots with couscous, apricots cooked or apricots fresh. We'll taste them all and learn about their history and horticulture.

Classic Herb Luncheon - Thursday, August 11th, 12:30 p.m.
With the sounds of music floating over our beautiful formal herb gardens we'll indulge in a marvelous menu incorporating specific herb seasonings with each item. We have magnificent varieties to choose from - both annual and perennial. Herb bouquets will grace our tables, and herbs and edible flowers will garnish our plates.

Butterfly Garden Luncheon - Wednesday, August 17th, 12:30 p.m.
Our exquisite zinnia garden, with dazzling splashes of brilliant color, hovers and shimmers all the late summer with visiting butterflies. It is magic. Our carefree luncheon will interpret this ethereal moment in color and taste...butterfly cookies included!

An Elegant Luncheon in the Countryside- Thursday, August 18th, 12:30 p.m.
At it's height summer in the country is about stolen moments of quiet steeped in bounty and fresh breeze. In a setting beneath the trees, as the sounds of summer surround, our picnic will unfold. Gorgeous cloths - spread with treasures of earth and kitchen - will tempt you: to enjoy the magnificent rural repast we have prepared: perhaps to take a walk: and most certainly to breath anew.

Sunflower Garden Luncheon - Wednesday, August 24th, 12:30 p.m.
Big splashes of yellows, oranges, golds and burnished chocolate make a striking backdrop for the delectable tastes of August. Our glowing harvests, from garden and orchard will make this luncheon a delight.

County Fair and Prize Winning Pies - Thursday, August 25th, 12:30 p.m.
The county fair always a time to showcase the best of the season. Prize winning pies and pints of applesauce. Giant dinner plate dahlias and ears of the sweetest corn. Succulently sweet peaches and puddings and cakes. Homemade bread topped with warm blackberry jam. Salads made from lettuces that grew in Thomas Jefferson's gardens, and newest varieties of nectarines and plums. Let us prepare for you our old fashioned country fare. Come help us judge!

Monarch Fiesta Luncheon - Wednesday, August 31st, 12:30 p.m.
Butterflies here, butterflies there... All summer long, with the help of local naturalist Michael Warren Thomas (savorlife.com), we have been raising Monarch butterflies ready to release for their long flight to their winter home high in the mountains of Mexico. Symbolic of the summer's end, and as well of our farm's partnership with our Mexican friends, this luncheon will feature a delicious cross-cultural menu. Taste the tortillas and American apple pie and watch as we release our Monarchs.

SEPTEMBER

End of Summer Luncheon - Thursday, September 1st, 12:30 p.m.
One last bowl of summer berries. One last day of summer's enveloping warmth and ease. Gently fold yourself into the sunset of summer's luxuries - sunshine and peaches - tomatoes and basil - green leaves, blue sky and the garden's bounty.

Peaches and Cream Luncheon - Wednesday, September 7th, 12:30 p.m.
Bushels of amber and coral surround us in peach harvest. Warmth and bounty abound. The canning kitchen hums with activity and excitement as jar after jar of golden peaches is neatly packed, ready for winter enjoyment. The ice cream freezer turns slowly and rhythmically adding music to our anticipation of an afternoon picnic. There are fresh, ripe peaches to savor, juice running down our chins. Come join our celebration.

Peach Melba Luncheon - Thursday, September 8th, 12:30 p.m.
As a grand finale to our perfect September meal we will feature peach melba. Made famous by the world renowned Dame Nellie Melba (coloratura soprano Sydney Opera), who requested that it always appear on her menu. Served on a delicious cake covered with sliced peaches this raspberry ( and currant!) sauce will be topped with whipped cream. Our September late season red raspberries and our height-of-the-season golden peaches will lift high their chorus and our voices will join hers singing its praise!

Hydrangea Luncheon - Wednesday, September 14th, 12:30 p.m. 
There is something about hydrangeas that captures our imagination. Is it the soft and pillowy blossoms from the clearest blues and crisp whites in July or the subtly hued and sophisticated burnishing of autumn? The stateliness of the hydrangea fill our gardens and bouquets with charm from mid summer until frost. come see how our inspiration has crafted centerpieces from fall's hydrangea offerings. Enjoy a relaxing luncheon, informative talk and tour.

Orchard Concert with Grace Wong, harpist - Thursday, September 15th, 12:30 p.m.
As apple harvest escalates to its most glorious pitch we take this time amid the gathering to share our thankfulness for a wonderful season. With the strains of music drifting above the treetops we'll enjoy this most wonderful autumn repast resplendent with fall color and tastes.

The Autumn Garden Luncheon  - Friday, September 16th, 12:30 p.m.
The sky is different now. A sudden cool breeze has ushered in a new perspective.
Once we made a delicious herbal vinegar called 'The herbs of the first fallen snow'. In that year we had an early dusting of white, like powdered sugar overtop gardens and fields still lush and green. We were so surprised to find so many garden gifts that seemed to smile in the snow! We relish autumn, as we do each season in step. Discovering the hidden secrets of autumn's offerings in Western New York reminds us that fall is as vivid for the pallet and the eye as are spring and summer. Come learn to look for the harvest gifts of the land. Fun recipes included!

Heirloom Harvest Garden Party - Wednesday, September 21st, 12:30 p.m.
I can see the September sunlight now - this is the season of abundance! Appetizers will be served alongside the zinnia garden including Western New York cheeses and delightful heritage accompaniments. Removing to our barn the balance of the luncheon will be served at table beginning with our September soup. A serenity will drift about our early autumn repast. This luncheon will be a special treat.

Hurd Family Recipes - Thursday, September 22nd, 12:30 p.m.
The tattered pages and oft copied notes, ink faded over time, from the cookbooks of our family chronicle the history of our farm in food. The cook, Minnie, always served her delicious chicken pie in a huge enamel basin. Grace Hurd baked pies and sour cream cookies - with a raisin on top - each morning. Betty Brent Hurd hosted elegant dinner parties, and also served the hearty traveling threshers delicate luncheon sandwiches and salads at their noontime 'dinner'. Let us share with you our farm family's delicious recipe heritage brought to life with the tales of our long ago cooks.

Edible Flower Luncheon - Friday, September 23rd, 12:30 p.m.
Straight from the Garnish Garden we will collect the prettiest and tastiest floral material. Imagine peppery nasturtiums topping your pear and toasted almond salad, or tangerine gem marigolds adding splendor to your roasted chicken with heirloom mincemeat. You'll leave for home with fresh ideas for bright fall feasts.

Historic New York; Regional Recipes from Local Cookbooks - Wednesday, September 28th, 12:30 p.m.
Hidden in the yellowed pages of recipe books found here and there in the kitchens of the countryside are time tested and fascinating recipes delicious in ways we have long forgotten. Rediscover how very new is the very old - how cosmopolitan yet how comforting the flavors of ages past! This luncheon will embroider with tale and taste the charm of our very own rural New York.

Barn Beautiful - Thursday, September 29th,, 12:30 p.m.
Mellowed with age but undiminished in grandeur the heavy beams of our beloved barn reassure us somehow that all will be well in the world. Reaching high, sturdy and strong, their warm patina glows in the slanting autumn sun - just as it does in our memories of childhood. Nana always said of abandoned barns ' there was somebody's dream'. As the dreams of days past swirl on the fall breeze this old barn embraces our new dreams eagerly. Enjoy this country menu - sturdy and elegant all at once.



OCTOBER

Shakespearean Luncheon - Wednesday, October 5th, 12:30 p.m.
Surrounded by the stately hand hewn timbers of our Elizabethan barn, at tables graced with the blooms of poem and prose, we will enjoy the snippets, sonnets and 'salets' of Shakespeare's garden verse. Foods and flowers alike will recite his charms.
      'Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
      Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
      Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,...'

The Apple Connoisseur's Luncheon - Thursday, October 6th, 12:30 p.m.
The aroma of apples permeates every corner of our apple barn in October. For those of us who appreciate the exceptional and sophisticated apple world, this is an exclusive opportunity to explore a range of apples with insights from a grower's and apple breeder's perspective. We'll treat you to tastings of unusual, experimental, heirloom and contemporary apples from the fifty plus varieties in our orchards. In addition to seasonal October entree and vegetables, warm breads and delicious dessert, our luncheon will include apple recipes from soup to nuts. Our gift to you will be a lovely collection of favorite apple recipes to try at home.

The Quince, the Black Currant and the Elderberry - Wednesday, October 12th, 12:30 p.m.
Lost arts and forgotten fruits. Each of these fruits tell tales of times gone by - but each gives us such mouthwatering delights! Have you tried steamed quince pudding? How about Black Currant Black Cherry and Berry Preserve? Both the flower and the fruit of the Elder bush is steeped in lore and rare and luscious in taste. Refined, adventuresome, and remarkably delicious.

Fall Foliage Luncheon - Friday, October 14th, 12:30 p.m.
The sun glinting between the barn boards highlights a glitter of golden and scarlet leaves dancing from the center bouquet in our barn. Aged wooden beams glow set against the treasured symbols of fall - warm maple - bronzed oak - persimmon bittersweet - apples in every shade of red -a garnet chrysanthemum - a pumpkin. All about us settles autumn in glorious shades and before us a magnificent meal, filled with an appreciation for the land.

Heirloom Apples and Robert Frost - Wednesday, October 19th, 12:30 p.m.
One of our favorite poems of all times is Robert Frost's 'After Apple Picking'. So many of his words speak of our world, a country world of pruning and picking, orchard lanes and farming ways, yet a world more profound, more simple and more sophisticated than often meets the eye. Some of our ancient trees, with great and turned trunks and limbs, through our care still yield the fruits of long ago, fruits telling stories, and watching the same world, through the same lens as Mr. Frost's.

Apple Butter and Apple Pie Luncheon - Thursday, October 20th, 12:30 p.m.
Enhancing our lunch du jour will be hot apple butter right out of the kettle ( come watch the process!) served on breads steaming from our bake ovens. And if you could choose any dessert in the world on October 8th it MUST be apple pie! Our featured recipes will compliment a delightful seasonal menu.
' An apple pie when it looks nice
Might make one long to have a slice
And if the taste should prove good too
A little slice would hardly do
So to prevent my asking twice
Please cut for me a great big slice!'
                                --Betty Hurd

Celebrate Cider Lunch - Wednesday, October 26th, 12:30 p.m.
Cider is pure apple juice - the clear amber juice which trickles from the crushing and pressing and filtering of whole, fresh apples. Cider is a hallmark of American autumn. Come see how cider, used traditionally, enhances the flavor of soups or stews. Taste the differences in varietal ciders - Golden Russet and MacIntosh. Try boiled cider pie, a Puritan's gourmet treat, and old fashioned apple cider jelly. These tastes will each be woven throughout a luncheon of celebrating autumn's classic delights!

Autumn Berry Luncheon - Thursday, October 27th, 12:30 p.m.
By October the earth has flowered and fruited. Hedgerows are filled with wild grapes and rose hips, hawthorns and rowan berries. Some, like the rose Hip and the Wild Fox Grape, are delicious and filled with nutritional value, and have been used for hundreds of years to flavor teas and jellies and sauces. Some are just beautiful.

Harvest Table Luncheon - Friday, October 28th, 12:30 p.m.
The moment is finally arrived when we have completed the harvest of apples, berries, flowers, pumpkins and squashes. can you imagine the fun you'll have savoring our special menu and luxuriating in the colorful harvest gatherings of late October?