Thursday, September 30, 2010

Berkshire Grown Harvest Supper Tasting Menu

Allium Restaurant + Bar, Chef Chris Amendola
Rabbit Pate with Housemade Pickles
Featured Farms: Wannabea Farm, Earthborn Gardens, Farm Girl Farm,
Equinox Farm

Baba Louie’s, Chef and owner Paul Masiero
Grilled Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Red Onion, Fresh Garlic,
Arugula, Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Featured Farms: Equinox Farm, Markristo Farm

Café Reva, Chef and owner Aura Whitman
Butternut and Corn Cakes
Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Crostini

Featured Farms: Rawson Brook Farm, Whitney Farm, High Lawn Farm,
Overmeade Gardens

Canyon Ranch, Chefs Stephen Betti and Laura Stanton
Black Mission Figs with Chatham Sheepherders Ewes Blue,
Baby Arugula and White Balsamic Vinegar

Featured Farms: Equinox Farm, Chatham Sheepherders

Castle Street Cafe, Chef and owner Michael Ballon
Penne with Monterey Chevre and Heirloom Tomatoes
Featured Farms: High Lawn Farm, Farm Girl Farm, Rawson Brook Farm

Chez Nous, Chefs and owners Franck Tessier and Rachel Portnoy
Beet Tartare with Monterey Chevre
Lemon-Thyme Posset

Featured Farms: High Lawn Farm, Woven Roots Farm, Rawson Brook Farm

EnlightenNext, Chefs Devon and Ryan Johnson
Vegetable Pate on Fresh Veggie Slices
Raw Zucchini Crackers and Kale Chips
Corn Goulash with Toasted Pumpkin Seeeds

Featured Farms: Markristo Farm, Westminster, Foxhollow, Farm at Miller’s Crossing

Gala Restaurant, Chef Chris Bonnivier
Pork and Smokey Bacon Rillette with a
Crispy Grilled Gala Apple and Garlic Confit over Frisée

Featured Farms: Leahey Farm, Farm Girl Farm

Gramercy Bistro, Chef and owner Alexander Smith
Kale and Cheddar Cheese Soup
Featured Farm: Peace Valley Farm, Goat Rising Cheese

Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Chef Jim Gop
Slow Cooked Pork Tenderloin with Mulled Cider Jus
Carrot and Coriander Puree and Braised Swiss Chard

Featured Farms: Farm Girl Farm, Hilltop Orchards, High Lawn Farm

John Andrews, Chef and owner Dan Smith
Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with
Melting Red Onions, Braised Kale and Chevre

Featured Farms: Herondale Farm, Indian Line Farm, Farm Girl Farm,
High Lawn Farm, Rawson Brook Farm

La Terrazza, Chef and owner Rosemary Chiariello
Apple Pie with SoCo Creamery Ice Cream
Featured Farm: Bartlett Orchards

Marketplace Kitchen, Chef and owner David Renner and Chef Steve Sherman
Corn Fritters with Tomato Jam
Featured Farms: Howden Farm, Equinox Farm

Martin’s Restaurant, Chef and owner Martin Lewis
Butternut Squash and Vegetable Soup
Featured Farm: Taft Farms

Mezze Bistro + Bar, Chef Joji Sumi
Pork Pate
Featured Farm: Kim Wells

The Old Inn on the Green, Chef and owner Peter Platt
Roasted Autumn Vegetable Risotto
Featured Farms: Taft Farms, Equinox Farm, Berkshire Bounty

The Red Lion Inn, Chef Brian Alberg
Smoked Tomato Soup with Sweet Corn Salad and Roasted Tomatillos
Featured Farms: Equinox Farm, Howden Farm, Farm Girl Farm

Route 7 Grill, Owner Lester Blumenthal
Pulled Pork with Route 7 Grill BBQ Sauce
Cabbage Slaw
Macaroni and Cheese

Featured Farms: Paul Paisley Farm, Taft Farms

Savory Harvest Catering, Chef and owner Michael Roller
Spice Crusted Sea Scallop with Parsnip Cake, Cider Sauce and Parsley Puree
Featured Farms: Bartlett’s Orchard, Overmeade Gardens

Stagecoach Tavern, Chef Sarah Dibben
Capretto Rillette with Pickled Carrots on Crostini with Garlic and Basil Pistou
Featured Farms: Rawson Brook Farm, Moon in the Pond Farm, Indian Line Farm, Farm Girl Farm, Maidenflower Farm

Wheatleigh, Chef Jeffrey Thompson
Heirloom Tomato, Corn and Poblano Pico de Gallo with Whole Wheat Chips
Summer Melon with Vanilla Yogurt

Featured Farms: Farm Girl Farm, Sidehill Farm, Taft Farms

Williams College, Chef Molly O’Brien
Fresh Pasta with Sweet Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic,
Sundried Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Spicy Greens
Toasted Garlic Chips with Three Toppings

Featured Farm: Peace Valley Farm


BEVERAGE MENU
Beers from Barrington Brewery
Wines from Les Trois Emme
Spirits from Berkshire Mountain Distillers
Coffee and Teas from Riverbend Cafe

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Preserving the Bounty Details


September 9 – Preserving the Bounty kicks off with Michael Roller of Hancock Shaker Village (HSV) who will present a workshop on Shaker Cooking for Today with a focus on food preservation from 11 am to 12 pm. The cost to participate for is $17 per person and free to HSV members.

September 11 – Wild Oats Market in Williamstown
will host a salsa canning workshop from 2-4 pm at the store. The fee to participate is $10 and space is limited.

Fiona deRis of S.O.L. Kitchen Catering in Great Barrington will present an all-day workshop on preserving food including tomato sauce, yogurt, lacto-fermented dilly beans and more. In partnership with the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass), this workshop will take place from 9 am to 3 pm. The event is part of the Massachusetts Food Preservation Workshop Days. The workshop cost is $50 ($5 discount for NOFA members) and a potluck lunch will be shared at the event.

September 13 – The Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington will host Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Sauerkraut Seth who will present a workshop to preserve seasonal vegetables with his traditional lactofermentation methods at 4 pm.

September 16 – Carole Murko of Heirloom Meals in Stockbridge will present a workshop on ketchup: preserving tomatoes into an all-American condiment with tomatoes from Farm Girl Farm and Indian Line Farm from 7-10 pm. The cost to participate is $25.

September 18 – Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way, will be presenting a workshop in WestStockbridge on making herbs last through winter from 10 am – 12:30 pm. The cost is $40 per person; a $50 fee
includes a copy of her book.

September 19 – Pronto Cooking School in Lenox will feature Elyse Etling and Katherine Miller who will
present a workshop on dehydrating herbs and vegetables for soup stocks, making dehydrated crackers from zucchini and pickling vegetables with Indian spices from 9 am until 12 pm. The cost to participate is $50.

Chris Bonnivier of Gala Restaurant & Bar in Williamstown will host a canning workshop featuring honey-lavender poached port pears at 3 pm.

September 21 – Mezze Bistro + Bar will present a canning and pickling workshop at Sheep Hill right next door to its new restaurant location in Williamstown from 7 to 9 pm (NOTE CHANGE OF TIME). Veteran canner Lauren Gotlieb will present hands-on instruction on pickling carrots and beets sourced from Mighty Food Farm in Pownal, VT. Each participant will take home a jar of each and the cost per person is $25.

September 25 – The Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington
will offer a pickling workshop for kids at 10 am with Jenny Schwartz. The workshop is free and open to the public, however space is limited.
Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center in Great Barrington will host a pickling workshop with Andy McMeekin at 10 am.

Guido’s Fresh Marketplace and The Marketplace Kitchen
chefs will present a hands-on Harvest Cooking workshop in Sheffield followed by supper from 4-7 pm. The preservation focus will be tomato sauce with
recipes/instructions and a container of sauce to take home.


October 30 – Hancock Shaker Village will extend Preserving the Bounty into October with Julie Gale, founder and cooking instructor of At The Kitchen Table Cooking School. This session will provide tips and techniques for proper food storage and preservation highlighting lacto-fermentation, plus canning, pickling,drying and freezing. The cost to participate for is $17 per person and free to HSV members.

* * * * * *
Registration is required for these classes. Contact participating workshop host locations to register for specific events.

Participating Berkshire Grown members’ contact information:
North + Central County:
Gala Restaurant and Bar, Williamstown – 413.458.9611x517 | chef@galarestaurant.com
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield – 413.442.5927 | samelsevents@rnetworx.com
Mezze Bistro + Bar, Williamstown – 413.458.0123 | mezzebistro@mezzeinc.com
Wild Oats Community Market, Williamstown – 413.458.8060 | gm@wildoats.coop
South County:
Allium Restaurant + Bar, Great Barrington – 413.528.2118 | allium@mezzeinc.com
Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way, West Stockbridge – 413.232.7174 | amy@freshcotler.com
Berkshire Co-op Market, Great Barrington – 413.528.9697 | mattn@berkshirecoop.coop
Guido’s Fresh Marketplace/Marketplace Kitchen – 413.442.9912x122 | eheinlein@guidosfreshmarketplace.com
Heirloom Meals with Carole Murko, Stockbridge – 413.298.0173 | carole@boulderwoodgroup.com
Pronto Cooking School, Lenox – 413.637.3949 | elyseetling@aol.com
S.O.L. Kitchen Catering, Great Barrington – 413.658.5374 | ben.grosscup@nofamass.org
Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center, Great Barrington – 413.528.0166 | jodic@wardsnursery.com
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Preserving the Bounty Workshops



BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, BERKSHIRE GROWN’S PRESERVING THE BOUNTY
-- CANNING, PICKLING AND KEEPING THE HARVEST --
RETURNS THIS SEPTEMBER
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (September 1, 2010) – To quote last week’s New York Times article: “It’s hard
to dismiss the current locavore boom in the Berkshires as mere fashion.” The Berkshires’ locavore movement is
at an all-time high come September with a countywide undertaking to preserve the abundance of produce
available from farms and home gardens throughout the region. Preserving the Bounty: Canning, Pickling and
Keeping the Harvest presents a second season of fun and educational community canning workshops in
partnership with Berkshire restaurants, food purveyors and partners. Berkshire Grown member-hosted
workshops will explore how to get the most out of the harvest through a wide range of preservation methods
with eleven sessions planned in September and two in October.
The old-fashioned art of preserving foods and the demand to learn more about local food and how we can
‘extend’ our short growing season is on the rise. The September workshops will teach participants procedures to
safely preserve the harvest with hands-on experience under the leadership of local experts. “Preserving food is
becoming increasingly more popular because people want to eat locally grown food throughout the year,”
reports Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown. “Learning how to preserve fresh produce will
make it possible for people to ‘eat local’ after the growing season.”
In support of the Berkshire Grown mission and in partnership with this preservation effort, the Berkshire Co-op
Market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Mezze Restaurant Group, The Red Lion Inn and Storey Publishing are
official sponsors of the Preserving the Bounty event workshops.
“Preserving the Bounty will strengthen the connection between community members – all of us who eat – and
local farmers and restaurants. We are grateful for the support of our members and sponsors and hope this event
increases the possibility for more people to eat locally grown food throughout the year,” explains Zheutlin.
Preserving the Bounty will present demonstrations and information on canning and preserving fruits,
vegetables and herbs using techniques including freezing, canning, pickling and drying, as well as making
salsas, sauces and ketchup. Workshop dates, class fees, session leaders and specific topics will vary at the
participating member hosts throughout the region and will include a selection of foods to take home and enjoy.
Sponsor Storey Publishing is supplying each workshop with a copy of Put ‘Em Up, their newest book on
canning and preserving by Sherri Brooks Vinton, as a giveaway for lucky recipients.
Workshop Calendar + Details
In north and central Berkshire county, participating members include Gala Restaurant & Bar, Hancock Shaker
Village, Mezze Bistro + Bar and Wild Oats Market. Participants in south county include Allium Restaurant +
Bar, Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way, the Berkshire Co-op Market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace at The
Marketplace Kitchen, Heirloom Meals with Carole Murko, Pronto Cooking School, S.O.L. Kitchen Catering
and Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center.