Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

Monthly Archive: October 2012

Wednesday

31

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

Afternoon in the Country this Sunday – be part of the fun!

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous


Photo courtesy of BenRosePhotography.com

Friends, as of the 29th, there were only 25 tickets remainingfor this Sunday’s Les Dames d’Escoffier International Afternoon in the Countryat Serenbe.  This fabulous event features tastings from more than 90 of Atlanta’s best chefs, restaurants, caterers, retailers, wineries,
distributors and breweries; live Bluegrass music from the band Drivetrain; a silent auction; opportunities to win pastry art from the area’s best pastry chefs during the cake raffle; hayrides; and children’s activities.

The fundraising event, benefitting the Atlanta Les Dames chapter’s scholarship fund for women in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality arts and the Georgia farming community, will be at the Inn at Serenbe this Sunday, November 4, 2012, 1pm to 4pm.

I hope you’ll attend.  Visit the Atlanta Les Dames’ website todayfor more information and to purchase your tickets.

See you in Serenbe. 

Thursday

25

October 2012

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COMMENTS

Last chance to visit the Serenbe Farmers and Artists Market this season

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

If you’ve meant to visit the Farmers and Artists Market in Serenbe, this Saturday, October 27, is your last chance for the season.  The market runs from 9 am to noon.  Also that day in the market is the always fun Super Goober Day from 9 am to 1 pm, hosted by Serenbe Farms and Slow Food Atlanta.  Super Goober Day celebrates the fall peanut harvest.  This is a crowd-pleasing event with organic peanuts (raw and boiled), live music, PB&J experiment station, Halloween costume contest, best peanut recipe contest, and more.  Bring a jar of peanut butter to donate to the Chatt Hills Food Bank.  See you at Super Goober Day!

The FarmhouseMenu – October 25 and 27

Please note, the Farmhouse is closed October 26 for a private event

Starters

Serenbe Farms Mixed Lettuces with Serenbe Farms Yellow Beans, Pistachios, Shaved Parmesan and Serenbe Honey Vinaigrette – or – Cream of Serenbe Farms Rutabaga Soup

Entrées

North Carolina Fried Trout with Serenbe Farms Curried Okra and Jasmine Rice – or –
Farmhouse Beef Stew with Potato Puree

Dessert

Pear Pudding Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Serenbe Honey Sauce – or –
Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie

Join us at The Farmhousefor dinner between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  Visit us online or call 770 463 2622 to make a reservation. 

Thursday

18

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

2013 Southern Chefs Series classes filling up – register today

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Southern Chefs Series, The Farmhouse at Serenbe, The Inn at Serenbe, Wholesome Wave

2013 Southern Chefs Series classes filling up – register today

Chef Chris Hastings
and “students”

The 2013 Southern Chefs Series is attracting attention, and classes are filling up. To date, three classes are sold out, with others nearing capacity.  If you want to work side-by-side with the bestchefs in the South, many of whom are James Beard Foundation awarded chefs, you’ll want to take advantage of this opportunity and register now! 

January 20-21, Linton Hopkins, Georgia


February 24-25, Anne Quatrano, Georgia


March 24-25, Andrea Reusing, North Carolina

Chef Kevin Gillespie


April 14-15, Sean Brock, South Carolina


May 19-20, Hugh Acheson, Georgia


June 23-24, Steven Satterfield, Georgia


July 28-29, Chris Hastings, Alabama


August 25-26, John Besh, Louisiana


September 29-30, Tyler Brown, Tennessee


October 27-28, Kevin Gillespie, Georgia


November 10-11, Johnny Currence, Mississippi


December 1-2, me! Marie Nygren, Georgia with

Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan, Connecticut

Chefs Series participants busy at work
Chef Michel Nischan

Proceeds from the coming year’s classes will go to a seed fund to establish additional Wholesome Wave chapters.  Wholesome Wave Georgia, launched in 2009, is going strong, and Wholesome Wave founder Chef Michel Nischan’s goal is to establish additional Southern chapters.   

Wholesome Wave improves access and affordability of fresh, healthy, locally grown produce to historically underserved communities.  Wholesome Wave programs benefit consumers and the farmers who provide for them. 

One of their innovative programs is the Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP), which matches the value of a consumers federal nutrition benefits (i.e. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], formerly Food Stamps) when used to purchase fresh, healthy, local produce at participating farmers markets. 

Chef Anne Quatrano and Star Provisions
cheese monger Tim Gaddis

Every SNAP dollar spent at a Wholesome Wave partner market becomes two dollars for the shopper andthe farmer.  DVCP consumers realize health benefits, and farmers reap the economic benefit.  Wholesome Wave programs impact the economy and the health and well-being of the communities and consumers they serve.  

To register for Chefs Series classes, please call the Inn at Serenbe at 770 463 2610.  



See you in my kitchen!

Monday

15

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

In a pickle

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Recipe Articles, Serenbe Farmers Market, Serenbe Farms, The Farmhouse at Serenbe


What do you do when you have a bushel of green tomatoes?  You pickle! 
On a recent afternoon, I enlisted the help of Joy Belyeu of the Farmhouse, and together we put up 36 quarts of pickled tomatoes and onions, all from the Farmhouse’s garden.  I love to can!  Every step requires strict attention to detail to ensure that not only is the end result food safe but also it tastes good.  I have an added criterion in that I like my pickled goods to look good in the jar.  To that end, it’s all about the layering and colors.  Since the jars will sit on an open shelf in the Farmhouse kitchen, why not have the contents be colorful as well, adding a dash of red in an otherwise green and white landscape? 

I taught myself how to can when faced with an abundant bounty from my and Steve’s first garden in Serenbe – before we opened the Serenbe B&B (which later became the Inn at Serenbe).  Acclaimed landscape designer extraordinaire Ryan Gainey designed our vegetable garden, and Steve put it in.  Ours is the only vegetable garden for which Ryan accepted a commission.  And what a garden it has been for us and now for the Farmhouse at Serenbe! 

I’m encouraged that the practice of canning and pickling is experiencing a resurgence.  Information abounds on the Internet about how to can.  Ball has a great website, complete with recipes and instructions, as does the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

There are terrific economic and health benefits to taking up the practice of home canning and pickling.  With an abundance of fresh produce at area farmers markets, now is the time to dive in and learn to can.

Come to the Serenbe Farmers Market on Saturdays, 9 am – 12 pm, now through November, and pick up your favorite produce so you too can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor in the middle of winter.



Green Tomato Pickles

3 cups thinly sliced green tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions

1/2 cup cherry bomb peppers

5-10 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2-3 sprigs fennel blossom or parsley

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup kosher salt

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in a large glass bowl and cover with a plate to submerge. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Then can place in a plastic container and refrigerate. Good for 1 month.

Thursday

11

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

Delectable dining this week at The Farmhouse at Serenbe

Written by , Posted in Rocking Chair Ranch, The Farmhouse at Serenbe

Fall is in the air, and this week’s menu reflects some of the season’s vivid colors and enticing flavors.  I hope you will join us for dinner this Thursday or Saturday evening.  Please note, The Farmhouse will be closed Friday evening, October 12, for a private event.

The FarmhouseMenu
October 11 and 13

The Farmhouse is closed October 12 for a private event

Starters

Serenbe Farms lettuces with Serenbe Farms radishes, Bleu Cheese, and Vinaigrette – or – Serenbe Farms Sweet Potato Soup

Entrées

Wild Georgia Shrimp Jambalaya with Rice – or –
Rocking Chair Ranch Beef Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Serenbe Farms Kale

Dessert

Caramel Cake – or –
Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie

Join us at The Farmhousefor dinner between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  Visit us online or call 770 463 2622 to make a reservation. 

Monday

8

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

Experience an Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe

Written by , Posted in Afternoon in the Country, Les Dames d'Escoffier, marie nygren, Steve Nygren, The Farmhouse at Serenbe, The Inn at Serenbe

The Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) is holding its 12th annual Afternoon in the Country fundraising event at the Inn at Serenbe on Sunday, November 4, 2012, 1pm to 4pm.  The Farmhouse again will be represented at the event, and I will participate not only as proprietress of the Farmhouse but also as a new member of Les Dames. 

Patrons will enjoy tastings from more than 90 of Atlanta’s best chefs, restaurants, caterers, retailers, wineries, 
distributors and breweries; live Bluegrass music from the band Drivetrain; a silent auction; opportunities to win pastry art from the area’s best pastry chefs during the cake raffle; hayrides; and children’s activities. 
 There is something for everyone at this popular event. 

Proceeds benefit the Atlanta chapter’s scholarship fund for women in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality arts and the Georgia farming community.  LDEI reports its 26 chapters around the U.S., Canada, and Australia have awarded more than $2 million in culinary scholarships.

LDEI fosters excellence and promotes the achievement of women in culinary professions through educational and charitable activities.  It is exciting for me to be selected to join this prestigious society of women.  Atlanta Dames include chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, retailers, event planners, cookbook authors, food journalists and historians, winemakers and wine industry professionals, food publicists, culinary educators, and hospitality executives.

Afternoon in the Country sells out early every year. Don’t miss your chance to attend.  Visit the Atlanta Les Dames’ website today for more information and to purchase your tickets.

See you at Serenbe. 

Photos by BenRosePhotography.com

Tuesday

2

October 2012

0

COMMENTS

The Serenbe Institute awards HGTV windfall to community projects

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Ryan Gainey, Serenbe Farms, Serenbe Institute, Serenbe Playhouse, Steve Nygren, The Farmhouse at Serenbe, The Inn at Serenbe

4th of July parade
I hope you had the opportunity to visit the HGTV Green Home here in Serenbe while it was open for tours over the summer.  What a beautiful home it is.  HGTV was a wonderful partner and, as a result of the money raised from the tours, many community programs were recipients of the windfall.  One recipient, the Serenbe Institute for Arts, Culture & the Environment, used their proceeds and paid it forward, awarding funds to several more local programs and projects.

The Institute received 15 applications, all for worthy projects.  The Institute’s executive committee gave thoughtful consideration to each application and ultimately awarded funds for the following projects:

Serenbe Playhouse’s
Alice in Wonderland
  • Serenbe community collaborative – to purchase chairs and tables for the Stables meeting room, signage for the trail system, software to upgrade the community website, and construction of a dock at Grange Lake
  • The Children’s House (Montessori school in Serenbe) – to support construction of a playground and purchase geocaching devices for the after-school program
  • Serenbe Farms – to support restoring the fertility of a 3-acre field and beautify and plant it with small fruits and flowers
  • Serenbe Artist-in-Residence program – to upgrade community outreach and communications capabilities
  • Courtyard studio meeting room – for maintenance and upgrade of the facility
  • Serenbe Playhouse – to purchase sound and lighting equipment, keyboard, and computer equipment
  • Serenbe Photography Center – to support interior renovation and upgrade, purchase of additional lighting and exhibition hanging systems, and upgrading database for use by the Center, the Playhouse, and other programs

Fun at Camp Serenbe
I encourage you to visit the Institute’s website.  The good people involved in the Institute offer inspiring programs.  The Institute’s mission is “to cultivate the community’s creative, intellectual, and ecological qualities through programs and projects that promote our social, spiritual, and aesthetic curiosity.”  As a resident of Serenbe and the greater Chattahoochee Hill Country, I appreciate their generosity in supporting local programs and projects. 

Team Blue – Serenbe Olympics
If you haven’t visited Serenbe for a while, please come see our community.  Great things happen where interesting people congregate. 

About Marie Nygren

MarieNygrenBio-200x300

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m the co-founder of the Serenbe community and the Inn at Serenbe. But, the truest Read More...

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