Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

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Tuesday

4

September 2012

0

COMMENTS

Coming Soon…the 2013 Southern Chefs Series Lineup Announcement

Written by , Posted in Southern Chefs Series, Wholesome Wave, Wholesome Wave Georgia

I’m excited to announce that the 2013 Southern Chefs Series has been greatly expanded from six to twelve chefs…that’s twice the fun and a year’s-worth of great cooking and eating in my kitchen. 

Additionally, the proceeds from the 2013 series are earmarked for a seed fund to help establish Wholesome Wave chapters in our neighboring Southern states.  It’s been a privilege and honor to partner with remarkable chefs at the Southern Chefs Potluck, Wholesome Wave Georgia’s fabulous fundraiser event held at Serenbe.  The opportunity to help the parent organization, Wholesome Wave, set up chapters elsewhere in the South is exciting.

Wholesome Wave’s mission is to improve access and affordability of fresh, healthy, locally grown produce to historically underserved communities.  Doing so creates economic viability through local food commerce that can rebuild our nation’s food system.  Wholesome Wave, a national 501(c)3 organization, partners with farm-to-retail venues, community leaders, healthcare providers, like-minded nonprofits and government entities to implement programs that benefit both consumers in underserved communities and the farmers who provide for them.  Every nutrition benefit dollar spent at a Wholesome Wave partner market becomes two dollars for the shopper and the farmer.  

Stay tuned for more on the series, including the exciting lineup of stellar Southern chefs and their respective class dates.  Registration will be open soon.  Classes are limited to 10 people and fill quickly.

Tuesday

28

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Blueberries and Serenbe in Print

Written by , Posted in Access Atlanta, blueberries, Recipe Articles, The Farmhouse

Access Atlanta recently published a story, “In season – blueberries,”  about this luscious berry and featured two of my recipes for using this glorious fruit. 


Though our local growers may have sold out their crop for the season of pick-your-own blueberries, you can still find them in the grocery stores.  Berries – all varieties – seem like the ultimate summer fruit. 


As you know, the weekly menu at my restaurant, The Farmhouse features local and fresh produce grown in our garden at The Farmhouse, the Serenbe Farms’ fields, or from other local farms.  When summer berries are at their peak, we feature them in sweet and savory dishes.  I like the versatility of berries. 


Picking blueberries on a summer morning.
My berry cobbler recipe in the Access Atlanta story (and below) can be modified to use any berry; I’ve used them all with success and encourage you to do the same.


The Farmhouse Blueberry Cobbler

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place in oven while oven is preheating. Remove when butter has melted; this may take up to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk until batter is smooth. Pour into melted butter in baking dish. Scatter fruit across the top. Bake cobbler 30 minutes or until cobbler is cooked through and top begins to brown. Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

Serves: 8


The Farmhouse Blueberry Rum Cocktail


For each serving, puree 1/4 cup fresh blueberries with a tablespoon of brown sugar and some fresh lemon juice. The puree can be strained before it’s mixed with a jigger or two of rum and topped off with a half cup of ginger ale and served on the rocks in a tall glass.  Please enjoy this refreshing libation responsibly. 

Friday

24

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Creating a Weekly Menu – The Farmhouse Way

Written by , Posted in Serenbe Farms, The Farmhouse

If you’ve been to the website for my farm-to-table restaurant in Serenbe, or better yet, dined with us, you know we create a weekly menu for our guests at The Farmhouse.  We’re open for dinner Thursdays through Saturdays.  Menu development for that week’s offerings takes place on the Friday prior.  Before the team begins cooking for dinner, we take a walk in the restaurant’s garden to determine what produce will be at its peak, and we consult the Serenbe Farms’ list to see what is coming off the farm in the coming week.  Serenbe’s fresh, organic produce inspires the menu. 

We then sit down, pen and paper in hand, and discuss what we want to do with the produce we’ll feature.  On alternating weeks, we offer fish and beef or pork and chicken.  We seldom consult cookbooks, instead relying on inspiration, tried-and-true preparations, and intuition.  In under an hour, we have a completed menu.  Due to our location in the “country,” unlike restaurants in the city that might receive daily deliveries, we are locked in to our menu, with not much room to wander from it, since orders must be placed early in the week. 

On the following Thursday afternoon, we prepare that weekend’s menu for our servers  before the doors open at 6:00 p.m.  On Thursday afternoon, look for photos of that week’s meal on our Facebook page.  
This week, tomatoes figure prominently because right now they are spectacular, always healthy, and terrifically versatile.  For all of these reasons, we gave tomatoes top billing for the “Starters” course at The Farmhouse, and they can be enjoyed in our featured salad, gazpacho, or tomato plate.  This week’s menu, like each week’s, features local and regional specialties.


The Farmhouse Menu – August 23-25


Starters

Mixed Lettuces with Farmhouse Garden Tomatoes, Vidalia Onions, Bleu Cheese and Vinaigrette – or – Farmhouse Garden Gazpacho – or – Serenbe Farms Heirloom Tomato Plate


Entrées

Chicken Paillards with Green Tomato Chutney and Corn, Okra and Farmhouse Tomato Salad – or – Pork Tenderloin with Pickled Mustard Seed, Farmhouse Garden Collards and Black-eyed Pea Sauté


Dessert

Farmhouse Garden Apple Turnovers with Honey and Vanilla Ice Cream – or – Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie

Join us at The Farmhousefor dinner Thursdays through Saturdays between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. or for a Southern fried chicken lunch Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit us online or call 770 463 2622 to make a reservation. 

Monday

13

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Serenbe Southern Chefs Series Brings Back Anne Quatrano

Written by , Posted in Abattoir, Anne Quatrano, Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, Southern Chef Series, Star Provisions

The Serenbe Southern Chefs Series welcomed back Anne Quatrano, the powerhouse behind such Atlanta institutions as Bacchanalia, Abattoir, Floataway Café, and StarProvisions.  
Chef Christopher Schmidt of Floataway Cafe
preparing homemade ravioli.
Anne brought her expertise to my kitchen on July 8 and 9 and delighted her students with a menu of tantalizing dishes for Sunday evening’s class: roasted, marinated beets with goat cheese (see recipe below); egg yolk and ricotta ravioli with summer squash and zucchini (see photo left); pan-roasted north Georgia trout with Carolina Gold rice risotto and caponata; and peach brown butter tart.  
Christopher Schmidt, executive chef of one of Anne’s restaurant’s, Floataway Café, made the preparation of that evening’s meal seem oh-so-simple.

Chef Anne with cheese monger Tim Gaddis
preparing one of several cheese courses.
Monday brought a new day and a twist on the series, with Anne and Tim Gaddis, the cheese monger at Star Provisions, hosting a cheese tasting in place of a cooking demonstration.  The cheese selections were many, varied, and all from artisanal cheese makers in the South.  The accompaniments, which included fresh figs, cured meats, toasted hazelnuts, sautéed fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, and Serenbe honey, perfectly complimented the cheese selections and, with a salad tossed with Anne’s homemade Green Goddess dressing, made for a satisfying meal. 

It was a privilege to open my kitchen once again to Chef Anne; she is an inspiring and inspired chef.

I think you will enjoy her roasted beets.  The flavors and colors of the ingredients were brilliant together.  Enjoy!

Roasted, Marinated Beets with Caly Road Little Stone Mountain Goat Cheese

½ pound Caly Road Little Stone Mountain Goat Cheese (or similar)

3 pounds medium sized ruby queen or Chioggia beets

½ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup honey

2 cups water

salt and black pepper

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh blackberries

¼ cup toasted pistachios

½ cup baby arugula

Place washed beets in a deep roasting pan.  Fill pan ½ way up the beets with water.  Add vinegar, butter, honey, salt and pepper.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 ½-2 hours or until a knife goes easily into a beet’s center.  Remove from oven and remove from cooking liquid; reserve cooking liquid.  Wearing gloves, peel off the exterior skin and quarter beets while still warm.  Strain the cooking liquid through a chinois, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss beets with reserved cooking liquid.  Serve with fresh goat cheese, avocado, pistachio, blackberries and baby arugula.

Roasted, marinated beets with goat cheese

Thursday

9

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

This Weekend’s Dinner Menu at The Farmhouse

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Southern fried chicken, The Farmhouse, The Inn at Serenbe

August 9 – August 11


Dinner Thursday – Saturday, 6pm-9pm

Starters


Mixed greens with almonds, red onion, fennel, and peach mint vinaigrette – or – sweet corn soup – or – Serenbe Farm heirloom tomato plate


$5.95



Entrees


Roasted pork loin with Farmhouse garden fig compote, Serenbe Farm green beans, and stoneground grits – or – seared chicken breast with Serenbe Farm smoked tomatoes, corn, okra, and butter peas.


$18.95



Dessert


Turtle pie – or – Boe’s blueberry cobbler


$4.95



Beverages, tax, and gratuity not included


Please visit The Farmhouse to make your reservation or call us at 770 463 2622.

Wednesday

8

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Southern Chefs Potluck Nets Big Dollars for Georgians

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Southern Chefs Potluck, The Farmhouse, Wholesome Wave, Wholesome Wave Georgia

Last Sunday’s Southern Chefs Potluck, benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia, boosted the agency’s coffers when 150 patrons and 20 of the Atlanta area’s top chefs converged on Serenbe to provide a bountiful smorgasbord of the finest food our region offers. 


For the main course, The Farmhouse at Serenbe provided its famous fried chicken, recently touted the best fried chicken in the August 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living, and Jim N’ Nick’s B-B-Q offered up White Oak Pastures meats and their own hot links.  The participating chefs provided Sunday supper sides along with homemade pickles, relishes, and desserts. 


Patrons dined family style with the chefs while being entertained by local talent Christ, Lord!, Lily and the Tigers, and Under White Pines.  Once sated, the talented auctioneer Will Harris worked the crowd to raise money for Wholesome Wave Georgia.  

Four one-of-a-kind chefs packages were on the auction block.  Patrons bid high and bid often, raising more than $53,000 for the agency from the auction and ticket sales.  This figure represents more than $106,000 in local, fresh food purchased by Georgia nutrition assistance recipients at farmers markets as well as in excess of $106,000 in business for small, local and family farms. 


Thank you Georgia residents for attending the Southern Chefs Potluck and, more importantly, for supporting the good work of Wholesome Wave Georgia.  Together, we make a difference!

Thursday

2

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Extraordinary Customer Service

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

On a recent weekend, there was a mix-up on my standing bread order for the Farmhouse.  If it were for my personal order, I wouldn’t have cared.  However, when trying to feed an Inn full of guests, not having a key ingredient, such as the bread for French toast, is more than an inconvenience…it’s a big ol’ problem! 

Because good bread is important, I buy mine from H&F Bread Co., owned by a Serenbe Southern Chef Series chef, Linton Hopkins.  Linton also owns and operates Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House; he’s a busy man.  I adore him and find him entertaining, immensely talented, and a tremendous businessman. 

I drove to the bakery late Saturday afternoon to pick up my order, but there was no bread for me.  Hence began the calling to find out where my order was and if I’d be able to get it in time.

If you’re a top-rated chef in Atlanta on a Saturday evening, you’re probably not the person baking bread and filling orders.  Instead, you’re in the kitchen of one of your restaurants, overseeing the start of a busy night.  Imagine my surprise when none other than Linton himself called me back to find out when I absolutely had to have my order (by Sunday morning) and assured me I’d have my bread. 

At 7:40 a.m. on Sunday, while prepping in the Farmhouse kitchen, I heard, “Bread delivery, bread delivery.”  Who should I find outside the door but Linton himself delivering my order.  I was awestruck.  He has a large staff and could have delegated this task to countless others.  He didn’t though and made it his priority to get up early on Sunday and drive to Serenbe to ensure my guests would have French toast.  I was already a big fan of Linton’s before this but am a confirmed fan for life now. 
The moral of the story is good customer service begets happy customers, and happy customers are the best kind to have.  
Here’s to Linton and H&F Bread Co. breads, which are available by the loaf on Saturdays at the Blue Eyed Daisy. 

Tune in this Friday, August 3, to Better Mornings Atlanta during the 9:00 a.m. hour on CBS.  Chef Linton and I will be doing a segment about this Sunday’s Southern Chefs Potluck at Serenbe, benefiting Wholesome Wave Georgia.  It’s not too late to purchase tickets to this limited seating event.  And, what an event it is sure to be!  Purchase your ticket today for the Southern Chefs Potluck. 


Tuesday

31

July 2012

0

COMMENTS

Catching the Wholesome Wave

Written by , Posted in Linton Hopkins, marie nygren, Serenbe Farms, Wholesome Wave Georgia

I have been encouraging you to attend this year’s Southern Chefs Potluck on August 5, benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia, and there’s more to the story than just the delicious food, fun fellowship, and over-the-top auction items.  It’s important to share the broader story of the good this organization is doing in our great state and in states across the country.


Rows of organic produce at Serenbe Farms
Wholesome Wave programs, in 28 states and the District of Columbia, improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables. 

Because they say it so well, following are the mission and vision statements from the national Wholesome Wave website. 
Wholesome Wave’s mission is to improve access and affordability of fresh, healthy, locally grown produce to historically underserved communities. Doing so creates economic viability through local food commerce that can rebuild our nation’s food system.

Our vision is to help lead the way in developing a more vibrant and equitable food system for everyone by fostering stronger relationships between local and regional agriculture and under-served individuals from both urban and rural communities.

Closer to home, “Wholesome Wave Georgia (WWG) believes that all Georgians should have access to good, wholesome and locally grown food.  Our goal is to increase access to good food for all Georgians while contributing to the local food economy.  By doubling each federal or state nutrition benefit (SNAP, WIC, SFMNP) dollar spent at our partner markets, we leverage existing government food nutrition programs to encourage shopping at local farmers markets.

Fresh-from-the-farm tomatoes
The execution of the Wholesome Wave Georgia program is very simple: Every nutrition benefit dollar spent at a WWG partner market becomes two dollars for the shopper and for the farmer.  This means more money for farmers and that more Georgians gain access to good, wholesome and locally grown food.”


Perhaps armed with this information, you now have a better understanding of why the Southern Chefs Potluck is an important event for our state.  I hope you’ll join me on August 5.  Together, we can do great things for all Georgians. 


Purchase your ticket today for the Southern Chefs Potluck 

Chef Linton Hopkins and me
Tune in to CBS during the 9:00 a.m. hour this Friday, August 3, to Better Mornings Atlanta.  Chef Linton Hopkins and I will be doing a segment on Sunday’s Southern Chefs Potluck.

Wednesday

25

July 2012

0

COMMENTS

Southern Chefs Potluck to Host Live Auction

Written by , Posted in Southern Chefs Potluck, The Farmhouse at Serenbe, Wholesome Wave Georgia

The 3rd Annual Southern Chefs Potluck is just around the corner, and I hope you’re joining us for the premiere event benefiting Wholesome Wave Georgia.  The potluck will take place on Sunday, August 5, 3 to 6 p.m. in Serenbe.  Guests will dine family style with the chefs and their families on the grounds at the Inn at Serenbe.  The line up of participating chefs and restaurants is impressive.   
View the list of chefs and their dishes online, and while at the site, go ahead and purchase your tickets because you won’t want to miss this event! Seating is limited, so don’t delay.

In addition to a great meal and beverages served by members of the Atlanta chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild, patrons will have the opportunity to bid on four outstanding chefs’ packages during the event’s live auction.  


Bidders will vie for these packages:

  • Cocktail party for 30 friends at my and Steve’s house, featuring tasty bites by Steven Satterfield of Miller Union and exciting libations by Miles Macquarrie of Leon’s Full Service   
  • Cooking class and dinner for you and 19 of your friends with Season 6 Top Chef finalist Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill at the Bosch Experience Center in Serenbe
  • An overnight stay for 14 guests at the Inn at Serenbe, including a private dinner prepared by Restaurant Eugene’s Linton Hopkins and Michel Nischan of Dressing Room (Westport, CT) and a midnight pool party with beverages mixed and served by the Atlanta Bartenders Guild
  • Sunday afternoon BBQ for 50 of your closest friends at the Pavilion at the Inn at Serenbe, featuring Jim N’ Nicks Bar-B-Q truck, with beef provided by White Oak Pastures; side dishes from Bacchanalia’s Anne Quatrano, Hugh Atcheson of Empire State South, and me from my restaurant The Farmhouse; and desserts from the Blue Eyed Daisy. 

Telephone bids will be accepted.  If you are interested in placing a telephone bid, please email me at Marie@Serenbe.com before the day of the event to make arrangements. 

All proceeds from the potluck go to Wholesome Wave Georgia.  Founded in 2009 by Gina Hopkins and Judith Winfrey, Wholesome Wave Georgia’s mission is to increase access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food at producer-only farmers markets in Georgia.  The organization creates financial incentives for low-income shoppers by doubling the value of state and federal nutrition benefits spent at local farmers markets. 

See you at the potluck!

To see what we’re serving for dinner this week at the Farmhouse, click on the Farmhouse Menu photo (upper right).  The menu changes weekly to highlight what’s fresh from the garden for that week.  


And, don’t forget to sign up to receive email alerts when I post a new entry.  

Tuesday

24

July 2012

0

COMMENTS

Martha Stewart Living Names The Farmhouse the Best Fried Chicken

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

The buzz during a recent weekend was that Martha Stewart Living magazine, in its August issue, named my fried chicken at The Farmhouse the best!  We went to the newsstand to pick up a copy, but the new issue wasn’t on the newsstands yet; only subscribers had it.  In the meantime, we ran into our neighbor Faye at the Blue Eyed Daisy who mentioned she subscribed to the magazine and would drop off her issue for us to have.  Lo and behold, there it was on page 28 in the magazine’s “Our Finds, the Best List.” 

It is an honor to be named the “best of” something.  Having the best fried chicken though is surreal.  As the daughter of the “Queen of Dixie Cuisine,” the last food I ever intended to prepare was fried chicken because my mother, the late Margaret Lupo of Mary Mac’s Tearoom, was famous for her fried chicken.  I couldn’t imagine going up against her reputation. My prior reluctance to “compete” in this area is best stated in a quote from the movie Chasing Liberty, “The things you’re scared of are usually the most worthwhile.”

As fate would have it, some years ago I started offering a fried chicken lunch on Saturdays and Sundays at The Farmhouse.  It caught on, and I have a legion of fans.  So, while I still think my mother was the best fried chicken cook ever, I am pleased for the accolade from Martha Stewart Livingand bet my mother is smiling down on me. 

Visit us at The Farmhousefor a Southern fried chicken lunch Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  

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About Marie Nygren

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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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