Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

Miscellaneous

Thursday

7

February 2013

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Travels, talks, and food

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Steve and I were invited to be guests of Prince Louis Albert de Broglie on his property in the Loire Valley of France to talk about the sustainable food movement. Our group also included Lori and Chef Michel Nischan (owner of the renowned restaurant Dressing Room, in Westport, CT and President/CEO of Wholesome Wave) and two other couples.  

What a glorious garden!

Our destination, the captivating Chateau de la Bourdaisière in Touraine, is owned by Prince Louis and his wife, Princess Françoise.  He is known as le prince jardinier (the prince gardener) for his love of growing fruits and vegetables.  The Chateau, with its National Conservancy of Tomatoes (boasting 650+ varieties and an annual tomato festival!) and historical vegetable and medicinal gardens, has become a destination for visitors.  

Bounty for the day’s meal

We were guests at the Chateau for three glorious days of gardening, cooking, and talking about changes happening and needed in the sustainable food movement.  Our purpose for going and the subsequent discussions made for a wholly enlightening experience.

Some time ago, Prince Louis recognized his country was experiencing the loss of heirloom varieties and set out to address the issue, establishing the Conservancy and historical gardens at the Chateau. The Prince’s passion is one we see in Paige and Justin of Serenbe Farms and Rebecca and Ross of Many Fold Farm. It was exciting to be part of discussions which serve to strengthen connections among passionate people around the world.  

Cooking for new and old friends

Though Chef Michel and I were the guests with professional cooking experience, wonderfully, we all participated in preparing fresh-from-the-garden meals shared family style. Michel assigned duties in the kitchen, and, over glasses of wine and amid stimulating conversation, we worked communally to prepare delicious, wholesome meals.  This was a memorable coming together of interesting people and demonstrated what I’ve known all my life – food connects us.

Whether dining in a 15th century French castle or at one’s dining room table, it’s the interactions we have with one another and with the food nourishing us that bring joy and meaning to our lives.

Wednesday

31

October 2012

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

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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

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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

2

August 2012

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COMMENTS

Extraordinary Customer Service

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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

24

July 2012

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COMMENTS

Martha Stewart Living Names The Farmhouse the Best Fried Chicken

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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.  

Friday

20

July 2012

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Beauty and Good Food at the Botanical Garden

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For the 2nd year, I was asked to be a presenter at the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Well-Seasoned Chef Series and sold out my segment prior to the event. 

The Botanical Garden puts on an amazing series from May through October, featuring 18 of the area’s farm-to-table chefs.  Each of us has one evening during which we prepare a four-part tasting menu with food freshly harvested from the site’s Edible Garden.  
My evening was May 15, a day that brought rain, but I didn’t mind. Good things happen to me in the rain, so I welcome weather that others may scorn.

My youngest daughter Quinn attended to lend her hand as my sous chef for the evening. And, friend and Quivira Vineyards proprietress Terri Kight joined me for this fun event, sharing her winery’s delicious sauvignon blanc and pinot noir and helping us as needed. 

The Edible Garden provided beautiful radishes, which guests enjoyed rolled in creamy butter and sea salt.  It was deliciously crunchy, salty, and peppery.  We then prepared sorrel soup (see my post from June 14 for the recipe).  Sorrel is a wonderfully spring-like herb, with a lemony flavor, that I used to prepare a refreshing soup.  To enhance the citrus flavor, I garnished the soup with Meyer lemon olive oil. 

I had fun with my shrimp and grits recipe for the evening, improvising with what was available and tempting – fresh spring onions (because most everything savory is better with onions) and Quivira sauvignon blanc.  The evening’s patrons seemed more than satisfied with the additions to this signature low country dish and saved room for fresh strawberries with mint over slices of homemade pound cake and topped with sweetened whipped cream.  Continuing with the theme of improvisation for the evening, I thought the prosecco on hand in the Garden’s outdoor kitchen would be a lovely addition to the strawberries, and it was!

The colors and flavors of the dishes that night were evocative of the transition from the bright greens of spring into the sultry nights of summer. 

There are still tickets available for other Well-Seasoned Chef Series evenings.  Visit the Botanical Garden’s website for more information. You’ll be glad you did.

Friday

13

July 2012

1

COMMENTS

Have you visited Serenbe lately?

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Spend the weekend at Serenbe. Friday and Saturday, see “Alice in Wonderland” and Friday through Sunday don’t miss the last weekend of “A Midsummer Nights Dream,” both productions by Serenbe Playhouse.  

Serenbe Farmers and Artists Market is planning to have another packed weekend with a large tomato crop, live music by the Sean L. McMorris Group, and much more. Don’t forget to visit all the retail stores, dine in one of our fabulous restaurants, and tour the Bosch Model Home while you are here.




With so much to see and do, plan to spend your day in the country.

See you in Serenbe.

Wednesday

27

June 2012

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Fun at the 2012 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

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The 2nd annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival was held May 10-13, 2012 in Midtown, and I was fortunate to be asked to be a presenter. 

Image courtesy of AtlFoodandWineFestival.com
On Friday of the festival, I participated in a Cast Iron Cooking presentation.  During the class, participants learned the tricks behind cast iron cooking.  My portion of the interactive session included savory dishes as well as a lesson in the seasoning, care, and preservation of cast iron cookware. 

There were 40 to 50 participants at my demonstration.  I prepared three types of greens, three different ways:  kale with garlic and olive oil, collards with lemon onion butter sauce, and tatsoi with applewood bacon fat and vinegar. 

The demonstration highlighted the versatility of cast iron cooking as well as the beauty of using the heat of cast iron for a quick and delicious sauté of greens. 

Maybe you have an heirloom cast iron skillet or dutch oven or perhaps you’re coveting one at your favorite cookware shop.  Either way, I encourage you to give cast iron cooking a try.  I’m sure you will be pleased with the results.  For many, this cooking method will bring back memories of relatives who relied on cast iron to prepare favorite family recipes.  It’s your turn to create new memories for your relatives.

Here’s to the versatility of cast iron cooking.  Give it a try!

Monday

25

June 2012

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COMMENTS

An Interesting Thing Happened on My Way to Work…

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Something curious happens when one either moves to Serenbe or opens a business in the community (or both)…a number of people own or work at more than one enterprise here or leave rather traditional occupations for the greener pastures of Serenbe, quite literally.  The following examples are the ones I can think of at the moment.  If I’ve missed anyone, please excuse me.

Did you know our resident farmers, Paige Witherington and Justin Dansby, are Clemson University graduates with degrees in Biosystems Engineering (Paige) and Computer Science and Forestry (Justin)?  While they had promising futures in those industries, both chose to become farmers, and we are glad they did!  
Similarly, Tammi Cody of Fern’s Market is an attorney by profession.  I’m guessing shopkeeping is much more enjoyable than being and attorney, and I appreciate Tammi’s change of career. 

Garnie Nygren, not one to be satisfied with a nearly 24/7 position as Director of Operations for Serenbe, also owns the real estate office and spa here and recently opened Resource with fellow resident Monica Olsen.  Sharing retail space with Resource is Honeycomb Consignment owned by resident and Serenbe realtor Raina Newell.  

Karen Reed, Garnie and Raina’s colleague in the real estate office, also owns Twig with her husband, Tom, who is the mayor of Chattahoochee Hills.  Their Twig business retails another of the couple’s ventures, Aspen Bay Candles. 

Then, there is Kara Nygren who is a teacher at The Children’s House during the school year and the Camp Serenbe director over the summer months.  Keith Robinson, event designer and owner of Gloriosa, the exclusive special event designer for the Inn at Serenbe, also owns Repurpose.

Imagine if I tried to depict the interconnectedness of Serenbe entrepreneurs using Venn diagrams?  The resulting intersections would look like a Spirograph design. 

There is always room for more businesses at Serenbe. Put on your entrepreneurial thinking cap and join our business community.  You likely will get less sleep than you’re getting now, but you’ll join an energetic group of business owners. 

Monday

18

June 2012

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COMMENTS

Slow Food and Serenbe

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By now you’ve probably heard of the slow food movement and its goals of sustainable foods and promotion of local businesses, with an eye on lobbying for pesticide-free farming as well as other valuable objectives.  This movement is especially relevant at Serenbe where acres of fresh-from-the-ground and just-off-the-vine organic produce are available from May until late October.  

With the Farmers Market in Serenbe in full swing and the recent opening of Fern’s Market, your ability to purchase all the ingredients for your meals is available without leaving the community. It doesn’t getting any slower, or better, than that. 

Saturdays, 9am-12pm

The beauty of having Serenbe Farms in the community is the opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy produce picked at its peak when it has been sun ripened.  The colors, taste, and sometimes even the texture are enhanced when allowed to grow and ripen to maturity.

Now is the time to be adventurous and try types of produce you may not have experienced before.  If you’re at the Farmers Market and not sure what something is or how to prepare it, Paige, from Serenbe Farms, and her crew are happy to give suggestions.  You can also find recipes here on my blog and on the Serenbe Farms’ blog at www.serenbefarms.wordpress.com. 

This is also the time to take advantage of seasonal produce and prepare it for consumption later by canning, freezing, or drying it. 

Here’s to a bountiful garden harvest. 

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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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