I'm on my book tour this week, so I hope to see you at one of my appearances! Last month, I celebrated the launch of this milestone book, at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new Midtown restaurant, 425. The event kicked off this year's New York Wine and food Festival. Hosted by Chef Jean-Georges and Lee Brian Schrager, Festival Founder and Director, guests were treated to a menu inspired by my book as well as some of Jean-Georges' own exquisite dishes. Later that week, Chef Daniel Boulud and I hosted a brunch at Tiffany's Blue Box Café, where I personally signed more than 50 books before sharing a wonderful three-course meal. You may have seen photos of both events on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Please get a copy of my book. "Martha, The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen," is a collection of 100 of my most treasured recipes and tips, along with photos from my personal archives and the stories behind them. I am very proud of this book. It's the one I know you'll want to read cover to cover.
Enjoy some of these celebratory photos.
I’m currently on a book tour for my 100th book. I hope you’ve signed up for one of these events. I’ll also be sure to share some photos.
Last month, I enjoyed a very special party on the top floor of 425 Park Avenue to celebrate “Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen.” The party was hosted by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the Bank of America. So many people attended – devotees, food enthusiasts, colleagues, and friends.
Here I am with Chef Daniel Boulud and his wife, Katherine Gage Boulud.
And here’s a photo of me and Chef Jean-Georges.
During the reception, bites inspired by my book were served. These are puff pastry cheese straws.
And these are called gougères. A gougere in French cuisine is a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough and mixed with cheese. These are always a big hit at my own parties.
Here I am with Chef Jean-Georges and Lee Schrager.
Also in attendance, restaurateur Drew Nieporent.
Lisa Wagner was part of a small team that helped me with this 100th book. Lisa and I have known each other for many years. She was an original member of my creative team for the Martha Stewart Living Magazine.
Here I am with Chefs Jean-George and Daniel Boulud.
Business entrepreneur Roy Tin also stopped by the event.
And look who else… none other than my dear friend, Snoop Dogg!
Who do you think got the best snapshot of us?
It was a fun evening and the best way to launch this year’s New York Wine and Food Festival and to celebrate my book! Be sure to get a copy!
Later that same week, I hosted a brunch with Chef Daniel Boulud at the legendary Blue Box, the charming and elegant Daniel Boulud-run café inside Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship store. Here I am with our own Thomas Joseph and Kevin Sharkey.
It was good to see Chef Jean-George at this event too.
Tables were set with the iconic “Tiffany blue” colored plates.
And here I am with my longtime publicist and friend, Susan Magrino. It was a marathon week of celebrations for my book, and we’re still going strong.
Get tickets to see me at these book tour events. I started in Boston and am in Long Island, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina.
If you're looking for an interesting and unique plant that's sure to stand out in your collection, consider a carnivorous pitcher plant.
Sarracenia, or the American pitcher, is a cold-hardy perennial native to the boggy areas of eastern coast of North America, from northern Florida through New England. The carnivorous plants are easy to grow in containers in a sunny location and eat an abundance of insects every summer. In autumn, they stop growing and go dormant, some even dropping the tall pitchers and then regrowing them in spring. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, potted two specimens, Sarracenia 'Conversation Piece' and Sarracenia 'Bug Bat,' in a container with peat moss, Perlite, sand, charcoal, and gravel to mimic a bog-like environment.
Enjoy these photos.
Pitcher plants have special leaves shaped like hollow tubes, open on top. They feed on insects attracted to a sweet nectar-like scent that leads them down the tube where they are trapped and eventually digested.
Sarracenia ‘Conversation Piece’ has slender lime green pitchers with red hoods and distinctive veining. Flowers appear in summer as tall, nodding blooms. In fall the pitchers turn burgundy with black veins.
Pitcher plants love bog-like environments. Potted bogs can be made easily in containers without drainage holes and layers of coarse gravel for drainage, and a mix of peat moss and sand as the growing medium.
Ryan selects a glass container that is at least 10 inches wide and several inches deep.
This is Black River Gravel. Gravel helps create a more porous potting mix, which is important for preventing plant roots from becoming waterlogged.
Ryan covers the bottom with an inch or two of the coarse gravel.
Charcoal increases the fertility of mix, improves water retention, and helps prevent erosion.
Ryan pours an even layer into the container over the gravel.
In a trug bucket, Ryan combines two parts peat moss with one part horticulture sand and perlite. Peat moss is a brown, fibrous material that’s a combination of decomposed plant matter and organic debris that accumulates in wetlands.
Sponge rock, also known by the name Perlite, decreases compaction of mix, increases aeration and helps to retain moisture. Sponge rock is a volcanic glass that expands when heated and becomes very porous.
And lastly, Ryan adds a layer of horticultural sand.
And then mixes everything up thoroughly…
Here, Ryan adds the bog mix to the container.
And spreads the even layer across the container leaving about and inch at the top.
Carefully, he plants the bog-loving Sarracenia ‘Conversation Piece’ into the mix, ensuring the roots are covered.
Here he is planting the other pitcher plant, Sarracenia ‘Bug Bat.’ It shows taller, more slender copper-colored pitchers topped with rounded, arching, reddish hoods.
After planting, Ryan tamps down carefully to ensure good contact between the plant and the potting mix. The pot should remain consistently damp.
Most bog plants thrive in partial sunlight, but check specific plant requirements. Ryan places the bog pot in an area that gets at least five hours of direct sun a day.
Ryan gives it a generous drink. I have well water, but if needed, one can use distilled. Do you know the difference between a bog, a swamp, and a marsh? Marshes form near ponds and lakes. Reeds, grasses and other soft-stemmed plants grow there. Swamps have more trees and woody-stemmed shrubs. Bogs begin as shallow ponds that slowly fill with rotting leaves and plants. Then mosses and other plants grow spreading out across the surface.
For maintenance, aside from keeping moist, Ryan will monitor the temperature, as some bog plants may need protection from extreme heat or cold.
I think they will thrive here on this windowsill in my head house. What do you think of carnivorous plants?
Here at my farm, we haven't put away any hoses or sprinklers just yet - it's been so dry with no rain in the immediate forecast.
I'm fortunate to have a strong well system, so we could keep all the gardens adequately hydrated. I designate one member of my outdoor grounds crew to oversee watering efforts - make sure sprinklers hit the most crucial areas, hand water young seedlings and newly planted specimens, and fill any birdbaths for thirsty wildlife. It's paramount that we only water what is necessary, and not waste the water we have. And hopefully we'll get some significant rainfall soon.
Enjoy these photos.
Here in the Northeast, while many of us are enjoying the mild autumn weather and colorful foliage, we’re missing the rain – there hasn’t been any rain here in weeks. The region is actually in a moderate drought. New York City is currently under a “drought watch.”
Here at my farm, the stream beds are filled with leaves, but no flowing water.
Because of the lack of rain, our hoses and sprinklers have been extremely busy. Here’s Phurba watering a newly planted Japanese Maple by my Tenant House. For newly planted trees, it is important to keep their root balls moist until they are established.
Already established trees with strong, deep root systems will be more drought tolerant, but some younger plantings do need supplemental watering during times like this.
Throughout the day, Phurba moves the sprinklers, so plantings get at least a half-inch of water. He keeps track of all the water used, so nothing is wasted or left too long in one place.
Here’s Phurba watering this columnar European hornbeam, Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata,’ which we planted in September. It is also just getting established in its new home up against my Carriage House wall.
Phurba makes sure to fill up the birdbaths, so visiting wildlife can find fresh drinking water.
Mornings are the best times to water – when water pressure is high, evaporation is low, and the soil can absorb the water before the sun heats up the ground. I have used Gilmour products for a long time. The height, distance, and spray patterns of these tripod sprinklers can be adjusted to suit so many garden needs.
When ready to use, the collar of these tripod sprinklers can be adjusted for partial to full circle coverage. A pin diffuser allows for a customized spray from powerful jet to gentle mist. I show every member of my crew how to use the sprinkler, so they can water properly and efficiently.
The round dial on top makes it easy to set the direction and length of the spray.
Phurba keeps an eye on what areas are watered and for how long. And every so often, he observes the sprinklers in action, looking for clogged or leaking heads that may need minor maintenance.
To avoid dry spots, sprinkler heads should be positioned so they overlap slightly in their coverage areas.
Phurba is excellent at setting the sprinklers so there is even and equal coverage.
I also remind the team to keep the tripod sprinklers at the lowest height, so there is maximum coverage on the garden plants below the branches.
Never direct hard spraying sprinklers at trees – this may mar the bark.
Here’s Phurba in the maze watering the newly planted Lemon Burst Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals ‘Rutthu3.’
… And this Blue Atlas Cedar.
My potted trees also need water. I buy bare root cuttings and nurture them in pots before planting them in their permanent locations. These trees are all in a fenced area near my hoop houses.
If a hose must go over a driveway or interior road, be sure it is positioned straight across, so the least amount of hose is exposed to passing cars. I encourage my crew to be conscious of these details and to take good care of the equipment we use.
And here is Phurba by the pool hand watering one of the six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees I planted last spring. They’ve all dropped some of their golden yellow leaves.
And then he heads to the Summer House garden to check on the ginkgo trees there. This one is still full of leaves.
Once the watering in an area is done, it’s extremely important to properly coil up a hose and turn off the water at the source. Just turning off at a sprinkler or nozzle puts a lot of pressure on the hoses and pipes.
If you’re in an area that is in need of rain, I hope all your gardens are still getting the water they need. And please use it wisely – make every drop count!
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