Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a very safe and enjoyable holiday!
This morning I am busy cooking in my kitchen like all of you - preparing all the delicious dishes for today's feast. Yesterday, I was busy baking pies! I love baking pies and every Thanksgiving, I bake one for every member of my staff here at the farm to thank them for all their hard work during the year.
Here are a few photos and a #TBT from last year's gathering, enjoy.
I made a total of 30-pies yesterday. It was a pleasant day, so they all cooled outdoors on my terrace parterre. Here I am waiting to give them out at the end of the day.
I made three different kinds of pie. This is a pecan brown butter rum pie. One can also use bourbon instead of rum.
Here’s Pete with his pie. Each person got to choose what kind of pie they wanted.
I hope you all have a wonderful day, and enjoy the following #TBT from 2020.
Thanksgiving is among my favorite occasions, especially when I can spend it with my family and dear friends.
This year, I spent the holiday at my Bedford, New York farm - a quiet gathering of 10. We cooked a delicious turkey from Mike's Organic in nearby Stamford, Connecticut. I served vegetarian stuffings in pumpkins from my garden. And of course, we had traditional sides including cornbread made in my fanciful turkey molds, potato puree, cranberry sauce, sweet potato gratin, butternut squash soup, oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted celeriac, parsnips, and more. For dessert, I was proud to share a variety of beautiful homemade pies.
In all, it was a most enjoyable holiday feast. Here are photos from my Thanksgiving. And see more great photos on my Instagram page @marthastewart48.
Whenever I entertain, I always like to decorate my Winter House. For Thanksgiving, we had lots of beautiful turkey figures such as these. I made these turkeys years back for a shoot. We casted numerous turkeys from a material called PermaStone, a lightweight, durable cement and then gently tinted them in various earth tones. They look so beautiful sitting on my servery counter.
The night before Thanksgiving is always busy with preparations. This year, I made 24-pies – some to enjoy with family and friends, but most to give away to my hardworking staff – a tradition I do every year. Here are two perfect pie crusts. I have been making this pate brisee for many years and have perfected this recipe. It calls for two-and-a-half cups all-purpose flour, one teaspoon kosher salt, one teaspoon granulated sugar, two sticks unsalted butter, and a quarter to a half cup of ice water.
I worked in an assembly line fashion to get all the pies ready in time.
Here, Tarte au Fromage cooking in the oven – five of them – this is a popular favorite.
Once cooked, they are left to cool – on the stovetop, on the counter, near my sink – there were pies cooling all over my kitchen.
All the pies for gifting were wrapped carefully in cellophane, tied with twine, and labeled for each recipient. Here they are in my flower room waiting to be picked up. And look underneath the pies – I lined the entire table with durable cutting boards from cuttingboard.com, the Cutting Board and Butcher Block Shop. The company makes custom boards in various colors to fit any space. I chose black to cover all the work surfaces in my Flower Room kitchen.
Inside, my long table was set for the all-important Thanksgiving meal. Because this dinner included family and our closest friends, we felt safe eating together – and to be extra safe, we were also tested before gathering.
This Thanksgiving, I selected blue Staffordshire turkey plates. Do you know the history behind such decorative dinnerware? By the 1870s, America’s rising middle class was eager to celebrate Thanksgiving with dinnerware specifically made for the holiday. England’s potters went to work and started producing lots of plates and platters for the American market. These plates are still very popular today.
On top of the plates, light blue linen napkins. As part of the table setting, I placed small pots of the Chinese Money Plant, Pilea peperomioides.
Even the silver flatware was all decorated with turkeys.
This is called Thanksgiving cactus – not to be confused with Christmas cactus which blooms a few weeks later. Both Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti are in the genus Schlumbergera and are native to the tropical forests of Brazil. They are attractive plants commonly sold and given as gifts around this time.
Fresh out of the oven are these cream-infused jalapeno turkey cornbreads. The turkey molds I use are five-cup turkey molds from Nordic Ware. They can be used for cornbread, cranberry sauce, or even cake.
My daughter, Alexis, and her children, are vegetarian, so we had lots of flavorful vegetable sides. The pumpkins were grown right here at the farm. We used them for stuffing and soup.
Here is a roasted pumpkin with fruit and nut stuffing – nuts, apricots, apples, celery and other vegetables. I also served a cornbread stuffing with roasted chestnuts.
This is sweet potato gratin. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and beta-carotene.
I made roasted Brussels sprouts. These tiny cabbage cousins are always a big hit.
And here is the finished turkey – roasted to perfection and golden brown, served on a white platter. This is from Mike’s Organic, a small delivery service and warehouse shop that focuses on providing healthy and delicious foods to its clients. This turkey was one of the best we’ve ever had.
I stopped for a quick snapshot before we all started eating. I served all the dishes on one of my long kitchen counters – everyone helps themselves and then sits down in my large dining room, the Brown Room. Other dishes included endive salad and classic cranberry sauce – another popular dish especially with the turkey leftovers.
The children made place cards for every guest. This is Kevin’s seat at the table. My grandchildren, who are fluent in Spanish, call him “tio” which means uncle. We started with a bowl of warm butternut squash soup.
And then each had a plate filled with scrumptious Thanksgiving foods. Everyone walked away with a full plate – and then went back for seconds, and some even thirds.
But all ended with a clean plate.
I was so pleased with all the pies I baked. Here I am cutting a piece of the Tarte au fromage for my granddaughter, Jude.
Despite all the challenges we have experienced this year, I do hope you all enjoyed the day with those near and dear to you. I am looking forward to more small holiday gatherings in the weeks to come.
I am always in awe of the many wild birds that live and fly around my Bedford, New York farm and its surrounding areas - from the majestic hawks to the more diminutive hummingbirds searching for nectar in my gardens.
Earlier this month, on a beautiful Saturday morning, I joined a special birdwatching expedition offered by the Bedford Garden Club - "Naturalist Series - Raptors and Eagles." Our guide was Tait Johansson, Naturalist-in-Residence at the Bedford Audubon Society. The walk took us through parts of the 504-acre Croton Point Park, the largest peninsula on the Hudson River. This area attracts bald eagles, hawks, owls, waterfowl, and depending on the season, provides habitat for sparrows, American Pipits, Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and many others. As a lover of birds and conservation, I was delighted to go and learn more about our avian friends.
Enjoy these photos.
Our journey started early. Our group gathered by 8am. It was a glorious autumn morning and we were all eager to see and hear some interesting birds. Birds are some of the best ambassadors from the natural world. There are roughly 10-thousand species spread across the habitats on all seven continents. With their voices, plumage patterns, colors, and antics, birds provide countless information about the various types of birds and the ecosystems they inhabit.
It was also quite frosty on this morning at Croton Point Park located on the Hudson River. We were all told to dress warmly and to wear comfortable shoes.
We started on a 100-foot hill that covers more than 90-acres of the park. This hill is a capped landfill which was operated by the Westchester County government from 1927 to 1986 when it was capped and restored to green space. Croton Point is a very important stop for migrating birds.
Our guide on this nature trip was Tait Johansson, the Naturalist-in-Residence at the Bedford Audubon Society. Tait has been birding for more than 34-years.
Here is a photo of some of the participants in our group listening carefully to some of the natural bird calls. Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of science. A birdwatcher observes by using using the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope, and by listening for bird sounds.
In this photo, our group is listening to a juvenile Bald Eagle.
And here it is – a young Bald Eagle, characterized by its dark brown head and body. The Bald Eagle develops from a dark headed, dark-bellied bird in its first year to a white-headed, dark-bellied bird by age four. It was definitely a highlight of our walk.
At this juncture, we stopped to look at Hook Mountain in the distance. To early Dutch settlers, Hook Mountain was known as “Verdrietlg Hock,” which means “Tedious Point.” It is located within Hook Mountain State Park – a 676-acre undeveloped park, part of the Palisades Interstate Park system, just north of Nyack, New York.
We stopped often to listen for birds. Birds don’t live in isolation. In fact, each species interacts with numerous other animals and plants, as well as geologic formations and weather systems. When birding, it is important to be quiet. Birds are easily startled by loud noises and will flee to cover. It is also wise to avoid sudden movements.
Here is Joe looking off into the distance for hawks or other raptors. Our group also saw a red-tailed hawk. The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide.
This is Beth Sachs, Founder of the nature series and President of the Bedford Garden Club. This outing is just one of the many wonderful and informative activities organized by the Bedford Garden Club. The BGC works tirelessly to preserve wildlife habitats in the greater Bedford community, conduct conservation research, and lead environmental education and native garden programs throughout the year. Go to their website to learn more.
Varner Redmon and Dana Worlock stop for a quick photo.
In this photo are Eric Kronenberg, Joe, Tait, Audrey Zinman, and John Redmon.
I wonder what Joe and Tait have spotted?
This image was taken right after Tait pointed out a close view of a Cooper’s hawk. Cooper’s hawk is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. There have been many sighting of Cooper’s hawks at my farm.
And here is a beautiful view across Croton Bay from the top of the Croton Point grassland. I hope this short blog inspires you to take a nature walk this holiday weekend to look and listen for these astonishing creatures. If you live in the area, look out for some of the other programs lead by the Bedford Audubon Society. Tait’s next excursion is in December – a field trip to Read Sanctuary/Marshlands Conservancy to look for Great Horned Owls, winter waterbirds, and lingering songbirds.
And here is a short video of our group listening to the sounds of a Northern Cardinal and a White-throated Sparrow.
Over the weekend I hosted a lovely Moroccan-style dinner party for 17 at my Bedford, New York farm. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a delicious menu. The first course was Bisteeya, a traditional Moroccan dish, followed by Couscous Royale, made with chicken, Merguez sausage, lamb, and root vegetables. And for dessert - homemade pomegranate sorbet with brown butter shortbread cookies.
Enjoy these photos.
Whenever I host dinner parties, I always include place cards and menus – it is a personal detail that is very important to me. The card stock is printed with the symbol of my farm – the great sycamore tree of Cantitoe Corners.
In my Brown Room, Kevin took a photo of this nice fire built to warm everyone on a cool, autumn evening. Follow Kevin on his Instagram page @seenbysharkey.
The table is all set and looks so wonderful – just in time for my guests to arrive.
Here is a view of my table setting – so simple, yet so elegant. Each dinner menu is placed on the plate. This one listed Cantitoe Chicken Bisteeya, using poultry raised right here at my farm, Couscous Royale with Chicken, Lamb Chops, Minted Lamb Rissoles, Merguez sausage, Vegetables, and Ras el Hanout and Saffron Broth. Ras el Hanout is a spice mix found in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The name in Arabic means “head of the shop” and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer.
In my servery, we always prepare the bar. I decided to make bourbon sour cocktails using cider made from my apples picked this season. This year, my granddaughter, Jude, pressed all the apples for the cider – it’s so delicious.
I sugared all the glasses for the cocktails. I top the rim with a little lemon juice and then dip the glass in some brown sugar – it works perfectly for these drinks. When hosting a party – get as much done beforehand as possible, so there is no rush during the party itself.
These domed dishes are Moroccan tagines. The base is wide and shallow, and the tall lid fits snugly inside the rim. As the food cooks, steam rises into the cone, condenses, and then trickles down the sides back into the dish.
The meats are all seared in the Flower Room kitchen, before they are finished in the oven in my Winter House. Here are the lamb chops for the couscous dish.
Chef Pierre took a snapshot of the finished lamb chops cooked to perfection. Follow Chef on Instagram @pstailoredevents.
Here I am with the Bisteeya just before the three are placed into the oven.
All the vegetables are prepared early in the morning as part of the “mis-en-place” meaning “set in place”. It refers to having all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before cooking.
Chef Pierre cooks an assortment of fresh vegetables for the Couscous Royale.
The pomegranates are all emptied of seeds and then strained to make a gorgeous bright colored sorbet.
Back in my Winter House Kitchen, dishes are taken out for the sauces, lemon, and harissa for the couscous. At the bottom of this photo, Biquinho peppers I grew in my garden. These “little beak” peppers are small, pointed fruits that have a unique, slightly tart flavor with a tiny bit of heat – so delicious. They are my favorite peppers – I pickle jars of them every year.
Here’s a photo Kevin took of Chef Pierre, myself and Sous Chef Moises with the three Bisteeyas fresh from the oven and ready to cut. The tops are sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon – see my video at the bottom of this blog.
If you’ve never tasted Bisteeya, it is a traditional Moroccan dish similar to an elaborate meat pie and encased in phyllo dough. Bisteeya combines sweet and savory flavors all in one. The chicken, almonds, garlic, herbs, and spices are covered with layers of eggs and Phyllo – paper-thin sheets of dough used for baking pastries in Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Moroccan cuisine. We always try to vary them just a bit for every party. Pierre made a decorative Phyllo top on the smallest Bisteeya pie.
As each guest arrived, they enjoyed a refreshing cocktail – my bourbon sour.
Guests also enjoyed hors d’oeuvres – gougeres, or airy French cheese puffs, flavored with Gruyere cheese. This is Tyler Salamone, one of the evening’s wait staff.
Here is one Bisteeya pie as it is carried into the dining room.
The bisteeya was sliced into pie-shaped wedges and served. It was so savory, sweet, and fabulous!
For the entre, couscous topped with perfectly roasted tender lamb chops, lamb rissoles, and Merguez sausage, chicken, and the vegetables.
Dessert always looks so beautiful plated up. Pierre uses some of the fresh pomegranate seeds to garnish the sorbet. Each serving is plated with a Moro blood orange and brown butter shortbread cookies.
Everyone devoured dessert and even asked for more cookies, so we always make a few extra. It was a very delicious meal and a very enjoyable evening with friends.
Watch this video of me sprinkling the sugar and cinnamon on the Bisteeya.
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