Monday, July 26, 2010

Yes I can keep a secret!

even if it is the biggest event at Big Table Farm all summer!!





A few months ago IPNC invited us to be a host winery for the lunch tour for a group of the IPNC guests - we were thrilled and honored and sworn to secrecy. Which for those who know me KILLED me!!! So for the last month or so Brian and I have been working our tails off to get the farm ready for this super special event and I couldn't say a peep about it. I was a VERY good girl. The event of the year here at Big Table Farm and I zipped it... so NOW I can give you the blow by blow... First off a giant shout out to Ned Ludd the guest Chefs who also did a very good job keeping a secret thank you very much ... : ) all in all a PERFECT day!



This all started with me sitting in the IPNC office of Whintey chatting about the crazy possibility of doing this ... and that she had a few chefs she was looking at for the event and in the mix was Jason French and Ben Meyers the chefs and owners of Ned Ludd - at which point I said well we've done outstanding in the field farm diner with Jason he's been to our farm and used the big table farm smoker tons and butchered meat at the farm . etc etc... he'd be PERFECT!! so 'done'.. then Kevin Chambers of Resonance Vineyard came up as you know we dont' have vineyard and we buy some of our fruit from Kevin so first stop for the guests was visit the resonance vineyard with Kevin as the host on the bus bringing the guests to our farm.

a little back story - we met Jason and Ben (ned ludd as well as David Padberg (chef at Park Kitchen) through our friend John G who is so frigging enthusiastic about all things food and wine he's an x-chef gone wine maker and just a super individual! John decided if Jason was cooking at big table he'd fly up for that and Dave Padberg knew he's be harassed for a long time if he didn't show so ... soon we had 4 of the most fun talented chefs I know all at my farm starting Friday evening through Sunday .. I felt like the luckiest girl on the planet! These guys all spun some serious food magic for the guest Sat.. here's the menu...


hello summer berry soup with the Laughing pig Rose!!! 'epic'


a lot of talent in one place people!!!

So the guest arrived to the barn first which was lookin' fine : ) thanks to Brian! there we welcomed them and Brian ran the blending seminar which was lovely!


photo: CJ French


photo: CJ French


photo: CJ French


photo: CJ French
for once I wasn't doing the talking...


photo: CJ French
Our Dear Friend Matt was one of the two Maitres d'hotel - thank you matt for keeping everything flowing!!!


photo: Ron Zimmerman - The Herb Farm
Padberg improvised a prep station next to the barn on the horse cart : ) NICE...


photo: Ron Zimmerman - The Herb Farm
the Big Table Farm Chicken Salad with Big Table Farm eggs on Butter Lettuce




photo: CJ French
Just way too much beauty!


photo: CJ French
Chef Jason - enjoying his BTF Pinot


photo: CJ French
it's a shame non of these guys like each other!


This is the Lovely Megan who was also a Maitres d'Hotel and Katherine Cole who was one of our judges from the blending seminar - nice work ladies!



here's a few shots of few of the things getting done before - Brian called the napkins on the line the Big Table Farm version of prayer flags : )





The flowers that graced our table were from the farm




photo: CJ French


the morning of the event

and these shots are after the guest has been wine dined and sent off happy...


ned ludd was here




photo: CJ French
chicken kp crew








photo: CJ French


the dog looks like I felt!

Special thanks to all the IPNC volunteers as well as CJ and Angie for the last minnute table setting save!! xx c

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

'Is that your friend in the chipper'

I fell into bed after a very full day on the farm - Harrowed the horse pasture that we just moved and then got after that brush pile!! -- We worked till way past the dinner hour chipping that big of brush pile last night I was all too happy to head to the one horse tavern in Gaston and get some eats at 9:45 pm








Laura came out to work the boys with me : ) great to see you girl...

and the PILE!! which I'm soooo happy to say is GONE!!!






IN other news the pigs are going fast and oh so cute!





The bees have filled 2 and a half boxes already since June 1st these girls have been BUSY!! and are capping the comb on the first box!! these great viewing holes Laura made let you see all the action!! : )







Laura and I took out the boys for a little walk around Huston was great!! getting on him more and more... : )

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Buckin' hay and long summer days!



It's been beautiful and we are thankful as we've been getting up and getting after it around here the last few weeks between getting our place cleaned up and bringing in our first crop of hay!! we've been head down tail up for a few weeks now.



we are just about done getting the barn all cleaned out and thanks to Brian propped up - note new posts and cement on right side!!



you can see my 8 year old farm helper with me up on the bale wagon in this shot! her mom was takin' a well deserved break from helpin' thanks jess for comin' out and being game : )

I'll be happy to not buck any more hay for another year!


There were multiple vehicles used to bring in the hay


and multiple helpers at different times.. thanks Louis




these yahoo's didn't help at all!!



this dosen't look like much but I promise you it's not easy getting the bales up on top of the stack! This is abotu 7 tons of hay that we picked up out of the field stacked into the truck and trailer and then unloaded and then re-stacked into the barn - makes my back sore just typing it : )

I was happy to collect the evening eggs they are much lighter than the bales!



I did enjoy an end of day ride on hummer this evening at abotu 8:30 pm when we finally stopped it was my reward after a long weekend of farm work. - Thanks Hummer : )