Shall we start with the end? This is lunch. And man, was it fantastic.
Last Friday, Fresh Direct invited me out for a day in North Fork, Long Island to tour two farms and a winery that's part of their recently expanded local market. The idea behind the market is to get seasonal and local produce from the farm to (your!) table in 48 hours.
We started off at Wickham's Fruit Farm then moved on to Satur Farms and concluded the day at Paumanok Vineyard where Eberhard Muller of Satur Farms cooked the most wonderful lunch paired with wines from Paumanok.
There was sea bass and roasted carrots, a two string bean salad, beets and sherry vinegar, potatoes, and a cauliflower salad. Everything minus the sea bass was from Satur Farms. I can't remember the last time I ate this well! And by "well" I mean nutritionally "well" in addition to deliciously "well." I always get the delicious part down...it's just the nutrition part that I'm not so hot with ;)
For dessert we feasted on buttery shortbread cookies and a stone fruit soup dotted with fresh red currants.
The real standout of the meal? These POTATOES! Eberhard explained that they were just Yukon Gold potatoes from their farm. Boiled in salted water, diced, a little olive oil. AND THAT'S IT. But why so insanely delicious, I asked. He paused for a minute and then stared me in the eye. His reply (accompanied by a mischievous smile), "I dug them from the ground just two hours ago."
Paulette Satur and Eberhard Muller of Satur FarmsOh man. that was the only minute in my life where the idea of becoming a farmer flashed through my brain...I could have potatoes like this every single day of my life!! I practically wiped out half this tray on my own, second, and third servings, oh yes.
Now we can go back to the beginning. We arrived in North Fork around 11am, after a 2.5 hour ride from Manhattan. Wickham's Fruit Farm was our first stop. Can you believe that's asparagus growing in the photo right above?We drove around the entire farm with Tom Wickham who gave us a remarkable tour. The farm has been around for many generations and over 300 years! We saw everything from dwarf apple trees to Asian pears, honey, and apricots.
We stopped by the blueberry bushes...
...to pick a snack ;)
And ate tomatoes fresh off the vine. We picked them ourselves! hehe.
More tomatoes...
...I'd be glad to spend the whole day in here, picking one after another. Oh goodness, if only I had a fresh ball of burrata by my side!
Before leaving the Farm we stopped at the fruit stand to oogle the berries, and basil, the apricots and tomatoes, the honey and pies...
...and doughnuts, oh my!
Next stop, Satur Farms!
Paulette Satur (she and her husband Eberhard Muller started Satur Farms together) took us around the farm and we were able to see everything from the planting of the soon to be vegetables to the chilled packing rooms.
Check out the carrots...and the SIZE OF THOSE LEEKS!
Almost makes you reconsider the city, huh? ^_^Then, off to lunch at Paumanok Vineyard! Wine, sun, fresh foods, and a break from the city...there's little more to ask for :)
Paumanok Vineyard
1074 Main Road
Aquebogue, NY 11931
(631) 722-8800
Satur Farms
3705 Alvahs Lane
Cutchogue, NY 11935
(631) 734-4219
Wickham's Fruit Farm
28700 Main Road
Cutchogue, NY 11935
631-734-6441
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