Westchester Wedding

We at Kirk's Traveling Kitchen had a great experience doing an intimate spring wedding in Mount Kisco, New York (right down the road from Martha Stewart's place) in late May. The menu was comprised of many of the best delicacies spring has to offer: leg of local lamb, Wild Salmon, and a melange of Union Square greenmarket veggies. One benefit of doing this event an hour or so outside of NYC was the opportunity to visit one of the most interesting and ground breaking restaurants currently operating on the East coast. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is both an exceptional restaurant and working organic farm (Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture), located on a portion of the former Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills. Taking a page from previous groundbreaking farm to table restaurants like Chez Panisse, all of the food prepared at BHSB is from local farmers/ranchers. The big difference though is that BHSB actually GROWS its own produce and RAISES its own livestock. One of the advantages (or disadvantages depending on your dining perspective) is that there are no menus at BHSB. You get what is best on that day, which makes for a fun and relaxing way to dine in my book. For disciples of local eating, actually having the opportunity to see the produce you'll be consuming or perhaps pet the animal that will grace your plate at dinner is pretty cool. Whether or not you find this type of experience exhilarating or freaky, you'll have to admit it certainly beats the average grocery store experience of cryovaced vegetables and pale meat wrapped in plastic on foam trays.

Here are the links to everything Stone Barns-
Blue Hill at Stone Barns: http://www.bluehillfarm.com
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture: http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/

Here's a great Lamb Recipe for spring or summer.

Grilled Leg of Lamb Provencal

Quantity Produced: Serves 4-6

Leg of Lamb, Boneless 1 / 6-7# Leg
Garlic Cloves, Peeled 12-16 Peeled
Sea Salt 2 Teaspoons
Fresh Black Pepper 3-4 Teaspoons
Fresh Rosemary 2 Sprigs, Trimmed
Olive Oil ¾ Cup
Herbs de Provence 1-2 Teaspoons
Fresh Mint 4-6 Leaves

Preparation Procedure-
Place leg of lamb with the fat side up. Cut 6-8 deep slits in top. Insert garlic cloves into each slit. Dust with 2 teaspoons sea salt. Dust liberally with 2 or 3 teaspoons pepper. Insert 2 pieces of fresh rosemary into the same slits that you cut into the lamb earlier. Coat entire surface of the lamb with olive oil. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons Herbs De Provence. Also add a few pieces of fresh mint into each slit.

Cook over indirect heat on your covered grill - approx. 10 minute per pound, until done.