Boston Flora

Tag: Barbara Lynch

  • Wednesday, April 22, 7:00 pm – Seasonal Palette: Rosé Wines and Spring Greens – Postponed

    Join Stir on April 22 at 7 pm as they ritualize the advent of spring by celebrating its colors: pink and green! This 5-course dinner will feature first of the season spring fruits and vegetables paired along the new vintages of rosé wines that hit the shelves during this time of year. Every course will be a pop of color, with vibrant greens on your plate and beautiful pinks in your glass. While hearty, earth toned braises & full bodied red wines will always have a special place in our hearts, we are ready for ramps, morels, asparagus, fava beans, pea shoots, strawberries, rhubarb, fiddleheads, and rosé. Stir is part of the Barbara Lynch Gruppo, and is located at 102 Waltham Street in the South End. Only eight places are open as of today, so act now. $185 per person. Register at www.stirboston.com

  • Saturday, September 9, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Garden to Table at Clock Barn

    Join the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days, a nationwide garden education program, for an adventure-filled day for gardeners and foodies of all ages in the extraordinary Gardens at the Clock Barn, home of Maureen and Mike Ruettgers in Carlisle, MA. From a stylish landscape full of choice plants to an inviting and inventive children’s garden with myriad hands-on activities, there are delights aplenty to discover from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 9, 2017.

    Gardens at the Clock Barn, 453 Bedford Road, Carlisle, is certainly a place of magic. It was featured in Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy (Abrams, 2015) Surrounding a late 18th century house and drying barn, this utterly charming garden brims over with herbs, vegetables, and flowers for cutting, in addition to choice perennials, trees, and shrubs. It also includes an amazing garden for children, a veritable wonderland designed to ignite curiosity and elicit delight in young gardeners from toddlers on up. There are many gardens to explore, including the pizza garden, fairy garden, pumpkin patch, and tee pee – plus watering cans everywhere for anyone to use. Throughout the day, activities for families will abound, from three scavenger hunts (little kids, big kids, and a rare plant hunt for adults) to demonstrations on straw bale gardening and making lavender ice cream. The Ruettgers’s beekeeper will be on site and guests will be able to create their own bee hotels for native pollinators. Farm and Fable (www.farmandfable.com), an online shop focused on beautifully made goods for the kitchen and home launched by Ruettgers daughter Abigail Flanagan, will host a pop-up shop offering carefully curated goods for gardeners and cooks.

    Open Days and the Ruettgers will also welcome a special guest, Chef Ben Elliott. Using fresh ingredients from his nearby Saltbox Farm, Ben will demonstrate preparation of one of his signature seasonal dishes during interactive demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., giving families and foodies alike ample opportunity to exchange ideas with him—and with each other. Through the Garden Conservancy, farm-to-table box lunches from Ben’s acclaimed local café and brewery, Saltbox Kitchen, will be available to Open Days guests via pre-order.

    Chef Ben Elliott has more than twenty years’ experience working with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Barbara Lynch in Boston, named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People this year, and Laurant Gras in San Francisco. Ben and his young family live and work at the 10-acre Saltbox Farm started by his grandparents in Concord in the 1940s. As a child, Ben spent summers in the fields at Saltbox Farm with his grandfather and learned to cook alongside his grandmother, so he knows the joy and importance of growing and preparing food with loved ones. This is a practice shared by generations of the Ruettgers family, and one they hope to encourage during this special celebration in their private garden. Ben brings the farm-to-table ethos to life at Saltbox Farm, which offers an annual CSA program, acts as a venue for weddings and other catered events, and offers regular cooking classes (www.saltboxfarmconcord.com). Saltbox Farm also provides much of the fresh produce for Saltbox Kitchen, Ben’s café, brewery, and catering company, in West Concord (www.saltboxkitchen.com).

    Admission to this Open Day is $7 per person; children 12 and under are free. There will be no additional charge to participate in any of the activities, although there will be a charge of $15 for Saltbox Kitchen’s box lunches, which must be ordered in advance. To order lunches or for any additional information, please contact the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days either by phone at 888.842.2442 or by email at opendays@gardenconservancy.org, or visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

  • Thursday, April 20, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Fathoming the Bowl

    To celebrate the launch of his new book, Rum: The Manual , our friends at Drink are thrilled to welcome award-winning spirits writer Dave Broom to Drink for Fathoming the Bowl – a class and rum tasting! Through drinks and storytelling (and maybe singing!) Dave will lead you on a gentle wander through rum’s complex and convoluted history and its key developments. You’ll explore where the flavors come from, the different approaches, the drinks they make, and how to plot them on his newly developed flavor map.  The event takes place Thursday, April 20 from 5:30 – 8, at 348 Congress Street in Boston.

    *Tickets ($160) include class, tasting, signed copy of Rum: The Manual, small bites, tax & gratuity.  Buy tickets at http://www.drinkfortpoint.com/dave-broom/

  • Monday, October 31 – Sunday, November 6 – A Journey Through the Langhe: The Land of White Truffles

    Join Stir Boston October 31 – November 6 on a journey through one of Italy’s foremost regions for food, wine and beauty – at the very best time of the year – White Truffle Season!

    Your exclusive lodging will be in a villa on the estate of Ca’ Rapulin in Calosso  (pictured) – with luxury amenities and breathtaking views overlooking Langhe vineyards. The serenity of the compound serves as a truly relaxing home-base for the trip as we embark on once in a lifetime adventures throughout the region. Not only will you explore the very best wineries of Barolo and Barbaresco, you will also eat truffle-laden meals at Michelin starred restaurants and embark on an authentic truffle hunt led by a seasoned truffle hunter and his truffle dog!

    The trip will be the culinary experience of a lifetime. You will immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of Piemonte through hands-on pasta making demonstrations, baking workshops, chocolate shop visits and farm and dairy tours. After learning the techniques and tools of the trade, you’ll be treated to the finest truffle-centered feasts at multi-Michelin starred Piazza Duomo, Antica Corona Reale and Relais San Maurizio. You will also have a special night at Ristorante de Cesare, one of the Langhe’s most storied chef owned restaurant that will be all ours for an intimate evening.

    Every meal and each luxurious experience has been expertly curated by Barbara Lynch herself, so no detail is left unplanned. $7,850 per person. Pricing is based on a double-occupancy reservation and does not include flights. For a single occupancy reservation the pricing is $8,250 per person.

    To reserve:
    Reservations require a $2,000 deposit per person and full payment is required 90 days prior to departure. If payment is not made in full 90 days in advance guests will forfeit their reservation and deposit. Cancellations prior to 90 days in advance are eligible for a 100% refund (less a $125 fee). However, cancellations inside the 90 day period forfeit 100% of the deposit, unless it is for a life emergency. Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Please email piedmont@stirboston.com with your reservation requests. Emails will be responded to in the order in which they are received and should include the information listed below.

    First and Last Name
    Telephone number
    Number of guests in your party

    Reservations are not confirmed until you speak to a member of the Stir Team and we collect your payment information for the required deposit.

  • Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 pm – Japanese Farm Food

    Japanese Farm Food is the first work of Nancy Singleton Hachisu, serving as the culmination of 23 years of experience as a wife, cook, mother, and farmer in the rural Saitama prefecture of northern Japan. A native Californian married to an organic egg farmer with a shared reverence for food and cooking, Hachisu brings a unique bicultural sensibility to the logical and simple food of Japanese farm cooking. In 378 pages, she covers basic tenets of the cuisine, emphasizing the need to trust your instincts and to understand the heart of the food as a guide to creating meals for all occasions. All 160 recipes are deliberately written in metric measurements and use the concept of ratios to make them easily changeable and scalable, covering dishes on the spectrum from simple to complex. Overall, Hachisu’s recipes and explanations invoke pleasure and invite you to step into her kitchen and home to feel, smell, and taste with her. Join Stir, 102 Waltham Street in Boston, on Tuesday, September 15 at 7 as we follow the insight, advice, and instruction lacing the pages of Hachisu’s book for an evening of Japanese farm food!

    A copy of Japanese Farm Food is included in the $185 price of class. Please email reservations@stirboston.com with your class reservation requests. Emails will be responded to in the order in which they are received and should include the information listed below.

    First and Last Name
    Telephone number
    Number of guests in your party

    Reservations are not confirmed until you speak to a member of the Stir Team and we collect your payment information.

  • Thursday, August 13, 7:00 pm – All About Stone Fruits

    Making their first splash in Spring with vibrant flowers celebrated with a host of festivals around the world in their honor – from Japan to Vancouver to DC – stone fruits really make their impact towards the end of Summer when the blossoms are long gone and have turned into ripe fruits whose aromas and flesh are the epitome of the flavor of summer. On this Thursday, August 13 evening Stir’s chefs will demonstrate the versatility of stone fruits – from peaches and nectarines to cherries and apricots – in a five-course meal that showcases their versatility in savory and sweet applications. $165 per person, including wine pairings. Stir’s demonstration kitchen is located at 102 Waltham Street in the South End. Please email reservations@stirboston.com with your class reservation request. Emails will be responded to in the order in which they are received and should include the information listed below.

    First and Last Name
    Telephone number
    Number of guests in your party

    Reservations are not confirmed until you speak to a member of the Stir Team and we collect your payment information.  Image from www.lifestylemirror.com.

  • Wednesday, July 31, 7:00 pm – All About Honey

    Did you know that honey reflects terroir as much as wine? From the bees that concocted it, the season it’s produced in, and the flowers it’s sourced from, honey tastes of its origins. In this Stir Boston class, to be held Wednesday, July 31 at 7 pm,  you’ll explore the terroir, production methods, and styles of honey alongside its many uses on the dinner table. That’s right, honey is not just for dessert and cheese but can be used throughout the meal in vinaigrettes and brines, purées, and gels. Enjoy some honey for a change; it’s the bees’ knees!  $165.  Class (with terrific food and drink) will take place at 102 Waltham Street in Boston, and you may register by calling 617-423-7847, or emailing info@stirboston.com.  These evenings sell out quickly. Image from www.buttermilkpress.com.

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  • Saturday, September 21, 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Farm-Raiser Dinner

    Saturday, September 21, 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Farm-Raiser Dinner

    Join Chefs Ana Sortun and Barbara Lynch, Mixologist John Gertsen, and the Siena Farms’ team to help purchase the Farm’s largest, most fertile, and most cherished parcel of currently-leased farmland here in Sudbury on Saturday, September 21, from 5:30 – 10, rain or shine. This 26-acre set of agricultural preservation restriction protected fields will be theirs to farm for generations – with your support!

    This unforgettable night of celebration will include cocktails in the fields themselves, live music, and a multi-course feast from the fields with wine pairings in the greenhouse, at the peak of the 2013 harvest season.

    All proceeds from the 2013 Farm-Raiser Dinner will be used toward the down payment of this farmland purchase, which is under agreement and scheduled to close on July 18th, 2013. We’ve been anticipating and preparing for this opportunity for over three years, and your contribution now will play a pivotal role in making this historic transaction possible for Siena Farms.  All 100 tickets for the Farm-Raiser Dinner must be sold by July 12th to meet Siena Farm’s goals.

    After your purchase, Farmer Chris will follow up with you directly by email to confirm your reservation details. Please call Farmer Chris directly at (978) 479-0019 with any questions about the Dinner, the Field or Farmland Packages, or the farmland itself. Please note that Farm-Raiser Dinner reservations will be transferable but not refundable, and that the purchase cost is not tax-deductible.  Tickets are $1,000 each, and there are special benefit packages available at http://www.sienafarms.com/farm-raiser-dinner.php.

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  • Thursday, October 6, 7:00 pm – What to Do with your CSA Box

    One of the best things about a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box is that each week, home cooks receive a new selection of seasonal produce that inspires creativity and improvisation.  Sometimes, though, cooks hit a road block.  Sure, you have plenty of ideas for the tomatoes, cukes and lettuce, but what about the kohlrabi or the kale?  As the glorious growing season winds down, the chefs of Barbara Lynch’s Stir will present a menu of current offerings from Siena Farms’ CSA along with several favorite ideas for familiar and not-so-familiar veggies.  The class will take place at 102 Waltham Street in  the South End on Thursday, October 6 beginning at 7 pn, the cost is $145 (which includes an incredible dinner with wine, along with the class), and you can sign up on line at www.stirboston.com, or call 617-423-7847.

  • Monday, December 7, Tuesday, December 8, or Wednesday, December 9 – The Blackberry Farm Cookbook at Stir

    A pastoral 4,200 acre estate in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm is one of America’s most celebrated luxury hotels with a restaurant that boasts the elite designation of “Relais Gourmand,” the highest mark of culinary excellence within the Relais & Chateaux Organization.  The property, a gastronomic wonderland, features orchards, a dairy, woods in which to forage, and heirloom vegetable gardens.  In addition to supplying the restaurant with amazing meats, veggies, cheeses, jams and more, Blackberry Farm offers the opportunity for guests to experience and better understand the relationship between the land, the food we eat, and the beauty of eating locally and seasonally.  In the farm’s first cookbook, chef/owner Sam Beall offers stories, photographs, and, of course, amazing recipes from this very special place.  Join him, Barbara Lynch, and the staff of Stir on Monday, December 7, Tuesday, December 8, or Wednesday, December 9 for an evening of food, wine and wisdom, at 102 Waltham Street in Boston.  The $145 cost includes a copy of Mr. Beall’s book.  Reserve now by calling 617-423-7847, or stopping by 102 Waltham Street in the South End (across the street from B&G Oysters.)  See more fabulous course offerings at www.stirboston.com.

    http://www.blackberryfarm.com/images/BandT_20090807_0137_MB_0809%20cookbook.jpg