Lemon Verbena Panna-Cotta, and a little “Sneak-Peek”
I spent quite a bit of time in the Hamptons this past few weeks and i took my camera along to Big Bossman’s garden to give you a little sneak peek of all the wonderful things we grow out there. There are gardeners working on the property full time, growing fruits and vegetables, planting, trimming, cutting and landscaping and as much as i would love to give you a full view of the magnificent garden- i just can’t for privacy reasons. I thought it would be okay to take a few shots of the great produce grown there though. After all, we’re just here for the food.
We’ve been doing some pretty large dinner parties the past months for which we rely a lot on the produce grown on the property. The lemon verbena used to flavor this panna cotta for example is grown right outside my kitchen, and so are the wild strawberries for the garnish and the berries for the coulis. All we need now is a cow and a few chickens to be self-sufficient as i often joke with the Bossman.
Sit back, relax and enjoy this close-up insider look at an exclusive garden in the Hamptons. The recipe for lemon verbena panna cotta is at the end of this post. It’s a long ride, about 2 miles down south, but you’ll find refreshments along the way.
Let’s start with a bumblebee feasting on some funky flowers. Be thankful for every bug that flits back and forth among the blooms in your garden. You see, it really is all about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees. Animals like insects and hummingbirds that feed on nectar deep inside a flower’s bloom ensure that thing called luv’ occurs in the botanical world. By inadvertently gathering pollen on their bodies, the bees transfer the tiny grains that are essential to the fertilization of plants from one flower to another.
Since honeybees, the premier pollinator of commercial crops in the United States, are disappearing into thin air (some blame it on cellular phone signals), pollinators of all kinds like bugs, bumblebees, and hundreds more species we once loved to swat – are getting a little more respect these days. Remember that next time you have a choice between smashing the little sucker against the wall, or simply opening the window to let it escape.
Now that i saved the world, let’s explore the rest of the property, shall we? Two kinds of pears are grown here, Anjou and Bosc. Those are the Anjou pears just a few weeks away from being ripe. Pear tarts, pies, crumbles, poached, roasted and whatnot.. here i come!
There are also two kinds of apples grown there, Cortland and Fuji. Nearby there are also orchards with peach, apricot and sour cherry trees which didn’t give such a good crop this year because of all the rain and weird weather we’ve gotten over the summer. I won’t be jammin’ too much this year.
A few lime trees and Italian lemon and Meyer lemon trees can be found right outside my kitchen window. We make many things with them from lemonade to salad dressings, but i especially like to use them to make lime and lemon curds that i serve with meringue and fresh picked berries. I love to use them to make lemon tarts and lemon sorbet too.
I’m used to travel hectically around manhattan most of the year to pick up ingredients from various markets and grocery stores so i can’t tell you how much i appreciate the luxury to take a relaxed stroll down to some nearby bushes or trees to do my “shopping”. We have raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and tiny wild strawberries to choose from. That’s when it’s not the birds getting the ‘first pick’.
The entrance of the vegetable garden where all the elements to a great ratatouille are grown, plus many other. It’s not only the birds we have to watch out for, the deers love the same things as we do and they don’t hesitate to jump the fence to go and get it.
It should be called the garden of ali baba with an abundance of eggplants, tomatoes, onions, peppers, zucchinis, garlic, baby carrots, beets, kale and cucumbers growing in the summer months. The picture on the right is some baby romaine lettuce.
That’s a whole lot of celery growing. And no, i don’t know what i’m going to do with it yet. I bet nobody can recognize the fruit on the right. I was puzzled by it so i finally took a knife and sliced it open to realize it was a miniature kiwi. Yes it is! And it’s pretty sweet too. Those tiny kiwi slices make nice dessert garnishes.
A little corner of the herb garden where basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, purslane, chives, mint, tarragon, dill, coriander and lemon verbena growns. In case you wonder, i don’t think the ‘animal’ on the picture is alive. If it was i would be worried. It’s looking at me funny.
There’s a fountain and pond with (non-edible) fishes in it, and a path lined with beautiful flowers carved around it. I think Big Bossman should start throwing some yummy species in there to bring this place one step closer to full autarky, although i don’t think this makes his list of priorities for the time being. Me, i wouldn’t mind bringing some fishing rod to work.
Right next to the lavender is the bench where the chef (aka ME) comes to sit and sip on some wine after dinner parties to decompress and relax for a while. Nice and cozy and hidden from the world. I mean almost hidden, that’s where i almost got tackled by the bodyguards of one of the guests once, they thought i was a terrorist in disguise. Fuckers.
This is your annual eyesight check-up. Yes, that’s how much i care. How many bees can you spot on the picture above?
I just realized i should have named this post: “A bug’s life”. If you have failed the previous check-up there might be still hope, this one is easier. How many honeybees can you spot feasting on flowering chives?
One last one for the road. A beautiful butterfly.
I will announce the winner of the “Table Manners” giveaway on my next post. I need to do some catching up on my blogging first. Cheers!
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Lemon Verbena Panna-Cotta
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- Serves 6
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For the panna cotta:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups fresh lemon verbena leaves (packed)
- 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 6 tablespoons cold water
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For the garnish:
- mixed berries
- berry coulis
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- Combine the heavy cream, the half & half, the sugar and the lemon verbena in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 20 min.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
- Strain the cream mixture and discard the leaves. Reheat the infused cream until very warm and pour over the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.
- Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into cups, then chill them until set. About 2 hours or more depending on the size of the cup. Recipe can be made up to 48 hours ahead until that point.
- To unmold, dip the bottom of the cups in warm water for a few seconds and unmold on a plate. Garnish with fruits and coulis. Panna cotta can also be served directly in the cup.
Tags: Dessert
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