About 30 guests recently gathered for a sold-out dinner at Rosaly’s Garden, having made their reservations weeks earlier through the Peterborough Town Library.
The seed of the idea for this dinner was planted by Alex Walker on a gray and brutally cold day last February. It came to fruition on a clear and balmy June evening because librarian Rebecca Enman said yes to Walker’s pitch for a collaboration.
Enman, the library’s program and outreach librarian, embraced the concept as a perfect match with the Peterborough Town Library Dinner Club, which she describes as “book club meets potluck.” The group meets monthly to discuss the book, and shares a meal with dishes they’ve made from that month’s cookbook.
Sporting summer linens and sun hats, Enman and Walker — one of the farm’s owners – welcomed diners. Walker is a granddaughter of Rosaly Bass, who founded the enterprise in 1973. Living just a few minutes away at RiverMead, Bass visits the farm often and said she’s thrilled that Walker and her sister chose to take it over.
Located in the farm’s newest hoop house, beside the blueberry bushes, a 30-foot table was set with white linens, vintage plates, antique silverware and fresh flowers from the farm.
Once guests were seated, Walker greeted them by saying, “It’s such a joy to gather here among the flowers, vegetables and good company to celebrate local food and this growing season, I chose these recipes for their fresh flavors and layered textures reflecting the heart of what we do here at the farm: letting the ingredients lead, embracing seasonality and honoring the inherent beauty and flavor of what comes from the earth.”
Family and friends of Walker’s staffed the buffet, serving a variety of salads and vegetables.
The menu featured Rosaly’s certified organic microgreens, red boro beets, kale and herbs. The arugula was from Old Athens Farm in Westminster, Vt., and the cilantro from The Farm at Nubanusit, in Peterborough.
Each dish was generously garnished with edible flowers from the garden including lavender chive blossoms and blue bachelor buttons.
Walker and Enman welcome all to their tastings and classes. For information about PTL Dinner Club, go to bit.ly/444Gp7S. For more about Rosaly’s Garden tastings and classes, go to rosalysgarden.com/classes.
Curried lentil salad
Serves six
1½ cup small french or black lentils, rinsed and drained.
1 to 2 medium carrots, finely chopped or grated.
3 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped.
½ cup currants and ¾ cup fresh cilantro, chopped.
¼ cup olive oil.
1 teaspoon curry powder.
1 tablespoon cumin.
Juice of one lemon or lime.
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar.
Hot pepper oil to taste, optional salt and pepper to taste.
Bring three cups of water to a boil, add lentils. Cook until al dente, drain. Let cool. Combine with rest of ingredients and let sit at room temperature to meld flavors. Best if made a day ahead.
Ottolenghi green couscous
1 cup couscous.
¾ cup water or vegetable stock.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 small onion, thinly sliced.
½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
¼ teaspoon ground cumin.
½ cup unsalted pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped.
3 scallions, finely sliced.
1 fresh green chile, such as jalapeno, finely sliced.
1½ cups arugula leaves, chopped.
Herb paste
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint.
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed.
Place all herb paste ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides and adding more oil as necessary.
Cook couscous. Place couscous in a large bowl and add boiling water or stock. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion; stir over medium-high heat until golden and soft. Add salt and cumin; stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Uncover couscous and stir in herb paste, using a fork to fluff. Add onion mixture, pistachios, scallions, chile and arugula; gently mix to combine.
Serve at room temperature.
Serves four
6 medium beets, scrubbed.
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled.
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts.
½ cup chopped mint.
1 cup microgreens.
Edible flowers for garnish (chive blossoms, bachelor buttons, nasturtium flowers or calendula).
Dressing
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil.
¼ cup lemon juice.
¼ cup mayonnaise.
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard.
Kosher salt.
Freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the beets. Trim off all but about one inch of the beet greens. (They can be saved for later and used in salads.) Leaving on the stem helps keep the beets from “bleeding” out red juice in the oven.
Rub the beets lightly with olive oil. Place the beets in a covered oven proof dish with a quarter-inch of water. Roast the beets for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size and freshness, until tender when pierced with a fork. Check every 10 minutes until tender; medium-sized beets take about an hour.
Allow beets to cool for a few minutes. Then place them under cool water and rub off the skins with fingers. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the whole beets and serve them cold.
To serve, slice the beets into rounds and arrange them on a plate. Drizzle slices with olive oil and sprinkle with one pinch kosher salt. Top with goat cheese dollops and thinly sliced chives.
Serves four to six
1 pound medium- or small-sized carrots, peeled (unless very young and fresh).
3 cloves garlic.
1 teaspoon coriander seed.
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.
¼ cup olive oil, plus two tablespoons for dressing the sprouts.
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
2 cups pea or sunflower shoots (sprouts).
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds.
1 avocado, peeled and sliced.
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, optional.
Salt and pepper.
Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 orange, halved and roasted.
1 lemon, halved and roasted.
Salt and pepper.
Peel and trim the ends of the carrots, unless very fresh and tender. Boil whole in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender, about 15 or 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line with parchment a half-sheet pan.
While the carrots are boiling, use a food processor or mortar and pestle to mix the garlic, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, thyme, 1½ teaspoons of salt, one-quarter cup olive oil, red wine vinegar and a dozen turns of fresh black pepper. Set aside. The texture will be like a paste.
Drain the carrots and transfer to a baking sheet. Spoon the garlic and oil mixture over the carrots. Nestle the halved lemon and orange face down on the baking sheet.
Roast for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter.
Dressing directions
When citrus are cool enough to handle, squeeze their juice into a small bowl and whisk with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle most (not all) of the citrus dressing over the carrots.
Toss the sprouts with the remaining dressing. Arrange sliced avocado, dollops of sour cream or yogurt and the sprouts around the carrots. Garnish with the seeds and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.