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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Blackberry Farm - Surely Heaven on Earth


 The Main House used for breakfast and lunch service

Veranda off the Main House- love that table built around the trees.

 Morning Mist

Boat House- perfect for reading a book or enjoying a cocktail. 


 One of many bridges on the 4200 acres.


Main House Sitting Room - dressed as an old country manor home with fabulous antiques.


Main House Dining Room used for breakfast and lunch


The Barn - used for dinner and houses the wine cellar and demonstration kitchen.


Blackberry Farm's picture of the Barn's main dining room.



Dining room china designed from drawings by John Coykendall,
the Blackberry Farm master gardener.





Sitting area in the demonstration kitchen in the barn.



Demonstration and teaching kitchen in the Barn.



Love this sitting area in the Barn.



Entrance to the Barn dining room - simple and elegant.


Miniature strawberries being grown for desserts and garnishing.  Lovely!



Mr. John Coykendall, grinding corn for cornmeal.



The Garden Shed- so quaint!

Reverend Taylor Heirloom butter beans



Hollyhocks, typically grown in the old south to identify and hide  the outhouse!



Flats of basil and mizuna microgreens being ground for the kitchen.


Wild ramps being prepared for pickling
.

Blackberry Farm Cheese Cave- their blue cheese is divine. 
 You can order their food products on line.


Chef Dustin Busby, the Larder House manager.

Lunch that Chef Busby prepared for us.- poached farm egg on a bed of caramelized onion and carrot puree, with quinoa cooked in ham hock liquid, sauteed wild greens and country ham.

A sampling of entrees for the evening meal.


 Blackberry Farm cocktail in process being developed for the summer months.
I just happened to be on the veranda during the photo shoot!



Shaved cucumber strips around a seared tuna salad- absolutely divine!
Notice those herbs on top - mizuna - purple mustard greens in micro green stage- peppery taste and very very good!  I will definitely grow some!




Eggs gathered from the free range chickens on the farm.



Breakfast offering at Blackberry Farm.




Italian Truffle Dogs-Lagotto Romagnolos- used to sniff for truffles on the property.-
They raise and sell these gorgeous dogs.


The Fly Fishing Shop - how cute is that!!

Inside the fly shop- ready for lunch with a Blackberry Farm boxed gourmet lunch.


Mr. RTH fly fished every day - all day! His version of heaven on earth!


One of many places to relax. Love those burlap monogrammed pillows.

 On the front porch of our Holly Glade Cottage.



Just relax!
We are just returning from Blackberry Farm, a glorious place in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in east Tennessee. Southern hospitality at its finest - Blackberry Farms employees are the nicest group of people, so accommodating to every little request.  The views were intoxicating and the food was habit forming - you just could not get enough. Every course was a work of art served in an old barn that was found in Pennsylvania and re-assembled here.  Suzanne Kasler, an Atlanta designer, magically transformed the space into an inspirational masterpiece.   4200 acres are at your finger tips to explore, hike, fly fish, horseback ride or just simply rock away your time on the Main House's veranda. My favorite time was spent with John Curkendall, the farm's master gardener and the Larder House manager, Dustin Busby.  After spending time with Mr. Curkendall in the garden and learning about how to grow and harvest basil and mizuna microgreens, lamb's quarter,  heirloom tomatoes and butter beans, we joined Dustin in the demonstration kitchen to prepare our lunch with vegetables just harvested from the garden.  Dustin taught us to proper cook and season quinoa, caramelize onions and carrots, make fresh ricotta cheese, and properly poach an egg.  We were able to tour the larder house and see local wild ramps being prepared for pickling. As the larder manager, Dustin also is in charge of the sheep and free range chickens that roam on the property.  After lunch we went back to the garden for more local stories and information of the life of a master gardener with Mr.Coykendall.   This magical place makes you reflect on life and realize that it is the simple things that matter most. I guess I really am a county girl!  If you ever get the chance, this is a dream place to visit. 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Angel in the Fog









The fog just rolled in off the lake making it very cool.  Yesterday was 76 degrees,  today it's 55 degrees.  But the effect of the fog over the bright green spring foliage is gorgeous.  The arbor Mr. RTH built last summer from our old juniper bushes is barely visible from the front of the house.  Our worn and tattered angel stands gracefully in the center of the driveway - hoping there won't be another storm to blow her over again.  ( She lost both arms this winter!- I have ordered another one so she can enjoy her retirement years).  The lilacs look surreal with the fog in the background.  And finally the red tree peonies bloomed this year, maybe due to the warm winter and maybe just because they wanted to.Their vibrant red color is a stark contrast to the grey fog around them.  Tomorrow we are heading for Blackberry Farm in Tennessee for a long awaited treat.  I am sure in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains,  more  foggy mornings will be experienced and  enjoyed this week. 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Marie Antoinette Inspired Table















It's the last post from our Spirit of 67 Home Tour last week- and my personal favorite table, inspired by Marie Antoinette.  We found wonderful vintage green plates- a perfect shade of green- to set the table.  Venetian blown glasses were rimmed with edible gold glitter and filled with the perfect shade of rose wine.  Pink rose petals floated peacefully in each glass!   Our gold and cream zebra print napkins were folded with the embellished Dolfin candy bars placed in the fold.  The arrangement of the romantic tones of flowers was placed in a crystal compote with crystals around the edge- so girly!   A vintage rhinestone scarf was used around the flowers to soften the top of the tablescape.  Table assignments were identified with scrolled names pinned into Hostess snowballs!  Attaching the tassels to the stems of the glasses added a touch of French style to the setting. We set each glass on a cream and gold rose dessert plate from our store.  The beautiful cookies are from Sweet Ambs- another Etsy shop.  The petite cake was decorated with gum paste roses- just in the perfect shades to complement the table.  This table was lovely in front of the seeded glass French doors that separate the dining space from the living room in Kathleen's beautiful home- a very clever idea for dividing spaces and still letting in the light!  We will be joining www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for Tablescape Thursday. Be sure to chcck out some great ideas for Mother's Day tables.