Weekend Cooking- Cornucopia 2015

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In my husband's work, we frequently have to attend fundraising dinners for various organizations. Last night, we went to a fundraiser for Hudson River Healthcare, a provider of primary health care services for over 135,000 men women and children throughout the Hudson Valley and Long Island.

HRHCare is their foundation that provides health care for vulnerable populations, including agricultural workers and their families, and the organization my husband works for, ArchCare, the health care system continuing care provider for the archdiocese of New York, is working with them to provide a mobile health care clinic for agricultural workers and their families next spring.

The fundraiser is called Cornucopia, where harvest and health is celebrated. The event took place at Crabtree's Kittle House & Inn in Chappaqua, New York. The setting was lovely, and Kittle House is known best for for their farm-to-table cuisine.

Kittle House & Inn

Sometimes when I hear farm-to-table, I'm not so excited, as that seems to be an overused term. But the night's meal was so fantastic, starting with the best salad I have ever had. It was a plate of organic greens, featuring a honeynut squash that was the most flavorful squash I've tasted. There was also Asian pear matchsticks, perfectly seasoned spiced pecans and ewe's blue cheese chunks, topped with a maple vinaigrette. I would have been delighted just eating the salad for dinner!

Our main course was a beautifully seasoned organic chicken breast, so tender and tasty. Fingerling sweet potatoes covered in a lemongrass creme fraiche and braised Asian greens accompanied the chicken, with a honey-rye pear sauce on the bottom of the plate. The whole dish worked so well together.

For dessert, we had an Asian pear and almond torte, topped with an incredibly tasty mascarpone gelato. A plate of petit fours was also on the table, and the pear slices dipped in chocolate were irresistible. If I could have figured a way to put those in my purse, I would have.

I didn't get any photos, but I took a photo of the menu card, which listed the local farmers where the ingredients came from. It was an unforgettable meal, and I would love to visit Crabtree Kittle House & Inn again for dinner.

One of the night's honorees was Mimi Edelman of I & Me Farm in Bedford Hills. Mimi is committed to natural, sustainable, organic and humane farming, and she was still in her fields at 5pm on the evening of the event. The organic greens for our salad came from her I & Me Farm.

As we left, we received gift bags with a bottle of pear liqueur and four pears, which was so lovely. It was a beautiful evening and a worthwhile organization to support.

You can find more information about HRHCare here.
You can find more information about Crabtree's Kittle House & Inn here.