Berkshire Weekend June 2018

By Lisa Jacobs | December 10, 2018

Summer Solstice Weekend in the Berkshires

6/22-6/24/18

B♭Woods, Stockbridge, MA

By Isabel Chesak

A lovely warm June day welcomes members of the Culinary Guild of New England to the Berkshires where we will be spending the “summer solstice” weekend relaxing at lovely B♭Flatwoods, home of our president, Lisa Jacobs. B♭ Flatwoods was the home of Lisa’s late sister and her husband, both players of the B♭Flat clarinet, hence the name.

Our first stop in this sunny bucolic area is to High Lawn Farm, a state-of-the-art dairy farm where cows are grazing on the fresh cut grass in this peaceful corner of Massachusetts. Our welcoming guide is Jason Garnish who leads us through the spotless barn where lovingly tended Jersey cows are being milked from spotless milking machines. Pure Jersey milk has been produced here since 1923. The facility was restored in 2015 and complete control is exercised over the pasteurization and bottling of the delicious milk and other dairy products. The raw milk is kept at an exact temperature and is followed by strict refrigeration guides. This farm is all about the cows: this type of cow along with the farms’ best practices produce 20% more milk than similar dairy farms. The Jerseys originated in Great Britain and were bred for health and longevity. They produce a superior milk product and their direct lineage is traceable for more than 15 generations. Highland Farm not only uses the latest in milking techniques but it is the last complete dairy farm in the Berkshires

Following our dairy excursion we visit Chocolate Springs in Lenox. It is a cafe in a luxurious European style that is named for the natural hot springs nearby. The cafe’s creator, Joshua Needleman, a master chocolatier, has developed a splendid nook of comfort with an abundant display of chocolate truffles, some made with dark chocolate or luscious salted caramel. Other temptations are creamy with peanut butter or hazelnut praline crunch. All are hand-made with natural ingredients and are ready to tempt even the most hardened apostle of dieting. These chocolate temptations or their companions, such as a velvety mousse cake may be accompanied by various coffees, a serious hot chocolate or a bracing espresso.

Back at B♭ Flatwoods appetizers fill the hunger gap. We nibble on crusty breads, various cheeses, pungent olives and rustic charcuterie all accompanied by local wines-red, white and rose. Afterwards we take a scenic tour of Stockbridge to Olivia’s Outlook. It is named after Olivia Stokes Hatch, philanthropist, activist and travel writer and also the founder of the Berkshire County Land Trust.

Dinner that night is at a Vietnamese restaurant, Truc, where we devour hot crispy shrimp spring rolls, savory Asian pancakes, a grilled whole Hanoi-stuffed fish and various vegetable and noodle dishes. There are also several meat selections, a barbecued garlicky pork filet and a luscious chicken with cashews.

The next morning after breakfast we head to the Great Barrington Farmers Market. Here fresh and beautiful produce is displayed, all being photographed by Lisa’s friend, Gary Goldsmith. The vibrant local foods remind me of colorful medieval paintings, I vicariously devour the fresh berries, creamy cheeses, farm fresh eggs and local vegetables which are definitely worthy of an artist’s palette. The fresh herbs are an embrace of greens while the various types of mushrooms inspire some of our group to take home blocks of hardwood chips, and sawdust which have been inoculated with mycelium spores. Their plan is of course to develop the growth of mushrooms in their homes. Prepared foods are also available at the market. There are pork tamales, tacos, mixed berry strudels-all kinds of desserts. I satisfy my cravings by buying a lovely lemon cake.

Afterwards we have lunch at Baba Louie’s. Our shared salad is delish. Tasty fresh greens are scattered over feta, radishes, pecans and beets. Pizza made with a natural sourdough crust is crispy, crunchy and flavorful. The pizzas, several gluten-free, have unique names. There is an Isabella Pizzanella pizza and an Abbondanza, also the classic Queen Margherita that is covered with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, garlic olive oil and bouquets of fresh basil. A necessary stroll through Great Barrington is next. We follow the scenic Housatonic Riverwalk with a stop at the Guthrie Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the church in Alice’s Restaurant) and then purchase dinner items at Taft Farms for tonight’s feast The rest of the afternoon is spent at Flatwoods looking at clothes, jewelry and scarves which Lisa encourages us to take home as a memento of the weekend and also of the house’s former owner, her late sister, Lauren. Some of us also watch Netflix where Michael Pollen’s “Cooked” is beguiling us with its video of earthy bread making tips as done by Richard Bourdon of the local Berkshire Mountain Bakery.

Later we sit at Lisa’s dining room table and once again enjoy charcuterie and cheeses along with suitable wines. Gary displays some of his wonderful food photography captured that morning at the farmers’ market. With so many talented cooks from the Culinary Guild a delicious dinner is prepared. An assortment of grilled dishes-steak, barbecued pork, roasted salmon, is served with freshly cut corn and late spring asparagus. Naturally wine is the favorite beverage of our group while a flaky rhubarb pie and tart lemon cake satisfy our dessert cravings.

Sunday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we visit Berkshire Mountain Bakery and are introduced to the celebrated baker, Richard Bourdon. Bourdon’s style of baking reaches back to Europe where the ancient art of natural sourdough baking began. He makes some of the best loaves using traditional European-style baking techniques. His bread is hand-shaped and is naturally leavened with sourdough fermentation. Born in Quebec Richard owned his own bakery in the Netherlands and worked in France to learn his bread-making trade. While he guides us with descriptions of his bread making techniques, we munch on some of his hot and chewy oven-baked pizza, He is not only a baker but also a teacher and philosopher in this small-town artisanal bakery. He tells us how our ancestors fermented grains to make cakes and breads using just flour and water as a starter. These were left to ferment with natural microbes in the air. Bacteria and wild yeast feed on nutrients in the flour in order to multiply thus producing carbonic gas that allows the bread to rise. The result is a lighter texture. Mixing dough, shaping loaves is his passion using fresh-milled whole grain flour or flour of sprouted grain or spelt. All are milled on site in this former paper mill using a slow stone grind. Various baguettes, chocolate loaves, cheese and herb breads as well as cherry pecan, ciabatta and olive breads are a few of his extensive selections…..I go away with a healthy supply of a number of these loaves.

Sunday, early afternoon, is our departure day but some lucky people have decided to extend their visit. A stroll through Schatz Glass Gallery and drinks on the porch of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge highlight this extended vacation. I however am on my way home with delicious dreams of our lovely vacation in the Berkshires and many thanks to Lisa Jacobs and her late sister, Lauren.

Activities

Friday June 22