I have to say I love party menus. I love planning for parties, cooking for parties, and enjoying parties. Yes, it gets crazy and I get crazy in the midst of it sometimes (so many things going on!) but I still love it overall. This year’s Harvest Party 2022 is going to be lovely. The weather has cooled – which makes a perfect entrance into Fall – because really, even though we’re a week early, this party is also our Equinox celebration. And this year, it is also a fundraiser for the new space! We’re so excited to embark on a new chapter of Rock Bottom Homestead and Stone Broke Bread & Books. So many ways to connect and grow. We love our growers, farmers, and friends.
We’re on party prep – J & C building a grape arbor, making Carrot Jam (which I love with warm brie or as a filling/topping on Carrot cake, or just on toast, like a normal human), foraging, cleaning, trimming, finessing as best we can.
I had a moment where I wanted only pies at this party, but then backtracked when I couldn’t figure out how to get a salad comfortably in a pie (ha!). But there will still be many pies. Raised Meat Pie (filled with delicious slow-cooked various meats from Morton Brook Ranch and Olde Haven Farm), Spanish Tortilla, Planters Cottage Pie (which I think may be the accepted term for a veggie Shepherd’s pie), Ground Cherry and Blueberry Pie (we grew so many ground cherry seedlings from Dig Deep Farm), Rumpkin Pie (yes, a little rum and pumpkin!), a Vermont Hample Pie (Apple pie with cheddar and ham, one of J’s favorites, from our apples) – I might have to recipe those up in the future here-, and then yummies like Maple Baked Beans (with hocks and our maple syrup), Rock Bottom Veggie Lentils, Chicken Pot Pie (from our lovely last batch of meatbirds), Olde Haven Green Chili Corn Pudding, Farro Salad with Roasted Veg, J’s simple but sexy Bread Salad, a Big Salad (with Pumpkin Vine Feta, olives, and chickpeas and fresh salad greens from Andrews Farm), Homemade Ricotta and Weedy Foraged Pesto with our naturally leavened #75 Bread. If I get a little more ambitious, maybe I’ll throw in some Maine Grains Oatmeal Cookies for some hearty run around food for the kids, Goldenrod Cornbread (yes, with fresh goldenrod), and a Peach Crisp (from our peaches). Rounded out with sprouted Popcorn and local Watermelons, friends might brings some Mac n Cheese and I hear rumors of Tourtiere Pie.
As for drinks – I made some bubbly Dandelion Wine early in the season, as well as a batch of Red Clover Cottage Wine. We’re hoping for some aged Cider tastings from the Rock Bottom basement. Some fruity Fermented Sodas (Blackberry and Cranberry are quite delicious, and we picked so many Blackberries…ha!), Duende’s famous Lemonade (and perhaps some herby spiked lemonade, as well, for the adults). I can’t wait!
I like to have something for everyone – many food preferences and concerns are addressed (veg, gluten and grain free, onion free, etc) and all of our goods are responsibly sourced if not organically grown and processed. Now, I must get on it – party in 2 days! Let the food preparations begin!
Rock Bottom Homestead 