Chef Georgette Farkas shares a dish she prepared using some of the beautiful carrots from Katchkie Farm.
The fennel, star anise, and ginger complement the carrots and add warm spice notes, while the white miso brings an extra pop of umami.
The key is to find carrots with their tops intact. if you’re not going to use them immediately, separate the tops from the carrots and keep both refrigerated until ready to use.
For Anastassia Batsoula-Deuel, making pelmeni is more than just cooking—it’s a cherished family tradition. She grew up rolling out these hearty Russian dumplings alongside her mother and grandmother, filling the kitchen with warmth and conversation. Now, she hopes to pass the tradition on to her little one, sharing the joy of homemade comfort food, one bite at a time.
As we look ahead to the fresh flavors of Spring, Chef Tatiana Iglesias shares her Fresh Sprout & Herb Salad recipe.
We’re beckoning Spring this month by highlighting the delightfully mild Spring Garlic in a creamy Spring Garlic Cavatelli recipe.
Chef Mary Ellen Muzio shares her Chickpea Flour Crepe Recipe, the perfect way to make gluten-free crepes for Gluten-Free February!
This month we’re celebrating Dried Chilis with a Salsa recipe brought to you by Culinary Director, Andrew Smith.
Chef Joe Bachman shares his centerpiece recipe for Valentine’s Day: Seared Scallops with Butternut Risotto.
Looking for a special yet easy to prepare meal for Valentine’s Day? Chef Brandi Solomon has put together the perfect one!
Chef Albert Bello shares his Valentine’s Day Entremet recipe, the perfect way to impress your loved one this season.
By Great Performances
For the past 16 years, we’ve shared the magic of Katchkie Farm, our organic farm in Kinderhook, NY, with the GP family and our NY friend and family through our annual CSA. A CSA, or community-supported agriculture, connects the farm with consumers by allowing individuals to invest in the farm and receive a share of produce each week during the growing season.
Each year, we have hundreds of people participate in the Katchkie Farm CSA and this year, we were delighted to share our CSA with our chefs at Great Performances.
You can learn more about the Katchkie Farm CSA and the produce we grow through Farmer Jon’s weekly updates on the Katchkie Farm blog here.
Check out some of the great things our chefs have been making at home with their CSA shares.
One of the salads I’ve made with the Katchkie portions is the roasted beet salad. I included radishes, beets, quinoa, baby spinach, almonds, and cucumber. Super simple and clean, it’s finished off with balsamic vinaigrette.
With the beets, I roasted them with some salt, pepper, butter, blended oil, water, and some red onion, covered in the oven at 375˚ for about 1.5 hrs.
One of the salads I’ve made with the Katchkie portions is the roasted beet salad. I included radishes, beets, quinoa, baby spinach, almonds, and cucumber. Super simple and clean, it’s finished off with balsamic vinaigrette.
With the beets, I roasted them with some salt, pepper, butter, blended oil, water, and some red onion, covered in the oven at 375˚ for about 1.5 hrs.
Each week I try to use all of the tops from everything in our CSA bag. There is no recipe, just improvisation based on what is in our bag and what we readily have in our pantry. Carrot, turnip, and beet tops are all great and why should they go to waste? We’ll clean the greens, add Katchkie garlic, extra virgin olive oil, any type of nut, and parmesan cheese.
We make different flavored batches each week changing the amount of garlic, type of nut or cheese we use. We freeze in small containers and label the variations so we can enjoy through the fall and winter season.
We also prepared hash browns with the Adirondack Red potatoes, and topped it with eggs, avocado, Batsoula Deuel Farm scallions and tomatoes, and salsa verde.
My favorite veggie (in this case fruit) is tomato. I consider it so versatile. From a cold gazpacho to a bruschetta to a simple sauce, there are so many things you can make.
I cook a lot at home so I use up all the produce from the farm share.
One simple recipe that I did at home is a roasted tomato gazpacho.
Roast off your tomatoes in the oven at 400F until blistered. You can leave the skin on or peel them.
Put all of the tomatoes in a blender with salt, pepper, EVOO, sherry vinegar, a little garlic, cucumber, and optional are bell peppers and onion. Blend all the ingredients, serve with some chopped cucumber, basil or any fresh herb and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve very cold.
Another very simple recipe is a vegan pesto. Just blend fresh basil with salt, garlic and EVOO. Super easy, quick and delicious.
Throughout the year I like to use my CSA in simple ways that can make a big impact. Either in a dish with fish, chicken, or beef or on its own.
Clean sugar snaps removing tops and tails and any strings from sides. Cut in half and place into mixing bowl. Add in parsley, garlic scape, olive oil and croutons. Salt to taste then allow to stand for at least 20 minutes to allow croutons to soak up any excess liquid and serve room temp. Great with grilled scallops or as a first course salad
Place all ingredients into a mixing and stir together till all have been evenly mixed. Best when eaten right away either as a side or with roasted fish
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds, place on baking sheet and coat surface of squash with 1 tsp of olive oil saving the remaining for later use. Dust squash surface with 1 tsp dried basil and lightly season with salt. Cover squash with foil and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes or till tender. Remove cooked squash from skin using spoon scoop into food processor add in remaining oil, basil, chunks of Parmesan cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and water. Blend till cheese has broken down and you have achieved a pesto like consistency add more water if too tight. Great tossed with pasta, risotto or on fresh toasted bread with ricotta and apples
By Great Performances
At Great Performances, we create meaningful moments between people through the events we hold for our clients. We collaborate with our clients to truly understand their goals and vision for their event, creating mood boards and menus to help bring those ideas to life. Our Design Team is always present at an event, whether through innovative trays and displays or by creating large format design elements that truly transform a space.
Our Design Team comprises individuals trained in design, culinary, and hospitality, making it easy for them to work across client, culinary, production, and service teams. Most recently, they put their impressive talents to work creating a new set of trays including a rolling wooden tray reminiscent of the boardwalk, and brightly colored wood “pebbles” and creating a literal wonderfland for City Harvest BID 2022.
GP Design Team takes its inspiration from nature, by observing how people interact with objects and food, from architecture, and by playing. They sketch a design, build a prototype, and iterate until they get a piece that’s both fun and functional and that creates moments of delight and joy as guests reach for an hors d’oeuvres.
From concept to execution, the GP Design Team worked closely with Gregory Boroff, chief external relations officer at City Harvest, and creative partners at Mario Avila Design, and On The Move Entertainment to create a world of whimsy and fun.
Dan Carr, senior designer at Great Performances, incorporated fun, Alice in Wonderland details to create a “cool space” that invited people to wander through and enjoy the event and the experience.
“Event design is more than transforming a blank space into a beautiful backdrop for an event; it’s about creating movement, allowing guests to pause in some areas while encouraging them to continue exploring, mingling, and enjoying the overall experience,” Dan stated. “It’s about creating memorable, meaningful experiences.”
You can read more about the event in an article Bizbash wrote here.
By Micha Bentel
Curiosity and creativity are two of the qualities that we look for in people who join us at Great Performances. You’ll see it in our food, from the delectable hors d’oeuvres, delightful dishes, and decadent desserts, and at our events with the dazzling displays, quick-thinking staff, and exquisite décor.
Our in-house design team is a key aspect of all that we do at Great Performances. Working closely with the culinary, production, sales, and events teams, they’re constantly looking for new ideas, materials, and objects to bring to our food presentation and displays and to or large-scale design installations. From creating mood boards to building custom installations, our Design Team turns ideas to reality.
We interviewed Micha Bentel, Creative Director, to learn more about design at Great Performances.
It depends on the circumstances. Sometimes I will see something hung on a wall or out in nature and will want to turn that into a tray just because it is cool and intriguing. Sometimes I am inspired and overtaken by a concept and theme. Other times, clients will specifically ask for something and I am not in the business of saying no. I want to create whatever I can to make the event stunning and immersive. It is the main objective.
Do you remember what it was like when you were a kid going to the grocery store with an adult? You’d pick up a wild cereal and put it in the cart and the adult would take it out and put it back on the shelf. Then you’d grab a cool looking soda and put it in the cart, and the adult would take it out and put it back on the shelf. But sometimes you’d grab something cool-looking and fruit-based and put it in the cart and it would remain there until checkout. Success! The design process is like that. We go back and forth with concepts, usually starting with the wild cereal and soda ideas and then add new ideas and take some away until we get an idea and…success! We have an idea that everyone agrees will be fun, elegant seasonal and thematic.
One of the reasons we commit so much time to design at GP is because we are committed to great design which is consistent with our core values. We are a forward-thinking sustainable company. We source locally, grow our own produce, use only disposables that are biodegradable, design the life cycle of every menu item, re-use as much design inventory as possible, and plan seasonally to make sure every party and menu is unique as a design and is good for the planet. We never compromise one for the other. The results speak for themselves.
We have many cool designs coming up that will be introduced in tandem with the seasonal menu. We work directly with our culinary team to develop concepts which enhance their work – and that collaboration is fun. I don’t want to give too much away, so stay tuned for exciting new stuff! Here is a hint: it is furniture themed.
It is such an exciting time for hospitality and design right now. We are all back from the Covid interlude and the hospitality world which was heavily hit is bursting with new ideas and approaches to the presentation of food. Because of the obsession with how well everything is marketed to our social media outlets, our audience is thinking more and more about the way food is presented and looks (sometimes even more than how it tastes). As a design team, we embrace the opportunity to create powerful visual moments. But that is not enough. We seek synergies between a dish and its presentation at an event. Collaboration with our partners in the garden, in the kitchen, and on the floor of an event forces us to mind the details. “Food and Design” IS our profession – both, together, working between the lines, creating bridges between what happens in the kitchen, on the plate, as part of a menu, at an event, and before an audience.
Every member of our design department has culinary and hospitality training as well as design training which makes the collaboration with our teammates seamless. We communicate with the culinary team to design something fun, elegant, or crazy while also handling the functional side. It is a difficult balance, but it is so important to get it right. At the end of the day, if the menu and the presentation spark an emotional response from our audience – awe, nostalgia, curiosity, surprise – just by framing the food in the right way, while also making it fun and elegant, we’ve done our job.
As I mentioned, the hospitality world is awash in visual images broadcast over social media. Too often this phenomenon translates into guests’ expectations for visual entertainment at catered events. At GP we want the experience to be about food and design by telling a story through its presentation that connects them both. For example, a vegetable station that recalls the life of a carrot from root to hor d’oeuvre right in front of you. That’s our goal. It certainly doesn’t hurt that our food is delicious too. This is everything to us.
By Georgette Farkas
This is classic, rustic French comfort food in the form of a tart that is baked upside down and then inverted at the last minute just before serving. It is essential to bake the tart until the apples are deeply caramelized and ready to melt in your mouth, yet still hold their shape. Honey crisp apples are the best choice, but Galas will do in a pinch. I bake my Tatin in a cast iron skillet, but you could use just about any oven proof baking dish. Pâte Brisée makes for the ideal crust. Crème fraîche on the side is a non-negotiable must.
Pâte brisée is a buttery pie crust. Prepare this dough well enough in advance so that it can chill for an hour or so before you roll it out. Make sure to use all cold ingredients, especially the butter. It’s a good idea to measure the butter first and then place it in the fridge while you measure the remaining ingredients. We suggest using cake flour so the pastry will be delicate, but all-purpose will work as well.
By Great Performances
We’re delighting in this crisp, cool weather and the chance to indulge in more hearty, warming dishes. Kick off your holiday parties with these elegant and delicious fall hors d’oeuvres that are easy to prepare – and even easier to devour! Although some may take a bit of preparation, those steps can be done in advance so you can enjoy your time with your guests.
by Chef Andrew Smith
Yield: 20 pieces
For the Hor d’Ouvre
Pumpernickel Crostini
Butternut Squash Pesto
Prepare the Crostini
Prepare the Butternut Squash Pesto
Assemble the Hors d’Oeuvre
by Chef Andrew Smith
Yield: 10 pieces
For the Hors d’Oeuvre
Coconut Curry Rillette
Prepare the Coconut Curry Rillette
Assemble the Hors d’Oeuvre
Remove leaves from the radishes leaving a small amount of the stem in place. Slice each radish in half lengthwise (through the stem).
Turn radish over and trim small amount of bottom so will sit flat.
Place one teaspoon of rillette at the bottom end of the radish then garnish with torn fresh mint leaves.
by Georgette Farkas
Yield: 12 pieces
This recipe combines the perfect balance of sweet, salty creamy and crunchy in a single bite, making it the perfect hors d’oeuvre. Pro tip: line your hors d’oeuvre tray with fig leaves and arrange the hors d’oeuvre on top. By all means replace the pistachio with walnuts or pecans. If you don’t have mascarpone on hand, use lightly whipped heavy cream.
By Great Performances
SEO description. Try to make this 50-100 words so the rest of the recipes make up the rest
To say that I simply “enjoy” planning last-minute jaunts to Canada is somewhat of an understatement; my listed hobbies on my dating app of choice include “running,” “live music,” & “weekend trips to Montreal.” On my latest trip in early April, I was greeted by light, continuous rain, apple brandy, & an earnest recommendation to cancel my existing Saturday night dinner reservation and go to Thai restaurant Pichai instead.
I sat at the bar & asked the bartender to choose for me (something that I do on most solo trips, not just the ones featuring menus predominantly in French). I used my fingers for the first course, flattening little balls of sticky rice to pair with fermented sausage, cucumber, cabbage, herbs, peppers, & peanuts. Then came the pièce de résistance: a dish of grilled swordfish in red curry sauce that made my tastebuds sing. The fish was inspiring; rich and flavorful with a unique, soulful taste that was completely brand new to me. I rounded out the meal with Thai tea tiramisu and amara and went on to dance with new friends in Old Montréal until the wee hours. A perfect Saturday night.
No wines ordered, but we had these amazing steaks at Taste of Texas at Houston, one of the most popular steak houses in Texas. When we arrived, they took us to the butcher fridge and we picked out the meats. The metal disk in the pictures is the identification number.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take picture of all you can eat salad bar 🙁
We recently travelled to Costa Rica and had some wonderful meals.
Dinner at La Jungla @ Cariblue
Then we had local Chef David Salamanca come to our “compound” to cook on two of our nights there.
Night 2:
By Great Performances
Each year we say it, and each year we mean it: our most anticipated event of the year is The Sylvia Center’s Farm Event at Katchkie Farm. The Sylvia Center has a long history with Katchkie Farm – in fact, the seeds for The Sylvia Center were planted, quite literally, at The Learning Garden at Katchkie Farm. Although a lot has changed, some things remain constant: our passion for The Sylvia Center and supporting their mission to provide nutrition-focused, culinary-based programming.
This year, there were about 150 guests in attendance at the Farm Event and through sponsorships, a raffle, a silent auction, and donations, The Sylvia Center were able to raise over $160,000! Check out the event gallery below.
By Great Peformances
Many of us at Great Performances are also pet owners (or parents) and adore the little furballs that are part of our families. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite furry friends and the foods and special treats they eat!
Duncan loves to eat his food, but he also likes lettuce and especially cheese or anything dairy, that I might or might not let him have.
Taro is hyper-attentive and follows instructions to get his fried sardine treat!
Kimchi is a bottomless pit. She relishes endless affection and is always hungry. Lately, she is enjoying summer watermelon, peaches and tomatoes – a diet that never really works out well for anyone! We adopted Kimchi in November of 2020 at 7 weeks old – you could say she was our Covid Kitten! She loves to chase bugs, sleeps in a 4 quart fruit box and enjoys making an appearance on zoom calls whenever possible.
Name: Kiki
Age: 3.5 human years
Whatever we eat, he needs to sniff and approve. As a mostly vegetarian household, he often gets disappointed. But still need to check anyway 🙂
Here are my boys, Boo and Fatty. Almost 12 years old they are brothers and best buds. I rescued them in Florida.
They beg for treats all day long and love the tuna flavor from Friskies.
I tried to switch to greenies for a healthier treat, they were not having it!
Most days I find them curled up napping together.
I bake Luna a little tuna cupcake for her birthday each year. She’s obsessed with tuna and loves chowing down on her birthday, April 1st. 🙂
By Great Performances
Just as we feed and nurture our bodies with delicious food from our kitchens to our commissary; from restaurants in New York and beyond; and from delicious produce from Katchkie Farm, we also work on nourishing our souls and brains with the written word.
Most of us at GP have at least one book we’re reading, and dozens more on deck, and we enjoy a wide arrange of literature from delicious beach reads and contemplative self-help books to insightful industry works and heart-wrenching novels. And we devour these books through a variety of media with our eyes and our ears.
Check out some of our current reading lists and let us know what you’re reading! We’re always looking for our next piece of brain candy!
I am currently reading two books on my iPad. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva
In hardcover I am reading Work Mate Marry Love by Debora Spar, former President of Barnard College.
I just finished reading Where the Crawdads Sing. It was a good read… it’s sad and beautiful and not what I thought would happen. I decided to read it after I saw the trailer for the movie.
I just finished Elin Hilderbrands’ Hotel Nantucket. It was a fun beach read but spoke to me because of the references to food, beverages and hospitality. (This was an ebook from the library!)
Although this book was released back in January, I’ve waiting until summer to savor reading these pages.
Written by dear friend and client of Great Performances, Xochitl Gonzalez went from wedding planner extraordinaire to New York Times bestselling author with her debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming. Not to mention, Hulu has already picked up the rights for the TV series before the book was even published!
Every Monday night for the past several weeks, my family and I have done a nightly Zoom discussing a book we are all reading. My sister-in-law, a doctor who studies brain research (her mother has Alzheimer’s), really wanted our family to be a part of her family’s book discussion!!!! So we blended her family with ours and started to read Keep Your Wits About You: The Science of Brain Maintenance as You Age by Vonetta M. Dotson, PhD. It’s all about doing the best we can all do to stay healthy – mind / body / spirit. It’s a book for ALL ages (not just the elderly 😉
It is a good summer for reading! My list reflects a wide range of interests and topics – so here it is:
I have enjoyed Colm Toibin’s The Magician (a biographical fiction of the life of Thomas Mann), The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz (a wonderful friend and a perfect beach read) and The Foundling by Ann Leary (had me in tears at the end).
I just started An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor at the recommendation of the wonderful book folks at the Chatham Book Store.
The pleasure of reading is enhanced by the experience of book discovery. Whether it is a friends recommendation or a trusted independent book shop, finding the right book to spend time with, can be hard.
The joy of reading, of losing myself in another time/place/life is one of the greatest pleasures I experience.
Kindle:
Audible:
Print Books:
