Butcher Paper Dinners are Back at the Brooklyn Grange

Another thing I love about the summer is the ample amount of events held all over Astoria and LIC.  I also love it because LIC's Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm is in full swing, bearing a bounty of fresh produce for all of us to enjoy.  Aside from the raw veggies you can get at their Farmers Market, they're also bringing back the series of Butcher Paper dinners.

Allowing us to enjoy the facilities of the farm, including the awesome open air atmosphere of the rooftop, the Butcher Paper dinners bring together the community with a great local restaurant or food producer. The beauty of these dinners is that they're truly communal, hosted on the farm's massive reclaimed wood table, enabling guests to mix, mingle and share not only food but experiences.  Here's more info about their first event, which takes place at the end of this month.  I hope you get to experience it!

Butcher Paper Dinner: Summer Eats with Momo Sushi Shack
Sunday, July 20th at 5 p.m.
$80/person - get your tickets here

Momo Sushi Shack is bringing some asian flair to the farm with seasonal seafood and ever-popular pork belly, all in very finger friendly formats. The guys making the magic happen, Phillip Gilmour, Chance Johnston, Ismael Alvarez  and Makoto Suzuki, opened Momo Sushi Shack in 2010, combining fresh American ingredients with traditional Japanese technique. 

The result is a tremendously popular spot in Bushwick that has received rave reviews from Yelpers (a true achievement), as well as a Michelin Guide recommendation. Their food is enough to win anyone over, but we love them even more for their commitment to sourcing locally from places like Heritage Food, Bushwick Campus Farms, and Brooklyn Grange!

So pop on up, ready your palate, grab a brew from Queens Brewery or some chilled white wine courtesy of Boundary Breaks, and kick back for a summery Sunday Butcher Paper Dinner!

MENU: 

Wasabi Shrimp and Oyster Cocktail
Tako (Octopus) Tacos with Lobster
Pork Belly and Scallop Skewers

Yuzu Curd with Animal Crackers

Queens Brewery Beer
Boundary Breaks Wine

SCHEDULE: 

5pm - 6pm: Arrival, farm tours, cocktail hour. Wander and enjoy!
6pm - 6:30: Appetizers and Farm Salad
6:30-8:30: Dinner is served! Sip, savor and enjoy the sunset

The Brooklyn Grange Farm - 37-18 Northern Blvd LIC, NY 11101
347.670.3660
R Train to 36th Street
brooklyngrangefarm.com

Earth Friendly Restaurants in Astoria

Happy Earth day, Astoria!  To celebrate this important day, I've given thought to the eco-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood that do Mother Earth proud.  If you have a chance to visit these today, please do, and patronize their business.  What are some of your eco-friendly haunts?

Vesta & Pachanga Patterson - These guys aren't shy about their restaurant's mission, which is to provide their patrons an experience that's inspired by the local greenmarket, giving preference to everything that's fresh and in season.  I like that they often tell you where their ingredients come from, including the specific farms and their locales.  Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.545.5550.  Pachanga Patterson - 33-17 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.554.0525

Image by The Brooklyn Grange Farm

Brooklyn Grange Farm - Despite its deceiving name, Brooklyn Grange Farm is located in LIC, boasting "the world's largest rooftop soil farms," growing over 50,000 pounds of organic produce.  A direct supporter of the farm itself, I've been up there on several occasions and have patronized them through their CSA program.  There's always an abundance of something delicious, and the folks who run it are open and welcoming to new volunteers.  That's right, you can even have a go at urban farming yourself!  37-18 Northern Blvd, LIC. 347.670.3660

BareBurger - Everyone who's been to BareBurger can vouch for their environmentally friendly approach, which not only extends to its locally sourced food, including organic meat, but also the eco-chic decor.  It's not uncommon to encounter whimsy embellishments such as light fixtures built out of reused knives, forks and spoons, reclaimed wood tabletops, and the quintessential recycled tin sliding door.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.7011, 23-01 31st Street, Astoria. 718.204.7167

Milkflower - One of my recent restaurant faves, Milkflower also supports green business practices.  I love that their interior is adorned with refurbished accents such as reclaimed wood paneled walls, tables made of old police dividers, benches made of recycled burlap and more.  Their wood fired pizza doesn't suck either.  Mmmm... 34-12 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.204.1300

Admiring the Fruits of Labor at The Brooklyn Grange

Last week, Meg and I had the pleasure of attending an end-of-the-summer party at LIC’s famous rooftop farm, The Brooklyn Grange. Invited on behalf of We Heart Astoria, we were only too happy to accept and couldn’t wait to see this acre-long urban farm in the flesh (or soil rather).

The party was held in conjunction with Open House New York and the General Consulate of Israel, for which the initial tie-in seemed far-fetched but upon further research, it made a lot of sense, as we found out that the farm’s irrigation system is supplied by an Israeli company. How cool and how appropriate, especially if you think of the collective farming system in Israel, which they call a Kibbutz.

Atmosphere:
Our experience started when we walked up to the top floor of this industrial LIC building. We climbed up 2 flights of stairs, stepped outside into the fresh air, and took in our surroundings. It was amazing and really a sight to see – rows and rows of beautifully maintained crops, set in the middle of a city skyline. Even though it was a contradiction of sorts, it was also very beautiful.

Still very much in awe, we walked around a bit, and got acquainted with new friends including Udi, a representative from the Israeli consulate that invited us there, Anastasia, one of the farm’s founders and her colleague who volunteers at the farm each day. We joined a little tour of the farm, which Anastasia graciously led and the rest of the evening was spent relaxing, listening to the lovely live band and experiencing the New York sundown like never before.

Food:
A big part of the evening was the food of course, which was supplied by the farm and prepared by the wonderful Nolita restaurant, Balaboosta. Having a natural tie-in with the Israeli Council, Balaboosta is run by Israeli born chef, Einat Admony, who’s famous for her nouveau Israeli cuisine. Not surprisingly, everything was super tasty and we enjoyed the following delightful bites:

Stuffed Collards – A beautiful little bite sized dish, offering a veggie alternative to the traditional stuffed cabbage, it was wrapped in collards and stuffed with an all-veggie mixture of rice and various garden vegetables. I loved that it was hearty without giving you that too heavy feeling. I also enjoyed the new spin on this dish, which inspired me to try something similar at home in the future.

Fried Olives – Being a sucker for all things fried, I was very excited once I spotted these cute little fried balls of heaven. Slightly warm, they were a pleasure to bite into, consisting of dark kalamata olives that were conveniently pitted. Dousing them in a creamy yogurt sauce also helped further sweeten this already delicious deal.

Fried Okra with Cauliflower – Yet another fried treat were these beautiful little cauliflower heads paired with fried okra and topped with a creamy mayo dressing. While I usually don’t like okra, this one was crunchy on the outside and soft and delicate on the inside. It provided a nice little bitterness when paired with the more neutral cauliflower. I think the slightly spicy mayo sauce is what made this dish sing, and it almost reminded me of something Asian.

White Peach Sangria – This delicious special drink of the night served us well, and I loved its sweetness and the fresh white peaches that floated on top, further flavored with fresh herbs such as basil and thyme. It had a really, sweet, tart, and earthy taste that was wonderfully delightful.

As you can tell, we thoroughly enjoyed our evening and want to thank the General Consulate of Israel for inviting us. Toda!