Review: The Fearrington House Cookbook

The Fearrington House Cookbook
  A Celebration of Food, Flowers and Herbs
  Jenny Fitch
  1987 Hardback ISBN 0-940087-23-5
  Ventana Press - Chapel Hill, NC
  
  Contents:
  Acknowledgments
  The Story of Fearrington House
  The book is then divided into seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn and
Winter. Then each season includes Menus & Recipes and Projects.
  
  Mom found this one for me at the flea market. It has a stamp on the
back that it was sold at the Hickory Museum of Art which is quiet a
distance from Chapel Hill where the restaurant is located. It lists for
$19.95 but I'm sure Mom only paid a dollar or two at the most.
  
  Fearrington House opened as a restaurant on May 7, 1980 in Chapel
Hill, NC. It is considered one of the Great Restaurants in the American
South according to the back dust jacket. Starting in 1986 they begin the
practice of serving dinner Tuesday thru Saturday and a hearty Sunday
brunch. According to the website I found they still do it this way. They
also offer cooking classes.
  
  The recipes in this book have been favorites of guests over the
years. Besides having all recipes listed on each menu page, also included
are extra recipes that can either be added on to the suggested menu or
used for other occasions. Most recipes serve from 6-12 with the wedding
reception menu serving 100.
  
  The Spring projects section has instructions for making a Garden
Party Topiary for the wedding, The Bride's Bouquet, The Honeymoon Basket
and Candied Violets.
  
  Summer Projects you can learn about are Harvesting Herbs, Drying
flowers and weeds, making Herb vinegars, oils and butters, as well as Pesto
Sauce.
  
  A sample menu from the Spring section is the Easter Brunch which
includes Bloody Lucy, Cornmeal Crepes with Smithfield Country Ham and
Leeks, Crabmeat Ramekin, Molded Gazpacho Timbale, Steamed Asparagus and Snow
Peas with Lemon Butter, and Raspberry Sorbet in Chocolate Tulip Shells.
  
  A menu from the Winter section is the Early March Kite Flying Menu
which includes - Goat Cheese Tart, Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts and Pesto,
Chilled Vegetables with Lemon Thyme Mayonnaise, Assorted Stuffed Eggs,
and Tom Thumb Cheesecakes.
  
  There are 6 full menus for each of the 4 seasons. Although there are
no color photos in this book it is filled with B&W drawings. Also
included are tips on the recipes and flower arranging. This book celebrates
the seasons with food and flowers and it states it's the next best
thing to dining there in person.
  
  I checked on the internet and the Fearrington House is still in
operation as is the Inn. Jenny Fitch the author was executive chef in the
early years and is listed as owner in the book. If you'd like to see the
res/inn and a menu as well as information about the restaurant and inn
you can go to www.fearringtonhouse.com .
  
  Sarita, Harold and I love pimiento cheese and Sarita and I have
always had intentions of preparing some homemade. It was easy to make and very good. 

   
  The recipe is included in the Labor Day Picnic chapter as an extra
recipe. the menu for the LD picnic is:
  Carrots with Smooth Tomato Dressing; Onion, Leek and Shallot Tart;
Sweet Red Peppers with Lentil Salad; Joaquin's Herbed Cheese; Picnic
Basket Bread; and Fresh Fruit with Grand Marnier Sauce. There are also two
extra recipes in this chapter, besides the pimiento cheese  recipe
there is a recipe for Mushroom Sausage Tart.  Also included in this chapter
are side bars with Summer Flower arrangements -- one from the Herb
Garden, and three more -- Marigolds in the Vegetable Garden, The Last Queen
Anne's Lace and Mountain Wildflowers and Weeds.
  
  If you enjoy growing herbs and flowers as well as cookbook then this
one would be a great addition to your collection. It is also a good
book for those who entertain and  those who like to make their own flower
arrangements. 
  
  Pimiento Cheese
  
  1 5.3 ounce can of evaporated milk
  1 Pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  1 egg
  8 ounces pimiento, drained and finely chopped
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
  1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  1/2 teaspoon onion salt
  
  Heat the milk in the top of a double boiler, add the cheese, and stir
until it has melted. Remove from the stove and add one well beaten egg;
the pimiento and all the spices. Set aside to cool, cover and
refrigerate.
  
  Yields: approximately 3 cups
  
  Joan's Notes: I always use garlic powder and onion salt as we don't
like things with a lot of salt in them and try to watch that. Since I
cut the recipe in 1/2 I used dashes and pinches of the spices and sauce
and beat up the smallest egg I had and only added about 1/2.