SEPTEMBER MORNING: A Sweet Goodbye to Summer, A Warm Welcome to Fall
It was a dramatic summer: May cold snaps, torrents of rain, and bouts of humidity. But now, all that seems behind us as September approaches. September is a special month: the farms are still ripe with bounty like a summer’s day…but with a gentle chill in the air to bring out our favorite sweaters from their sleep. It’s no wonder that artists from Neil Diamond to Green Day have sung about it over the decades..it inspires romance and nostalgia. Fall is the most popular time in the Hudson Valley. Leaf peepers start to make their pilgrimages to see the unbridled beauty of our colors; foodies come to savor our bounty of corn, late summer tomatoes, squash, and apples; and families come to gather their own bounty at pick-your-own orchards and pumpkin farms. There is something for everyone, and The Millbrook Inn can help you with it all!
SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES AROUND MILLBROOK, NY HUDSON VALLEY RODEO
The 3rd annual Hudson Valley Rodeo returns to Keane Stud in Amenia, NY, on Saturday, September 16. Always a crowd-pleaser, this year it features a concert by Grammy-nominated country music star Walker Hayes! The event celebrates western heritage and features some of the best in Barrel Racing, Roping, Bronc Riding, and Bull Riding in the Northeast. Grab tickets to this popular annual event in our scenic valley.
HUDSON VALLEY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
For the past 23 years, the The Hudson Valley Wine and Food Festival has celebrated the local food and wine culture of the region. It features hundreds of wines from New York Wineries, plus more than 100 gourmet specialty foods, spirits, craft beers, lifestyle vendors, and food sampling from some of the region’s best restaurants. In addition to the food and wine, the festival also features live music, cooking demonstrations, and seminars on topics such as wine tasting, food pairing, and sustainable farming practices. The Hudson Valley Wine and Food Festival attracts thousands of visitors each year and has become one of the largest and most popular food and wine festivals in the Northeast.
A PEEK INN-SIDE SEPTEMBER: PEACH MARTINIS
We like our kitchen and our bar to reflect what our farmers are growing in the moment…and after an August full of ripe, juicy peaches, we started making this gorgeous martini. It was so popular, we made a big batch of the puree with last week’s final peach delivery… and we’ve frozen it in small containers to enjoy these all through September. It’s a great way to utilize brushed or over-ripe fruit. Adding rosemary into the sugar rim helps bridge this bright, fruity flavor from summer into early fall.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 small lemon wedge
- 1.5oz peach puree (see below for instructions)
- 1.5 ounces of vodka (we use Liv Vodka for this cocktail)
- 1 tbsp honey syrup (or melted honey)
- Sliced peach or a rosemary sprig, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine chopped rosemary and sugar well.
- Rim a coup glass with the lemon, and dip into the sugar blend. Set aside. Combine remaining lemon juice, vodka, honey, and peach puree into a shaker. Shake well for 30 seconds.
- Strain into coupe. Garnish with a fresh peach slice (or a sprig of rosemary if off-season)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PEACH PURÉE:
- Slice 4 peaches (half peeled, half with the peel), and put into a medium saucepan with 1 cup of sugar; 1/8 cup of honey, 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
- Simmer on medium-low flame until sugar is melted and peaches are soft, about 15 minutes. Do not let sugar brown. You want to keep the color of the peaches as natural as possible.
- Let cool. Puree until smooth. Reserve in fridge, or freeze. Try freezing in ice cube trays for single use! Easily double the recipe for a crowd. Makes 2 cups.