First Course - Impromptu Friday Nights

There are good things and bad things about spending the summer in Westhampton. And, sometimes even the bad things are good.

When you tell people that you are spending the summer in the “Hamptons”, quite often you get that look. You know the one, it is where someone looks at you as if you are too cool for school. My buddy, the “High Rolling Redneck” from Memphis once flicked his finger off of his nose when I told him my mom lived in Westhampton. My mom, who is one of the least pretentious people on earth, has taken to telling people she lives on Long Island, versus Westhampton, just to avoid that look.

One of the really good things about summer in the Hamptons is the local produce. Everyone has heard about the rich and the famous, but the truth is, historically, the Hamptons is more famous for its farm produce, than its celebrities. There is a local farm stand that we have been fans of for over 40 years. It is one of my mom’s favorites and she has gotten to know its owners. Not only are the owners good farmers, but they are really good business people. They have built a reputation and expanded their offering to meet what the market will bear.

To me, very little says summer more than a home-grown tomato. In Westhampton, you usually don’t get the real thing until August. To push the season, our local farm stand has found a local source (probably New Jersey) of tomatoes that gets a decent tomato to market a little bit early, but you have to pay for it. Hence:

The Seven Dollar Tomato

Mom’s favorite farm stand sells a bunch of them. They have even come up with ways to ripen them (see photo below). The early tomato is sold as an “Amish Tomato” which builds on the mystique of the farm stand’s elderly owners long flowing white beard. My guess is that he is more likely a good presbyterian versus Amish, but one thing is for sure, he is a good marketer and I buy his Seven Dollar Tomato. They also sell a full offering of produce, and emphasize local wherever possible. I once heard a New York City-ite right off the expressway, ask the bearded owner if his pineapple was local. To his credit, and marketing skill, he didn’t laugh at her, but you can.

Note: The farm stand offers a wide range of produce, some it local and some not so much. Notice how they ripen their $7 tomatoes under the shelves.

If you ever make it to the Hamptons, make sure you check out the farm stands, just be sure that you don’t pay too much for the good and the bad. But,then again, even the bad is good.

The Seven Dollar Tomato Caprese Salad

Check out the recipe

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The Three Hour Salad is the reason that I am writing a second book. My first book: Impromptu Friday Nights – A guide To Supper Clubs, was about how to organize a supper club and prepare a dinner party. My real goal was to provide young adults with a roadmap of how to enjoy getting together with friends to socialize over a meal. In steps my daughter Jenn. She is a master at socializing, a good cook and most importantly, the mother of three kids under 8 years old. She once told me: You know your Romaine Wedge Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette (featured in book one), while it is great, you must know that it takes 3 hours to make with 3 young children hanging onto your ankles. It might only take me 30 minutes to make homemade croutons, prepare vinaigrette, sauté bacon and slice and dice assorted tomatoes, onions, and olives. There is no way that process makes sense for Jenn.

Click for the recipe

I got it. Supper clubs sound great for young adults looking to socialize with friends, but there must be an easier way. In steps book number two: Impromptu Friday Nights – Bring a Bottle And An Appetizer – A guide To Wine Groups. You don’t need to prepare a six-course meal to get together with friends. You don’t even need a Three Hour Salad. All you need is a bottle and an appetizer. The beauty of appetizers is that they don’t have to be hard to make. You don’t even need to make them yourself as there are plenty of store-bought options that are great.

I mentioned earlier that Jenn was a master at socialization. To be truthful, she majored in socialization through high school and college. In high school she played coed soccer and ran track. Why? Because that’s what her friends were doing. She went to Auburn for college and very little got in the way of her socialization. She did a “Victory Lap” (a fifth year) to make sure she didn’t miss out on a party or football game. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The friends and experiences from her school days, have made her into the person she is today. And, that person is a lot of fun, even if it takes her three hours to make a salad.

Click here for the recipe

Crostini are my latest hero appetizer. They can combine all the food groups. There are all kinds of ways to bring culinary panache and variety to them. They look great. They can be a meal onto themselves. They can be healthy. But most importantly, they are easy to make. One crostini appetizer certainly does not take…Three hours to make. And, just like my daughter Jenn, they are a lot of fun.

Jenn with Dylan, Max and Hadley Grace after mom ran the Disney half marathon