Imagine arriving home and finding a cooler brimming with fresh local food – and, all it took to get it was a few keystrokes at your computer. For the local food devotee, it’s like Saint Nick has gotten into farming.

New businesses are emerging designed to make local food products easier for city and suburban dwellers to access and enjoy. Farm 2 Kitchen Long Island – created by former journalist and North Fork resident Kassata Bollman – is the newest entry. Beyond convenience, the service aims to improve distribution for purveyors and create a stronger bond between Long Island’s farming culture and residents of Nassau, Suffolk and the five boroughs.

As I am chronically time-challenged, I decide to give Farm 2 Kitchen a try. At the end of a workday, I place an online order for several items including asparagus, chèvre, pasture raised eggs, artisanal bread, micro greens and herb sea salt harvested from the East End ocean waters.

Every detail is covered in terms of delivery. Food arrives in insulated, reusable totes containing dry ice packs, and is delivered in late afternoon to prevent spoilage. The company is also flexible. When I realize I will be away on the likely delivery date, they respond immediately and adjust the delivery to fit my schedule.

Bollman’s storytelling expertise is evident. She uses education to make the eating experience more mindful. By the time I’ve unpacked the delivery, I have a pretty clear idea of those involved in putting this food into my hands. The website includes profiles of each farmer with links to their websites and many of the products contain inserts detailing the provenance of the item.

Some tips to keep in mind when ordering local food online: Farm 2 Kitchen accepts orders Thursday through Sunday, with deliveries beginning the following Wednesday, so think carefully about when you need your food in hand. The selection is very seasonal. You’re not likely to complete a full grocery list, although you might with some careful planning. Finally, remember hand crafted food comes at a premium price. It’s an investment, and there’s a delivery charge for each order. But, in the end, if you want to support the Long Island farming community, the price tag is probably not a key factor. Farm 2 Table is about building relationships and that’s really what cultivating a local food culture is all about.

Farm 2 Kitchen Long Island

T.W. Barritt blogs at culinarytypes.blogspot.com

Priced at $65 for adults and $25 for kids, guests will enjoy an open air
raw bar, a pig roast, beer, sangria, live music from the Mark
Anderson band and an art exhibition in the barn from Eileen Weisbacher.
There will also be a hot dog cart for the kids, special treats for the
dogs and lots more.

“We wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather and shake things up in
the kitchen… so we took it outside! We have such beautiful grounds here
and have just put in a pond-side beach, hammocks and adirondack chairs to
enjoy the spring sun. So bring a picnic rug, get your family together,
pack the dog in the car and come join us!” said Lia Fallon, executive chef
at Jedediah Hawkins.

Spots can be reserved by phoning (631) 722 – 2900

Art for eelgrass. Montauk Brewing Company is sponsoring a Hops for Habitat art exhibit to open on Friday, June 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. Long Island-based artists can submit artwork of any medium by May 31 that must feature, or be inspired by, eelgrass meadows. For inspiration, take a look at seagrassli.org. If accepted, artwork will be on display until July 31. Proceeds will be split between the artist and the Marine Meadows Program.

Finfish and shellfish love eelgrass. Eelgrass keeps shorelines stabilized and waters clean, which is why Cornell Cooperative Extension’’s Marine Meadows Program works hard to restore lost marine meadows. Entry forms and more information may be found at here. 

I believe we are the culmination of our life experiences. This is especially true when you meet Kate Pratt and Michel Mazuret, the dynamic food duo behind the East Hampton Gourmet Food in East Hampton. Together, for the past 17 years, they have been creating healthy gourmet eats for the wholesale, retail and entertaining markets of the East End and New York metro area.
The coming together of Kate and Michel was sheer serendipity. In 1996 they launched East Hampton Gourmet Food, as an artisanal wholesale bakery supplying esoteric, savory/sweet vegan pies to Hay Day Markets, Dean and Deluca, Balducci’s and several gourmet stores. In 2006, they expanded their culinary offerings beyond wholesale to include catering and retail.

These days, this health conscious foodie team is cooking up ready-to-eat, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals as well as free-range poultry and local fish dishes. During winter, Michel travels to Hawaii, Japan and France to expand his culinary repertoire. Michel creates the diverse dishes with the talented team of cooks: Maggie, Tikka and Beatrice, who have extensive knowledge in Indian, Thai and Lebanese cooking.

The refrigerated case displays are filled with a variety of gourmet prepared meals, vegan, vegetarian and some poultry. The frozen vegetarian hors d’oeuvres—dumplings, quiches, samosas and fritters—would satisfy any carnivore. Most dishes in the store are gluten-free; they even offer frozen flourless peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookies that are ready to be baked.
To top it off, Kate who has a degree in biochemistry, developed a skin care line, Hampton Botanicals. “Seventy percent of what you put onto your body goes into your body,” says Kate. The products are made with essential oils, are plant-derived, as organic as possible and will be offered at White’s Pharmacy in East Hampton.

Eat well and healthy is Kate and Michel’s mantra. Be sure to stop by their shop; there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Visit: outeastfoodie for the full blog post.

In our upcoming issue, writer Eileen Duffy and photographer Randee Daddona visit Massey’s duck hatchery in Eastport. Farm Paul Massey oversees the 3,000 ducklings that hatch each week.

Food Revolution Day will be taking place all over the US and the UK on May 17 to “raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone by focusing on three simple actions – cook it, share it, live it.”

The East End's Food Revolution Day celebration will take place on May 17 in Bridgehampton

The event will be on Friday at the Bridgehampton School Greenhouse at 2685 Montauk Highway from 5 to 7 p.m.

For the potluck dinner, bring a fresh, local entrée, side dish, or dessert large enough to share with 6 to 8 people. There will also be performances by the Bridgehampton Marimba band and others, and a screening of the film “Growing Farmers.”

Local chefs will demonstrate how to prepare delicious food quickly and easily with cooking presentations. Hamptons Health Coach Nadia Ernestus, chef Bryan Futerman of Foody’s in Watermill, and founder of iEat Green Bhavani Jaroff (food activist, educator, radio host, chef, and member of Slow Food Huntington) will each be doing cooking demos, and there will also be growing demonstrations by local farmers.

For more information about Jamie Oliver’s foundation and Food Revolution Day, visit their website: www.foodrevolutionday.com.

Sang Lee Farms will be holding an open house at their farm stand on May 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be tastings, live music with The Earthtones, and demos with our nursery and partner farmers. This will be a family friendly event.

Sang Lee is a certified organic farm that specializes in Asian greens and sells its own salad dressings and sauces. Map.