We were beyond thrilled when Carol Adams, owner of Ashlawn Farm Coffee, bought back Ashlawn Farm. While the Lyme Farmer’s Market will not return (it’s now at Tiffany Farms just up 156), she is considering opening up the original Cafe again. We’ve got our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, the girl just can’t help herself. With plenty already on her plate: the Cafe in Old Saybrook is going great guns with outdoor seating and WIFI, plus a back-to-the-studs renovation of the 1730 farmhouse, last weekend she held a pop-up cafe in the field.

Cafe Sur L’herbe, a socially distanced breakfast, introduced a brand new Ashlawn blend, Zambia Anaerobic Fermentation Coffee.

This ticketed event couldn’t have been better. After choosing from a tempting menu of boxed French breakfasts online, we traipsed over to the farm and settled ourselves at a red cafe table topped with a sweet bunch of wildflowers. A filling morning meal followed; we split a ham and cheese croissant, baguette with a side of Nutella and a square of brie, my go-to yogurt parfait, fruit salad, and a black and white shortbread cookie that I tried to take home, but couldn’t resist nibbling with the deep and rich Zambian joe.

It was a stunning morning, backed by a jazz duo, horses galloping in the field, and old friends happy to be back on the farm, even with masks and social distancing. We’re hoping this will become a regular event (and Carol is hinting that it will). We felt a moment of quasi-normal and deep nostalgia for the old pre-pandemic days when our Saturday ritual always included a cappuccino at Ashlawn in Lyme.

If you’d like to know ahead of time about the next Cafe Sur L’Herbe (this one sold out quickly), follow Ashlawn Farm cafe on Facebook, @ashlawnfarm, and Instagram @ashlawnfarmcoffee.

Buy coffee online here: farmcoffee.com