We arrived a teeny bit late to the cooking demonstration at White Gate Farm, so I was not forewarned when I grabbed a tortilla chip and dipped it into the bright green salsa. Whammo! Hot! And not that slow deceiving afterburn either, just full-on sear. I shouldn’t have been surprised. We were here for an authentic Mexican meal, prepared by the chef from Brooklyn Taco, after all. Having no recourse for my poor mouth, I decided the best idea was to pay strict attention to the demonstration and try to forget about it.

Here’s what I love about cooking classes: those well-trained chefs make everything look easy and FAST. I came home thinking it would be a snap to mix up balls of cornmeal, fry them up on the stove and, voila! Tacos. Take the same dough (I think) and smush it into a few banana leaves, top it with some beans, wrap and tie it, and you’ve got one gorgeous tamale! Maybe. But no matter, it was a fun and delicious thing to do on a Friday night. All this transpired at the lovely White Gate Farm, one of my favorite destinations for organic produce, in their well-appointed commercial kitchen. Then, all twenty of us sat down in the massive dining room for the fun part, the feast. Throw a bunch of folks together who have never met at a long table and somehow it always morphs into a loud and convivial dinner party. BYOB helps.

Pauline Lord, owner of White Gate Farm, is in the process of turning the rambling farmhouse (previously her mother’s home), into a six-bedroom B&B. And my guess is by next spring guests will be clamoring to stay there. Bathrooms are freshly renovated, simple bedrooms sport antique chests, lamps and end tables, and she’s thoughtfully preserved the gorgeous vintage wallpaper that covers the hallways and stairwell. Amenities include a healthy farm breakfast, swimming pool, lake access with kayaking, stand-up-paddle and fishing, croquet, badminton and an idyllic farm location.
There’s one more dinner and demo on the docket. This one is with chef Jonathan Rapp from River Tavern and will be one of his five course farm-to-table extravaganzas. Make reservations ASAP.  

whitegatefarm.net