And Go To Innisfree

Small part of big Innisfree Garden

While visiting friends, that’s exactly what I did although this Innisfree isn’t the place referenced in the Yeats poem but a rather amazing (and something of a well-kept secret) property in Millbrook, NY. Innisfree Garden is said to be one of the “world’s ten best gardens” although the literature never makes it clear which the other nine are or whose opinion this is.

The garden, a series of spectacular “cup gardens” meaning vignettes within a larger landscape, was begun by Walter and Marion Beck on their private preserve in the late 1920s, inspired by Walter Beck’s fascination with a Chinese 8th century poet and garden maker. The garden was fully brought to fruition by landscape architect Lester Collins, former Dean of Harvard’s Landscape Architecture department, and later, in private practice,  responsible for DC’s Hirschorn Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian’s Enid A. Haupt Garden and other works. Collins, also greatly influenced by Asian gardens, sought to make Innisfree a setting where visitors must stroll over a “series of episodes” to take in the vistas (some large and some intimate.) He did and you do.

The icing on the cake (or the petal on the stamen) was going to Innisfree in the company of Marilyn Katz and George Petty who lead wildflower walks there. George, Professor Emeritus of English, (among many other distinguished career paths), was also associate

One of several types of lotus at Innisfree

naturalist of the Weis Ecology Center for the New York-New Jersey Audubon Society, and is on a first-name basis with most of the wildflowers at Innisfree (and those he doesn’t already know he investigates.) He also makes a mean Mint Julep!  Marilyn,  also a former academic and now a consummate birder, graciously put up with my inability to ID much more than a robin and we all enjoyed a wonderful ramble.

http://www.innisfreegarden.org/video.html

Above is a link to a video of the garden.

George and Marilyn love to cook and served this terrific, easy salad. The recipe calls for farro but Marilyn used barley. If you don’t like asparagus, substitute zucchini. The whole thing is pretty forgiving.

Farro and Asparagus Salad a la Clinton Corners
This recipe serves 12, handy for a crowd. To decrease, start with 1 cup of the grain of your choice and decrease the other ingredients. Don’t fret too much about precise amounts–basically, you want a rough ration of 2/3 grain and 1/3 other ingredients.
2 cups farro (or barley, either the quick-cook that takes a mere ten minutes or the regular)
3/4 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 cup red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette, or to taste
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, divided (good quality shredded  Parmesan in a container works fine.)

Cook the grain according to directions. Drain and allow to cool.
Clean and cook the asparagus or zucchini until crisp tender. Again, do it your way (boil, nuke etc.). Chop into pieces. Set aside.

Place farro/barley, asparagus/zucchini, tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, parsley, and chives in a large bowl. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over and sprinkle about half the Parmesan cheese, then toss. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Serve at room temperature.

Hats off to gardens, gardeners and don’t forget those birds!