I have just come back from perhaps the most pleasurable Upper Valley dining experience I have had outside the homes of my parents or friends since my return to the States last November. What-is-more, every bite of food was sourced probably not more than 50 yards of my plate!
The Bunten Farm is a family owned and operated farm in
Orford, New Hampshire; and has claims to being the only milking Devon dairy farm in the USA. Although Devon cattle were brought over from England by the very first Pilgrim settlers, their existence throughout the US has been minimal at best, and today there are only about 400 or so of these animals in the country. Most of the breed can be found in New England where particular dairy farmers, such as Chris and Bruce
Balch, have protected the breed from extinction. Thus, this post must begin with a tremendous THANK YOU to The
Bunten Farm for preserving this wonderful breed and providing New
Englanders and visitors alike with an array of such amazingly rich dairy products: cream, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheeses, and butter. Their own-made products deserve recognition as well, as they do complete the selection of indulgent items to eat on the premise or to take away. It should also be noted that the family strives to remain as self-sufficient and independent of outside resources as possible, though sometimes will rely on local businesses to allow them to take part in the farm experience.
Now on to the brunch! I shared the visit with a friend of mine who has spent her fair share living and working on a farm in Southern Vermont, so I figured she would be a prime companion for the test run. The Farmhouse Kitchen is delightfully cozy and welcoming, and even though the kitchen is separated from dining room by a barrier, it felt almost like you were being invited into a family home to share an informal meal with them. From their service to their tasty home-style food, the Bunten team easily achieves their stated goal of being "the kind of place that makes you glad you came here and not somewhere else."
Upon being seated I immediately took note of the tri-portion dish on the center of our table that held the fresh butter, jam, and ketchup needed for the brunch we were soon to order. This tidbit alone was a welcome change from the packaged butter and jam portions and the family-sized bottles of ketchup typically seen on the tables of most breakfast/brunch eateries. I next took note of the the mismatching china bread plates, which only added to the charm of the experience for me.
Our first order of business was to have a look at our menu choices and pick our drinks, which contributes to making a meal at Bunten Farm Kitchen quite unique. The kitchen will provide the standard hot tea and coffee, juices, and milk that can be either raw or pasteurized; but should you want more than that they ask that you bring your own. The offered selection was enough for my friend and I, but I can imagine that on a dinner visit - they serve dinner Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5:30 to 8:00 - such an option of bringing a familiar bottle of wine would be quite appealing.
Our drinks arrived with a selection of bite-sized freshly-made banana muffins and whipped sweetened Devon Cream, and while my friend could not be tempted, I quickly loaded a spoonful of cream onto one muffin and savored the bananas and cream combination. Next we were ready to really tackle the difficult decision we faced on what to order for our main courses We both seemed stuck on the Eggs Benedict - "(Ham and eggs)" on Chris' grilled Orford English Muffin/Real Hollandaise Sauce and Fried Potatoes" - and the Veggie Galore Omelet - "Tomato, Kale, Onion, etc. w/ Devon Mozzarella Cheese, Home Fries and Toast". In the end I took on the Omelet while "C" tackled the Benedict, and we both agreed to sacrifice a bite to one another. Because the dining room is small and was probably only about half full while we were there, our wait for our food was very minimal and we were able to dive right in. My omelet came nicely folded with an intriguing medley of vegetables on the inside including the aforementioned ones, sweet carrots, pieces of heirloom tomatoes, and a cabbage-like vegetable that I believe was kohlrabi. Although the combination of the vegetables seemed a bit eclectic to me, the pieces themselves were in large enough chunks that they could be eaten bite by bite each with its own portion of omelet and melted cheese. The cheese was definitely a nice addition as it contributed to a slightly chewy texture to marry the soft omelet and al dente veggies, and it also gave each bite a slightly tangy note rounding out the flavor nicely especially with a little dab of ketchup. The toast was a grilled roll, which I thoroughly enjoyed slathering it with the jam and the fresh and perfectly soft salted butter - such a rare treat at most restaurants that don't want to fork over the extra money to serve anything but unsalted, and dare I say, unflavored butter. As for the home fries, they were clearly newly made and hadn't been sitting in a vat of their own fat for hours beforehand a trait that often makes me avoid this portion of breakfast in most other eateries. Over all my only complaint was that the omelet did not have the slightly runny interior that I tend to prefer because of my own upbringing, but I gather that many people are not of my same mind set, and so I hand it to Chris and Bruce for knowing their clientele. As for the single bite of Eggs Benedict I had, I couldn't make a single complaint. The mouthful perfectly combined a nicely toasted piece of the English Muffin with a bit of the slightly larded and salted ham, and arrived at my mouth dripping with a mix of bright yellow egg yolk - a sign of a truly fresh egg - and an airy yet supremely rich Hollandaise sauce. Clearly I cannot offer a bit of critique to the entirety of the dish as I just had one bite, but I can certainly attest that there was no lack of the sauce and that my one bite was instant pleasure.
My biggest woe from the whole experience was that I didn't get to sample more of menu choices, but I can say with safe assertion that I will be returning very soon and probably quite frequently to have the opportunity to taste the Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes, the yogurt, the Devon cheese sampler, the "Bruce - n - Chris - to" sandwich of shaved ham and Devon cheese served french dipped and golden brown with maple syrup, and whatever other specialties they might be making on any other Sunday!
Brunch at the Bunten Farm Kitchen is served from 10:00 to 1:00 on Sundays, and whether you go for there for brunch or dinner, they ask that you please make a reservation so that they know to accommodate you! The experience is certainly not to be missed if you are a dairy lover of any kind. Simply remember that you can bring your own, and save some time either before or after your meal to visit with the "Pumpkin Coop Girls", Harry the Bernese Mountain Dog, - freshly clipped I might add - and the herd of ruby-colored Devon cattle. Finally, be ready to want to purchase a specialty of Bunten Farmhouse Kitchen. I could not leave without a half pound of butter in hand!
At the Norwich farmer's market I was first presented with Luna Bleu's stand, from which I selected a pre-packaged bag of tender-looking baby arugula.
It just so happened that Saturday was also the day I started a house-sitting duty for some acquaintances also in Norwich, so I was on my own for dinner. Incidentally one of my go-to-options when I do find myself cooking for one is a salad, which is exactly what I had in mind for that evening. While the picture does not at all do justice to my dinner salad - also including shavings of raw asparagus from the garden of my homestay's garden, my homemade honey and cider vinegar dressing, and the strawberries of my day's "labor" - each bite presented a deliciously flavorful medley of crispness, tenderness, and freshness, which as friend "N" would say "nearly brought a tear to my eye."
