Shaker dinners planned

PITTSFIELD – Berkshire-sourced ingredients, enduring farm recipes and Shaker music and cultural traditions form the heart of Hancock Shaker Village’s Shaker Suppers.

These community meals feature classic dishes such as hearty chicken pot pie, dilly beans with watercress salad and Sister Mary’s favorite bread pudding. The suppers are popular family gatherings and include live music, costumed interpreters, a guided tour and yesteryear ambiance, along with the lovely autumn landscape.

This year’s Hancock Shaker Village Shaker Suppers will take place on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Nov. 24, both at 4 p.m.

The meals take place in the village’s 1830 Brick Dwelling, which was home to 100 Shaker brethren and sisters in the late 19th century. Today, the dwelling houses much of the national historic landmark museum’s premier collection of Shaker furniture and artifacts.

The evening begins with a private tour, led by guides in Shaker garb; dinner guests get to see village work areas and living quarters and gain insights into Shaker life. Appetizers are served in the Brick Dwelling’s kitchen with cider and cheese (beer and wine available for purchase) and supper in the Believers’ Dining Room, where courses are served by candlelight.

The menu features fresh herbs and vegetables from the village garden prepared by Chef Michael Roller, currently of the Lenox Club and formerly of the luxury resort Blantyre in Lenox. A variety of soups, entrees, accompaniments, and desserts are served buffet style and evoke farm-fresh Shaker flavors.

Typical bill of fare: Vermont cheddar cheese, crackers and orchard apple cider; lentil soup, cranberry pot roast, chicken pot pie, carrot pudding, green and red cabbage, scalloped parsnips and dilly beans with watercress salad; and Sister Mary’s Favorite Bread Pudding with lightly whipped cream. The majority of the items served are included in the cookbook The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller (available for sale in the museum’s store).

A vegetarian entree is available by advance request. Families and friends are seated together at communal tables to enjoy this unique meal. The evening concludes with a moving 20-minute program of a cappella Shaker music.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on October 18, 2012. Filed under Community Events,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry