When our team visited Grace in upstate New York for our D*S retreat, we stayed at the incredible Hasbrouck House at Stone Ridge — a lovely old building that was built in the 1700s as a Dutch colonial mansion and now serves as a small boutique hotel. One of the trip’s highlights included gathering for a delicious meal at Butterfield, the restaurant at Hasbrouck House. We caught up with each other while eating beautiful dishes comprised of local, seasonal produce grown in the Hudson Valley, conceptualized by Butterfield’s Executive Chef, Aaron Abramson. The attention to detail of both the food and the ambiance at Butterfield was not lost on us, and today we are thrilled to speak with Chef Aaron about his food philosophy, his past year and a half spent at Butterfield, and a stunning recipe for a Spring Vegetable Mosaic.
Chef Aaron’s recipe (after the short Q&A) can be assembled easily with whatever fresh produce you have on hand, or whatever you find calling your name at your local farm stand, so don’t be afraid to create your own riff on Butterfield’s mosaic. —Kelli
Photography by Kelly Merchant, except where noted
Image above by Will and Susan Brinson
Design*Sponge: How did working for HH/Butterfield come about? What led you here?
Chef Aaron Abramson: I was working in Westchester at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I fell in love with the region and produce. I wanted to find a small restaurant where I could cook food that I wanted to cook. I did a tasting for an interview for some people in the Boston area for a job which I ended up not taking. It turns out those people were friends with the owners here at Hasbrouck House. And when they were looking for a chef here, I was recommended. It just goes to show when doing an interview; give your best effort regardless of if you are interested in the job or not.
What inspires you when it comes to creating a menu?
Most chefs create menus and then source the ingredients. I source ingredients first and create the menu based on the ingredients we acquire. I love the amazing produce from this region and all the things that can be done in unique and creative ways. I am continuously inspired by the farmers here in the Hudson Valley.
Image above by Will and Susan Brinson
What’s your most memorable experience at Butterfield so far?
Having my family come eat here. I have traveled around a lot over the past 15 years and worked at a lot of different restaurants. For them to see all the hard work and everything I have learned while missing out on many family events; that was a nice feeling.
If you could describe the mood/feeling of the restaurant, what words would you use?
Casual, luxury, elegance
What do you want patrons to come away thinking after they’ve eaten at Butterfield?
The food was very representative of Hudson Valley cuisine.
Image above by Will and Susan Brinson
How do you motivate your cooking/kitchen staff to do amazing work?
I try to motivate them by working as hard as possible. To show them that I am not above anything. Wash dishes, clean the floors, etc. I think when they see me working hard, they want to work hard. Additionally, I like to include them in the tasting and creative process. I feel that the ability to allow the cooks to be creative keeps them interested and excited.
Image above: Sous Chef LeVaughn Craddock
from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/07/spring-vegetable-mosaic-from-hasbrouck-houses-butterfield.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/176337307799
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