The first time we served this butternut squash soup, 20% of the guests in attendance asked for the recipe. The second time, one of the guests hunted down the chef in search of the recipe!

With a beautiful presentation, it makes for a very impressive first course. Foodies can go all out, serving the soup in an acorn squash bowl with toasted coconut, candied pecans, and maple crème on top. Maybe you’re not exactly the type to toast shredded coconut? Just skip the toppings, spoon it into a bowl and chow down! We’d love to hear how it goes.

Winterthur Butternut Squash Soup with Curry, Coconut, and Pecans

Ingredients:
• 2 large butternut squash or 4 lbs. peeled & cubed butternut squash
• 2 medium onions
• 3 cloves garlic (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. butter or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. curry powder
• 12 oz. coconut milk

Topping Ingredients
• 8 oz. bag of shaved coconut
• candied or glazed pecans
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 3 acorn squash at least 5” in diameter (choose squash that will sit flat on the stem side and the bottom)

Preparation:
Toppings and acorn squash bowls should be made in advance.

Toasted Coconut
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread shaved coconut evenly on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in the oven on the center rack.
3. Bake for 5 minutes at a time, stirring coconut to ensure even toasting between the baking sequences. Baking time varies depending on the accuracy of your oven temperature, and how thinly the coconut is laid out over the baking sheet. Note: Watch carefully during the final minutes. The coconut will turn color very quickly.
4. After toasting, let cool and store in an airtight container.

Maple Crème
1. Combine sour cream and maple syrup in a medium bowl.
2. Cover bowl and refrigerate.

Acorn Squash Soup Bowl
1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cut acorn squash across the center and scoop out seeds and loose fiber.
2. Place squash cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Set aside.

Soup
1. Halve, seed, peel, and cube the butternut squash. Set aside.
2. Halve, peel, and chop the onion. Mince the garlic, if you like.
3. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter or oil and the chopped onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the squash and the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Transfer small batches to a blender. Hold a kitchen towel over the top (to prevent burns) and whirl until completely and utterly smooth, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
7. Return the soup to the pot and add more salt to taste.
8. Finish with Curry Powder and Coconut Milk.
9. Place each halved acorn squash in a bowl, top with toasted coconut.
10. Crush the candied pecans, placing them over the toasted coconut.
11. Put a few tablespoons of the maple crème in a zipper bag, snip the corner, and drizzle over the top of the soup.

At a Friday wedding earlier this year, the groom and best man didn’t want to lose their boutonnières when they removed their jackets for dancing. And why would they? The flowers are a gorgeous part of the wedding and the bouts are the status symbol that separates them from every other man on the dance floor! The solution? We re-pinned the bouts to the guys’ vests! Quite lovely, don’t you think?

The First Wedding at Winterthur was a reception for Louise du Pont, sister of H. F. du Pont, Winterthur Museum & Country Estate’s founder, and her new husband Frank B. Crowninshield. Love the hats!

Louise du Pont & Frank B. Crowninshield's Wedding

5 Responses to “The First Wedding Reception at Winterthur”

• Photographer Devon (November 11th, 2012):
  
  

  Stumbled across this whilst researching old photos, thanks for sharing.

• Jen Lamb (February 17th, 2012):
  
  

  Holly, it was June of 1900! The very first words link back to the details of the event on the Winterthur Garden Blog.

Hello everyone!

Over the next few posts, I’d like to introduce some of the fantastic folks who make our events so… well… fantastic!

I’ll start with myself. My name is Jen Lamb. I am the new Catering Sales Manager at Restaurant Associates at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.

I have worked meetings, special events, and concerts at locations throughout North America for nearly 15 years. I have had the pleasure of working with musicians and actors like Jimmy Smits, Don Johnson, Jesse Bradford, Boyz II Men, Alan Jackson, Everclear, Soul Asylum, Kracker, and Taylor Swift. Do these people remember me? Not likely! I was the short brunette escorting them from place to place, taking photos, checking on guests and VIP’s, and generally behind the scenes.

Art Alexakis from Everclear and me after a lakeside summer concert in Missouri.

I am married with two kids (13 and 10, both girls, lots of drama) and a dog (5, a rescued pit-lab mix, very loving, often forgets he’s not a lapdog). The family has always wished I could find the work I love closer to home. Something didn’t require a plane ticket or a two-hour commute. As a Delaware native and resident, I am very excited to be working in my home state!

I started with Winterthur in late April and spent my first “Winterthur weekend” in training at Restaurant Associates headquarters in NYC. My first impression of RA was, “Wow!” Angela, Nina, Jeanine, Andrew, thank you for everything you did that first weekend and beyond to help me jump right in!

Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with more than 15 families on their wedding days, met with countless others in preparation for their upcoming weddings at Winterthur, and talked to about a billion more about trusting us with their weddings for 2012 and 2013. Recently, the mother of one of our brides asked me if I would be here on the day her daughter gets married. My response? ”I haven’t NOT worked a wedding since I started. It’s too much fun!” (Yes, I used a double negative. My high school Advanced English professor would be so ashamed.)

In case you’re wondering the same thing, a manager is onsite for all events. I do realize that at some point, I will need to take a vacation. However, I’m enjoying myself far too much to stay away. Maybe in January!

3 Responses to “Introducing… Jen”

• Jen Lamb (September 10th, 2011):
  
  

  I am working on doing something like this in January. Stay tuned!

• Jen Lamb (September 10th, 2011):
  
  

  Thank you! I’m looking forward to working with you as well! See you very soon!

How often do I get to blog about beer? And not just any beer - dogfish head. With the new show (discovery channel)dogfish mania has somehow managed to grow even more then it already existed in Delaware. I don’t know anybody at this time in Delaware who does not look to get their hands on a great craft beer - brewed in Delaware - that just makes it even better.

A few of the couples getting married here at Winterthur have asked me to add dogfish onto their beer list for their wedding evening. And I do this, with great trepidation! I have never gotten my order of Dogfish delivered - never.

This past Sunday in the business section of the New Journal I finally got to know why - not just rumor- a whole story on dogfish production and delivery. Sam Calagoine speaks to the News Journal about how they are looking to reign in where they are selling in an effort to deliver what is ordered. Here are a few of the key facts, as I see them…

Dogfish is distributed in 30 states

Production has increased 303% in the past 5 years; last year was 20%; it is still not enough!

“To ensure no store was completely cut off, an allocation system was adopted” - what’s that mean - as one store owner says in the article - “it is not uncommon to order 40 (cases) and get 5 or 6″

So I will continue to add dogfish to your orders but buyer beware - with this demand and not enough supply - there are no guarantees. To read more please visit delawareonline.com for the full article by Eric Ruth.

Hello everyone. Lauren and I went to a NACE meeting on Tuesday and listened to a really great talk on wine and food pairings. Now, had they made any of the 4 courses vegetarian I might have been able to eat and tell you about the combos; however - the little tips they gave made great sense:

Taste and select your wine - then pick your food! It is so much easier to change your food and add or take out an ingredient - you can’t do that with your wine.

When cooking at home - taste your wine - write down specific tastes you can pick out - then add those items to your dish. Taste your wine - then taste your food and wine together - there should be some great compliments happening.

Finally take it up another notch - taste your wine - write down specific tastes - then cook with opposite taste - such as sweet and salty. See how the wine and the food really balance each other out.

And even if you don’t get perfect at it - a night with friends, food and wine is always a good night to me!

Hi All,

Tastings coming up

March 4, 2011 - 6pm - Full and Closed

April 8, 2011 - 4:30pm - Space Available

June 2, 2011 - 6pm - Space Limited

July 7, 2011 - 6pm - Space Available

August 11, 2011 6pm - Space Available

As a general reminder or for planning purposes you want to be selecting a tasting approximately 6 moths to 4 months in advance so that you have all of your menu selections prior to meeting with your stationer to prepare your invites. Please let Lauren and I know which one you would like to attend!

Hi ladies and gentleman - I am often asked for babysitter referrals and I just don’t have any

Anybody out there have some? Kindly respond to the blog or to Lauren or I via email so as can help some other brides in need

Thanks!

One Response to “Babysitter Recommendations Needed Please”

• Traci Murphy (February 9th, 2012):
  
  

  Try http://www.signaturesitters.com - they are fantastic

And that means it is March and that means the March Bank will be starting to bloom - I cant wait to see the carpet of bleu and purple bulbs all over the gardens!

Spring fever is here. I think every tour I have for the next few days is thinking Spring 2012 and with the temps at 60 degrees or higher I can’t blame them.

We are totally booked for our March 4th tasting and almost booked for April. Once we hit June we do host a tasting every single month through the end of December - right before we close again. Let Lauren or I know if you need to schedule a tasting time.

We have met with almost all of the brides through August. Once we get open Lauren and I will be contacting those of you in September to start planning meetings. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have questions in the meantime.

Staying busy and wishing this cold weather away!

Started the week on Sunday with a quick dip in the ocean for the Polar Bear Plunge that benefits the Delaware Special Olympics - they raised over $550,000 that day and whats 37 degree water anyway?

Tuesday was the NACE meeting and this months topic productivity - turns out - I am already pretty productive but everyone can use an extra tip here and there right?

Tomorrow morning I start at Thersa Florals to see her new workspace and check out her inspriations and new design ideas for this coming year. I can’t wait.

After that I am in for a bit then over to Longwood Gardens again for more safety training - but I am going to steal a few minutes and check out their newest displays.

Saturday all day with wedding tours - we still need our boots to cover the snow at the reflecting pool but at least it is supposed to break 40 - wahoo - how many more days until Spring?

Good afternoon all. This February while we are closed I am trying to get out in the world and see our vendors on their turf and talk and learn whats new for the coming season. This week I saw eventions productions (lighting gurus) and caught up with Mary Reugg from Brides Mag or brides.com.

Lighting - George and Rian told me lighting is hotter then ever. As more and more brides and grooms go to more and more weddings you are noticing a lot more lighting. You might not notice if you don’t have lighting but you always notice when you do - and in a very good way. Rian and George are working on a package specific to the Visitor Center. We all just love what the lighting adds to the space.

Mary and I have lunch at the super cute and chic Pizza by Elizabeth’s on route 52. The have a great area in the back that is private and can host private parties - perfect for a rehearsal dinner or shower FYI.

Mary and I are loving the new issue of Brides - the colors-the quick read articles. I specifically love the outstanding wedding cakes on page 230 - I personally love the varigated blue one in the top left corner- what great new ideas. I also love the stationary helpful hints. So many people ask my opinion on invites and while I am flattered, I know nothing about them! This is a great article that shows some sites and invites that go with them- not overly theme-y yet very cool. Check it out if you have not already!

Hello everyone. 2011 is almost completely booked and 2012 is starting to fill in nicely. It has been a busy month for me with inquiries and site tours and a great time to meet new people.

I love to post about current questions I am being asked about. If 5 of you are asking me -I bet at least 10 more are wondering. This week - day of planners - do you need one?

Our team prides ourselves on working with you and taking great care of you once you arrive on the estate. That said - who is taking care of you before you arrive here? I think it could be nice to have somebody during the day checking your schedule, your flowers as they arrive, handling questions, working with the transportation. Day of planners can certainly help you with that.

A day of planner can only be as effective as they are involved. A true day of planner is going to come in after you have everything done and just work off a checklist. If they do not have a relationship with your other vendors they may not be as useful as you would hope for.

Some planners do not like to provide day of planning. They want to provide at least month of planning so they have a chance to speak with your vendors, look at your timeline and edit any crucial items they see as well as understand your desires for your wedding day. I had a planner just recently say to me that a day of planner is the fall guy - they have no control over anything, they have no part in the decisions you make, they have to hope they are good ones and somehow make it all work at the last minute.

We work with some great planners. If you are looking for that last minute help please use a vendor who has been to the estate before so they will understand the logistics and be able to provide you with the best possible service!

After much anticipation, our Facebook page is up! We have uploaded some great photos from weddings which occurred this past summer. We are also updating our statuses frequently with reminders and updates.  This is our way of  keeping  you connected with the catering department here at Winterthur!  We hope that through this site we hear feedback and great ideas from couples with upcoming weddings, couples that have already had their wedding with us, brides interested in Winterthur and our vendors!

Below you will find the URL that will go directly to our Facebook page or look us up under “Restaurant Associates at Winterthur Museum”.

http://www.facebook.com/WinterthurWeddings

The past few weeks have been so busy - great problem to have to meet all of these new people!

So I am seeing an underlying theme right now - budget! I wonder if there was something written recently on another blog or magazine but budget is the buzz word this January. I get it - I know everyone has a budget - whether it be big or small or more then likely- somewhere in the middle. I ask, is budget the only important thing for your wedding?

When I meet with a couple for the first time I like to spend a few moments talking, trying to get to know them at least for a few breaths, before we dive into the conversation. I do like to ask -What is important to you for your wedding? LatelyI am getting a one word answer - Budget. I feel that if budget were truly your only concern you would have a multiple options in free state parks or a beach or a friends gorgeous backyard. I think that while it is a concern, there are other things to you that are also important.

Preston Bailey - planner extraordinaire - just posted a blog about how to help clients who want champagne on a pepsi budget. His tip and what he does is talks about money in person and he explains where his costs come from and he openly acknowledges that he is covering his costs and looking to make a profit. He runs his business after all.

A lot of you know that I love to talk about food and the estate and the service we provide. I believe that we are in the tops in our field. We have a great reputation. We have a proven track record and we provide personal attention. Can you put a price on that?

Perhaps we shift the conversation to value. What do you get for your money. Do you get organic fresh food or frozen food, a personal attendant, your sales person at your event? And is that important to you?

One tip I have used with a lot of my friends is to list out your top 5 most important things - that is where you spend your money and you look for deals or creative ideas on the things that are not as important to you. As you all start planning for 2011 are there any thrifty things that you have done to save money  that you want to share and help another?

EBE - one of our preferred vendors for bands - Rio and the amazing Dreamtime are both on there! EBE is hosting one their showcases next week - still don’t have a band - go see them in person - its a great way to get a feel for them and how they interact with you and each other - and you get to hear great music in the meantime! Check out their website for more info:

http://www.ebetalent.com/live-band-showcase

Tasting Dates for Spring 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011 - 6:00pm

Friday, April 8, 2011 - 4:30pm

We will not host a tasting in May 2011

June and July and August tastings will more then likely be in the evening, during the week since we have so many weddigs on the Fridays and Saturdays.

Have not booked your date yet? We still have a few key dates available. This has changed some since last week as some couples moved their dates! We have the following key dates still available:

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011 - aka 7/9/11

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Saturday, October 8 - Visitor Center only

Call to inquire about other dates!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone is ready to make this a great new year.

This is the time of year where I get to catch up on my reading and look at the trends and new things happening for the coming bridal year. I must admit I have not quite gotten into it yet (so many great new inquiries!) but, I was flipping through a pottery barn catalog the other evening and I saw 2 things that made me think Winterthur Weddings.

Terrariums - no, not the ones you had as a  kid with bugs in them. These are rustic and would look gorgeous as a centerpiece on the gift table - perfect to update the card holders/bird cages. Pottery barn has them right now in two sizes and I love how they have the tablescapes with them. I am sure your florist would LOVE to add some plants or flowers to match your decor and to help you own this look as your own.

How about updating the look from the traditional bird cage to a great collection of lanterns. Sets of 3 always look great and you cold light two and leave one for your cards and envelopes. Some more ideas from pottery barn -

You can also search antique stores, flea markets, even bargain box stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Now will be the perfect time once the stores clear out their Christmas and Holiday stock and start thinking Spring.

Work with your florist to really complete the look of the gift table. Nothing looks worse then one item or holder set in the middle of the table with nothing to tie it in or ground it. The finishing touches go a long way in showing how much energy you spent making your wedding perfect!

Good snowy morning to everyone. What a bummer that more then half the people who were scheduled to attend tonight’s tasting cannot make it! March 4th tasting is going to be packed so please let me know ASAP if you would like to attend that one!

We will have the tasting on March 4th at 6pm as well as Friday, April 8 at 4:30pm. We will not be hosting a tasting in Mayor June to our extremely high business levels. We will resume them in July through December.

Also if you are a booked bride getting married here before Septemeber please email me to schedule your planning meeting this January and February. I can’t wait to see everyone again.

It seems to happen at this time of year where you thank everyone that helped you and made your year special and think about the ones who are going to be a part of your life this coming year.

We had such a great group of brides and grooms this past year. A special thanks to all of you who have posted such great comments and reviews for us on the blog, the website, and especially on The Knot and Brides.Com. I think we may have something fun to announce from one of those sites in a month but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Thank you to the great vendors we have worked with this year. We are so fortunate to work with so many great vendors and we are thrilled that we have added some new ones onto our list that all of the brides may take advantage of. I am going to spotlight more of the vendors in a week or so.

Looking forward to next year. If you are reading this and you are getting married here in 2011 and you do not have a meeting scheduled with me to start planning - please contact me.

In the meantime- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Hi everyone. Is there anyone out there who is not cold?

Busy week this week - we are in the middle of a strong holiday party season and we look to finish up for the most part on Sunday the 19th. Winterthur is currently open for dinner and late tours on Tuesday evenings - next Tuesday Gary will celebrate his birthday here and then on the 28th I will celebrate mini by working!

We are getting ready for the winter close here at Winterthur. We will be closed to the public from January 10th and re-open on March 1, 2011. Gary and I will still be here to answer calls and set-up wedding meetings so please feel free to call or email us - it gets a little eerie around here with nobody about.

Our next tasting on December 27, 2011 at 4:30pm is a big one - we have almost 20 people attending. Our next one will be the week we re-open on March 4, 2011. If you are getting married prior to July please make sure to attend one of the tastings.

Getting married prior to July? Have we met to detail out your wedding yet? If not please call or email me to start scheduling a time to meet.