From the Fyr 7.2.2026
- Jessica Kelleher
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
Farm Forecast
Can I just say it? Summer has officially arrived! I can feel it in every cell of my body. Summer and I are the best of friends.
It's warm (finally). The beaches are packed, the farm stands are overflowing, friends are texting, "What are you doing tonight?" every five minutes, and somehow the calendar went from wide open to completely booked overnight.
It's my favorite time of year.
I've been soaking up every minute of it. Beach mornings, late dinners with friends, wandering farm stands, running into familiar faces everywhere I go. There really is nowhere I'd rather spend July than right here on the North Fork.
The funny thing about summer out here, though, is that everyone has the exact same idea. The places we all love are busy for good reason. Restaurants are bustling. The beaches are full. Everyone's trying to squeeze every last drop out of these short summer months. That's part of the charm, but it also means a lot of waiting, a lot of planning ahead, and hoping you can snag a table before someone else does.
Which is exactly why I'm so excited about what Wood Fired Fridays have become. We took everything we loved about those long, relaxed North Fork summer evenings and built an experience around it.
Just forty guests.
One thoughtfully planned menu.
One reservation.
You simply show up.
No wondering where you're eating. No standing around waiting for a table. No coordinating six different orders. No stressing over what time to leave the beach.
Just one beautiful evening on the farm while someone else takes care of every detail.
The menu will change every single week depending on what's growing, what's inspiring the kitchen, and what the farm is producing. Some weeks there may be pizza. Other weeks there may be something completely unexpected. That's the beauty of cooking this way. We let the season tell us what to make.
It's not quite a restaurant.
It's not a farm supper.
It's not a food truck.
It's something all its own.
A slow summer evening built around great food, great people, and one of the prettiest views on the North Fork. (it kind of reminds me of Wednesday night at the Pridwin years back. If you know you know.)
I know everyone's attention is on Fourth of July right now (as it should be!), but don't forget that our first reservation-only Wood Fired Friday is July 10th.
If you've been looking for one memorable summer evening, this is it. Save yourself (and whoever else you want to drag along) some seats!
Dishin' on the Café
The café is absolutely humming right now, and honestly, that's exactly how we like it.
Whether you're heading to the beach, running errands, meeting friends, or just trying to sneak in a good lunch before the holiday craziness begins, we've got you covered.
The bánh mì is back (cue my usual excitement), and I still think it's one of the best sandwiches we make. Crunchy vegetables, bright herbs, savory pork, acidity. Every bite tastes like summer.
The lamb gyro continues to be one of my favorites too. It somehow manages to feel hearty without weighing you down, especially with that cool tzatziki and all the pickled vegetables.
And don't overlook the classics. The roast beef, the egg sandwich, the ham and cheese...is your mouth watering yet? These are the kinds of sandwiches that remind me why simple food made with really good ingredients almost always wins.
One little reminder before the holiday:
Not every Fourth of July meal has to end with you feeling like you need to unbutton your shorts. If you're heading to a barbecue later in the day, split a sandwich with someone, grab a salad, fuel yourself with real food, and then go enjoy the burgers, hot dogs, and pie later without arriving absolutely starving. Balance has always tasted better than restriction.
Market Highlights
If there's one thing we learned from our Fourth of July photo shoot this week, it's this:
You do not have to cook everything yourself to host a beautiful gathering.
In fact, I'd argue you shouldn't.
Considering the season of life I am in (working mom with four growing kiddos, one still in diapers) one of my favorite ways to entertain is to think less like a caterer and more like an editor. Instead of making eight different dishes, choose a few really good ones and let someone else do the heavy lifting.
The market is basically your one-stop barbecue headquarters.
Grab the BBQ ribs, chicken wings, pulled pork, chicken salad, potato salad, coleslaw, hummus, gazpacho, pasta salad, then wander the shelves.
Pick up Martin's potato rolls.
Or better yet, grab a loaf of our sourdough.
Add some really good butter.
Mustard.
Ketchup.
Pickles.
Kimchi.
Pickled vegetables.
Cheese.
Maybe a jar of pepper jam.
Then stop at a farm stand for watermelon and tomatoes on your way home.
Done.
We had a little impromptu Wednesday BBQ last week to test out the experience for ourselves and honestly we suprised ourselves at how much bang for your buck those little containers of our delicious sides can get you!
When you see a container of chicken salad in the case, it looks like lunch for one person.
Put it into a nice bowl, surround it with bread and vegetables, and suddenly six people are happily taking little scoops.
The same goes for the potato salad, coleslaw, hummus, and pasta salad. Everything feels more abundant once it's plated. People naturally graze instead of piling giant portions onto their plates. Which honestly is one of my favorite ways to entertain.
A little bit of this. A little bit of that. Everyone building their own perfect plate. Less work. More visiting. More swimming. More fireworks.
That's a trade I'll make every single time.
Kitchen Sparkler ✨
"We all find ourselves in food ruts, so here's a little spark...ler to light your Fourth of July."
The Lazy Genius Fourth of July Board
Somewhere along the line we decided entertaining meant grocery shopping at three stores, cooking twelve recipes, washing every bowl in the house, and missing half the party because we were still standing over the grill.
I vote we stop doing that. Life is too short to not be spending every second we can with the ones we love.
Surpisingly, one of my favorite entertaining tricks isn't actually cooking.
It's assembling.
Interestingly, one of my favorite entertaining tricks doesn't involve cooking.
Start with a few prepared foods from the market and then make them feel like home.
You'll Need
• Chicken salad
• Potato salad
• Pasta salad
• Coleslaw
• Hummus
• BBQ ribs or pulled pork
• Chicken wings
• Sourdough
• The best butter
• Mustard
• Pickles and pickled vegetables
• Cheese
Then add whatever fresh summer produce catches your eye:
• Cherries
• Berries
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Fresh herbs
How I Do It
Take everything out of the containers.
Put each item into its own bowl or platter.
Slice the bread.
Put the butter in a little dish.
Scatter herbs over everything.
Add a few wedges of watermelon or handfuls of cherries around the board.
Step back and pretend you worked much harder than you actually did.
Seriously though, presentation changes everything.
That little container of chicken salad suddenly becomes an appetizer for six.
The hummus becomes the center of the table instead of something hiding in plastic.
The potato salad suddenly looks homemade.
Nobody is hungry or helping.
They're just enjoying themselves.
Stretch It
Leftover pulled pork becomes tacos. Chicken wings become tomorrow's lunch.
The hummus turns into a snack board with vegetables. Extra chicken salad gets tucked into wraps for the beach. The sourdough becomes tomorrow morning's toast.
And the best part?
You spent your holiday with your people instead of standing over a sink full of dishes.
That's my kind of Fourth of July.
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