Preserving Stissing House. Caring for this place is a slow and long-term commitment. We’re excited that we’ve finally been able to complete some of the exterior renovations we’ve longer for. The building has new siding where there were rotting slats, and a sparkling paint job to take us into the winter and onwards. Hoorah!
Labor Day Monday Brunch. We’ll be open for brunch on Labor Day Monday. Reserve your table on Resy or walk in from 10-2pm.
Suckling Pigs for a Feast. Feast with a whole roasted suckling pig from Lovers Leap Farm. Write to feasts@stissinghouse.com to put your roast on our calendar.
Our ice cream selection is a celebration of the incredible dairy in Dutchess County. Taste the range of richness and flavor. We scoop sweet cream onto brownies, sour cream onto our blueberry and cornmeal crisp, and buttermilk sherbet onto our wood-fired plums. Milk ice cream is coming soon. Ask us if you'd like a spoon of each.
Lynn Mordas is the Managing Owner of Dashing Star Farm, just down the road in Millerton, where we source her exemplary lamb and eggs for our menu. We visited her last week, and the soundtrack of our conversation was a joyful cacophony of lamb baas and hen squawks. Lynn raises sheep on 20 acres (including land leased from neighboring farms) and has 200 laying heritage breed hens mingling amongst them. Her output includes lamb products, wool products and eggs. No small feat for a one-woman operation with an ever-revolving roster of help. She logs 18 hour days, managing everything from her website, newsletters, bookkeeping and laborers to caring for animals, crafting wool products, and repairing infrastructure issues–something she learned out of necessity. She is the definition of someone who can do it all!
Lynn spent her early years working for the EPA, cleaning up hazardous waste sites, and she has a particular affinity for science. She attended NYU/Stern for an MBA, but the arrival of a baby girl meant that she only finished half of the program, “still very valuable,” she says. When that same daughter was finishing her own degree, Lynn went back to school and completed a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Agricultural Policy.
Between the MBA and MPA, Dashing Star Farm was born.
Lynn and her ex-husband purchased one of nine remaining historic Dutchess County family farms still in operation in what was designated the Coleman Station Historic District. In 1993, a local shepherd who was keeping his flock on their land abandoned the 30 sheep, and Lynn went through her first lambing season by accident. It made quite the impact, because the following year she began farming in earnest. These were pre-Internet days, so to learn she joined the Dutchess Co. Sheep & Wool Growers Association where she was mentored by two members.
It’s her science background that ultimately delivers her exceptional products. Lynn has spent years developing a unique cross-breeding program for both wool, a multicolor effect and specific texture, and meat, an optimal flavor profile and tenderness. Starting with English Romney and Border Leicester, she introduced specific breeds, including the Finnsheep in 2006 which was a game changer for tenderness. Lynn was exposed to the restaurant industry during her childhood, and the quality and flavor profile of her lamb reflect a deep respect for both chefs and the guests they are serving.
Wool Products & Waste Wool
Lynn produces beautiful sheepskins and sheepskin stools with exceptionally unique coloring. Carding one sheepskin (see image) can take up to five days. She also handcrafts pillows, placemats, quilted potholders, wool felt coasters, pet futons and high quality yarn, all of which you can find on her website, or at the Sheep & Wool Festival in October in Rhinebeck. Lynn’s wool products have also been featured in local retailers like Sawkille, Quittner Antiques and Sarah Jane Interiors. Waste wool that doesn’t make the cut for yarn or batting is put to good use in garden beds. After weeding, waste wool is laid down with a top layer of composted bedding material from the barn. It takes years to decompose, while adding nutrients to the soil, and is a sustainable alternative to plastic. Lynn provides waste wool to other farms for similar use.
Like many Stissing House guests, you can visit Dashing Star Farm by appointment to purchase any of Lynn’s products, from meat to eggs to wool products. Make sure you pick up a lamb loin to make Lynn’s current favorite recipe below.
Lynn’s Lamb Loin
boneless lamb loin
butter
lemon juice
English thyme
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
well-seasoned cast iron skillet
No quantities were given, as Lynn “wings it.” Because this cut isn’t too thick, she cooks the lamb loin entirely on the stovetop, searing, turning and basting it in butter as she goes. She adds lemon juice and English Thyme to the pan, for flavor.