Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

By Paula Cornell
Photograph by Mr. K

Liz McClean pulls a huge ham dripping with bubbling glaze out of her oven. It’s taken three days to cook: first soaking, then slow roasting before bathing in glaze and baking again. Why go to all this trouble for a ham? Because it’s recipe 86 of McClean’s project  to cook all 100 recipes in Martha: The Cookbook.

McClean is a fashion stylist and creative director with 30 years in fashion. It wasn’t until the pandemic that she turned to cooking, as love and loss changed the trajectory of her life. First, love: wanting to cook for longtime friend, now husband, Marlon Sporer. Then loss: a way to remember her mother, who loved to cook,  after she passed away in 2021.

As a child, she gathered clams and mussels from Long Island Sound, which her mother transformed into steaming seafood linguine—an early lesson in food as care.

McClean continued working in fashion, but a new marriage, a new home, and the loss of her mother had reshaped everything else. She found herself searching for something new.

Martha Stewart’s documentary had a profound impact on her. Stewart lived by a motto of learning something new every day and was 52 when her television show aired—close in age to McClean.

When Sporer gifted her Stewart’s cookbook, McClean knew that cooking through it and documenting the journey online would help her learn and grow in the ways she wanted to.

Each recipe took time—shopping locally, prepping ingredients, and using her skills as a stylist to set the scene in her brightly lit kitchen. Her husband filmed and edited each video, helping her feel relaxed on camera.

“I fell madly in love with the process,” she says. “It was the same muscles [as in fashion] being used, just in a different art form.”

By committing to cook every recipe, she forced herself to face the challenges of recipes that once seemed too difficult. She learned to salt-cure and smoke chicken, make yogurt from scratch, and bake—something she’d never done. Now she enjoys baking buttery orange currant scones or a crisp, jammy rhubarb lattice tart for guests.

For the 100th recipe, to honor both her own mother  and Stewart’s, she made pierogies—Stewart’s favorite recipe from her mom.

“This project had become a love letter to my mom and very much a way to sort of process grief too, and feel connected to her through food,” she says.

It took McClean a year to cook all 100 recipes, with favorites including oysters and a fluffy five-cheese souffle. She discovered local gems like Old Barn Farm and Thorncrest Farm in Goshen for plump blueberries and fresh milk, and Cornwall Hollow Farm Stand for eggs and honey.

Next, McClean continues cooking through Ina Garten’s 1999 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and other recipes, continuing to source locally. Follow her on socials to see all she’s cooking and learning now in her Litchfield kitchen and the neighborhood beyond.

tiktok: @liz_mcclean
instagram: @lizmcclean

Photographs by Jim Henkens

Your 2008 piece in The New York Times, “Perfection? Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret,” changed how home bakers think about chocolate chip cookies. Did you have any idea it would land that way?

I had absolutely no idea. And the article almost didn’t happen! After I wrote a piece for The New York Times on New England’s fried clam trail, which went on to win a James Beard Award, my editor, Pete Wells, invited me out to lunch. He told me I could write about anything I wanted. When I said I wanted to write about chocolate chip cookies, his response was, “What could you possibly add to the canon of knowledge about chocolate chip cookies?”

At the time, I had no idea. I just knew that I wanted to do a really deep dive into my favorite cookie. It took about six months. To borrow a hackneyed phrase, the rest is history.

Resting the dough for up to 36 hours sounds like a hard sell. How do you convince people it’s worth the wait?

I don’t always convince them! As a matter of fact, I was in talks with a large food retailer to create a dry mix people could buy and bake at home. No matter what I said, I couldn’t get them to understand that waiting 36 hours was imperative. Alas, the deal didn’t happen.

For home cooks, I explain what aging the dough does—it hydrates the flour fully, changes the texture for the better, helps it brown differently, and enhances the flavor. If they don’t bite, I just smile. The good thing is the original recipe from Jacques Torres doesn’t require aging the dough at all. So they’ll get a really good cookie, but it’s just not the best version of that cookie!

The hardest sell is getting people to use the two different types of flour. Many insist on using all-purpose instead. And it’s flat-out a different cookie!

The sea salt finish seems obvious now—was it controversial at the time?

It wasn’t controversial, but it was little known then. The only place I’d seen salt on sweets prior to 2008 was at Eliseyev Emporium in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2002. They had luxury chocolates sprinkled with sea salt, and we were shocked. Salt on chocolate? Are they bonkers? One bite told me they were geniuses.

At the time of the writing, a few chefs in Paris were lightly salting their cookies. So there was a precedent, although it wasn’t well-known here yet.

The recipe started with Jacques Torres. How much of what ran in the Times was yours?

The basic recipe is Jacques’. That had been floating around the internet for several years; I believe he even made them on Martha Stewart’s TV program. The original recipe called for an unspecified proportion of pastry flour to bread flour. What most people don’t know is that Jacques changes that proportion based upon several factors, the biggest one being the humidity in the air. I always called him a human barometer. When I was working on the article, I told him that no one was going to buy pastry flour because there’s no other use for it for most home cooks. He agreed to change it to cake flour. His recipe included neither the aging of the dough, which is the single most important aspect of the recipe, nor the sea salt.

How important is it to use the chocolate you recommend?

That’s the single most important ingredient of the cookie, hands down. Over the past 18 years, I’ve seen thousands of photos on the internet using all types of chocolate and chocolate chips. But the discs called for in the recipe are couverture chocolate. They have a substantially higher amount of cocoa butter (at least 31 percent), which is used for coating truffles and bonbons, molding, and piping. Because of all that extra cocoa butter, they melt into these marvelous mini lakes of chocolate. You can’t beat it.

Whenever I see people using chocolate chips, my heart breaks a bit. While they think they have an amazing cookie, they have no idea how good it could be if they used the correct chocolate. The brand I use, which Jacques recommended, is Belcolade.

16 years later, would you change anything?

I wouldn’t necessarily change the recipe, but Americans’ palates have become so much more adventurous. So I would include variations such as brown butter, toasted milk powder, and perhaps a little bit of heat— maybe in the form of Aleppo or chipotle pepper.

Be honest—do you ever save some dough to eat raw, like we do? Oh, totally!

I eat the raw dough all the time. In fact, I had a few cookies that I didn’t bake off for the photographer, and last night I had some marvelous vanilla ice cream with some of the raw dough chopped up and mixed into it. It’s heaven.

Disclaimer: Raw cookie dough contains uncooked eggs and flour, both of which can carry salmonella. We know you’re going to eat it anyway. So does David. Proceed at your own delicious risk.

Cookie Recipe 

Once graced by legends like Russian maestro Sergei Rachmaninoff and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, the Music Shed remains an intimate gathering place where tradition and artistry can be heard and felt. Designed in 1906 by Ellen Battelle Steckle, built from redwood shipped from California, and modeled after Steinway Hall in New York, the hall retains its storied acoustics. Its quiet elegance has drawn generations of performers and discerning audiences alike, and recent enhancements have elevated the festival experience without compromising its historical soul. Air conditioning, remodeled restrooms, climate-controlled rehearsal spaces, and newly built dormitories for students now blend harmoniously with the venue’s legacy.

With seating for 600 guests, the Music Shed offers an atmosphere of understated exclusivity: a blend of comfort and an immersive classical setting that continues to captivate audiences. Chen hopes the festival steps into the spotlight it deserves—welcoming devoted patrons and new audiences to revel in the convergence of music, nature, and human connection.

Concerts include free Thursday evening and Saturday morning performances, and Friday and Saturday night subscription concerts, all featuring a curated mix of classical masterpieces, innovative cross-genre repertoire, and contemporary compositions.

“The goal is to honor the great traditions while also inviting discovery, both for young artists and audiences,” Chen reflects.  “We want everyone to leave with the thrill of experiencing something alive and unique.”
—music.yale.edu/norfolk

Festivals, Fireworks, and Fun Across The County
By Zandria Oliver

Fireworks at Lake Waramaug 
Lake Waramaug State Park, Kent
July 4
 
Celebrate July 4 with fireworks over Lake Waramaug. A family-friendly lakeside tradition. Bring a blanket and enjoy the show under the stars. Sponsored by the Lake Waramaug Association. Starts at sundown. waramaugassoc.org

Morris Bluegrass Festival 
South Farms
21 Higbie Rd, Morris
July 4, 1–10 pm

A day of bluegrass, food trucks, local vendors, and a fireworks display at scenic South Farms. Great music and a laid-back country summer vibe. General admission with fireworks, $55.20; fireworks only, $28.52 per car. southfarms.org

Nascar Weekend 
60 White Hollow Rd, Lakeville July 10–11 

Experience high-intensity racing with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
and ARCA Menards Series at Lime Rock Park. Price varies. limerock.com

Midsummer Party For Conservation 
Maywood, 52 Cooper Rd Bridgewater
July 25 

Elegant evening event with farm-to-table food, music, and a silent auction at a private estate in Bridgewater. Supports Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, local land, and water conservation. Price varies. ctland.org

Sharon Summer Book Signing Weekend 
Sharon
July 31–August 2 

Meet celebrated authors, attend readings, and enjoy cookbook demos and tastings. Proceeds benefit the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon. hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org

Washington Friends of Music Summer Festival 
The Meeting House at The First Congregational Church, Washington
August 7, 14, 21 & 28 5:30 pm 

Washington Friends of Music presents four chamber music concerts  in August, featuring renowned artists and engaging programs. washingtonct4music.org

Litchfield Jazz Festival 
The Frederick Gunn School
22 Kirby Rd, Washington
July 24–26

A nationally renowned jazz event featuring top performers, student ensembles, and jam sessions. Set against the rolling hills of Northwest Connecticut. Price varies. litchfieldjazzfest.com 

Podunk Bluegrass Festival 
116 Old Middle St, Goshen August 5–9 

Connecticut’s only multi-day bluegrass festival, set in the scenic hills of Litchfield County. Three stages, workshops, and family-friendly activities. Price varies. podunkbluegrass.com

Steven Miller “Recent Paintings”
Alofft Gallery
41 West St, Litchfield
June 20–July 19 3–6 pm

Alofft Gallery announces an exhibition of paintings by artist Steven Miller on thevillage green in Litchfield, CT. Opens June 20 through July 19, 2026. Reception June 20 from 3-6 pm. alofft.com stevenwmiller.com

Tour of theLitchfield Hills 
August 2 

Non-competitive bike ride through beautiful Litchfield County. Choose from routes of varying lengths. Proceeds support cancer care and research. tourofthelitchfieldhills.com

Black Bear Americana Music Fest
Harwinton Fair Grounds
150 Locust Rd, Harwinton
August 14–16

Three days of Americana music at Harwinton Fair Grounds, featuring live performances, food, camping, and a laid-back festival atmosphere. Day passes and RV camping available. Day
Guests $70-$170.  blackbearmusicfest.com

By Clementina Verge
Photograph by Kip Finch

This august, linen-draped tables set across the lawn at Kent Falls Brewing Company will welcome guests to an open-air dinner prepared by local chefs using ingredients sourced just a few miles away. Meats and artisanal cheeses from neighboring farms. Vegetables harvested from local fields. Flowers cut fresh from nearby gardens.

This is The Farmer’s Table, an annual gathering that has become an anticipated summer tradition. Beneath the idyllic setting, however, is an urgent concern: Connecticut farmers are experiencing the mounting pressures that reflect agricultural challenges across the country. Shortages of seasonal laborers. Rising land costs that limit purchases or expansions. Weather patterns that have become more unpredictable. And an uncertain generational continuity as fewer young people are choosing to carry the work forward.

The average age of a Connecticut farmer is 58, and many approaching retirement have no successor. As a result, hundreds of farms have succumbed to development in recent years, a loss measured not only in acres, but in diminished local food security.

This reality inspired Warren resident Howard Rosenfeld to launch The Smithy Market in New Preston—a shop devoted exclusively to products sourced within a 70-mile radius. Though he sold the business a few years later, his commitment to supporting local agriculture did not waver.

He believed that farmers, chefs, residents, and local institutions needed opportunities to gather around the same table and engage in conversations about sustainability. With a small group of friends, he launched The Farmer’s Table around a deceptively simple idea: those who feed the community should feel a valued part of it.

“Farmers are very much part of the community,” says Rosenfeld. “But many people in the area don’t really sense that.”

What began in 2011 as an intimate meal on a working farm in Warren has evolved into a seasonal fixture, drawing more than 200 guests every August. From Arethusa to Averill and Sunny Meadow, each year the location changes to a different farm in Litchfield County, but the purpose remains constant—celebrate the land and support the people working it.

In an area where rolling pastures and weathered barns are trademark scenery, agriculture remains deeply woven into daily life. Nearly one in five of Connecticut’s 5,000 farms is located here, giving the region the state’s highest concentration of working farmland. The 2020 pandemic especially underscored how essential local farmers are, Rosenfeld reflects. When national supply chains faltered, many stepped in “resiliently and on short notice” to help sustain their communities.

That reality sharpened the mission of The Farmer’s Table: sustain those who are sustaining the community. The nonprofit supports farmers by providing financial assistance during emergencies, creating educational resources and grant-writing support, and facilitating opportunities to connect with one another and with state agencies.

“Buy local. Shop at farmers markets. Know your neighbors,” Rosenfeld says. “No farmer goes into farming to become rich. Farmers do it for the love of the land and to share with the community.”

For the farmers who show up season after season—and for the communities that depend on them—the work of The Farmer’s Table is far from finished. 
—farmers-table.org

Gary Komarin’s “The Vessel” begins with a childhood memory. Growing up in Manhattan, Komarin came of age surrounded by the collections of the city’s great museums, where he encountered vessel forms from ancient Greece and Rome, Mayan and Aztec cultures, Africa, and New Guinea. An early encounter with Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings left a lasting impression, though not for the reasons one might expect. It was not the flowers themselves that stayed with him but the simple, curved pot that held them; unadorned and quiet, bearing the visual weight of all that abundance above.

The vessels that appear throughout Komarin’s work are inventions of the subconscious, manifestations of a personal visual language that surfaces across his broader oeuvre in cups, bowls, spittoons, tagines, and containers of every conceivable shape and size. When translated to large stretched canvas, these forms take on a new kind of freedom, floating in ethereal space or hovering in some imagined undersea depth. Across media, the motifs shift from isolated figures to crowded compositions where new interactions and eccentricities emerge.

His “Amphora” series traces one of civilization’s most enduring forms back to the Neolithic era. In Komarin’s hands, the traditional vessel multiplies and transforms, its looping handles reflecting layers of culture, anthropomorphism, and personal history. The work moves between subdued seriousness and cartoonish iconography, using the simple premise of a closed container to explore color, figure, mood, and meaning. “Amphora” is on view from July 3 through July 26, opening reception July 11, 3–5 pm. 

Judy Black Memorial Park, 1 Green Hill Rd., Washington Depot.  judyblackpark.org

For 25 years, licensed acupuncturist Rachel Beth Dorfman has brought a whole-person philosophy to Chinese medicine. At SpringRoot Acupuncture in Woodbury, she combines time-honored practices with cutting-edge therapies to address complex conditions,  from fertility to neuropathy, in a setting designed as much for the spirit as the body.

Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to open SpringRoot Acupuncture.

This summer marks 14 years in Woodbury; prior to that I had a successful private practice in Atlanta. I specialize in musculoskeletal work, mind/body medicine, fertility, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, autoimmune issues, and complex conditions. SpringRoot grew out of a vision for a place that offers quality, personalized, holistic healthcare in a meditative environment.

Neuropathy is notoriously difficult to treat. Why does acupuncture at SpringRoot work when other approaches often don’t?

Neuropathy requires a comprehensive approach. We combine acupuncture with modern medical solutions like ATP Resonance BioTherapy and O3 ReBoot Therapy to create a synergy that accelerates healing and builds function back into a patient’s life in ways other modalities cannot achieve alone. Together, these therapies decrease inflammation, reduce pain, increase blood flow, and stimulate blood vessels to deliver proper nutrients to peripheral nerves so they can heal and repair.

What sets this approach apart is its safety. The treatments are non-invasive, gentle, and not contraindicated alongside prescription medications. This matters deeply with degenerative conditions, because frequency and consistency are essential to progress. When patients improve without side effects and actually enjoy their treatments, they stay consistent, and that consistency improves outcomes.

What kinds of neuropathy  do you see most often,  and what symptoms are  most likely to improve?

We have successfully worked with chemotherapy-induced, idiopathic, diabetic, and spinal neuropathy. Patients report decreases in pain, tingling, numbness, and burning, along with improvements in circulation and skin and nail quality. But the most significant gains often go beyond symptom relief. This work restores confidence in balance and in everyday activities most people take for granted, like driving or navigating their own home safely.

One patient was overjoyed to no longer need her cane, even on the stairs. Another was moved to tears when she could walk barefoot on  the sand at her beach house again after years of pain. This is why this work matters.

Preserving mobility and independence is a cornerstone of what we do. That said, our youngest chemotherapy induced neuropathy patients were in their twenties and forties, and both responded exceptionally well. Neuropathy does not discriminate by age, and neither does our approach.

What would you most like  readers to know about SpringRoot, and where can they reach you?

We don’t just treat the symptoms, we treat the whole person.  Our goal is restoring balance,  finding relief, and increasing overall quality of life. Patients report a calmer nervous system, deeper sleep, and improvements in immune function and digestion while receiving care. To learn more or book an appointment, visit springrootacupuncture.com or call 203-266-9088.

By Wendy Carlson
Illustrations by Shannon Blanton

Bring Your Quill Pen
Kent, July 3 and 4
Kent Town Hall

The town has a slew of celebratory events, among them bell-ringing and a parade. Visitors and residents are invited to take part in Kent’s history by signing their names on a giant reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that will serve as a town historical artifact commemorating the 250th.

The Redcoats are Coming
Litchfield, July 3 and 4
10 am to 4 pm

His Majesty’s 23rd Regiment of Foote and Royal Welsh Fusiliers will camp in front of the First Congregational Church and roam the green asking people about rumors of an independence movement. (Mum’s the word.)

Walk This Way
Litchfield, July 1 and 3 at noon

The Litchfield Historical Society’s “Heroes of the Revolution Walking Tour” strolls past historical sites, including the former home of Oliver Wolcott, Sr., where a statue of King George III was melted and turned into more than 42,000 musket balls.

Happy Hunting
Bantam, July 4

The Bantam Historical Society hosts a scavenger hunt with QR codes posted around town; scanning them reveals details about 11 historical artifacts and buildings to locate. Find all of them by July 4 to win Arethusa gift cards.

We Find These Truths
Cornwall, July 4
Cornwall Village Green

The town holds its first Fourth of July parade in the afternoon, followed by Cornwall resident and former CBS news anchor and correspondent Richard Schlesinger reading the Declaration of Independence.

Roger Sherman, Founding Father
Sherman, July 4 and 11
noon to 4 pm
Northrop House Museum

The Sherman Historical Society honors the town’s namesake with an 11-foot Roger Sherman timeline and more than 20 detailed posters that chronicle his life from shoemaker in New Milford to signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

Give Back
Litchfield, through July

Take part in a community effort launched by Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy and its partner organizations to complete 250 acts of thoughtful, responsible conservation in 2026. Submit your work at ripleyconservancy.org/litchfield-250

Gear Up
Cornwall, August 15, Cornwall Historical Society, 7 Pine St.

Resident and Revolutionary re-enactor Warren Stevens, outfitted in period-appropriate regalia as a Revolutionary War militiaman, explains how patriots fought.

Legends and Lore
Litchfield, July through November 29, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm

The Litchfield Historical Society’s two new exhibitions, Legends and Lore: Reconsidering Perspectives of the American Revolution and One People: Portraits of the Early Republic, provide a contemporary look at the region’s Revolutionary War history.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye
Falls Village, August 15
Falls Village Historical Festival

Experience re-enactors, cannon displays, demonstrations, tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, fiddlers, music, games, food, and plenty of patriotic revelry.

Who Made the Cannons?
Salisbury, July through September Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
Academy Building, 25 Main St.

A special exhibit from The Cannon Museum tells the story of the Salisbury Furnace, which by war’s end had turned out some 850 cannons—estimated to be three-fourths of all those made in the colonies.

For more on Litchfield 250th events go to: a250litchfield.org/home

While you may see a new name on the door of your trusted providers, this change represents a meaningful evolution of health care for communities across New York and Connecticut.

With Northwell, the most awarded health system in the tristate, you now have access to more. More resources. More clinical expertise. And a greater investment in the future of health care. It’s the strength of a larger, more connected system—brought to the place you call home.

Listening to each community’s needs, Northwell brings in the programs and specialists that matter most locally. That also means investing in the latest technology and in new, modernized facilities. All of these enhancements are being done alongside broader efforts to make it easier to access support, medical records, virtual and in-person appointments and more.

And it’s all based on a simple, but powerful belief: where you live should never determine the quality of care you receive. Whether you’re in a city, small town, suburb, or rural community, every person deserves access to an excellent standard of care, no matter your zip code.

Because there shouldn’t be a city standard of care and a rural standard of care. Or one expectation for New York and another for Connecticut. There should be one state of care— and it should be nothing short of excellent.

Nuvance Health is now Northwell. And we’re here to raise health for all. northwell.edu/careforall