Cultivating
community
At their Hudson Valley, NY, retreat, Georgie Badiel Liberty and Chid Liberty grow vegetables, cook African-inspired feasts, and welcome friends and fellow social entrepreneurs around their table.
Cheers to being with friends
Chid Liberty and Georgie Badiel Liberty are one of those celestial couples who radiate energy, warmth, and charm, making others gravitate to their orbit. Chid (far right) is a Liberian-American social entrepreneur and CEO of Made in Africa as well as Liberty & Justice. Georgie (to his left) is a successful model and aspiring chef. Georgie grew up in the Ivory Coast and rural Burkina Faso, walking three hours every day just to get water. She started a foundation to build wells and bring clean water to her native country. They divide their time between Brooklyn and a 200-acre biodynamic farm and retreat center called The Dutchess that encompasses an inn, a 1700s stone house, and several antique barns, including the “yoga barn,” where they hosted this dinner.
Chid and Georgie (above, far right) gathered with longtime friends (from left), Noté, a Liberian artist; Peter Jallah, who introduced Chid and Georgie; Ross Williams, a political fundraiser; and Amye Sinclair, CEO of Sinclair Social and VP of the National Women’s Sailing Association.
Ambassador for African cuisine
Georgie’s passion for the West African cuisine of her childhood and her love of cooking inspired her to study at the Culinary Institute of America. Whether entertaining friends or hosting conferences at The Dutchess, Georgie cooks alongside the retreat’s chef, Mark Margiotta, creating multi-course feasts of French-accented African food. The food cooks for a long time, so Georgie usually starts cooking the day before each meal, but, she notes, “I never get tired in the kitchen. It’s where I just forget about time.”
Garnished from the greenhouse
“We grow all our own vegetables, even during the winter in the greenhouse, and get chickens and lamb from nearby farmers for true farm-to-table cooking,” says Georgie. “Where I grew up, everything we ate, we grew. This area has lost so many local farms since the 1950s. We need to get back to growing our own organic, sustainable food, for our health and for the planet.” For the finishing touches, she grows edible flowers to mix into salads and garnish dishes to make them works of art.
A relaxed pace
Georgie’s entertaining is inspired by the relaxed, all-evening-long dinners she had in France while modeling there, and her desire to introduce the delicious flavors of West African cuisine to a wider audience. Dinners begin with refreshing drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and then progress into lavish, multi-course feasts like this one, which included ten different dishes.
I use my grandmother’s and mother’s recipes to keep the West African food authentic. My mission as a chef is to make my culture and the deliciousness of African food better known by the world. — Georgie Badiel Liberty
Menu
Okra Palm Butter Stew with Beef & Fufu (mashed cassava and plantains) · Liberian Jollof Rice
Maffe Stew with Seafood · Chicken Yassa* (onion stew cooked in Dijon mustard)
Ivorian Attiéké (a couscous-like dish made with cassava)
Fried Plantains · Buttery Fonio* (a 5000-year-old grain native to Senegal)
Vegetable Jardinière in Buerre Fondu · Chocolate Cake & Watermelon
Chicken Yassa
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs (leg and thigh)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
½ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon, divided
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon powdered coriander, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
5 onions, peeled and sliced julienne
1½ cups vegetable oil, divided
1 cup chicken stock
1 or 2 bay leaves
Chopped parsley for garnish
- To marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, the fresh lemon juice or white vinegar, 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon, minced garlic, salt, coriander and black pepper. Add the chicken and mix together to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
- To cook the yassa stew: Add ½ cup of the vegetable oil to a rondeau (a large, somewhat shallow pot with a lid). Once the oil reaches a medium-hot temperature (place your hand above the oil to gauge the heat), carefully add the marinated chicken and sauté over medium heat. Once the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through, remove and set aside. Remove the oil from the pan.
- Add 1 cup fresh vegetable oil to the pan, then sauté the sliced onions until caramelized. Cook on low heat and keep adding more onions as they wilt. Add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and more coriander, black pepper, and salt to taste. Let cook for another minute or two.
- Add 1 cup chicken stock, the sautéed chicken, and bay leaves. Cover the pot and let cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon and a sprinkle of salt to taste, and cook more 10 minutes.
- Serve Chicken Yassa on a bed of rice, fonio, or vegetables. Add chopped parsley to garnish.
Buttery Fonio
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 cups fonio (available on Amazon)
1 bay leaf
2 stems of fresh thyme
Salt to taste
1 cup butter
Chopped parsley for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a medium, oven-safe pot, bring the water to a boil, then add the fonio and stir. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and salt to taste.
- Cover and put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.
- When ready, add the butter, stir and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Gathering with friends is a form of communion. We always begin with prayer and moment of gratitude for the food, and most importantly, the people with us – that’s what’s really feeding us and makes us feel so rich inside. — Chid Liberty
Monrovia Breeze
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (available on Amazon)
3 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup fresh pineapple, chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
Cucumber, sliced thin, lengthwise, for garnish
- Simmer all the ingredients together in a saucepan for 35 minutes. Once ready, drain the liquid through a Chinois or sieve. Let cool, then refrigerate for two hours.
- For a cocktail, add 1 shot tequila to ½ cup of the hibiscus mixture.
- Serve on ice with fresh cucumber slice as garnish.
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