Whole Roast Chicken with Vegetable Medley

Just in case the picture-perfect instagram feeds and fancy restaurants have you fooled, let me assure ya'll that eating like a farmer is not exactly glamorous. Eating like a farmer starts with taking stock of the ingredients you have at hand - perhaps some funky potatoes, a few misshapen carrots, a rogue beet or two, half a bunch of fresh herbs, and hopefully a nice juicy lemon. Eating like a farmer means gaining an understanding of how certain vegetables, fruits, and proteins like to be prepared, and using your imagination + hard-earned kitchen instincts to whip up vibrant, nourishing dishes. 

Case in point. This "no-recipe" recipe is one of my favorites to teach in cooking classes, because it's more of a basic technique, and it makes succulent, crispy-skinned chicken and irresistible glazed vegetables all in one baking tray. The secret is filling a large baking tray with whatever vegetables you have on hand and roasting the whole chicken on top, which means the veggies catch all those fabulous juices and take on a whole new depth of flavor. 

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE MEDLEY

Serves: 6-8 people

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 75-90 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, chopped in 1/2" dice
• 1 lb carrots, chopped in 1/2" dice
• 1 red onion, chopped in 1/2" dice
• 3-4 beet roots, chopped in 1/2" dice
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• One 3.5-4 lb whole chicken
• Optional spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, etc
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Chop the vegetables (use whatever you have on hand - this recipe is just a suggestion) into a roughly 1/2" dice, and spread the veggies in a single layer on a large rimmed baking tray.
3. Toss vegetables with a few good glugs of olive oil, and a hefty pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
4. For the ultimate crispy skin, pat the chicken with a paper towel until the skin is very dry. Season the chicken inside and out liberally with salt, pepper, and (optional) spices. I personally love chicken spiced with cumin, paprika, and a pinch of cinnamon.
5. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up, in the baking tray. Take a few of the lemon quarters and squeeze them over the chicken and veggies. Take the remaining lemon quarters and stuff them inside the chicken cavity.
6. Grab your olive oil and pour a few glugs of oil all over the chicken. At this point I usually season the outside of the chicken with a bit more salt and pepper.
7. Put the tray in the hot oven and roast until the vegetables are tender, the chicken is golden brown, and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork, 75 to 90 minutes. Halfway through baking, turn the tray and stir the vegetables to ensure even roasting. If you use an instant-read thermometer, it should register 165°F when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove the chicken from the tray and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Give the vegetables a good stir in those lovely juices, taste and adjust seasoning/add salt as needed, then transfer to a serving tray and keep warm while the chicken cools.

Cardamom Peach Crisp

Stone fruit season is upon us in Santa Barbara, which means I'm finding every which way to use up bumper crops of peaches from the farmers' market. I love slicing peaches into salads (especially alongside fresh basil, cucumbers, and salty feta cheese), or simply roasting the halves slathered with honey and butter, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Here is my recipe for another fabulous peach-inspired dessert, a Cardamom Peach Crisp. 

CARDAMOM PEACH CRISP

Serves: 8-10 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

PEACH FILLING

• 3 pounds peaches, peeled and diced (6-7 peaches)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca powder
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• Pinch of kosher salt

CRISP TOPPING

1.5 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour

1/3 cup sliced or roughly chopped almonds

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, diced into small cubes

2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. PREPARE PEACH FILLING: In a 12” cast-iron skillet (or pyrex dish), mix together the sliced peaches, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and a pinch of salt.
3. PREPARE CRISP TOPPING: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Mix in the cubes of cold butter and use your hands to blend the butter into the other topping ingredients, until only pea-sized pieces of butter remain. Stir in 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, until the mixture is moistened throughout.
4. BAKE THE CRISP: Dollop spoonfuls of the oat mixture over the filling and use your fingers to break up the mixture until it is evenly distributed. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt.

Saltie's Famous Focaccia Bread

Let's be real here. Focaccia bread is always a crowd pleaser. A good focaccia is salty, with a crunchy exterior and pillowy soft interior - perfect for dipping in olive oil, sopping up the last drops of a succulent pan sauce, or for slicing into slabs to make a seriously luxurious sandwich. 

I make this focaccia recipe a minimum of once, and sometimes three, times a week. Though the dough does need a good 12-24 hours to rise in the fridge, it comes together in just a few minutes and requires no kneading whatsoever. The recipe is from a beloved (and sadly, now closed) Brooklyn based sandwich shop, Saltie, and I learned about it thanks to food writer Luisa Weiss, aka The Wednesday Chef. There aren't many ingredients in this recipe, so use the best quality you can... for me, that means olive oil from California Olive Ranch, flour from King Arthur, and a (generous) dusting of flaky Maldon Sea Salt. 

FOCACCIA BREAD

Serves: makes 1 sheet pan of bread (feeds a crowd)

Prep time: 12-24 hours (for dough to rise)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 1/4 cups flour (750 grams)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon *instant* yeast
• 3 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated and a wet, sticky dough forms (it should be the consistency of a wet porridge). Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a very large bowl (like one from a standing mixer) or 6-quart plastic food container. Transfer the focaccia dough to the container, scoop a little oil from the sides over the top, and cover tightly. (If you're using a bowl, wrap tightly and thoroughly in plastic wrap, making sure there's plenty of room in the bowl for the dough to rise). Place in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours or for up to 2 days.
2. When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 450° F.
3. Line a 18 x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Remove the focaccia dough from the refrigerator and pour onto the prepared pan, and use your hands to spread the dough out on the prepared pan as much as possible (this will take a few minutes).
4. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise until it about doubles in bulk. The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. In the summer, it might take just 20 minutes, and in winter it can take an hour or more. When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet, and fluffy feeling.
5. Using your fingertips, make a bunch of indentations in the dough (you'll feel like you're playing the piano). Dimple the entire dough and then drizzle everything again with olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with flaky sea salt.
6. Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Use the same day or slice crosswise, cut into squares, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

Balsamic Glazed Beets & Greens

This recipe is the epitome of what it means to #eatlikeafarmer. The entire vegetable is used, from the beet root to those gorgeous leaves, and the natural earthy sweetness of the beets taste even better when paired with balsamic vinegar, red onion, and tarragon. This recipe is adapted from the Food 52 Genius Recipes Cookbook.

BALSAMIC BEETS AND GREENS

I love this recipe because it is truly root-to-leaf, and makes wonderful use of (typically forgotten) beet greens.

Serves: 4-6 people

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, cut into thin crescents
• 4 to 5 fresh beets with tops, roots scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into bite-sized wedges and greens chopped
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves finely chopped
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Prep the beet roots and put into a large bowl along with the chopped onion, balsamic vinegar, butter (or olive oil), tarragon, and salt. Prep the beet roots and put into a large bowl along with the chopped onion, balsamic vinegar, butter (or olive oil), tarragon, and salt.
2. Pour the beet root mixture into a heavy pan wide enough to hold the vegetables in a snug single layer. Pour in enough water (about 1.5 cups) to barely cover the vegetables and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the beets are nearly tender.
3. Raise the heat and boil, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced to a syrup and the beets are fork-tender (10-15 more minutes). Add the beet greens, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
4. Uncover and turn the greens over so they mix with the roots and onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for a few more minutes more until the roots and greens are beautifully glazed. Serve warm and enjoy!

Blood Orange & Chia Seed Pudding

Recently I spied a lonely bag of blood oranges languishing in the $0.99 "ugly" bin at the grocery store. Holding the bag up and inspecting it from all sides, I saw a few bumps and bruises... but nothing that a little love and creativity couldn't fix. So I juiced those puppies and whipped up a blood orange + chia seed pudding with pistachios and honey - and HOT DAMN it was good. See below for the (very simple) recipe... I recommend filling up a few mason jars so you'll have a few healthy + hearty breakfasts or snacks ready when hunger hits. Regular oranges would work beautifully if you don't have access to blood oranges. 

It starts with little things like giving a second life to bargain bin oranges... but I hope to be better about embracing + celebrating the imperfections in the world, in others, and in myself. Embrace the bumps ya'll (because perfection is boring anyway). 

BLOOD ORANGE AND CHIA SEED PUDDING

Fresh citrus, yogurt, and chia seeds make a healthy + hearty breakfasts or snack ready when hunger hits. Regular oranges would work beautifully if you don't have access to blood oranges.

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes + 8 hours to set

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 2 blood oranges
• Chopped pistachios, for serving

Instructions:

1. Whisk 1/2 cup of the yogurt, 1/2 cup blood orange juice, vanilla extract, salt, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk in chia seeds, cover, and chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
2. Cut peel and white pith from the two blood oranges. Cut along sides of membranes to release segments into a medium bowl.
3. Give pudding a good stir and divide between two bowls, creating layers with the remaining yogurt and orange segments. Top with pistachios and remaining orange segments, drizzle with honey, and enjoy!

EAT LIKE A FARMER: Ten Mothers Farm

Well folks, we're officially three weeks into the new year... how are ya'll doing on those goals for 2018?! My personal mission this year is to be a STUDENT every. single. day. To hold myself accountable, every night in my journal I write down just ONE thing that I learned that day. It can be as simple as mastering a new recipe, listening to an engaging podcast, or discovering something new about a stranger, a loved one, or even about myself. It's never too late to set goals for yourself, so if you're feeling inspired - I hope you'll join me in seeing each day as an opportunity to learn something new (and I'd LOVE to hear what you all are learning each day... let's hold each other accountable)! 

Every day I'm learning from farmers, chefs, line cooks, mothers, fathers, educators, and activists who work tirelessly to make the world a more healthy, resilient, and delicious place. In the new year, I'm excited to share more stories, lessons, and recipes from some of these rockstar men and women who are forging their own path - and they have the muddied boots to prove it.

Case in point: Vera Fabian and Gordon Jenkins, owners of Ten Mothers Farm, based in Hillsborough, NC. Their operation is small (1/3 acre) but mighty, and they use no-till methods to grow insanely beautiful (exhibit A) organic, nutrient-dense vegetables for their CSA members and local restaurants. The now husband and wife team first met in 2007, when Vera was a gardening teacher with The Edible Schoolyard, and Gordon was working for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Five years later, they packed their bags and trained as apprentices with some of the most respected farmers in the country: from Bob Cannard of Green String Farm in California, to Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch of Four Season Farm in Maine, as well as Ken Dawson and Libby Outlaw of Maple Spring Garden in North Carolina.

Needless to say, Vera and Gordon are a wealth of knowledge (and a breath of fresh air) in the world of food + farming, and I'm thrilled to share their Eat Like a Farmer interview with you all... keep scrolling to read all about Ten Mothers Farm, the kitchen tools + ingredients these farmers can't live without, and their secrets for cooking seasonal food with bold flavors. 

PS - Wondering where the name Ten Mothers Farm comes from? Vera and Gordon share the story on their website: "There’s an old saying from India that “garlic is as good as ten mothers,” which to us means that food is medicine, as nourishing and powerful as ten whole mothers. There’s  also a fantastic film by Les Blank called Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers. And really, we just love garlic." 

Where is your farm located and what do you grow? Hillsborough, NC. We grow vegetables year-round on ⅓ of an acre. We don’t have a tractor so we do everything by hand, no-till. Most of what we grow is for our 54 CSA members and for a a few local restaurants. And then we grow plenty for ourselves too.

Walk us through a typical day on your farm and in your kitchen (ie what do you eat on a typical day)? Our days are constantly changing, depending on the season. This time of year, we get up by 4:45, have a good breakfast and head out to the farm before it gets crazy hot. Breakfast is usually soaked porridge with some hearty combination of yogurt, nuts, jam, sardines (this is Gordon’s secret to everything), and kraut or another ferment. Tuesdays and Thursdays are harvest and delivery days, Saturdays we do our farm walk, make the fresh list, and write the CSA newsletter, and other days we do everything else. I also work at a nearby farm for refugees from Burma and teach cooking classes for children and grown-ups, so I’m a little all over the place half the time while Gordon holds down the fort. No matter what, we always make time to cook, even if it’s just tomato sandwiches (that’s what’s for dinner tonight). We got into farming for the food, so it’s always top of mind. Plus, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, as (generally) happily as we do it, without eating really well, so it’s a sensible obsession. Dinner is usually an armful of vegetables made into something delicious (roasted eggplant with fish sauce vinaigrette, pumpkin coconut curry with greens, sauteed okra with tomatoes) with a grain of some kind (rice, tortillas, grits, buttermilk cornbread). We’ll often put an egg on it or make a frittataand once or twice a week we’ll splurge and have some meat too. We always make enough food to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Farming without a tractor makes for very physical work which means we’re constantly hungry and thinking about food. We spend a ton of time in our kitchen and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable grow, and what's your go-to method to cook it? Garlic because it’s both flavor and medicine and we named our farm after it. Sweet peppers, not bells, because they’re like candy. Lettuce---I never thought I’d say this, but our lettuce has been so good this year. I’ve never eaten so much salad and now I can’t stop. Also, fresh herbs. We grow a lot of parsley, cilantro, basil, and dill and we put them in and on everything. We make parsley salad with lemon and anchovies and pestos out of any combination of herbs. They make everything better.

What kitchen tools could you not live without? A very sharp knife, our big, wooden cutting board, and our Thai mortar and pestle. It’s deep and pounds garlic into a paste in seconds.

Name the top three ingredients used most in your kitchen that don't come from your farm. Vinegars/lemons, olive oil and other fats, and salt.

Favorite cookbook? Right now I’m deep into “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat. She’s an incredible teacher and she’s funny. “The Taste of Country Cooking” by Edna Lewis and “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters---these two women are my heroes. And for cooking as a way of life, “An Everlasting Meal” by our friend Tamar Adler.

Do you have go-to methods for preserving your harvests through the year (ie jamming, pickling, freezing)? We ferment everything: radish kimchi, kraut, chow-chow, dill pickles, carrot pickles, hot sauce, salsa. We make beet kvass regularly. Otherwise, we make vinegar pickles and we freeze a ton of tomatoes and sauce. Jam if we get to it.

What advice do you give folks for cooking with your produce, especially when using ingredients they may not be familiar with? Make a plan (that involves a lot of vegetables) and then proceed, boldly.

1. Really, though, we’d be lost without our weekly meal planning. Every weekend, we make a list of what vegetables we want to eat, what other ingredients we have on hand, and from there, decide on what to cook each night of the week and what ingredients we need to acquire. This way we don’t have to make decisions while famished only to realize we don’t have that one key ingredient. It also helps us do things ahead, like soaking beans or salting a chicken or roasting a big batch of vegetables on Sunday to eat throughout the week.
2. Make sure your plan includes tons of vegetables. I’m always shocked to hear how few vegetables most people eat when we all know we should be eating more of them. If we were CSA members, the two of us would probably have to buy 5 shares. I’m not kidding.
3. When it comes to cooking, be bold. From teaching cooking, it seems that most folks are afraid of the very things that give our food flavor: salt, fat, acid and heat (thank you Samin! Read her book). Vegetables need a lot of healthy fat and salt to taste good and be nutritious. Otherwise, taste as you cook. Have an idea of where you want to end up. Remember the best meal you ever had. What did it taste like? Now try to get there. Trust your instincts. If you know what good food tastes like, then you’re halfway there. And if you use good ingredients, then you’re almost all the way there. My students are always surprised when something turns out tasting really good and I tell them: you’ve got good ingredients and a vision and your senses to tell you where to go. What could go wrong? Plenty actually, but wecan’t learn anything in life without messing up. So just start cooking, don’t be afraid to mess up, don’t give up, and always pay attention.

How has running a farm influenced your relationships with family, friends, and your local community? More than ever we feel how much we need strong relationships. There’s no way this farm would exist without the direct support of so many people. And more than ever, food is how we connect with each other and with our community. Farming is hard and farming organically in the Southeast is extra hard. At times, it can be discouraging so it’s important to be able to remind ourselves why we’re doing this. Most of the time we’re tired and hungry and all it takes is sitting down to eat together. Our social life is pretty much cooking for and with friends and going to potlucks. This is the life we want: we farm, we cook, we spend all day surrounded by vegetables, we share food with loved ones.

Share a favorite recipe for a simple, straight from the farm dish that you are craving this season: 

Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• a head or two of lettuce. Little Gems are our favorite but anything with some body and crispness, like Romaine or Summercrisp, is great.
• a few handfuls of fresh herbs, finely chopped: any combination of cilantro, basil, dill (though be careful to only use a little dill--it’s strong), parsley, chervil, chives
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 small garlic clove
• Juice from 1 big lemon
• ½ cup mayo (from a jar is just fine though homemade makes this dressing even more divine)
• At least 4 teaspoons vinegar (red or white wine vinegar)
• OPTIONAL: 3-5 anchovy filets
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the lettuce and spin it several times in a salad spinner. Dry greens are the secret to a good salad. If the leaves are wet, even a little, the dressing will run off them and make a watery mess.

While the lettuce dries fully, make the dressing. In a mortar & pestle, pound the garlic (and anchovy, if using) into a paste. Transfer this paste into a blender and add the lemon juice, vinegar, chopped herbs, a big pinch of salt, and mayo. Blend until creamy. Taste & adjust for salt and vinegar. If too thick, add a little water (not too much). This will probably make more dressing than you need for one salad. Keep the rest in the fridge and enjoy all week (see below for ideas). Toss your salad gently with your hands to make sure all the leaves are coated.

VARIATIONS: Also delicious over fresh tomatoes, roasted beets and cucumbers, on chicken, or used as a dip for whatever crunchy vegetable you’ve got.

Farmbelly Holiday Gift Guide

Let me guess. You've got some major foodies on your holiday shopping list, and you have NO CLUE what to get them. The struggle is real... but I promise, it doesn't have to be. Behold! Here is the Farmbelly Holiday Gift Guide. I've rummaged through my pantry, shuffled through my (seriously overflowing) bookshelves, and scoured the internet to put together this list of favorite kitchen tools, inspiring cookbooks, artisanal ingredients, (a few) fancy gadgets, and stocking stuffers that will fit every budget and skill level.  Just follow the links to learn more about each item! 

COOKBOOKS

It's been an awesome year for cookbooks... and these titles in particular have a permanent spot on my bedside table.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Market Cooking by David Tanis

Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark

Kale & Caramel: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table by Lily Diamond

The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

Here are the top 5 five kitchen tools I couldn't live without... which all happen to make ridiculously awesome holiday gifts!

Le Creuset Dutch Oven

Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet

Victorinox Chef's Knife

Large Wooden Cutting Board

Digital Kitchen Scale

ARTISANAL INGREDIENTS

These special ingredients may come in small packages, but they pack a big flavor punch. 

Maldon Flaky Sea Salt

Bees Knees Honey Trio

Global Gardens Organic California Olive Oil

Anson Mills Grits

Sun Potion Anandamide Raw Cacao Powder

FANCY GADGETS

I'm not usually one for fancy kitchen gadgets, but my kitchen is a much happier place thanks to these tools: 

Avona Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Immersion Blender

4-Cup Food Processor

STOCKING STUFFERS

I think everyone on your list would be stoked to find these simple, affordable, and useful gifts in their stocking this year!

Microplane/Zester

Knife Sharpener

Culinary Coloring Book

Pretty Pinch Bowls

1-Year Subscription to Cherry Bombe magazine

EAT LIKE A FARMER: La Tavola Marche

The end of August brings the start of school and the first glimpses of cooler fall weather... but Starbucks had better hold their freakin' horses on those Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, because 'tis still the season for TOMATOES... and corn! zucchini! melons! okra! and all the things! This is the most back-breaking part of the season for farmers - when days are mostly spent harvesting the heavy fruits of a spring + summer's worth of hard labor.  With such an abundance flooding the markets, it's more important than ever to support your local farmers, buy in bulk, and get into the kitchen to preserve these wild + wonderful late summer harvests!

Speaking of which... in a few weeks I'll be posting some tips + recipes for preserving the season's tomato harvest... but for those of you living in the Santa Barbara area, I'm excited to announce that I'm teaching a hands-on Tomato Preservation Class on Sunday, September 17th! This class is a fundraiser for Veggie Rescue, a local organization that collects excess produce from local farms, farmers markets + backyards and distributes it directly to schools and organizations serving those in need, at no cost to recipients. In this 2 hours hands-on class, we'll tackle several simple + delicious ways to preserve tomatoes - from freezing to slow roasting, quick pickling, and hot water-bath canning. You'll walk away from this class with tons of new skills, a recipe packet, a belly full of snacks, and a few jars of preserved tomatoes to take home! Here's the link to more info and tickets - seats are very limited.

Now that I've got you all dreaming about tomatoes, it's time to share a new Eat Like a Farmer interview featuring folks who are growing some gosh darn beautiful tomatoes (see exhibit A, and B, and C)! This interview is with Ashley and Jason Bartner, the founders of La Tavola Marche, which is an organic farm, inn, and cooking school based in the sun-kissed Italian countryside in Le Marche region. For over 10 years, this husband and wife team has been living the dream and sharing the delicious secrets of cucina povera (peasant cooking) with an immersive and hands-on farm to table experience for their guests. If any of you are planning a trip to Italy in the near future, I highly recommend checking out La Tavola Marche's incredible cooking classes - from homemade pasta and sauces, to wood-fired pizzas, antipasti and dessert, and many more. Even if you can't make it all the way to Italy, you can keep up with La Tavola Marche via their drool-worthy Instagram account, awesome videos, and super fun podcast. Big thanks to Ashley for taking the time to take part in this interview series - keep reading for the full interview!

Where is your farm located and what to you grow? We have a farm, inn and cooking school deep in Le Marche in the Italian countryside. We grow a lot! Our main crops are hundreds of tomatoes (in 12 heirloom varieties), potatoes, onions (red, white & Tropea) as well as dozens of salads & beans, tons of peppers, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons...I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

Walk us through a typical day on your farm and in your kitchen (ie what do you eat on a typical day)? A typical day starts at 5:30am with a big cappuccino then Jason heads to the garden to water (all by hand) and picks crates of ripe veggies daily while I water the flowers, prepare breakfast for the guests and let the hens out of their coop. By 10am our morning chores are done and we either prepare for a lunch cooking class or plan the dinner menu. After lunch, usually during the summer it's a big salad of cucumbers, onions & tomatoes still warm from the sun we take a power nap and prep the kitchen for what's cooking that night! If we have an afternoon/dinner cooking class - we start by taking the guests straight to the garden to collect the ingredients for dinner and return to the kitchen with baskets overflowing! A typical summer menu - with all the produce coming from our garden, even the eggs for the pasta is from our hens (the only things not; lentils (which are locally grown), anchovies from Sicily and the meat from our neighbors farm): 

• ANTIPASTI: Stuffed Eggplant, Peperonata, Lentil Salad, Slow Roasted Tomato with Anchovy, Baked Vegetables with Breadcrumbs
• PRIMO: Homemade Tagliatelle (pasta) with Zucchini & Zucchini Flowers
• SECONDO: Mixed Grill, Roasted Potatoes + Salad
• DESSERT: Poached Peaches in Local Rose with Fresh Whipped Cream

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable grow, and what's your go-to method to cook it? The tomatoes of course are amazing but it's our onions! I can't get enough - especially the oblong Tropea onions that are sweet enough to eat like an apple. Besides thinly sliced in salads my favourite way to eat them is Verdure Gratinate - baked with breadcrumbs. I know it sounds ridiculously simple and it is - but it's my favorite!

What kitchen tools could you not live without? Hand scrubber - Jason's hands are always a mess after the garden and stained black from the tomatoes. But I'm not the cook - Jason is and his favorite kitchen tools are his Falk Cooper pots and pans.

Name the top three ingredients used most in your kitchen that don't come from your farm. Pork, pork, pork - I think we need to get pigs!

Favorite cookbook? For Italian food: The Silver Spoon. For old American comfort food: The Joy of Cooking.

Do you have go-to methods for preserving your harvests through the year (ie jamming, pickling, freezing)? We preserve/jar hundreds of kilos of tomatoes each summer as well as pickle our peppers, beans and onions. We jam our plums (when they grow) as well as apple sauces/preserves in the autumn.  We braid our garlic and onions and I have learned the old school Italian tradition of making liquors as well and will 'preserve' our cherries, walnuts and wild plums in homemade after dinner drinks! The only thing we freeze are cherry tomatoes and thick slices of peppers to use in stews over the winter.

What advice do you give folks for cooking with your produce, especially when using ingredients they may not be familiar with? If it grows together it goes together.

How has running a farm influenced your relationships with family, friends, and your local community? Yes! Having a garden has connected us to the land, culture and people of this area more than anything we have done. We are foreigners in a very foreign land and by honoring their traditions and way of living we have 

Please share a favorite recipe for a simple, straight from the farm dish that you are craving this summer. 

Quick Pickled Peppers, Carrots & Onions

A favorite way to keep veggies a bit longer into the season is a quick pickle - that great briny flavor with a crunch without the wait of a month or more for a proper pickle. A dish of these puckery peppers makes a perfect antipasti/appetizer through the fall, I love adding heaping spoonful to my plate with grilled sausages (or dunked into a Bloody Mary) while watching football!

INGREDIENTS

• Any vegetables of your choice, sliced thin - carrots, green beans, peppers, onions, etc. 
• Water
• Vinegar (white wine, red wine or apple cider - just don’t use a soft vinegar like balsamic)
• Salt
• Fresh herbs/aromatics of your choice (thyme, rosemary, dill, peppercorn, cardamon, etc)
• Chili/pepper of your desired strength
• Honey or sugar
• Whole head of chopped garlic

INSTRUCTIONS

• This is a ratio recipe. In a pot on medium heat, combine 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Add a couple tablespoons of honey/sugar, a couple tablespoons of salt, aromatics, chili, etc. - everything BUT the vegetables.
• Once the sugar and salt are dissolved give it a taste. Make sure its not too puckery or too bland - just nice and briny, slightly acidic with a nice taste. Adjust as necessary with more salt, water vinegar or sugar. Bring to boil.
• Begin adding your vegetables based on hardness - for example:  carrots first, after 20-30 seconds add onions, afterabout 20-30 seconds add peppers. Bring to a rolling boil.
• Once soft but still with a crunch, shut off the heat and strain out the vegetables and herbs (Do NOT throw out the liquid)! Place on a baking sheet in one flat layer and place in the fridge to cool. Keep the pickling liquid/brine in the pot to cool as well. 
• Once both the veggies and liquid are cool, place the veggies along with all the garlic and herbs into a jar and cover with the liquid. Keep in the fridge and it will be good for up to 2 weeks, getting better as it sits.

EAT LIKE A FARMER: Heartstrong Farm

July has arrived with a fiercely hot, dry and dusty force here in Santa Barbara, and I have a feeling that most of you are sweating right along with me. Alas! With the summer heat comes some gosh darn delicious abundance from the earth, and it's a season I look forward to all year long. Southern California's growing season tends to be ahead of schedule compared to the midwest/east coast, and our local farmers' markets are already bursting with vibrant colors and plump fruits... tomatoes! zucchini! corn! beans! peaches! zucchini! (..did I mention zucchini?!)

Though we're based on the West Coast, I love following the farm journeys (via the wonders of Instagram) of fellow farmer comrades from all over the States. There's one lady farmer in particular that has been an incredibly supportive and joyful farming friend from afar - and that's Eva Moss Green, owner + farmer of Heartstrong Farm in Staley, NC. Eva and her husband Patrick are in the first official growing season on their farm, where they grow a diverse bounty of vegetables, flowers, and herbs for their CSA and local farmers' markets. It's incredibly encouraging to see fellow young farmers like Eva and Patrick, who are clearly putting their whole hearts and bodies into cultivating beautiful, nourishing produce for their community.

Many thanks to Eva for taking the time (during the busiest season on the farm, no less!) to take part in the Farmbelly Eat Like a Farmer interview series. Keep reading to dig into the wonderful interview, and for more inspiration be sure to follow Eva and Patrick on instagram at @heartstrongfarmnc!

Where is your farm located and what to you grow? Our farm is located in the piedmont region of North Carolina, in the town of Staley. My husband Patrick and I began leasing a 16 acre historic farmland property in January that we found through NC Farm Link. We have about 1 acre of the land in cultivation, growing many different vegetables, cut flowers, and medicinal herbs. We also pasture raise chickens for personal consumption and recently acquired our first bee hive.

Walk us through a typical day on your farm and in your kitchen (ie what do you eat on a typical day)? We usually wake up shortly after sunrise, attending to our cat, new puppy, and chickens first thing after we rise. Once the animals are taken care of, we put on a pot of coffee which to us feels like a sacred ritual. We love everything about it – picking out a great roasted bean, the smell and sound of grinding the beans, and adding the grounds to our French press or our good old Mr. Coffee pot. Once coffee is in hand in our respective favorite mugs and we take time to savor its rich smell, feel the warmth in our hands, and take a few sips before we start working on breakfast. Breakfast is usually a plate of local eggs fried sunny side up, and slices of fresh bread toasted and topped with some butter and local fruit preserves (we love a good blueberry preserve). After breakfast, Patrick leaves for his off-farm job in the healthcare technology field and I head out into the fields to check on the state of things and make plans for the day ahead.

Come noon, I am ready to beat the heat and look forward to fixing lunch. I usually visit our cooler to pick out a few things. These days I’ve been savoring the last of the spring kale, which is rapidly on it’s way out of the field as the summer heat intensifies. I usually make up a quick salad, with greens, sliced beets, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper, and sometimes fry up an egg to go on top. Lately, I’ve been juicing beets and cucumbers, which is a refreshing pick-me-up come midday.

Once Patrick returns to the farm, we usually get another couple hours of field work in together before nightfall. Patrick often prepares dinner while I get other house chores and computer work done. He enjoys throwing a good cut of meat on the grill, cooking down greens, and roasting root vegetables. After dinner and a beer or glass of wine, it’s off to bed!

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable grow, and what's your go-to method to cook it? I have a love hate relationship with beets, but it has been my favorite vegetable to grow thus far. Once we got our greenhouse up and ready in February, the first crop I sowed was red beets – 18 trays of them. During the cold nights, we’d go in and check on them, making sure the heaters were on and keeping things above freezing. One week, temperatures in the greenhouse got up to 100F and some of the seedlings turned black. I totally thought I had killed them all, but this was thankfully not the case. Once they were in the ground, the wet spring and unseasonably hot early spring days led to the spread of cercopsora, also called leaf spot. It was on almost all of our beet greens, and I worried that I had somehow diseased my entire crop. Thankfully, this was not the case – leaf spot is a common fungal infection of the leaves, and is entirely aesthetic. The beet roots grew on, and have stayed good and sweet even in the hotter June days. My favorite way to prepare beets is by roasting. We dice them up, oftentimes mixing with potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper before popping into the oven. Super simple, flavorful, and very comforting.

What kitchen tools could you not live without? Definitely mason jars – you can drink out of them, put up just about anything that will fit in their various sizes, shake up quick dressings and sauces, and they make a beautifully simple vase for our blooms. I also couldn’t function without a good chef’s knife, a Japanese whetstone for sharpening, a big wooden cutting board, and our cast iron pans.

 Name the top three ingredients used most in your kitchen that don't come from your farm. Red pepper flakes, olive oil, and butter (though I once lobbied for us to get a dairy cow, ha!)

Favorite cookbook? My current favorite is Vivian Howard’s Deep Run Roots. As we become native to North Carolina, we have enjoyed exploring the foodways of our region. I really admire the personal, beautiful, and place-based exploration of NC food Vivian lays out in this cookbook. We reference it all the time for many of the crops we are growing, including collard greens, beets, potatoes, turnips, and squash. The recipes are simple, good, and really highlight the goodness of seasonal produce at its peak.

Do you have go-to methods for preserving your harvests through the year (ie jamming, pickling, freezing)? We love to ferment and pickle. It’s a meditative and joyful practice for us to process our harvests into interesting creations that become more complex and flavorful over time. We love a good batch of pickled cukes, and have recently been flavoring our komboucha with beets. For greens, we briefly blanche them and then pack them into bags and put them up in our freezer. It feels good to know that once we run out of something in the fields, that we have some stored. Food self-sufficieny is very important to us.

What advice do you give folks for cooking with your produce, especially when using ingredients they may not be familiar with? We usually share our personal favorite preparation methods with our customers and especially CSA members. For funkier vegetables like kohlrabi and patty pan squash, we experiment with basic cooking methods like steaming, sautéing, and roasting, and then share our favorites with others to try as a starting point (they can then add spices and other vegetables and herbs to the mix if they fancy).   

How has running a farm influenced your relationships with family, friends, and your local community? This question brings to mind a quote from Wendell Berry’s poem Damage:

“There is a sense in which I no longer “go to work.” If I live in my

place, which is my subject, then I am “at” my work even when I 

am not working.  It is “my” work because I cannot escape it.”

Being farmers and living on the land that we farm has led to the farm influencing all aspects of our life – what we eat, where we go, vacations, family time, when we can visit friends, when friends can visit us, and so on. With this being our first year, we have been on the ground running - working 10+ hours every day to get our markets and CSA established while cultivating healthy soil and happy plants, as well as trying to make time to properly care for ourselves. We are grateful for the support of our family and friends in our journey thus far, but our relationships with them has definitely been shifted a bit as our schedule and availability is dictated so much by the weather, our markets, and what’s going on with our crops. We aren’t always able to make it out to the city to meet up with friends; are usually rushing back home to water our crops and/or take care of our animals; often miss calls to catch up because we’re out working till it gets dark; and when we have visitors we have little time to entertain and when we do our minds are often still caught up on what’s going on outside. However, our relationship with our local community has become stronger and stronger each week through our CSA and weekly markets. Our CSA members often check in with us, stopping by to share new culinary creations (breads, pickles, fermented treats), inviting us to gatherings, and helping us out whenever we need a hand. We’ve developed great relationship with customers at our markets who have become regulars, visiting our stand each week to catch up on life events, check in to see how the farm is doing, and sharing book suggestions, recipes, and events we should check out. Our work-life balance is definitely something we will continue to work on, but we are learning more each day about works for us and I think that’s important, figuring out what works for you - mind, body, and soul.

Please share a favorite recipe for a simple, straight from the farm dish that you are craving this summer:

Summer Solstice Medley 

The transition from spring to summer is one of our favorite times of year. Roots are still tender and sweet and the first of the summer fruits have begun to arrive. This recipe mixes the sweetness of beets with the hardiness of turnips and the juicy goodness of squash with the richness of new potatoes, all topped with a fragrant boost of summer basil for a simple yet delicious veggie dish that goes great as a side or as part of a warm salad.

Ingredients:

• 5 small purple top turnips trimmed but not peeled and diced (about 1/5 cups)
• 3 medium red beets peeled and diced
• 2 cups diced summer squash (we like using patty pan)
• 2 cups diced new potatoes
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped basil
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat over to 450. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. In a big mixing bowl, toss the diced veggies with olive soil, basil, and 1 teaspoon of salt to thoroughly coat. Spread veggies in one layer on the sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes, and then use a spatula to flip the veggies over for even browning. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until veggies are tender and nicely browned (in total about 30 to 35 minutes).