EAT LIKE A FARMER: Stitchdown Farm

As I head into my third year living in Southern California, I still can't wrap my head around not having seasons. You know - four REAL, distinct seasons. Now, I'm not asking for sympathy over Santa Barbara's year-round 75 degree and sunny microclimate... but for anyone who's lucky enough to live in a place with seasons, just think about the yearly yearning for chilly nights and cozy sweaters after a sweltering, sweaty summer. And aren't the colors and warmth of spring all the more soul-lifting after you endure a miserable, grey winter? 

When I think about a place in the United States that really knows how to rock the four seasons like a boss, Vermont tops my list. From the impossibly green fields and long days of summer, to the epic colors splashed across the forests each fall, to the seemingly endless, snow-packed winters, followed by the slow, drip-drip-dripping of maple syrup into tin buckets and the thaw of spring that gives new life to the livestock and fruit trees and winter-weary farmers.

Photo from Stitchdown Farm

Today I'm bringing to you my interview with two Vermont-based farmers in the EAT LIKE A FARMER series: Andrew Plotsky and Rita Champion, of Stitchdown Farm based in Bethel, VT. Andrew and Rita are a husband and wife power duo who had a dream, and they actually DID something about it. More than once I've found myself bewitched by Andrew and Rita's instagram feeds, which are sprinkled with plenty of dreamy, romantic images of life on their rural Vermont farm... but they aren't afraid to share the raw and less glamorous side of keeping a small, diverse farm afloat - whether it's flower arranging in the depths of cavernous basements, wrestling with tangled irrigation lines, bent-over while trimming horse hooves, or chopping heap after heap of firewood by hand. 

I'm sending out big thanks and high fives to Andrew and Rita for taking the time share with us a glimpse of their life at Stitchdown Farm. Andrew's words of wisdom are refreshing reminder to embrace the mistakes that inevitably come with a life dedicated to farming and cooking. When the going gets tough, you just have to pull on your boots, lean on your neighbor, embrace the fallen souffle, and plow steadfastly onward. Enjoy the interview below, and be sure to give Andrew and Rita a follow on instagram. PLUS you ought to check out Andrew's awesome work in graphic design, branding + photography!

Photo from Stitchdown Farm

Photo from Stitchdown Farm

Photo from Stitchdown Farm

Photo from Stitchdown Farm

Where is your farm located and what to you grow/produce? Bethel, VT (the most beautiful place in the world). We grow cut flowers for market and we arrange for special events like weddings and 50 year high school reunions. We grow vegetables for ourselves, raise pigs for limited market shares, chickens for us, make maple syrup in the spring so we can drink it all year long and have a team of belgian draft horses that are schooling us big time in the humility department and we hope to be working with regularly in the fields and woods in the next year or so. 

Walk us through a typical day on your farm + in your kitchen. It's pretty much mayhem every day this time of year, constantly shifting. I also work as a graphic designer to make this whole mess float so it's a delicate and unpredictable ballet swirl with heavy shitladen boots to jump between farm and office. These days it's up at 5 or so to coffee and cookie and feed the pigs chickens and bring the horses in from pasture. Then breakfast, most always egg on toast with vegetables and meat of some kind. rotates. often there's kimchi. then if there's a disaster I deal to the best of my abilities. Rita my wife is the real boss of the flower farm so she's hustling all day out in the fields, either harvesting, prepping beds, seeding, transplanting, or arranging flowers. We have weddings most Saturdays and solid farmers market Thursdays so the end of the weeks is double-time with harvest and arranging. Hustling to get that firewood split, pastures brush hogged behind the horses and in front of the winter. Getting ready to get ready for the fall then splash into bed for the winter.

What is your favorite fruit/vegetable grow, and what's your go-to recipe to use it? Radicchio hands down in the food side. Love the bitter greens, generally. Radicchio ceasar is really hard to beat. It's a shitload of anchovies, garlic and mayonnaise and epically delicious. Brown lisianthus and sweet peas are the favorite flowers to grow around here so far. They're both painfully attractive and elegant. 

What kitchen tool could you not live without? I use a sharp high carbon steel chefs knife and small wooden spoon for approximately 96% of my kitchen activity.

Favorite cookbook? Depends on the time of day, emotional trauma of the day and the dew point. I know I'm way behind the ball on this but I've been deep in Momofuku of late. That fish sauce vinaigrette is insane I could put in an IV straight to the taste buds, no joke. Otherwise, Tartine Bread is revelatory and changed my life when it came out. Jane Grigson, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Elizabeth David are on top of my personal canon. 

When cooking, do you typically use recipes or just go by instinct? 1% recipe, 99% intuition which comes from110% learning from fucking up and making gross things.

Who in your life has been a mentor/teacher for you as a farmer? As a cook? Note the 110% line item from above... I learned to make bread from Lorenzo the peasant on his ramshackle farm in Sicily. Learned how to cook meat from Brandon on Vashon, Vegetables from Alice Waters and Terry Romero and all the rest from being stubborn and curious. 

How has living on a farm influenced your relationships with family, friends, and your local community? They are inseparable, there is no family friends or community as divorced from the farm. They are rich, challenging, delicious, painful, and fulfilling. 

What advice do you have for people who want to get more experience growing their own food + cooking farm fresh produce? Just freaking do it. Seriously. Brandon and I use to say that the only way to do it is to do it. You can read about it for a while. you can read about it while you're doing it. probably should. but there's actually no substitute for action. jump in with both feet. pay attention. your souffle's gonna fall. probably every time for a long time. but you're smart and you'll learn. just don't give up when your first try comes out with maggots and weird juice coming out the bottom. it gets better.

Please share one of your recipes for a simple, farm fresh dish that you can't get enough of this summer! This is going to sound like a joke, but it's not a joke. go get flour from the farm around the corner, like for example Rogers Farmstead if you're in Bethel, VT. make bread that is fermented. let bread cool entirely. slice bread. take tomato that you just harvested. slice it. place on slice of bread. place exactly 2.7oz. olive oil on top with salt. there you go you gotcherself breakfast lunch and dinner for the next month.

EAT LIKE A FARMER: Evan Chender

All around the country, there are incredible young farmers who are cultivating the soil, growing stunning produce, nourishing their communities, and willingly sharing their hard-earned knowledge with fellow farmers. I'm constantly inspired by these growers, many of whom are just as impressive in the kitchen as they are in the field. In the spirit of sharing the wisdom of these inspiring young farmers (and cooks), I am beginning a Farmbelly interview series called EAT LIKE A FARMER to tell the stories of these pioneering farmers. This series will offer a glimpse into the life of young farmers - a lifestyle that is unpredictable, exhausting, and unendingly challenging, not to mention rewarding and wildly delicious.  As the old saying goes, "farmers work like dogs, but eat like kings", and I'd like to think most farmers prefer it that way. 

Photo by Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt

I'm honored to kick off this interview series by introducing Evan Chender, a chef-turned-farmer based just outside of Asheville, NC. Evan earned his BA in Food Culture and Sustainable Agriculture from Vassar College, and went on to become a greenhouse manager at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. After taking on several opportunities both farming and working as a chef in top institutions and restaurants around the world, Evan relocated to Asheville, NC with his wife in May 2012. Evan, known as The Culinary Gardener, currently manages a 8,000 square foot micro farm where he intensively hand tendsover 200 varieties of vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs for some of the best restaurants in Asheville. 

A big thanks to Evan for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to share some of his farm and culinary knowledge. Be sure to check out his must-try summer recipe for Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Sheep Feta at the end of the interview. To follow Evan and his farm + culinary adventures, be sure to follow him on instagram @theculinarygardener !

Where is your farm located and what to you grow/produce? My farm is located in Weaverville, NC, 8 miles north of Asheville, NC. I grow many different crops over the course of a year, at least 100 different varieties, but probably close to 200. Lots of greens and edible flowers, but also a little bit of everything. Some of the crops that are growing now that I am particularly excited about are: Japanese cucumbers, trombocino squash, red celtuce, sucrine lettuce, cornflowers, vietnamese and korean perilla, Lady Di runner beans, Alexanders, cardoon, potimarron winter squash, true french sorrel, ardwyna tomato, purple sprouting broccoli, choryoku eggplant, ice lettuce, pennywort, tetragonia, annushka potato, himo togarashi and espellete peppers

Walk us through a typical day on your farm + in your kitchen. A typical day on the farm: get there around 8am. First thing is always doing a walk-through of the garden and keenly observing everything. It's almost like saying good morning to the plants. Then I finally get to work. My main harvest takes place 2 days a week, but this time of year I am harvesting every day, so that is what I will do first. If i'm not harvesting all day, I am working on everything else. Trellising cucumbers or beans, pulling and amending beds, seeding in cells, direct seeding beds for whole plant petite greens (amaranth, orach, quinoa, magenta goosefoot, calendula, extra dwarf bok choi....) transplanting, cultivating, weed wacking, cleaning up. I take one main break for lunch, which is always leftovers from dinner. I'm pretty much hustling the rest of the day. Even when I get home, around 8pm these days, I don't stop because I always make dinner. I never half ass dinner, so we eat around 9pm at the earliest. Then I fall asleep as I take my last bite. 

What is your favorite fruit/vegetable grow, and what's your go-to recipe to use it? Potatoes. Go-to recipe: slowly fried in olive oil or animal fat so they steam on the inside and get a crispy shell on the outside. It's like french fries and mashed potatoes in one. 

What kitchen tool could you not live without? A good, sharp knife. I have a Togiharu that I like. Not crazy expensive,  around $100.

Favorite cookbook? This is weird, but I don't have a favorite. I own lots of cookbooks that I never use or look at. I find most recipes are inaccurate and I find it takes too much brain power for me to follow a recipe. It's easier for me to go stream of consciousness and cook off the cuff.  

When cooking, do you typically use recipes or just go by instinct? Always instinct.

Who in your life has been a mentor/teacher for you as a farmer? As a cook? Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to be mentored as a farmer or a cook. I am almost completely self taught. However, I was born with a passion for food and have pursued it my entire life. 

How has living on a farm influenced your relationships with family, friends, and your local community? Well, I don't currently live on a farm. I live in downtown Asheville. I'll be moving to a farm with my wife in the next year though. We bought 4 acres of land, also in Weaverville, and we will be building a house and living there as soon as possible. Nevertheless, being a farmer and growing only for chefs has deeply influenced my relationships with the chefs I work with, and the people who are part of the Asheville restaurant community. Some of my best friends are chefs and our personal relationships developed out of our business relationships. 

What advice do you have for people who want to get more experience growing their own food + cooking farm fresh produce? My advice is try to grow something you can eat in any way that is feasible for you. If you can't plant a garden, grow something in a pot on your window/fire escape/balcony. Eating food that I have grown myself is where I get my best inspiration.

Share one of your recipes for a simple, farm fresh dish that you can't get enough of this summer:

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Sheep Feta

• 6oz sheep or sheep/goat feta, go for the stuff aged in brine if you can find it
• 2 lbs cucumbers
• 2 lbs tomatoes
• 1 small shallot
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Handful chopped fresh mint
• Fresh chiles to your taste
• 1 ripe sweet pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Mince the shallot and combine with lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let that sit while you prepare everything else. 

Cut the cucumbers and tomatoes into mixed up sizes and shapes. Toss with 2 tablespoons salt and place in a colander to drain for 20 minutes. This sounds like a lot of salt, but what happens is a brine is created around each piece and the salt penetrates through the flesh without tasting salty. Chop peppers and herbs and combine in a large bowl with feta, lemon juice mixture, olive oil. Drain the cucumbers and tomatoes really well and toss everything together. Eat it immediately or wait - as it sits, it gets better. The juice at the bottom is almost like leche de tigre - super flavorful and not to be wasted!

Beet, Moroccan Carrot & Traditional Hummus

This week I had the honor of leading a hands-on cooking class for 40+ amazing women at Municipal Winemakers, as part of a monthly women's group in Santa Barbara, aptly called Rad Night. 

Founded by Paola Pereira and Kendall Klein, Rad Night is an opportunity for women in Santa Barbara to come together who might not otherwise meet, and each month women gather, drink wine, and learn + create something together. The theme of the evening was "create + eat like a farmer" and we gave tons of tips for sourcing local produce, and taught everyone how to make compound herb butters and homemade vinaigrettes. I was assisted by my dear friend and fellow chef, Aiyana Sage Thoma, who crafted a most beautiful vegetable platter for all of the ladies to enjoy (See exhibit A below):

To accompany this cornucopia of farmers' market veggies at the Rad Night event, I made three different kinds of hummus: Traditional, Beet, and Moroccan Carrot. Each hummus had it's own distinct coloring + flavor, and I loved exploring new and delicious riffs on an old favorite. Needless to say, the hummus was a hit and I've had several requests for the recipes... so here they are! 

PS - For all my Santa Barbara based friends, I'm teaching an another hands-on cooking class at Municipal Winemakers next Thursday, August 11th @ 7-9pm! Join us to learn some knife skills, herb butters, and salad dressings // tickets are $35 and include a glass of wine + delicious handmade goodies to take home. To save your spot (space is limited!), get your tickets HERE. 

TRADITIONAL HUMMUS

1 clove garlic
1 can chickpeas | drained
Juice of two lemons (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
First process the garlic to a fine mince in your food processor.  Next, add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth -the longer you allow the mixture to process, the creamier your hummus will be. Adjust seasonings as needed. Sprinkle with more paprika and serve.

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BEET HUMMUS

Recipe adapted from Andrea Bemis, from the blog Dishing Up the Dirt. 

1 very large beet (or 2-3 small beets)
1 15 oz can chickpeas | drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Juice from 1 large lemon
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
In a saucepan cover beets with water and simmer until tender (about 30 minutes). Once beets are cooked place them in a food processor with all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If mixture is too thick add a little more oil. 

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MOROCCAN CARROT HUMMUS

Recipe adapted from Andrea Bemis, from the blog Dishing Up the Dirt. 

1 pound carrots | chopped into 1-inch chunks
3 whole cloves of garlic | peels left on
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil | divided
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas | rinsed and drained if from a can
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water + more to thin if necessary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Fresh cilantro, minced, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss the chopped carrots and whole garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scatter evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment and roast in the oven until the carrots are tender and lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Toss carrots halfway through cooking. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their peels.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine roasted carrots, roasted garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water and all of the spices. With the motor running drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whirl away until smooth, scraping the sides down as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If the hummus is too thick, add a little more water or oil and process until desired consistency is achieved.

Zucchini & Corn Pancakes

We've all seen blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, banana pancakes, really really thin pancakes, good ole buttermilk pancakes - but how bout zucchini pancakes?

Yes, I said zucchini. Blame it on the fact that it's growing like crazy in the garden and we can hardly harvest fast enough, and now I'm on a mission to include it in every meal possible. In the last two weeks alone, I've made zucchini soup, quinoa stuffed zucchini, sautéed zucchini, zucchini pizza, raw zucchini dipped in hummus, and - you guessed it - zucchini pancakes. So yeah, you could say I'm becoming very well acquainted with this vegetable. 

I've found that by digging deeper into the distinct personalities of different fruits and vegetables, I've gained the confidence to introduce more farm fresh produce into my repertoire. So because knowledge is power, here's the low down on all things zucchini !

Botanical facts

• Zucchini are in the Cucurbit botanical family. Fellow members of the cucurbit family are cucumbers, melons, and winter squash like butternut, kabocha, and acorn squash. 
• Specifically, zucchini are part of the Cucurbita pepo group, which also includes scalloped/patty pan, crookneck, and delicata squash. 
• In the kitchen, zucchini is considered a vegetable; however botanically zucchini is technically a fruit!

• Zucchini first evolved in the Americas, although varieties of squash known as "zucchini" were also grown in Italy - though they came much later than their emergence in the Americas. 

Garden tips

• In your home garden, give zucchini seedlings plenty of room to allow for air circulation and prevent disease / pest issues. I like to give at least 2 feet of space when planting zucchini transplants. 
• Harvest early and often! For better or worse, zucchini are incredibly prolific and can grow 1 to 2 inches a day. While overgrown zucchini are still edible, you'll find extra-large zucchini have pulpy, watered down flesh and large seeds.
• Zucchini are known as "heavy feeders" - which means they require high soil nutrient levels to produce healthy fruit, so be sure to apply compost and natural fertilizers like fish emulsion throughout the growing season. 
• Recommended summer squash varieties: Costata Romanesco (aka Cocozelle squash), Golden Glory, Y-Star (Patty Pan), Eight Ball

CULINARY WISDOM

• Tried and true culinary companions for summer squash:
  • butter, olive oil, eggs
  • basil, marjoram, oregano, dill, tarragon, mint 
  • garlic, walnuts, pine buts, lemon
  • parmesan, feta, goat cheese
  • peppers, tomatoes, corn, rice, leafy greens
• Zucchini and other summer squash varieties feature thin skins that are edible, so no need to pull out your peeler! In fact, the skins are where the most nutrients live, so all the more reason to simply chop them and go when preparing your recipes. 
• Zucchini blossoms are delicacy that are best stuffed with soft cheese and fried. Or to keep it really simple - just slice the petals and scatter them as a floral garnish on salads and soups. 

Now that you know more about zucchini than you ever needed/wanted, here's the recipe for zucchini & corn pancakes with a herb yogurt sauce. The shredded zucchini makes the cakes moist and tender, and the corn adds surprising bursts of flavor. Paired with a bright and light herbed yogurt sauce and some simple-dressed greens, these little puppies are a great vegetarian main dish morning, noon, and night. Makes 9-10 pancakes.

Zucchini + Corn Pancakes with Herb Yogurt Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs | beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour (for gluten free, simply use a gluten free flour mix)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 pound zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini) | coarsely grated
• Kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup red onion | finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic | minced
• 1/3 cup loosely packed basil | finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

Herb Yogurt Sauce

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic | minced
• 1 lemon | juiced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

For the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper, and spices. Add the grated zucchini, corn kernels, onion, garlic and basil and stir until combined. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop the batter in scant 1/3-cup measures into skillet. Cook until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side; lower heat if pancakes begin to brown too deeply before middle is cooked through. Add more oil between batches if necessary. Serve the pancakes warm or room temperature, topped with a dollop or or two of the herb yogurt sauce.

Herb Yogurt Sauce: Simply whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Green Goddess Dressing

Every week when I head to the Santa Barbara farmers' markets, I'm like a kid in a candy store. It's a total sensory overload walking down each aisle and taking in all of the sights, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes. At the market each week, we get to watch and taste as the calendar year unfolds... spring peas and leafy greens turn into ripe summer fruits, in autumn we find tables piled high with apples, corn, and sweet root veggies, followed by hardy squash and famed Southern California citrus in the colder winter months. 

And yet, as wonderful as the farmers' market can be, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the abundance, or to assume that shopping at a big grocery store is more convenient and less expensive. Fear not! As someone who has worked both sides of the farmers' market table, I have heaps of insider secrets that will revolutionize the way you shop at the market. Keep reading for all my tips + tricks of the trade AND get my recipe for Green Goodess Dressing (which doubles as a fabulous veggie dip)!

Canvas the market before making any purchases.

• I always recommend taking a lap around the market before pulling out your wallet. This initial stroll gives you better sense of the farms who have the produce items you need, and which stands have the nicest looking produce, best prices, etc. 

PLAN YOUR MEALS AHEAD OF TIME.

• Before you head to the market, figure out your meals for the week ahead and write a list of the produce you hope to find (but be sure to leave room to explore and try something new)! This way, you won't be overwhelmed and make impulse purchases that you regret later. 

REMEMBER YOUR TOTE BAGS & CARTS.

• A small detail, but it's worth remembering those totes and carts! The flimsy plastic bags that some farm stalls provide can easily break and spill your purchases onto the pavement. Plus, you get instant street cred from farmers when they see you rocking your own sturdy bag or cart.

purchase whole vegetables.

• Root vegetables like carrots, beets, and radishes are sometimes sold both whole (with greens attached) and trimmed (roots only). When possible, opt for the whole version. When you see the green tops, you know the root vegetables are freshly picked, but even more importantly - the greens are edible and delicious! Carrot and radish tops make fabulous earthy pestos, and beet greens can be prepared the same way as chard or kale.

Don’t be afraid of “ugly” produce.

• Many of us are used to seeing waxed, perfectly uniform fruits and veggies at the grocery store... so you'll notice that produce from the farmers' market produce may be less uniform than the supermarket aisle. That's the beauty of shopping at the market! I think the imperfections make the produce even tastier, so don't let a few bumps or extra curves scare you away.  One of my favorite bargain bins at the Santa Barbara markets is Fair Hills Farm's boxes of "distressed" apples - if you dig a little, you'll find amazing tasting apples at a fraction of the price!

Learn what’s in season, and buy in bulk when produce is abundant.

• The best deals at the farmers’ market are had when you buy seasonally and/or in bulk. Not only will you enjoy the best flavors, but you'll also find the best prices when you buy fruits and veggies at their harvest peak. For instance - the first tomatoes of the season in early May will always be much more expensive than tomatoes in August, when many farms have an abundance of this favorite summer crop.

head home immediately to refrigerate your veggies.

• Don’t let those beautiful greens wilt in your hot car! Make sure to bring your hard earned produce home quickly to refrigerate and keep everything nice and fresh.

Get to know your farmers.

• Be sure to introduce yourself and get to know your farmers! Farmers love to hear what you are cooking with their produce, and your meals are sure to taste even better after knowing the hands that tended to your fruits and veggies.

As a bit of inspiration for your next foray to the farmers' market, I'm excited to share my favorite Green Goddess Dressing + Dip. This recipe is super quick to make and is packed with flavor and amazing vivid green color thanks to ripe avocado and heaps of fresh herbs. 

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

ingredients

Makes 1 cup

• 1 clove garlic | peeled
• 1 cup fresh basil | loosely packed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley | loosely packed
• 1 ripe avocado | flesh removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cups water
• Kosher salt to taste (start with a ½ teaspoon)

Instructions

• First pulse the cloves of garlic in a food processor.
• Next add the herbs, avocado, olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until well blended.
• Add between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup water to thin dressing to your desired consistency. 
• Add salt, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Homemade Mayonnaise

In the sleepy little town of Shanagarry, nestled on the Irish coastline of County Cork, is a place called Ballymaloe - you've likely never heard of it, but let me assure you - it is culinary heaven on earth. Founded in the 1980's by the phenomenal chef / teacher / rockstar matriarch Darina Allen, the Ballymaloe Cooking School is the holy grail of farm to table culinary education.

Located on a 100 acre organic farm, at Ballymaloe nearly all of the fresh ingredients used in the kitchen - from veggies, to berries, raw milk, eggs, and meat - come directly from the farm. This is a cooking school where you go to learn more than just fancy knife skills. Students are expected to pitch in to keep the farm running - harvesting fresh greens for the daily salads, collecting kitchen scraps for compost, milking the cows and making butter to be patted on steaming loaves of just baked bread. 

Back in the Spring of 2013, I spent up my entire life savings to spend three intense, delicious, and utterly life changing months at Ballymaloe, where I lived, worked, cooked, and ate copious amounts of Irish butter alongside 50 other students from all over the world. Ballymaloe is truly a family affair - Darina's husband Tim, her brother Rory O'Connell, and daughter-in-law Rachel Allen (all incredible chefs and teachers in their own right) are each deeply involved with the teaching and the day to day operations on the farm and in the kitchens. It is the unending energy and passion for for food + farming from all of the teachers at Ballymaloe that inspired me to start Farmbelly cooking classes!

In honor of all things Ballymaloe, I'm sharing a recipe that embodies the farm to table ethos that makes the school so transformative. Today, we are talking mayonnaise. Yes, you heard me right - mayonnaise. Did you know that real, homemade mayonnaise is actually YELLOW? If you're like me, you may associate mayo with the white gloopy gunk that comes out of a jar and has been sitting in your fridge for goodness knows how long. Alas! The combination of farm fresh eggs, a bit of vinegar and mustard, and slowly drizzled olive oil, all whisked together with gusto, creates an all together different thing that is truly a revelation. PLUS, it takes all of 5 minutes to make. So friends... go grab some farm fresh eggs, get out your whisk, stretch those arm muscles, and get busy!

Ballymaloe Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks | from the freshest eggs possible
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon French mustard
• 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

• Put the egg yolks into a wide pyrex bowl with the mustard, salt and the white wine vinegar. Put the two types of oil together into a measuring cup. Take a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other and drip the oil onto the egg yolks, drop by drop whisking at the same time.
• Within a minute you will notice that the mixture is beginning to thicken. When this happens you can add the oil a little faster, but not too fast or it will suddenly curdle, as the egg yolks can only absorb the oil at a certain pace.
• Taste and add a little more seasoning and vinegar if necessary. Enjoy as is, or add some minced garlic, fresh herbs, spices, etc for endless aioli possibilities!

Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken with Potatoes

Farmbelly classes are officially rockin' and rollin' (!) and I'm eager to introduce this space as a place to share stories, recipes, and photos - as well as interviews with some down-right inspiring fellow farmers and chefs. Food has the strange and awesome power of cultivating community, and at the end of the day, don't we all want to feel like we belong to tribes where we are known, supported, and celebrated? More than anything, I hope that Farmbelly classes and recipes bring together a community of friends who value simplicity + generosity, and who share a desire to continually learn and grow together. Let's get cookin', good lookin' !

Today, I'm sharing a recipe makes me feel like I'm back home in my grandmother's kitchen, enjoying a Sunday supper surrounded by family, with dogs running around our feet - wine for the ladies, gin and tonics for the gentlemen, and bellies full of goodness. In my family we like to call this dish "Mimi's Chicken", because it was given to us by my incredible grandmother, who is the true master of (among many things) authentic shrimp and grits, pound cake, key lime pie, and Thanksgiving gravy. Thanks for teaching me all you know, Mimi ! 

Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken with Potatoes

The dish is so simple that you hardly need a recipe, and it is my go-to whenever I’m hosting friends or family over for dinner. I love that by adding root vegetables under the chicken, you get a delicious entree and side dish all from one pan. | Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes (my favorite are fingerling potatoes) | washed and cut in half or quarters
• 3-4 cloves of garlic | peeled
• 4 pieces of chicken, thigh and leg (quarters) with skin on
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 lemons
• Olive oil
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 F.
• Begin by prepping the potatoes: cut each potato in half or into quarters. Put the potatoes on the bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cloves of garlic (skin peeled) to the dish as well.
• Next, prep the the chicken: place the chicken skin side up on a plate and pat each piece with paper towels to dry the skin (this helps the seasoning stick). Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper, then set the chicken on top of the potatoes.
• Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over each piece of chicken. Next, squeeze the juice of the fresh lemons over the chicken, and feel free to leave a few of the lemon rinds in the pan for extra flavor. To finish, place a few sprigs of fresh thyme over each chicken leg, and sprinkle a few pinches of Maldon sea salt over the dish. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for exactly one hour (I promise, 1 hour is perfect - every time!). When fully cooked, a meat thermometer should measure 165 F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. Cover the chicken with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Place the potatoes in a side dish and enjoy!