Jessica Robinson - New England Farmgirl: Recipes & Stories from a Farmers Daughter

New England Farmgirl

recipes & stories from a farmers daughter

written & photographed by

Jessica Robinson

New England Farmgirl

Recipes & Stories From a Farmers Daughter

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2015 Jessica Robinson

Photographs 2015 Jessica Robinson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-3801-8

To Grandma Rusin and Grandma Lamothe, thank you for teaching me the importance of everything homemade with love.

This book would not be possible without the love and support of my wonderful husband, Scott. He has always encouraged me to push forward and let no obstacles stand in my way. His belief in my talents and ability has been the driving force behind all my creations. He has always put up with all my crazy, over-the-top ideas and along with the help of his brother, Steve, made them come to fruition. Thank you to Scotts parents, who made me their daughter and supported us both along the way.

Thank you to my grandmothers for teaching me the importance of a solid work ethic, making everything from scratch, and putting love into everything you do.

I am grateful to my family. Growing up on a small farm, we had so many opportunities. We had one of the biggest and most amazing gardens in the neighborhood, where we grew many vegetables and fruits. I was extremely fortunate to have the use of a commercial kitchen in our sugarhouse from a very young age. My mother and father taught me to grow it yourself, make it from scratch, and build it with love and passion using your own two hands. My mother is one of the most talented ladies I know, having mastered the art of baked goods, wedding cakes with handcrafted edible flowers, confections, and canning. My father is a very compassionate and forgiving person, always willing to put down whatever he is working on to help out someone in need.

Thank you to Katie for helping me with photographs, sewing beautiful aprons, and being a great friend. You are one talented lady.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. Johanna, I appreciate all your encouragement, long talks, love, and honesty. You are amazing in every way.

Traveling the back roads of New England with Jessica Robinson while searching out the regions finest orchard fruits and apple cider, maple syrup and handcrafted wines, or artisanal cheeses, yogurts, and baked goods, would be quite an adventurethe kind of culinary road trip, in fact, one wishes would never end. Then imagine the lively conversation that would undoubtedly break out as a group of friends gathers around her farmhouse table, sharing a meal of Hard Cider and Brown Sugar-Marinated Chicken she has prepared and you have another experience you wish could go on forever (complete with Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, please!). These are exactly the kinds of experiences you will enjoy while reading the stories and cooking from the recipes included in New England Farmgirl: Recipes and Stories from a Farmers Daughter.

Jessica is straightforward and completely authentic. She is informed by generations full of rich family history that provide her with solid roots for developing her own new takes on tradition, which she does with warmth and enthusiasm. Each story and recipe is crafted to bring out the best of what New England has to offer: four vibrant seasons, an abundance of exceptional local ingredients, a deep culinary history, and thriving modern-day family farms, all set in a stunningly beautiful regional landscape. From these pages, the fragrance of maple syrup, cider, and cinnamon waft up and capture your imagination.

As someone who has spent the past twelve years completely focused on the local foods movement, specifically with regard to beautifully unique culinary regions and communities, I can tell you that this book is a treasure you will want to refer to again and again. And with Jessica Robinson as your guide, you are in for a meaningful and inspirational journey, whether traveling the region to find the perfect ingredient or while cooking these recipesall brimming with incredible flavor and characterfor your own friends and family. Heres to celebrating the abundance of New England!

Tracey Ryder, Co-Founder, Edible Communities

I vividly remember as a young child standing in the gardenclad in navy-and-white Striped overalls, with strawberry blonde hair in pigtailsmy toes deeply submerged into the warm soil, helping my parents weed the garden or pick tomatoes. There wasnt a moment where we werent canning our own tomato sauce or harvesting fresh corn.

My parents were strong advocates of producing as much as they could themselves, and then buying the remainder from other local farms. We raised our own pigs and always cut down a fresh Christmas tree during the holidays. Not only did I learn from these experiences about gardening and growing ones own food, but I also learned the value of family and hard work. Today, my husband and I teach these same values to our own children.

As a kid, I would travel over a one-lane covered bridge and up a narrow pebble dirt road to my grandfathers cottage deep in the woods of Vermont. With no running water or electricity and an outhouse, time stood still there. You could sit on the screened-in porch at night and listen to the peaceful sounds of nature as fireflies danced in the moonlight. I played in babbling brooks and caught black-spotted orange salamanders. Its these fond memories that make my husband and me yearn to travel to New England campsites with our children and rough it, without distractions from the everyday hustle of life. I know that by sharing simple pleasures, my kids will hold those memories deep in their souls and one day share some of these experiences with their own children.

When I was little, my mom baked homemade breads each week to sell to people in our neighborhood, amassing a customer list of about 30 or so. She also created custom cakes and taught me at an early age how to can, cook, and bake a variety of goods from scratch. I helped tap maple trees during sugaring season, hanging galvanized buckets onto trees to collect the maple sap before working long hours boiling the sap into syrup. My parents taught me the art of making pure maple candies, unique confections, and sauces; in their commercial kitchen, I helped develop jam recipes along with cookie mixes to sell.