Elliott Homestead. - Family table farm cooking from the Elliott Homestead

An imprint of Globe Pequot

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2016, 2018 by Shaye Elliott

Photograph on page vii by Mary Collier
All other photographs by Shaye Elliott

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Elliott, Shaye, author. | Elliott Homestead.

Title: Family table : farm cooking from the Elliott Homestead / Shaye Elliott ; foreword by Stuart Elliott.

Description: Guilford, Connecticut : Lyons Press, [2018] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017043233 (print) | LCCN 2017050623 (ebook) | ISBN 9781493031535 (e-book) | ISBN 9781493031528 (paperback) | ISBN 9781493031535 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking, American. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX715 (ebook) | LCC TX715 .E465 2018 (print) | DDC 641.5973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017043233

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

A t the end of a meal, when the last bit of crumbs have been swept off the table and the wine glasses have been washed and stacked in the cabinet, we like to light the candle in the kitchen. The funny part is that we dont actually light a candle, but rather, we clean the counters, put fresh flowers in the old Le Parfait jar that sits on Madame (yes, I named my French cooking range), open the windows to let in the fresh air, and straighten the flour canisters so that they line up just so. To us, lighting the candle means were preparing the kitchen, yet again, for the next meal. The next gathering. The next feast. While we wait, we take off our aprons, make an espresso, and pretend like life is just as orderly and fresh as the newly cleaned kitchen.

It never lasts longer than thirty minutes. Around these parts, its almost always time to eat.

by Stuart Elliott

W hen I first started playing the guitar, my fingers ached as they built up strength, developing blisters and calluses. I remember the muted sound of the strings as I tried to strum a chord with only enough finger strength to make it sound like some strange percussion instrument. But I also remember the feeling I had the first time I, almost unexpectedly, played through a song without a mistake.

When the sound from the guitar faded away and silence consumed my empty bedroom, there was no one there to cheer or congratulate me; but there didnt need to be. The song itself, played through with harmonious sound, was celebration enough. If I am still for a moment and take some time to reflect, I can think of many more things in my life that served as culminating celebrations. They develop like images in my minds eye. I see a soccer ball, a diploma, a paycheck, a wedding aisle, a newborn girl, a garden, a meal. I remember, and I smile inside and out because I see how they have been building to a singular point.

Not everything in our lives culminates in a celebration like this. There are parts of life that we might not ever get the gratification of seeing how they will all come together. A lot of what we do is with a mind toward a future we know we will never see, but we retain hope for others that they may see it and celebrate in it. Sometimes it isnt clear what we are working toward or what our goals are. Sometimes things are done out of necessity without thinking of the sense of satisfaction that may or may not come from them. But then there are those things that bring their own reward; those things that are a celebration in themselves. These culminating celebrations, like the song, can be small and even unexpected. Or, they can be quite big and culminate in an important event. I have come to see that every meal we have, whether it is small and quickly thrown together or a big planned family dinner, is a culminating celebration. Preparing meals for your family should not be one of those things that is purposeless, without direction or joy. I sincerely think that if anyone can help you celebrate at your table, with your family, Shaye can, as many of you already know. She can because she has not only put thought into the ingredients for her recipes, she has also cultivated them and cared for them, growing with them. In every meal you serve from this book, she is celebrating along with you.

What Shaye has put together for you between these two covers is more than a book of recipes: It is a culminating celebration, one that we humbly hope you will join in.

Every celebration has a story behind it, a story of struggle and conflict, of perseverance and resolve. Should a cookbook be any different? (Is the story behind our meals any different?) Each dish, prepared and documented here for you to enjoy, has its own story, a significant part of which takes place on our homestead. Behind that Chicken Piccata youll cook for your family on Friday was a day of digging fence postholes. The pears used in the Red Wine and Honey-Poached Pears photograph were chosen from a basketful of pears that already had greedy little teeth marks in most of them. Sorrow accompanies the lamb recipe. Hope is entwined with every Tommy Toe tomato. Every meal you make that incorporates even the smallest part of this story is a mini-celebration of its own.

Many of you reading this are already familiar with our story, and now you are excited that you have a new and special way to be a part of it. As you walk through these pages you will add chapters to the stories behind your own meals. Some of you may have a similar story to ours; the setting and the characters will be familiar. You will jump into this flood of food and photos and the water will be just right for you. Some of you are looking for a new story or for a way to connect to your favorite kind of story. As you turn the pages of this book, you will find what you are looking for. Whatever the case may be, I can say with confidence that my darling wife, Shaye, has created something for you. It comes to you with history, love and loss, tears and joy, triumph and struggle. And those are the best kinds of stories, because they touch on something real. And that is something we all want and need.

A foreword, apparently, is supposed to be written by someone credible. Other than being a part of the authors everyday life, having tasted every dish, inhaled their gorgeous smells, beheld their aesthetic beauty, and relied on them to sustain and nourish me throughout my days, my credentials are lacking. But I am connected to every word and every picture like no one else is. And, for what its worth, I think what you are holding is something very special. Something to be celebrated. But thats the unbiased opinion of a proud husband. Please enjoy! I know you will.