Robin Burnside - Homesteaders Kitchen, The: Recipes from Farm to Table

Traditionally, the kitchen is the heart and hearth of the homethe place where family and friends gather for connection and nourishment. We are drawn to the warmth of the oven fires, the flavors ripening in the air, and the promise of the meal to come. The recipes in this book are dedicated to these simple pleasures that build relationships and community, warm our hearts, nourish our bodies, and feed our souls.

In an era that values the convenience of processed and fast food, basic cooking knowledge is becoming a lost art. The very act of making a meal from scratch fills an ancient need in us that cannot be met with even the tastiest store-bought products. We miss that primal process of making food; the creativity and attention it demands, the delightful alchemy of ingredients coming together to form so much more than the sum of their parts, and the personal connection we feel to the meal. For some, cooking from scratch can be intimidating, but preparing wholesome meals can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it. Often, less is more. Simple preparations retain the distinct, fresh flavors of whole foods, and, with careful planning, a well-stocked larder, and a good supply of fresh organic produce, it takes just a few moments from a busy life.

With basic kitchen skills, creative recipes, and tricks-of-the-trade, you can easily transform a humble dish into a culinary masterpiece. A little savory sauce, dollop of pesto, or freshly chopped herbs can brighten the simplest meal, and add a special personal touch. The Homesteaders Kitchen has easy-to-follow recipes that will inspire even the novice cook to don an apron and enjoy time in the kitchen making wholesome meals, tasty embellishments, and luscious desserts for everyday fare as well as special celebrations.

I had my first experiences working in a kitchen while visiting my Italian-born grandmother as a young girl. Seeing that I couldnt wait to get my hands in the dough, my grandfather made me a little stool so I could work at my grandmothers side. From sink to stove, I moved the stool back and forth, scraping it across worn wooden floors, trying to keep up with each magical moment.

Grocery shopping with Grandma Oddo was always an adventure. She knew that flavorful meals began with good-quality ingredients, and we would go from store to store to find just what she needed. I can still remember her directing the butcher on how to cut her meat just so; encouraging the deli owner to stock big blocks of fresh ricotta cheese, semolina pasta, and fruity olive oil; and pleading with the produce man to carry fresh fava beans and other interesting vegetables so she could give us a taste of the old country.

My paternal grandmother was a restaurant owner and caterera trusted professional in our community known for her ability to make everyone feel comfortable and cared for. Grandma Jane introduced me to the art of feeding a crowd. I remember standing proudly at her side on the serving line as she greeted her guests. Family and business were well entwined and, in my teens, I became her strong-backed, inquisitive, and attentive apprentice.

Cooking with my grandmothers inspired the foundation of my own professional and family lifememorable meals made with fresh high-quality ingredients that are prepared simply, with care and imagination, by loving hands.

As a college student, I supported myself working in restaurants, and studied with many talented chefs, managers, and owners who valued my experience and were willing to apprentice me in the trade. I saw that treating the staff with kindness, and, of course, serving great food was the best formula for success in the challenging restaurant business.

My first solo venture was making wholesale specialty cheesecakes for Monterey area restaurants out of a home kitchen. As the business grew, we moved to a commercial facilitya former little donut shop with a big kitchen in the heart of town. After extensive remodeling we opened the Carmel Caf and began serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the back room we made cheesecakes for our wholesale accounts and began catering private parties and weddings for friends and neighbors. Our little family-run restaurant was known around town for having a delicious and diverse menu that could please a wide variety of palates with nourishing food for the whole family.

After several prosperous years we sold the Carmel Caf, moved to Big Sur, and opened Caf Amphora at Nepenthe. It had a small but very efficient kitchen, and the front serving area looked out onto a large open deck where customers could watch soaring hawks, spouting whales, and fabulous sunsets as they enjoyed their meals. We served breakfast and lunch throughout the day and also hosted special events and weddings on warm summer evenings.

After Caf Amphora, I worked as a private chef and caterer. I also managed the kitchen at the Esalen Institute for five years, with its abundant gorgeous garden, feeding 250 to 300 people three wholesome meals a day in a dynamic community setting.

My favorite time in the kitchen, however, is spent preparing celebration meals at home with family and friends. Everyone contributes something special to the occasion. We come together in the kitchen, infusing prana (life-energy) into the food with our laughter and love. Cooking together strengthens relationships more than any other activity we can do as a family, and teaches children important life skills. This book is the fruit of my personal and professional journey preparing nutritious and delicious food for myself, my family, and my communitya passion that began in my teens and evolved into a forty-year culinary career. In these pages you will find inspirational recipes, money-saving tips on shopping, helpful ideas for entertaining, and beautiful images to inspire your own creativityenjoy the experience!

Begin creating your kitchen by doing what you can, wherever you are, with what you have on hand. Your kitchen can be a knife and cutting board balanced on the tailgate of your truck parked at the beach, or wherever you are. Good light, a clean workspace, and willing hands are all that is needed to begin. Whether you live in a studio apartment with a toaster oven, or a big house with a designer kitchen, you can bring the farm to the table. For me, the serving environment is a key component of the experience. Begin by setting out a basket of ripening fruit, a pretty potted plant, or some freshly cut flowers or herbs. Bringing the beauty of the outdoors into your kitchen will enhance your experience and entice your loved ones to join you.

Imagine knowing where your food comes from, saving money and the environment, all while supporting your local economy. Yes, it takes a commitment, and the rewards are well worth the effort. You can make a significant difference by using cloth shopping bags, purchasing staples in bulk, and buying organic produce from local farmers. If you commit to buying local produce, you will benefit from fresher, more vital, and nutrient-rich food. By eating seasonally, your body will be more in harmony with natural cycles, getting grounding root veggies in fall and winter, cleansing young greens in the spring, fruits in the summer, and so on. Shop at farmers markets and develop relationships with the people who grow your food. One of the most fun, easy, and economical ways to get your fruits and veggies is to join a community supported agriculture group (CSA) and receive a box of their weekly harvest throughout the growing season. To further economize, look for the best price on whole food staples, which can vary considerably from store to store. Join a co-operative buying group, or gather friends and neighbors and start your own co-op or buyers club.