Hello my friends,
I am happiest in my kitchen (and the garden, really, who am I kidding.) Perhaps the pleasure of being in the kitchen is enhanced by time spent in the garden as so much of our food is connected back to the summer soil that grew our harvest. Potatoes that are roasting now were, back in March, simply bolted potatoes from the previous year’s harvest. A bit more time and the potatoes would’ve continually sprouted and eventually completely dried up and died. Instead, all those months ago, the old potatoes were tucked deep (very deep) into soil and given care through the growing season. Those potato-focused-efforts, spread across many months, are now sitting on my table swimming in cream and flaked with salt and dried thyme.
The December root cellar is still full of reflections back to the garden: yellow and purple onions, shallots, starchy potatoes, sweet potatoes, persimmons and apples, and even some eggplants that still remain in crates. My root cellar is currently functioning like a poorly-lit, slightly dusty grocery store. How fabulous!
I want to take you on a tour on the space below our kitchen. One day I hope to renovate it into something clean and fabulous, but for now, dirt floors and dusty jars will have to do.
I am extremely grateful for this space and for the knowledge that I’ve gathered over the past 15 years, including (but certainly not limited to) what we like to cook, what we like to grow, what we can store well, and ultimately - WHAT WE LIKE TO EAT!
Also, there’s still just a bit of time before Christmas to get a FABULOUS Dutch Oven from MadeIn to gift to the homecook in your life. Shop here and get 10% off your first order. They make positively wonderful products - every single piece I have of theirs is heirloom quality.
I hope you enjoy today’s root cellar tour (and cooking from our storage crops!).
Cheers,
Shaye