The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Biggest Little Farm (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
Jessica and I had a private dinner with chef Molly and her husband John Chester, about 5 years ago up on the farm when they were promoting their picture book about Emma the Pig. The dinner was (obviously) farm-to-table fresh and absolutely divine. This is the wonderful farm up in Somis/Ventura that was the subject of the most beautiful documentary ever made – THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM.
— Maureen PalaciosMore than ten years ago, chef Molly Chester and her filmmaker husband left their urban L.A. life to purchase a neglected piece of land northwest of the city in the hopes of creating a more delicious and purposeful life. With a passion for regenerative, biodynamic farming, but a big learning curve to overcome, they threw themselves into the daunting task of revitalizing the land, which had been decimated by drought and pesticides. Today, they steward 234 thriving acres of gardens, animal pastures, habitat corridors, and orchards, including their abundant “Fruit Basket”—a lush tapestry of landscape that provides seventy-five different varieties of fruit trees. Chester and her husband’s gentle, slow, and unconventional approach has inspired other farmers, and was the subject of the 2019 award-winning documentary The Biggest Little Farm.
This debut cookbook brings the bounty of the farm to readers’ kitchens. As a chef who has long understood that flavor and healthy food go hand in hand, Chester is passionate about farm-fresh ingredients, and her cooking celebrates the tree-ripened fruits, seasonal vegetables, pastured eggs, and grass-fed meats for which the farm is known. With sections divided by season, and insider tips for sourcing the best produce, this a must-have cookbook for home cooks looking for inspiration for their farmers’ market hauls, and anyone looking to create a closer connection to their food. With enticing, preserved end-of-summer larder treasures like Tomato Raisins or a Dried Summer Stone Fruit Medley, comforting dinners like Slow-Roasted Pastured Chicken with Lemon-Fennel Crust or Spring Frittata with Fresh Peas, Arugula, Artichokes, Chevre, and Pesto, and bright, luscious salads like Avocado and Cara Cara Orange Salad with Jalapeño and Sesame-Miso Dressing, these nourishing recipes are a delicious guide to eating in connection with the land.
“It’s impossible to leave a visit to Apricot Lane Farms and not be affected by Molly and John’s infectious audacity, deep commitment to the stewardship of their land, and quality of their teeming harvest. It made my return to East Coast city life feel somewhat lackluster. But now, with The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook, my pastoral-inspired kitchen daydreams can run amuck! Molly’s simple, sumptuous recipes will lure you in and inspire you to cook with a new rhythm, guided by the seasons and nature’s abundance. Every dish, every lesson and story, sprinkled with a pinch of their farm’s fairy dust, ensuring the magic of this special place can be relished by all of us, no matter where we call home.” –Gail Simmons, food expert, TV host, and author of Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating
“As someone who eats to live due to an autoimmune disease, and lives to eat from sheer respect and adoration of beautiful food in its truest real form, Molly’s healing recipes speak my language and give me so much joy. The vibrant colors burst off the page, and the love that has been poured into not just the recipes, but the growth and care of the ingredients going into them is so prevalent. This book is going to become a companion to any home cook that appreciates food, but wants to nourish their families bodies while preparing stunning meals.” –Danielle Walker, New York Times bestselling author of the Against all Grain cookbook series
“The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook is equal to Molly and John’s farm in every way. For those who have a deep appetite for the blessings of the earth, it is a culinary masterpiece. The extraordinary diversity of Biggest Little Farm comes to life in the recipes, tips, taste, techniques, and teachings. You want to eat what’s on every page. Regeneration puts life at the center of every act and decision. This is what regeneration looks and tastes like, and it is extraordinary.” –Paul Hawken, author of Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation
“There is no better guide to seasonal, organic, healthy eating than Apricot Lane Farm's Molly Chester. This cookbook is a glorious inspiration and is sure to become a dogeared favorite in your kitchen. It is a gift to us all.” –Laurie David, author of The Family Dinner and producer of An Inconvenient Truth
“If you ever wondered what deeply embracing farm-scape stewardship looks like on your dinner plate, this fabulous book has the answer.” –Joel Salatin, sustainable farming educator and owner of Polyface Farm
“The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook is a must for foodies and cooks. Learn the basics such as nourishing stocks and lacto-fermented foods, or indulge in delights like rosti cakes and peach barbecue sauce from this beautifully illustrated tribute to fine food and natural farming.” –Sally Fallon Morell, president of The Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions