Welcome to the debut issue of this newsletter, Stories from Catbird Cottage! Many of you may already know, it has been an incredible process to get here. Though pandemic uncertainty persists, signing with Ten Speed Press in those early days, then writing the story that became A year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life has been one of the most affirming and incredible experiences I could have hoped to live. Two years in the making, countless hours conceiving - then photographing - every recipe, followed by months of recipe testing with intrepid participants (some from the other side of the world), and then writing 60,000 words to encapsulate the magic I've found in this piece of paradise. My book is is BEYOND BEAUTIFUL, and available for pre-order now!
I want to thank so many of you. You lovely people, who, without choosing our sweet cottage, making our home a destination for of-the-moment seasonal fare, revelry, and "replenishing the well" for all our humanity, none of this would be possible.
So many of you had preferences that have shaped my approach to the foods I grow, or sourced from farmers I love, or foraged on my land and nearby. Many recipes from the dishes you relished appear in my book. Your predilections have helped me expand my culinary repertoire to dream up some of the most compelling eating I have ever enjoyed. Thank you for helping me explore what-could-be-paired-with-what. To feel nourished by the coursed dinners I conceived and not *weighed down.* How lucky to share in your moments and commemorate your special occasions, AND make your next great memories!
In this newsletter, I'll be sharing info on the many upcoming events as my book baby launches on May 17th. I am offering newsletter subscribers an advance heads-up to all events. Join me in celebrating! We’ll have a fabulous wild-and-preserved (staple recipes magic) epic cheeseboard on my pub day (appropriately accompanied by bubbles); cocktails and a picnic at friends’ pastoral hilltop farm; a coursed dinner in the middle of nature, and more. Stay tuned!
If you would like to support my work as an independent writer, visual storyteller, and delicious food-maker, please become a paying subscriber - just the cost of a cup of coffee. Your support means I can continuously create high quality media, including recipes, stories in the field and garden, and musings on the world. Thank you for being here!
Now, a recipe to celebrate spring with lusty, perky rhubarb -
Roasted Rhubarb & Rye Crêpes
Makes 6-8 tender, earthy, tangy-sweet crêpes (including 1-2 sacrificial ones as you get the hang of it, aka cook’s treats)
rhubarb
4 stalks rhubarb, cut into 3-inch lengths on a diagonal, any especially wide stalks cut in half lengthwise, then into sections
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped from pod
1/2 cinnamon stick
Peeled strips from 1 small orange, any bitter white pith removed
Juice from 1 orange
2 tbsp maple syrup
Few grinds of black pepper
crêpes
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup rye flour
3 tbsp salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 1/2 c full fat buttermilk
2 tsp cane sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 eggs
whipped cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
Beat together the liquid ingredients for crêpes: whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, then the butter.
Sift in flours and whisk together to form a smooth batter. It will resemble a loose custard. Rest for at least 40 minutes. This step can be done up to two days in advance. Add the salt and sugar and mix until uniform.
Preheat oven to 400°.
In an ovenproof dish, toss together the rhubarb, vanilla bean and seeds, orange peels, cinnamon stick, orange juice, black pepper, and maple syrup. Roast rhubarb for 15 minutes, or until pieces give easily when pressed with the back of a spoon. Remove from the oven, discard vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, and set dish aside.
Pour the heavy cream into a small blender vessel. Blend on high speed for 10 seconds, just long enough to form soft peaks. Add the maple syrup. Blend again to form soft peaks, about 7 seconds, then taste and adjust sweetness as needed - it should taste somewhat (not very) sweet. Place the whipped cream in the fridge until you’re at the table.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a tiny bit of butter and swirl to coat - just enough to make the pan not feel dry - and only at the beginning. (Too much butter will prevent the crêpes from holding their shape as they cook)
Add 1/4 cup water and mix into the crêpe batter to thin slightly for easy pouring. The first crêpe is often a sacrificial one, which makes for a good snack as you work.
Ladle a generous 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan and swirl to as thinly as possible coat the entire pan surface. Cook for a solid minute on the first side. When the edge has crisped and begun to brown, and begins to pull away from the pan, then is it ready to flip.
I use my hands to gently lift at the more crisp side: in one gentle, confident movement, flip the crêpe. Cook just 10-15 seconds in the second side, then slide the crêpe from the pan into a tea towel to keep the stack warm as you cook the remainder.
Fold two crêpes per plate, then dollop with maple whipped cream. Spoon the rhubarb on top and serve with freshly cracked black pepper.
We went out to enjoy this feast at the picnic table in the sunshine. Yay spring. Because nature is always amazing, out of nowhere we became witness to a Merlin (a small falcon) swoop in, attempting to nab a sparrow. Oh how amazing it was!