simplepretty

cover

The older I get, the harder I am to impress. And while I haven’t exactly been a star pupil of the Marie Kondo method, I have been quick to apply Kondo’s “Does it spark joy?” rule when considering new purchases. The brand-new Fern Verrow cookbook passes the Kondo test with flying colors: it’s full of joy.

A bit of background: Fern Verrow is a biodynamic farm located at the foothills of the Black Mountains in Herefordshire, England. When Jane Scotter and Harry Astley started out in 1996, they were new to farming but chose to educate themselves in the principles of biodynamic farming. The result is an intensely intentional approach, focused on the land both seasonally and holistically, often with a touch of spirituality. The couple incorporate many beautiful rituals into the work of a Fern Verrow farming year, but the story of Three Kings Day (January 6) is especially telling. Gold, frankincense and myrrh are ground into a powder that is added to water and then carefully — and deliberately — that bucket of water is used to sprinkle and hand-brush the elements onto all corners of the property. The time spent on this allows for reflection on the year that has passed as well as hopes and plans for the coming year. (The story is also a reminder that farming is hard work, even in January.)

The couple’s narrative makes for great reading. Through their stories of work and celebrations at Fern Verrow, I found myself drawn into the rhythm of the seasons and at times romanticizing about a farm of my own.

eggs (spring)

Thankfully, the cookbook appeals whether you’re in it for substance (the farming information and seasonal recipes) or style (with gorgeous photography by Tessa Traeger).

garden sandwiches (spring)

In the spring, nothing is simpler (or tastes better) than a radish sandwich — hopefully, with plenty of fresh butter.

edible flowers (summer)

A summer salad crafted from edible flowers is not only aesthetically pleasing, but healthfully decadent (and yes, delicious).

ducklings (spring)

Is there anything cuter than a paddling of fuzzy yellow ducklings?

the recipe that sold the book (summer)

What impressed me the most about the book is that the recipes were approachable. As I flipped through it on the display table at my local shop, I could actually imagine making most of the recipes. In fact, the one that sold the cookbook for me sounds straight out of an American cook-out: barbecued chicken with sweetcorn and lime leaf relish. (Perhaps the Lime Leaf Relish renders it English?) I can almost taste it from the photo and when I have a patio and a grill again, it will be one of the first meals on the docket.

The farm used to operate a weekly stall at London’s Spa Terminus (Nigel Slater was one of their regular customers.)* These days, Fern Verrow supplies Spring, Skye Gyngell’s restaurant at Somerset House, for the ultimate in farm-to-table dining.

Fern Verrow (Quadrille, £25) is available in the US (and UK) via Amazon.

photographs of book excerpts by jane potrykus

(to see more from Fern Verrow, follow them at Instagram)

* if, like me, you’re curious about what the Fern Verrow stall looked like, Tina at Colour Living took some lovely photos during her visit in 2012.