My all-time-favorite Vermont dining experiences run the gamut: fire-grilled paella at my state park wedding courtesy of the Hindquarter; spicy curried lentils scooped up with a piece of spongy, tangy injera at a class led by James Beard-nominated chef Alganesh Michael; literally any flavor of velvety Shy Guy gelato in a signature extra-tall sugar cone. The influences span the globe, but having had them all in-state, I consider them solidly “Vermont food.”
To sisters Jenna and Nora Rice, however, nothing earns that title quite like simple, homemade meals composed entirely of Vermont-grown ingredients. Next month, the food photographer and chef, respectively, will publish a cookbook on the concept, making exceptions only for a handful of “essentials”: salt, pepper, olive oil and, oddly, gelatin, in one dessert recipe. Focusing on approachable recipes made with easily sourced ingredients, The Vermont Farm to Table Cookbook includes 60 original recipes for year-round, local-as-it-gets cooking.
The Rice sisters grew up on a farm in Hartland, experiencing an idyllic, old-fashioned childhood complete with biking on dirt roads, swimming in ponds and eating candy from the general store. In young adulthood, the sisters’ paths diverged: Nora, now 24, studied culinary arts in England and worked abroad before returning to Vermont and starting mobile catering company Roaming Roots Kitchen from nearby Windsor. Jenna, 27, built a food photography and marketing business, as well as a diversified homestead in Weathersfield.
Flipping through an early copy of The Vermont Farm to Table Cookbook this spring, I admit I was skeptical. Absent were avocados, citrus and even wheat flour — not locally accessible enough, Jenna said. I missed these ingredients as well as the global influences of current Vermont fare. Despite myself, I bookmarked several recipes that seemed straightforward, colorful and downright delicious. (Maple-bourbon crème brûlée? Grilled peaches with black raspberry mousse? OK, you’ve got my attention.)
Separated into seasonal chapters, the book provides plenty of inspiration for turning homegrown garden produce or farmers market finds into satisfying meals. A home gardener herself, Jenna said she had been disappointed when other “local” cookbooks called for ingredients from far afield.
“I would find a recipe that would use a bunch of zucchinis, but then it would also call for lemons or something else you can’t grow around here,” she said.
The Rice sisters’ liberal use of Vermont dairy — including feta and cheddar cheeses, butter, milk, and cream — make for comforting breakfasts, dinners and desserts. Hearty mains use the ample pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken the state has to offer. The book also includes tips on which crops provide unmatched heft and versatility in homegrown cooking, such as winter squash, potatoes, cabbage and dry beans.
Over the years, I’ve gone from a strict recipe-follower to a shameless substituter, and I confess I strayed from the script a bit. To the honey-butter radishes with whipped feta, I added tender white hakurei turnips that called to me at the farmers market. My local egg supplier is a colleague who raises duck eggs, so I used those in the crème brûlée. Since it was a month too early for local green beans, I used frozen ones from Trader Joe’s in the brown-butter green beans with crunchy maple seeds. All turned out delicious despite my tinkering: The sweetness in the savory dishes achieved a perfect balance; the rich custard was a delightfully mapley indulgence.
I’ll continue to cook with citrus and avocados, but the Rices prove that Vermont-only recipes are worth their salt.