In 2024, when Alice Waters wrote in the foreword to My Regenerative Kitchen, she referred to soil as "a reservoir of hope." A simple, yet powerful phrase, it’s been stuck in my head ever since. She couldn’t be more right; the ground beneath our feet isn't a backdrop—it's the whole story. Every choice we make at the table is a small vote for how we tend it.
That idea — that eating well and doing better are the same gesture — is what west~bourne has always been rooted in. Not in a grand, overwhelming way, but as a practice of reaching for something grown with care. Choosing the farmers who are putting more back into the earth than they're taking out. Cooking with the gifts mother nature gives us each season.
On Earth Day, I am always reminded of a simple fact: there is no planet b. I mean that plainly and without panic — just as a kind of north star. This is the kitchen we have. This is the soil we have. Let’s tend to it like our lives depend on it, because they do. How lucky are we to be able to choose to take care of our Earth at every meal we eat.
Spring is generous right now: asparagus, snap peas, green garlic, and radishes that taste bright and a little peppery in the best way. I've been keeping it simple, sauteeing everything with our avocado oil and finishing it with good salt. It gives me hope that each time I choose to nourish myself, I’m making a choice to nourish the planet in return. Locally sourced produce, regenerative oil that enriches our soil. It can be so simple.
Thank you for being here with us. For caring about what's on your plate and where it came from. Because every meal is a small act of hope.
with gratitude,
Camilla
Chef and Founder, west~bourne
|
