An inspiring read - I e forwarded it to my grandson who after several years of mild depression , unemployment and isolation stumbled upon a small start up restaurant started as KP and now 3 years later is an accomplished cook who loves feeding people good ( where possible) local food. The transformative power of hospitality has , for him been immeasurable
Sam, this is beautiful. I love your delight in giving to others through your food. And your conscious acknowledgment that this doesn't require perfection. I adore the story about the lentils, and I'm ordering Eating to Extinction to read it myself. Thanks for the recommendation! It's so important to protect treasured heirloom foods. And I love the story about your mom too, and her cooking with love for you and your brother despite her long days at work. And her undefeated pastry! She sounds amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful piece with us. ❤️
Thank you for your kind words. Honestly, you'll love Saladino's writing on food, he's a inspiration. Grounded and deeply human. He is a key influence in my journey with the Ceirch du Bach welsh oats at the farm.
I love that you have a personal connection with saving heirloom seeds! And that you're protecting this special Welsh oat variety. I've just ordered Eating to Extinction, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm so excited to know another fan of heirloom preservation.
I've also just bought The Seed Underground, by Janisse Ray, and some of my other favorite books on protecting important heirloom food varieties are:
Food Plants of the World, by Ben-Erik Van Wyk
From the Earth: World's Great, Rare, and Almost Forgotten Vegetables, by Peter Gilmore
100 Vegetables and Where They Come From, by William Woys Weaver
Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide, by William Woys Weaver
Grow Something Different to Eat: Weird and Wonderful Heirloom Fruits & Vegetables
And a bunch more on specific types of heirloom crops. I also love growing crops from the SeedZoo initiative at Richters Herbs.
Next on my list to read are:
The Seed Hunter, by Mitch McCulloch
Bizarre Edible Plants, by Joseph Simcox
If you've read any of these and also enjoy them, and/or have others to recommend, please let me know. This stuff is so important. I'm really excited that you're protecting your special oats. Please keep us posted about how this is going!
Lovely. The ending made me teary. The power of Mom!! Your imagery of the ripple effect caused me to think of Hilary Boynton of School of Lunch. She’s joyfully disrupting chronic disease with real food by teaching others traditional food methods. She started with her own kids’ school in SoCal and continues to hold workshops in the summer.
To answer Sam’s question… In my attempt to recreate a bar snack served to us in Le Puy, I’ve found the following to be invariably popular:
Puy lentils, just cooked, boiled with bay leaves and a little salt and *thoroughly* drained.
While still warm, stir in finely chopped spring onion, finely chopped basil, a pinch of bouillon powder or salt, a tablespoon of crème fraiche per about 75g dry lentils, and a very little good olive oil.
I live at the bottom of the world, in Tasmania, Australia. Yesterday was horrendously wet and wild and was the day for a lunch for volunteers at a nearby farm garden. The fire roared in the grate as the wind and rain lashed the windows of the gorgeous little farm venue. The heart and warmth in that room was unforgettable, even though there were only 8 of us, eating a simple meal made from the food growing in the garden outside the window. We had all tended those plants that were in our lunch. We drank chai, told stories and felt the generous hospitality of the farm owner who simply wants people to love his farm, use his farm and take from his farm not just ingredients but heart too. That is the ultimate hospitality, I think.
My wife really opened my eyes to the idea of hospitality. Whenever we have guest, if they're staying with us for a night or more she prepares their room with such care, often leaving a goodie basket filled with chocolates, treats, and other little knacks that she knows they like. She always makes the most wonderfully prepared meals while they're here (though she is a great cook in general) and just goes above and beyond to make them feel pampered while they're here with us.
Her approach opened my eyes and now I too really focus on the food we prepare for our guests, especially because we run on a tight budget so being able to provide deliciously prepared food is relatively affordable and relies more on my own skill than anything money can buy. I've recently been relearning the Bible and have seen the prioritization of hospitality in scripture which has just reinforced this idea and focus.
Lovely piece. I was also given a box of the Alb linsen by a friend, after talking about Dan's book. Being a seed grower rather than a chef, I planted them, & if you have any left, you might like to know that they grow rather well in Wales. In fact they were one of the few things to really thrive in the constant rain & gloom of summer 2024.
Tengo unos amigos que veo casi todos los dias, su saludo siempre viene acompañado de tomarse un tiempo para conversar de la Vida. Esta pareja de amigos para mi son 100% pura HOSPITALIDAD.
When I was hiking the Camino Francais in I lost count of the number of times a stranger offered us a spare orange, handful of trail mix or glug of water. We saw a beautiful weaving of exchange between people all travelling the same trail, swapping chorizo sausages for foot care, fizzy cola bottles for carry another's back pack a ways or just letting everyone know about a fabulous farmhouse cheese available in the next village. Our hosts, the Spainish people, really showed us what open hearted hospitality means and I remain inspired by their example.
My favourite lentil recipe is from Nigel Slater's Appetite. Puy lentils with oinions, bacon, lemon juice and spinach cooked in stock and flavoured with parsley and mint. It is sooo good!
Such a lovely reminder + weaving. And cheers to your Mum - would love to hear about some of her dishes that have stuck with you the most if she's willing to share some recipes
Ha, but I am going to disagree with you for the first time. That was not the story of a small thing! It was a story of many, many people giving their all, all of the time. This time it resonated, like a bell that keeps humming. It is because everyone you mentioned cared and acted, that those glorious lentils are resurrected.
As an organic farmer/dietitian, we always told our customers that health begins in our soil. Now I’ll expand that to include hospitality begins in our soil. Thank you! 🙏
So many elements of this post struck a chord, Sam! Like you, my experience of hospitality truly started with my mum, cooking every single meal from scratch. We never ate out as a family when I was young because the food she cooked was better and more wholesome than anything in town. That and I have strong memories of picking green beans off the vines in my pop's yard, sharing in what he had grown and tended to. Nowadays, I find cooking food for others, or receiving food that others have prepared such a touching experience, you get a small window into their personality, their life experience, and what makes them tick.
This was a beautifully written and thoughtful post--not only about hospitality, but also about a way of living in the world and interacting with other human beings. I especially loved the following:
"The guest is god not because they are to be worshipped, but because in their presence we find our own capacity for generosity. We become more human when we welcome, richer when we share. The world feels less like a competition and more like a table, long, worn, mismatched perhaps, but sturdy, with plenty of room still at the edges."
I found this writing affecting - thank you for it. It is helpful for a project that I am working on with some friends on how we create real space for participation in community gatherings. Your thinking on long duration hospitality resonated. Gifts of giving and receiving that might persist over time when opened by a space of welcome.
I was in the hospitality business for 22 years. MY first job in college was as a singing waitress in 1977. Lol. I've worked in fancy clubs in NYC to home style kitchens to catering. Good service requires attention to detail and observation. You have to be able to read people and what they require. IMO this skill has waned. Having friends in your care means giving not only what you have but listening to what they need. What I love to share most is my excitement for new dishes that I have tried and laughter. However, sometimes we need to be supportive, gentle, quiet and loving. I love to share the soups I make with friends who may need a reminder that they are loved and not forgotten. Lentils our our house favorite. Usually in soup. I have tried lentil meatballs and lentil rolls, both good. My last favorite recipes were a ginger peach feta lentil salad and a red curry lentil stew with kale. Yum. Take care Sam, and come visit us if you're out this way! You've got a place to stay.
An inspiring read - I e forwarded it to my grandson who after several years of mild depression , unemployment and isolation stumbled upon a small start up restaurant started as KP and now 3 years later is an accomplished cook who loves feeding people good ( where possible) local food. The transformative power of hospitality has , for him been immeasurable
Sam, this is beautiful. I love your delight in giving to others through your food. And your conscious acknowledgment that this doesn't require perfection. I adore the story about the lentils, and I'm ordering Eating to Extinction to read it myself. Thanks for the recommendation! It's so important to protect treasured heirloom foods. And I love the story about your mom too, and her cooking with love for you and your brother despite her long days at work. And her undefeated pastry! She sounds amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful piece with us. ❤️
Thank you for your kind words. Honestly, you'll love Saladino's writing on food, he's a inspiration. Grounded and deeply human. He is a key influence in my journey with the Ceirch du Bach welsh oats at the farm.
I love that you have a personal connection with saving heirloom seeds! And that you're protecting this special Welsh oat variety. I've just ordered Eating to Extinction, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm so excited to know another fan of heirloom preservation.
I've also just bought The Seed Underground, by Janisse Ray, and some of my other favorite books on protecting important heirloom food varieties are:
Food Plants of the World, by Ben-Erik Van Wyk
From the Earth: World's Great, Rare, and Almost Forgotten Vegetables, by Peter Gilmore
100 Vegetables and Where They Come From, by William Woys Weaver
Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide, by William Woys Weaver
Grow Something Different to Eat: Weird and Wonderful Heirloom Fruits & Vegetables
And a bunch more on specific types of heirloom crops. I also love growing crops from the SeedZoo initiative at Richters Herbs.
Next on my list to read are:
The Seed Hunter, by Mitch McCulloch
Bizarre Edible Plants, by Joseph Simcox
If you've read any of these and also enjoy them, and/or have others to recommend, please let me know. This stuff is so important. I'm really excited that you're protecting your special oats. Please keep us posted about how this is going!
Lovely. The ending made me teary. The power of Mom!! Your imagery of the ripple effect caused me to think of Hilary Boynton of School of Lunch. She’s joyfully disrupting chronic disease with real food by teaching others traditional food methods. She started with her own kids’ school in SoCal and continues to hold workshops in the summer.
The power of mum indeed! I'll have to look up Hilary Boynton, I can't say I know of her work. Thank you for sharing it!
To answer Sam’s question… In my attempt to recreate a bar snack served to us in Le Puy, I’ve found the following to be invariably popular:
Puy lentils, just cooked, boiled with bay leaves and a little salt and *thoroughly* drained.
While still warm, stir in finely chopped spring onion, finely chopped basil, a pinch of bouillon powder or salt, a tablespoon of crème fraiche per about 75g dry lentils, and a very little good olive oil.
Serve warm
I find it deeply satisfying and more-ish.
That sounds absolutely delicious, thank you very much Richard! I’ll be sure to try it.
I’d be glad to hear any observations you may have, Sam. Thanks
I live at the bottom of the world, in Tasmania, Australia. Yesterday was horrendously wet and wild and was the day for a lunch for volunteers at a nearby farm garden. The fire roared in the grate as the wind and rain lashed the windows of the gorgeous little farm venue. The heart and warmth in that room was unforgettable, even though there were only 8 of us, eating a simple meal made from the food growing in the garden outside the window. We had all tended those plants that were in our lunch. We drank chai, told stories and felt the generous hospitality of the farm owner who simply wants people to love his farm, use his farm and take from his farm not just ingredients but heart too. That is the ultimate hospitality, I think.
My wife really opened my eyes to the idea of hospitality. Whenever we have guest, if they're staying with us for a night or more she prepares their room with such care, often leaving a goodie basket filled with chocolates, treats, and other little knacks that she knows they like. She always makes the most wonderfully prepared meals while they're here (though she is a great cook in general) and just goes above and beyond to make them feel pampered while they're here with us.
Her approach opened my eyes and now I too really focus on the food we prepare for our guests, especially because we run on a tight budget so being able to provide deliciously prepared food is relatively affordable and relies more on my own skill than anything money can buy. I've recently been relearning the Bible and have seen the prioritization of hospitality in scripture which has just reinforced this idea and focus.
Lovely piece. I was also given a box of the Alb linsen by a friend, after talking about Dan's book. Being a seed grower rather than a chef, I planted them, & if you have any left, you might like to know that they grow rather well in Wales. In fact they were one of the few things to really thrive in the constant rain & gloom of summer 2024.
Me encantó lo que compartes hoy.
Tengo unos amigos que veo casi todos los dias, su saludo siempre viene acompañado de tomarse un tiempo para conversar de la Vida. Esta pareja de amigos para mi son 100% pura HOSPITALIDAD.
Saludos para Ti...
P.D...¿ tu libro saldrá algún día en Español ?
When I was hiking the Camino Francais in I lost count of the number of times a stranger offered us a spare orange, handful of trail mix or glug of water. We saw a beautiful weaving of exchange between people all travelling the same trail, swapping chorizo sausages for foot care, fizzy cola bottles for carry another's back pack a ways or just letting everyone know about a fabulous farmhouse cheese available in the next village. Our hosts, the Spainish people, really showed us what open hearted hospitality means and I remain inspired by their example.
My favourite lentil recipe is from Nigel Slater's Appetite. Puy lentils with oinions, bacon, lemon juice and spinach cooked in stock and flavoured with parsley and mint. It is sooo good!
Such a lovely reminder + weaving. And cheers to your Mum - would love to hear about some of her dishes that have stuck with you the most if she's willing to share some recipes
Ha, but I am going to disagree with you for the first time. That was not the story of a small thing! It was a story of many, many people giving their all, all of the time. This time it resonated, like a bell that keeps humming. It is because everyone you mentioned cared and acted, that those glorious lentils are resurrected.
As an organic farmer/dietitian, we always told our customers that health begins in our soil. Now I’ll expand that to include hospitality begins in our soil. Thank you! 🙏
So many elements of this post struck a chord, Sam! Like you, my experience of hospitality truly started with my mum, cooking every single meal from scratch. We never ate out as a family when I was young because the food she cooked was better and more wholesome than anything in town. That and I have strong memories of picking green beans off the vines in my pop's yard, sharing in what he had grown and tended to. Nowadays, I find cooking food for others, or receiving food that others have prepared such a touching experience, you get a small window into their personality, their life experience, and what makes them tick.
This was a beautifully written and thoughtful post--not only about hospitality, but also about a way of living in the world and interacting with other human beings. I especially loved the following:
"The guest is god not because they are to be worshipped, but because in their presence we find our own capacity for generosity. We become more human when we welcome, richer when we share. The world feels less like a competition and more like a table, long, worn, mismatched perhaps, but sturdy, with plenty of room still at the edges."
I found this writing affecting - thank you for it. It is helpful for a project that I am working on with some friends on how we create real space for participation in community gatherings. Your thinking on long duration hospitality resonated. Gifts of giving and receiving that might persist over time when opened by a space of welcome.
I was in the hospitality business for 22 years. MY first job in college was as a singing waitress in 1977. Lol. I've worked in fancy clubs in NYC to home style kitchens to catering. Good service requires attention to detail and observation. You have to be able to read people and what they require. IMO this skill has waned. Having friends in your care means giving not only what you have but listening to what they need. What I love to share most is my excitement for new dishes that I have tried and laughter. However, sometimes we need to be supportive, gentle, quiet and loving. I love to share the soups I make with friends who may need a reminder that they are loved and not forgotten. Lentils our our house favorite. Usually in soup. I have tried lentil meatballs and lentil rolls, both good. My last favorite recipes were a ginger peach feta lentil salad and a red curry lentil stew with kale. Yum. Take care Sam, and come visit us if you're out this way! You've got a place to stay.