Happy Friday and happy May Day friends – I hope wherever you are, the trees are leafy green, the sky is brilliantly blue, the herbs are fragrant, and the mosquitos + humidity have not yet arrived.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but it’s been another whirlwind week around here. Out on the farm, we’ve been harvesting gorgeous spring greens like crazy, and there’s been a LOT of planting for summer as we hustle to get all the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, etc in the ground. Next week the basil is going in, and I’m already dreaming of big spoonfuls of pesto drizzled over every meal…

Speaking of which! For my local friends, sign-ups for my 10-week Summer CSA open on Monday, May 4th @ 9am. Space is limited, so if you’d like to be added to my CSA email list, just send me a message.

This week was also very exciting on a more artistic front, as I released my latest collection of original cyanotypes.

This new collection (12 pieces in all, framed and ready to go for easy gifting) is filled with striking florals, from poppies to peonies, orchids, and daffodils. Inspired by mothers (and all nurturing figures in our lives), I created this collection using the essential elements of mother nature – sunlight, hand-harvested botanicals, iron salts, and water. Each piece is truly one of a kind, and they all bring a distinct quality of light and new life into any space.

I’ve loved bringing these special pieces into the world, and I’m excited to see who they go home with.

see the collection

PS – if you’re curious to learn more about the cyanotype process, here is a helpful resource page.

Last but not least, here’s a look a our CSA box this week… we had some gorgeous rainbow chard, broccolini, looseleaf lettuce, little gem lettuces, kohlrabi, radishes, and some luscious leafy herbs. Coming up next week: beets! broccoli! cabbage! fennel!

PS – it’s the first Friday of the month, which means this week’s new recipe – the easiest ever spring green risotto – is available to ALL subscribers. For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

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The name of this recipe doesn’t lie – it really is the easiest, most hands-off method for risotto, and it doesn’t involve standing over your stove for 30+ minutes stirring constantly. (as justin beiber would say… hallelujah)

It’s filled with fresh asparagus, green peas, fresh herbs, and bright lemon – so basically, it’s a giant pot of green spring goodness.

This is an oven-baked risotto, where you combine Aborio rice + warm stock in a dutch oven (or any big pot with a lid) and bake for about 45 minutes. You’ll also quickly roast the asparagus in the already hot oven before stirring it into the risotto – that little extra step makes a big difference in the depth of flavor.

To finish, you vigorously stir in a bit more stock, Parmesan cheese, some dry white wine, butter, lemon juice, salt and voila! You’ve got risotto.

(Full disclosure: this short-cut risotto method is going to have a slightly different, ie softer, texture than risotto made the authentic, low and slow way… but TRUST ME, the flavors are all there, and it’s a no-brainer if you want to enjoy fancy schmancy risotto on a busy week night).

I hope you love this recipe as much as my two-year old does! Happy cooking good lookins. xo - Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.

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Easiest Ever Spring Green Risotto

Serves 6

Spring Green Risotto (printer Version)

58.7KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie stock (or 4 cups stock and 1 cup water), divided

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 1 yellow onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme

• 1 ½ cups Arborio rice

• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1lb), woody ends removed and asparagus chopped to 1” pieces

• 2 cups frozen peas

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 lemon, juiced (3-4 tablespoons juice)

• ½ cup finely chopped assorted spring herbs (such as parsley, dill, mint, chives, etc)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Make sure you have two oven racks ready – one in the middle of the oven, and the other in the lower third.

2. Pour 5 cups chicken or veggie stock (or 4 cups stock and 1 cup water) into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid (so the stock won’t evaporate).

3. In a large dutch oven (or any large pot with a tight fitting lid), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat slightly and add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon thyme, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook and stir frequently for 1 minute, until fragrant.

4. Stir 1 ½ cups Arborio rice into the pot, coating the grains with the onions and spices, and toast for 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups of the warmed stock, then cover the dutch oven with a lid and place on the middle rack in the oven (reserve the remaining 1 cup stock in the saucepan and keep it warm). Set a timer for 30 minutes.

5. Prepare 1 bunch asparagus by snapping off the woody ends and discarding them, then slice the spears into 1” pieces. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper. Set aside.

6. Once the risotto has been in the oven for 30 minutes, transfer the prepared asparagus to the lower rack of the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown.

7. After 10 minutes, remove the asparagus from the oven and set aside. Next, carefully remove the risotto from the oven and take off the lid. Pour 2 cups frozen peas into the pot and recover with the lid (no need to stir). Return to the oven for 5 minutes, giving the peas time to gently steam.

8. After 5 minutes back in the oven, remove the pot and stir in the remaining 1 cup warmed stock, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup dry white wine, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and the juice of one lemon. Stir actively for 30-60 seconds, until the rice is thick and creamy.

9. Finish the risotto by stirring in the roasted asparagus and ½ cup chopped assorted fresh herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

10. Serve right away topped with an extra squeeze of lemon, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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I don’t know if I’m just out of farm shape or if I’m getting old (or, let’s be honest, a mix of both), but holy guacamole I’m TIRED.

It’s mostly a good tired… the kind of tired you get when you’re out in the sunshine, moving your body, doing tangible work and seeing the fruits of your labor at the end of the day. But I’m finding that as I get older (I turn 37 next month), my body needs way more rest (and way more proper nourishment) than I did in my early 20’s, and I’m learning to re-calibrate what my body needs to be a properly functioning human who can be present for my family and two (very energetic!) young kids.

(Side note: this week’s new recipe has been a gift from the heavens, and it’s been keeping your girl fueled during this non-stop season).

Last Saturday I hosted a wonderful group for my spring Eat Like a Farmer workshop, and it was so, so lovely. My workshops are officially sold out for the 2026 season (!), and I’m so grateful to all the folks who make their way out to the farm to spend a Saturday with me in this special place. Together we harvest tender herbs and veggies, learn knife skills, and make several veggie-filled dishes together, all culminating in a beautiful meal at picnic tables surrounded by flowers

So even though I’m wildly tired, this is why I love this work. It takes every ounce of my energy, but it’s pretty darn special to witness the joy on people’s faces when they get to see how food is grown, pick it themselves, learn to wield a knife confidently, and then sit down and enjoy one of the freshest meals they will ever eat.

Last but not least, below is a look a our CSA box this week… we’re back with more glorious greens, from looseleaf lettuce to little gem lettuce, bok choy, tatsoi, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, and broccolini. SO. MANY. GREENS! (CSA members, I promise that more color is coming soon in the form of carrots, beets, etc).

PS – if you’re a home gardener looking to maximize your harvest yields this spring, check out my detailed video tutorial on how to harvest spring greens.

Okay friends, this girl is going to go take a nap! But you should most definitely keep reading and get this deliciously nourishing herby spring veggie & orzo soup, available for paid subscribers.

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PS – local friends! Come see me tomorrow (Saturday, April 25th) at Mayfest at Thistledown Farm from 3-9pm, where I’ll be selling my original cyanotypes.

As you’ve already heard, your girl is tired. And for the past week, my kiddos have been sharing their snotty noses and coughs with the whole family, which is super fun!! (not)

I’m pretty sure we could all use some extra nourishment right now, and I’ve personally been craving a really good, herby, lemony, veggie-filled soup this week. Which is exactly how this new recipe came to life, and oh my goodness it’s been a freakin lifesaver.

This soup is bright, hearty (without being heavy), filled with all your favorite spring veggies (think carrots, asparagus, peas, fennel, etc) and refreshing spring herbs. And the orzo adds some body and texture to the soup, giving it a lovely, cozy quality. BONUS: It’s a true one-pot situation and it comes together in less than 30 minutes, easily.

So if you have someone in your life who is under the weather, just had a baby, or just needs a pick-me-up… MAKE THIS SOUP and bring it to them! (Just make sure to save a bowl, or two, for yourself).

Happy cookin good lookins! - xo Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Herby Spring Veggie & Orzo Soup

Serves 6

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As a farmer, a big part of my job is constantly planning (and planting) for the future.

In October, I’m planting garlic that won’t be ready to harvest until June. In June, I’m sowing beans and corn that will fill our August CSA boxes. And in August, I’m planting tiny broccoli seedlings that will become big, beautiful crowns by October. When you think about it, farming is like chasing a rapidly moving target that you’ll never, ever catch… which, for me at least, is what makes this work so exhilarating and keeps me coming back year after year, trying to do it better every time.

And even though it feels like spring only just started, this week we planted our summer tomatoes!? It never ceases to amaze me how swiftly the growing season moves, and it’s a constant challenge to stay in the present and be prepared for what’s coming next.

Speaking of which, back to the present! Here’s a look at our CSA box this week – lots of gorgeous greens, from lettuce to baby kale, bok choy, chard, bunched kale, broccolini, and turnips. I’m especially proud of this one.

In other news, I’ve finally fully moved into my beautiful new workshop, and yesterday I even made my first batch of new cyanotype prints over there.

I’m working on a full post with all the details on the workshop and how it came together (if you have specific questions or link requests, let me know in the comments), but in the meantime here’s a peek of the inside:

Okay friends, it is THE most gorgeous day outside and I’m itching to get back in the dirt, but you most definitely should keep reading for a brand-spankin-new recipe for california sunshine kale salad, available for paid subscribers.

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Okay, real talk, this week has been… a lot. While managing a busy week on the farm, a photo shoot yesterday, and prepping to teach a workshop this weekend… I’ve also been solo parenting my two young kiddos while Matthew has traveling all week. So yeah, it’s been a lot of very early mornings, very late nights, and jam-packed days in between.

All this to say, I’ve had approximately zero energy to cook this week, even though I have a literal farm of insanely beautiful produce 100 feet from my kitchen.

Enter this salad, which is literal sunshine in a bowl (and, thank goodness, wildly easy to make). It’s inspired by a salad I always got when we lived in Santa Barbara, and it was filled with California goodness like avocados, apricots, pistachios + fresh kale, and it was drenched in a bright, lemony vinaigrette and dotted with creamy, salty goat cheese.

I’d like to think I’ve re-created that dreamy California salad pretty darn well here… and at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, if I could only eat one salad for the rest of my life, this one might be it?!

I hope y’all love it as much as I did this week… when I literally ate the entire salad (a serving intended for 4-6 people, lol) in one sitting while cozied up on the couch, binging The Pitt after putting both kids to bed. It really is that good.

Happy cooking good lookins! xo Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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California Sunshine Kale Salad

Serves 4-6

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And just like that, the first week of our Spring CSA is in the books!

(If you’re new here, we sell our produce through a CSA program, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA members sign up and invest in our farm at the beginning of the year, and once the growing season gets rolling, they get a bodacious box of fresh produce directly from our farm every week).

Since early February, my team and I have been preparing beds, seeding, transplanting, irrigating, weeding, and doing alllll the things with very little to show for it (except for very sore muscles)… so it’s wildly gratifying to finally see the literal fruits of our labor come together, filling boxes to the brim with veggies for our wonderful CSA members. As a CSA farmer, it’s always nerve-wracking to make sure that we have enough produce ready for this first week, and I’m proud (and relived!) that we pulled off a really lovely box of veggies.

Here’s a snapshot of our large CSA share this week (we offer 2 sizes, regular and large), which contained a TON of looseleaf lettuce, arugula, and bunches of swiss chard, lacinato kale, radishes and asparagus:

CSA days are fast-paced. There are usually 6-7 different crops to harvest, wash, and prep before they go into each box, and it’s a LOT to tackle in just a few hours.

Now that the harvest season has begun, this little farm will be churning out fresh veggies, herbs, and fruit *every week* until Thanksgiving. (Just writing that last sentence makes me feel tired, but let’s just take it one week at a time, shall we?)

It’s a long and whirlwind season ahead, and I’m excited to bring y’all along for the ride, so thank you for reading and for your support!

I’d love to know… if you have a home garden, how is your season going so far?

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PS – Keep reading for a delishhh recipe for sheetpan chimichurri meatballs with creamy polenta, available for paid subscribers.

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Sheetpan meatballs are a big-time dinner staple in our house. I mean, who doesn’t love meatballs?! Especially when you can whip them up in just a few minutes and they just need a quick 15 minutes in the oven? Yes thank you more please.

This week I was feeling inspired by all the greens growing on the farm, and I was suddenly craving a bright chimichurri sauce, which led me to dream up this recipe for sheetpan chimichurri meatballs with creamy polenta.

Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinean condiment with countless variations, but pretty much always involves fresh parsley, garlic olive oil, vinegar, and some red pepper flakes or chili powder. I like to describe this sauce as PUNCHY - ie you should really taste the vinegar / garlic / fresh herbs in every bite. I love spooning this green goodness over grilled meats, potatoes, polenta, etc – and I've learned to always make extra, as it ends up being the sauce that everyone reaches for seconds (or thirds).

A quick note that this recipe may look like a lot of ingredients, but I promise they’re pretty much all pantry staples, and this is a meal where you can easily multi-task and make everything at the same time. (Pro tip: first get the meatballs in the oven, and while they cook you can stir together the polenta, and then whiz up the chimichurri sauce).

Happy cooking good lookins! xo Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Sheetpan Chimichurri Meatballs with Creamy Polenta

Serves 4-6

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After a rough and tumble month of March (spark notes version: scrambling to prep beds and plant thousands of seeds + seedlings, keeping said plants alive during countless freezing nights, taking care of sick kiddos, solo parenting while Matthew was traveling a ton for work, making a new website from scratch and releasing my debut art collection, etc etc)… I’ve gotta say, the first few days of April have already been pretty freaking dreamy.

At this point in the farm season, we’ve gotten all our spring plants in the ground (hallelujah!), and we’ve finally caught up on all the weeding, pruning, and general cleaning as we prep to kick off our Spring CSA next week. (Speaking of which… to all my wonderful CSA members, I seriously cannot wait to start sharing all these beautiful vegetables with y’all. So much goodness coming your way!)

And even though absolutely *everything* is coated in an insane amount of pollen (IYKYK), we’re currently in a lovely stretch of warm, sunny spring weather that just makes everything 100x better. (And because my cyanotype obsession isn’t stopping anytime soon, you know I’ve been out every free moment creating tons of new prints powered by the sun).

PS – for my local NC friends, several people have asked me about offering hands-on cyanotype workshops this summer… if there is enough interest, I might put some on the calendar! Let me know if this is something you would want to try?

20% spring subscriber discount

For one more day (!), I’m offering a 20% discount on all annual paid subscriptions to this newsletter.

I VERY rarely have discounts (like maybe 2-3 times a year) so if you’ve been on the fence about upgrading, now is the time! As a paid subscriber, you’ll get a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, plus access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats. I hope you will join us!

To redeem, upgrade to be a paid annual subscriber by Saturday, April 4th.

get 20% off paid annual subscription !

Good news… it’s the first Friday of the month, which means this week’s new recipe – a fabulous lemony arugula pasta with pistachios & burrata – is available to ALL subscribers. For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

Ready for a spring-y, restaurant-quality pasta dish that’s on your table in 20 minutes?

Y’all are in luck, this one is a winner winner lemony arugula pasta with pistachios & burrata for dinner. This pasta truly could not be simplier to make, and it hits ALL the fabulous spring-time flavor notes: bright lemon, tender greens, salty + crunchy pistachios, refreshing herbs, and creamy burrata cheese.

With just 10 ingredients in this pasta, you’ll want to use nice fresh arugula, a good hunk of real parmesan cheese, fresh squeezed lemon, and a luscious ball of burrata. Because if there’s one secret to making food that tastes amazing, it’s all about the quality of your ingredients!

When I made this for my family, I paired it with some yummy homemade meatballs for some extra protein, and it would also be great with some roasted chicken, tender salmon, or a juicy grilled steak.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS - Don’t forget! There’s a rare 20% discount on all annual paid subscriptions this week. To redeem, upgrade to be a paid annual subscriber by Saturday, April 4th.

get 20% off paid annual subscription !

As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

Lemony Arugula Pasta with Pistachios & Burrata

Serves 6

Lemony Arugula Pasta With Pistachios & Burrata (printer Version)

60.8KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 1lb pasta (any shape is fine, I especially like shorter pasta shapes like orecchiette)

• 2 tablespoons + ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• ½ cup reserved pasta water

• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more to taste

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• ¼ teaspoon roasted red pepper flakes

• 4-5 ounces (4-5 packed cups) arugula (or use baby kale, spinach, or chard)

• 8 ounces burrata, torn into pieces

• ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, roughly chopped

• Handful finely chopped fresh mint and/or italian parsley, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook 1lb pasta in a big pot of water seasoned with 2 tablespoons kosher salt until al dente (follow package instructions for exact cooking time). *Before draining the pasta, RESERVE ½ CUP PASTA WATER* and then drain the pasta and return the cooked noodles back to the pot.

2. Add ½ cup reserved pasta water, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon roasted red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to the pot. Stir vigorously for 30-60 seconds until creamy. Taste (!) and add any additional kosher salt or lemon juice if needed.

3. Just before serving, stir in 4-5 ounces (4-5 packed cups) arugula.

4. To serve, transfer the finished pasta into bowls and top with 8 ounces burrata cheese, ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, and a generous amount of fresh chopped mint and/or italian parsley. Enjoy!

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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Spring is finally SPRINGING around here! We’ve had a glorious week of sunshine and warm temps at the farm, and it feels like all the veggies are suddenly growing in overdrive mode (which is a good thing, because our spring CSA officially starts in 11 days). Now that most of our spring veggies are in the ground, this week we’ve focused on keeping up with weeds, pruning, mowing, and starting seeds for our summer flowers + veggies.

Here’s a peek at our tunnels, where we’re growing our first round of spring veggies like swiss chard, kale, arugla, turnips, and radishes:

And tomorrow I’m hosting my first workshop of the season, my Home Gardening 101 class. It’s one of my favorite workshops to teach, and I get so genuinely invested in my students’ home gardens and making sure they have all the tools + resources they may need to have a thriving veggie garden this season (and beyond).

Speaking of which… for all my friends who aren’t local and can’t attend a workshop in-person, I’ve packed every ounce of my veggie growing knowledge into this Spring Vegetable Garden Guide, which is a treasure trove of information digging into ALL the nitty gritty details for a growing bountiful spring veggie garden this year.

From which crops to plant, when to plant them, ideal spacing, favorite seed varieties, harvesting tips for maximum production, etc – it’s ALL in the guide.

And because I want as many people as possible to have access to this information, I have some exciting news…

20% spring subscriber discount !

For the next week only, I’m offering a 20% discount on all annual paid subscriptions to this newsletter.

I VERY rarely have discounts (like maybe 2-3 times a year) so if you’ve been on the fence about upgrading, now is the time! As a paid subscriber, you’ll get a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, plus access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats. I hope you will join us!

To redeem, upgrade to be a paid annual subscriber by Saturday, April 4th.

get 20% off paid annual subscription !

Okay, enough of all that... keep reading for a truly fabulous herby spring frittata with asparagus & goat cheese, available for paid subscribers.

I firmly believe that nothing beats an herby, veggie + cheese filled frittata for pretty much any spring brunch situation. Which is why I was kinda of shocked to realize I’ve never shared my tried and true, 10-ingredient, one-pan frittata recipe with y’all?

But there’s no gate keeping around here (!), so I hope you love this one as much as our family does. This recipe is very straightforward and adaptable, so feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand (my favorite combo is mint, parsley, and dill), and if you don’t have asparagus just yet, you can substitute another quick-cooking veggie like broccoli or a sweet bell pepper. Maybe goat cheese isn’t your thing? Just use another soft, salty cheese like feta.

Also – this recipe calls for the zest of 1 lemon – and for the love of god and frittatas, DO NOT SKIP THE LEMON ZEST! It’s just the right pop of bright citrus, and a little lemon zest makes the whole thing sing.

Happy frittata-ing friends!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS - Don’t forget! There’s a rare 20% discount on all annual paid subscriptions this week. To redeem, upgrade to be a paid annual subscriber by Saturday, April 4th.

get 20% off paid annual subscription !

As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

Herby Spring Frittata with Asparagus & Goat Cheese

Makes 8 regular sized frittata slices or 6 large slices

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As I’m typing to y’all on this sun-filled Friday morning, my back and shoulders are wildly sore, my arms are sun burnt, and my fingernails are crusted with dirt. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

It’s been a week filled with planting spring veggies (so. many. veggies.), pulling weeds, mowing grass, moving into my new workshop, cyanotyping new pieces for my upcoming collection (more on that below!), harvesting the very first asparagus spears, and running around with our two kiddos (who are finally back in full day preschool, hallelujah).

We have some chilly nights coming up over the next week, so I’ll be spending a lot of time doing my *least* favorite farm task… covering (and uncovering) all the veggie babies with frost cover, and crossing my fingers that they all survive the below freezing temps. Godspeed baby veggies!

So yeah, it’s been a very full but good week.

And a reminder that my debut cyanotype collection releases on Friday, March 20th @ 10am EST! The collection is called First Bloom, and it’s a celebration of the first tender blooms of spring after a long winter – think daffodils, cherry blossoms, lilies, etc. These pieces will breathe new life into your home as we say goodbye to winter, and they are a daily reminder of the magic of mother nature.

If you want to be first to know about my new collection releases, cyanotype tutorials, and updates from my workshop, subscribe to the Collector’s Circle. This is a totally free newsletter, and I’ll only send 1-2 emails per month.

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Okay, let’s keep it moving! Keep reading for a delishhh rotisserie chicken caesar wrap, available for paid subscribers. And don’t miss the quick video tutorial showing you how to properly fold up a wrap like a pro!

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When I’m developing a new recipe every week, I’ll be honest that my recipe inspiration can be kind of self-serving. Case in point, all last week I was craving a really good chicken caesar wrap. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. And because we live out in the country, I can’t exactly pop out real quick to pick up whatever food I want at any given moment.

And I was kind of embarrassed to realize I’d never actually made a chicken caesar wrap before? How hard could it be? (The answer is not hard at all… but a good recipe and proper technique is key).

And so! After some testing, I’m excited to share a fool-proof rotisserie chicken caesar wrap recipe with y’all today. This wrap hits ALL the notes we want – salty, crunchy, creamy, and a bright pop of lemon to lighten everything up. (There miiight even be some crisp potato chips snuck in there for some extra crunch + salt).

A note that you certainly don’t have to use a rotisserie chicken… but if you know me, you know I love a good rotisserie chicken and finding ways to turn them into easy weeknight dinners. And you definitely don’t have to use homemade caesar dressing (though I’m sharing my go-to homemade caesar just in case).

PS – remember that I said proper technique is important? Let’s all review how to properly fold up a wrap (or burrito) so that all your delicious filling doesn’t fall out. See below for a quick video tutorial I made for you!

How to fold up a wrap | video tutorial:

Happy filling, folding, and eating friends!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Wrap

Makes 2 wraps

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Holy guacamole, it has been a week. A wildly busy, full, (mostly) really good week.

On Tuesday we received our spring veggie seedlings (literally thousands of seedlings), and we’ve been blessed with the most gorgeousss spring weather, so it’s been all hands on deck getting the new plant babies tucked in the ground. There is still a LOT of planting to do, but we’re chipping away a little bit each day, and hopefully by this time next week everything will be planted.

(PS – if you need some spring planting guidance, check out my comprehensive spring veggie garden guide).

But in an even bigger development… this week I started moving into my new workshop! Thank goodness my mom came to visit this week, and she stayed up late with me painting furniture, staining butcher block, scrubbing floors, babysitting toddlers, and generally just being the best sidekick helping me fill this space with so much beauty. I am so, so incredibly happy with how everything has come together, and I’m so thankful to the crew at Red Dirt Design + Build for building the workshop of my dreams.

This space will be the first dedicated office I’ve ever had (!), a place where I can write + develop this newsletter, host intimate workshops, expand my cyanotype practice, and create more value-added products from the farm (think tea blends, herb salts, salves, etc). I know it’s cheesy, but this workshop really is a dream come true (and it wouldn’t have been possible without support from the Orange County Economic Development Agriculture Grant… thank you thank you thank you).

As I type this, the outside of the workshop is getting painted, and I’m busy putting all the finishing touches on the space. I’m going to be sharing a bunch of videos in the next few weeks sharing some of my DIY projects (like creating a custom 10-foot desk from Ikea cabinets and a giant butcher block), so follow along on IG if you want to see those!

I’m keeping today’s note short and sweet so I can get back to work outside… but good news, it’s the first Friday of the month, which means this week’s new recipe – a fabulous spring veggie & sesame noodle stir fry – is available to ALL subscribers! For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

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This recipe has been one of the most popular that I’ve ever shared on here, but it’s been behind a paywall for the last 2 years… so this week, I wanted to bring this one back and turn off the paywall so everyone can enjoy it!

It’s a suuuper delish (and very weeknight friendly) spring veggie & sesame noodle stir fry, and it is a WINNER. I’m especially proud of the stir fry sauce – I think it strikes just the right balance of salty, a little spicy, a touch of sweetness, and lots brightness thanks to fresh ginger and garlic. It’s just the right ratio of noodles / veggies / sauce, and while the stir fry is very filling on it’s own, it would also pair great with a protein like tofu, salmon, steak or a crispy fried egg to round out the meal.

I make this stir fry several times a month, and even my pickiest kid likes it (which is a small miracle), so I hope your family loves it as much as we do!

A few recipe notes + substitutions:

• The key to a successful stir fry is getting all the ingredients and components prepped before you heat up your skillet! First things first, get your noodles cooked, sauce whisked together, and veggies chopped. (Side note – you can absolutely get everything prepped a few hours ahead, and then the actual stir-frying just takes a few minutes).

• Sesame oil vs toasted sesame oil… what’s the difference?! I’ll be honest, this confused me too, so I did some research. Here’s the super short version: Regular sesame oil is for cooking (ie frying at high heat) while toasted sesame oil is for finishing / incorporating into sauces and dressings. So for this recipe, we start by frying the veggies in regular sesame oil (or any neutral vegetable/canola oil), and the stir fry sauce calls for the more flavorful/nutty toasted sesame oil (though if you only have regular sesame oil, it’s totally fine for the stir fry sauce too). Keep in mind that toasted sesame oil packs a lot of flavor, so a little bit goes a long way.

• For this recipe, I use bok choy, broccoli, carrots, and scallions – but the options are pretty endless for other veggies you can throw in. Some nice spring vegetable substitutes would be asparagus, sugar snap peas, snow peas, kale, swiss chard, or spinach. Just make sure you cook the sturdier veggies first, and add the tender leafy greens towards the end.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.

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Spring Veggie & Sesame Noodle Stir Fry

Serves 3-4

Spring Veggie & Sesame Noodle Stir Fry (printer Version)

74.2KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

For the salad

• 8 ounces soba noodles (or udon or rice noodles)

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or any high heat vegetable/canola oil)

• 1 medium head broccoli, florets and stems chopped into bite-sized pieces (3-4 cups chopped)

• 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced (keep white/light green AND dark green parts separated)

• 2 baby bok choy or 1 large bok choy, leaves AND stems sliced in ½” strips (keep stems & leaves separate)

• 3 carrots, very thinly sliced or peeled into ribbons

• Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, roasted salted peanuts

Stir fry sauce

• ¼ cup cold water

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• ½ cup soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (regular sesame oil is fine too)

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon minced/freshly grated ginger

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you like it spicy)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the stir fry sauce – in a medium size bowl, whisk together ¼ cup cold water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until there are no more lumps. Whisk in the remaining ingredients (½ cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced/grated ginger, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes) until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, then set aside.

2. Cook the noodles – in a pot of boiling water, cook 8 ounces soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with a splash of sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.

3. Prep the vegetables – Heat 1 tablespoon regular sesame oil (vegetable/canola oil) in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 head chopped broccoli (florets and broccoli stems), the white/light green parts of the sliced scallions, and the chopped stems from 2 baby bok choy. Stir to coat in the oil and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Next add the sliced bok choy leaves, dark green parts of the scallions, and 3 thinly sliced/peeled carrots. Cook, stirring frequently for another 2 minutes (tongs will make it easier to toss the bok choy greens), or until the bok choy leaves have wilted. It will look like a lot of vegetables at first, but I promise, everything will cook down after a few minutes!

4. Finish the stir fry – Add the cooked noodles and the stir fry sauce to the skillet and use tongs to toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I usually add another splash of soy sauce. Serve in bowls topped with sesame seeds and/or roasted peanuts and enjoy!

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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Happy rainy Friday from the farm. I don’t know about y’all, but this week has been a DOOZY. (lol someone please tell me, is something happening with the moon or stars or planets right now?) Everything is okay, there are just a lot of house / farm / life things suddenly needing my attention all at once, and after a slow and quiet winter, this week was a shock to my nervous system.

And it’s looking like next week will get even busier with several very exciting happenings… first things first, we’re getting all of our spring seedlings on Tuesday! It will be a big push to prep a ton of beds and get our new spring seedlings in the ground (think broccoli, kale, lettuces, beets, asian greens, chard, etc).

Also happening next week… moving into my new workshop! (More about this workshop project on a previous post here). The team at Red Dirt Design + Build has done an amazing job building the workshop of my dreams, and next week it will finally be ready to move in. My mom is coming in town this weekend to help me bring it all together, and I can’t wait to share an update with y’all.

ALSO happening next week… my kids are finally going back to their beloved preschool! Back in July, their school was hit by a devastating flood, and it’s taken 7 months to fully gut and renovate the space. But on Monday, we are BACK baby! I’ll be honest that it’s been a tough season navigating the loss of daily childcare for our two young kids, and we are all VERY ready for them to get back to preschool. But while there were many, many days when I wanted to pull my hair out… I can also say that I’ll always cherish this season, and I’m genuinely grateful for all the extra time at home with my two sweet, silly, wild farm kids.

Okay wait, one more thing! I’m excited (and a little nervous) to announce that my debut collection of cyanotypes will be released on Friday, March 20th. The collection is called First Bloom, and it’s a celebration of the first tender blooms of spring after a long winter – think daffodils, hellebores, cherry blossoms, pansies, etc.

After an especially cold and dreary winter, this collection sparks joy and signals a bright new beginning as we head into spring. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing sneak peeks of the pieces in this collection on instagram, and I’ve also created a new newsletter just for my cyanotype work, so if you’re interested in being the first to know about new collection releases, cyanotype tutorials, and updates from my workshop, head over to my new newsletter, the Collector’s Circle. (This is a totally free newsletter, and I’ll only send 1-2 emails per month.)

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Whew, that was a lot. And my brain is a little fried right now, so I think it’s time we get into this week’s new recipe for slow cooker chicken tikka masala. Trust me y’all, this one is a winner winner chicken tikka masala for dinner!

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When the farm starts waking up again for a new growing season and my days get busier and busier, I start leaning heavily on my slow cooker to crank out meals that keep us fueled, and this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe is a long-time family favorite. It is suuuper creamy and flavorful, packed with hearty veggies and chicken, and after about 20 minutes of initial prep, the smell of warming spices will fill your home all day until dinner.

Tikka Masala is a traditional Indian sauce/dish made from tomato and cream (typically in the form of heavy cream, coconut milk, or yogurt) and with spices like ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and cumin. It is slightly sweet and earthy, and is often served over a bowl of rice and with some toasty naan bread.

This recipe is a very simplified and “hands-off” version of an authentic tikka masala, and it’s the kind of meal made for busy families during busy weeks. I promise, this one’s a keeper!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 6

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This week, the sweet sound of singing frogs returned, and it was the most glorious thing I’ve heard in months.

Something I love about living in the country is getting a front row seat to these little signals from nature… the daffodils juuust starting to pop, the grass greening, the birds re-emerging, the frogs singing. Side note – I realize that for my more northern friends, spring isn’t quite springing just yet… I’m sorry for the tease, your turn is next!

On Tuesday, we had a glorious blue-sky t-shirt wearing kind of day, and Ginger, Hannah and I got the sugar snap peas and carrots planted into some gorgeously fluffy soil. (And as I type this on Friday morning, there’s a steady rain outside giving those seeds a good soak, which bodes well for excellent germination). We also planted our first round of turnips and baby kale in the tunnels, and next week we’ll get our first succession of lettuces and arugula in the ground. I know it’s technically still winter… but around here it really feels like spring. is. springing!

And a quick heads up for my local North Carolina friends – there are only 2 spots left in our Spring CSA, so if you want 8 weeks of the freshest spring veggies, you can sign up here. If you have any questions about the CSA, don’t hesitate to send me a message.

PS – fellow gardeners (and aspiring gardeners!), if you need some help / inspiration for your spring veggie garden, I’ve got you covered… make sure to check out my information-packed Spring Veggie Garden Guide.

Okay, let’s get to this week’s new recipe for red curry baked dumplings with veggies, available for paid subscribers.

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I’m not on Tik Tok, but apparently there’s a viral Trader Joe’s dumpling recipe that has taken the internet by storm. It was recommended to me by a friend, and last week I gave it a try. My take away? It was pretty good! But not great. And it definitely needed some more veggies and a more flavorful (and less sugary) sauce.

So this week, I made it my mission to create my own version of this viral recipe. It took a few tries, but I’m happy to report that today’s recipe for a red curry dumpling bake with veggies is a slam dunk. This is the ideal weeknight dinner – there’s just a little chopping and a few ingredients to whisk together for a red curry sauce, and then it’s totally hands-off and bakes in the oven for about 40 minutes. For real, this one is going into our weekly rotation from here on out.

A few quick recipe notes:

• This recipe calls for frozen dumplings – make sure to bake them straight from frozen, no need to thaw! I like the veggie or chicken gyoza potstickers from Trader Joe’s, but any brand of frozen dumplings is great (16 oz / 1lb bag).

• For the red curry paste in the recipe, I like to use Thai Kitchen brand.

• Don’t forget to make a side of rice or noodles to serve with the dumplings for a complete meal.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Red Curry Baked Dumplings with Veggies

Serves 3-4

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It’s pretty wild what some sunshine and dirt will do to make you feel like a human again, ya dig? After a particularly brutal winter (by North Carolina standards lol), this week was the first time in foreverrr that I’ve gotten to wear a t-shirt and put my hands in the soil, and dang it felt GOOD.

On Tuesday, we planted the first round of kale and swiss chard in our caterpillar tunnels, where they will slowly but surely grow over the next two months until they’re ready to harvest in April for the start of our spring CSA. Next week we’ll plant carrots, sugar snap peas and turnips, and from there it’s full steam ahead towards spring. Hallelujah!

It feels good to be excited to farm again. By the end of last year, after a full growing season and still navigating the loss of our regular childcare when our beloved preschool flooded back in July, I ended the year feeling very burnt out and just wanted to hunker down inside and live in my sweatpants. I was left wondering when I was ever going to feel rested enough to have the energy to farm again.

And then I’m reminded, this is the magic of winter. I’m continually impressed by farmers who have the bandwidth to churn out veggies all year long, but I’ve learned that I need the months of December and January to fully rest, recharge, watch bad TV and stay up too late reading the stack of books on my nightstand.

Because just like clockwork, every February as the days get warmer and longer, I’m suddenly itching to pull on my boots and dirty overalls and get back out there. I’d like to imagine that even forty years from now, when I’m gray-haired and creaky-boned, the arrival of spring will still find me reaching for my mud-caked boots, ready to get outside and dig in the dirt, ready to start anew.

PS – if you’re also itching to get growing this season, check out my 4-Part *Guide to Start a Garden*! I’ve removed the paywall (until February 20th) on Part 1: Establishing Goals & Garden Set-Up, which is jam-packed with resources to give you the tools and confidence to get started.

Speaking of which… a reminder that if you have any gardening or cooking related questions, I’m here to help. Paid subscribers can send in questions on our private community HELP LINE, where there’s no question too big or small. (Just click the orange button that says “Start a new thread” to ask your question).

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Okay, let’s get to this week’s new recipe for crock pot pork with white beans & kale, available for paid subscribers.

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I realize that a lot of folks are still stuck in the depths of winter for a while (I’m sorry!!), and so this stew is for YOU. I’ve had the idea for a brothy, veggie-filled shredded pork stew for a while, and I really, really love how this one turned out.

This recipe for crock pot pork with white beans & kale is a fairly hands-off slow cooker situation – though it starts by first browning your spiced pork shoulder (also known as boston butt) in a hot skillet, and then the pork slowly cooks for 7-8 hours until it’s meltingly tender. This is definitely a *rich* stew, but it’s lightened and brightened by carrots, white beans, kale, and a healthy dose of lemon juice + hot sauce.

Best served over a bowl of rice and a slice of toasted sourdough, this is a wonderfully warming, stick-to-your-ribs kind of stew that pairs excellently with your coziest pajamas pajamas and a good book (or bad TV lol).

Happy cookin good lookin!

xo Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Crock Pot Pork with White Beans & Kale

Serves 4

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It’s been a cloudy, chilly, dreary winter week here at the farm, and there’s still some lingering snow on the ground from the 6” we got over the weekend. I was solo parenting for most of the week, and I feel like I’ve been outside for a total of 30 minutes over the past several days. Basically, this farmer is in major need of some sunshine and dirt under my fingernails (lol I’m going stir crazy for real, here’s proof).

To try and kick these winter blues, I made some time yesterday to play and create a new cyanotype print. Thank goodness for the gift of making art to stay sane in this season of life. PS – I know I’m overdue to give y’all an update on my new workshop… I can’t wait to show you the progress, it’s looking so so good.

In other news, I’m very happy to announce (for my local friends) that sign ups for my Spring CSA are officially OPEN! After scaling back the farm for the past few seasons to focus on my young kiddos, I'm beyond excited to offer a full CSA again this year, and I can't wait to get growing for all you wonderful people. :)

A few important dates + details:

• Our 8-week Spring CSA has pickups on Tuesday afternoons at our farm (5 mins from Saxapahaw, 15 mins from Carrboro), with the first pick up on Tues, April 7th and the final one on Tues, May 26th.

• There are two CSA share sizes available (Regular shares for $28/week and Large shares for $33/week).

• As a CSA member, you get a big box of just-harvested spring veggies and herbs every week, along with a detailed email from me with recipe suggestions and storage tips.

Ready to sign up? Head on over to my website. Questions? Just shoot me a message (michelle@farmbelly.com).

It’s the first Friday of the month, which means this week’s new recipe – a fabulous orzo alla vodka pasta – is available to ALL subscribers! For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

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Anyone else craving a juicy summer tomato right about now?

I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to fresh tomatoes, and I refuse to buy them when they aren’t in season locally (lol except for when my tomato obsessed toddler sees her favorite cherry tomatoes in the produce aisle and immediately grabs them).

But that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy tomatoes in the winter! I just lean heavily on preserved tomatoes in the form of tomato paste, canned tomatoes, etc. in the winter months, and this recipe for orzo alla vodka is a perfect vehicle for anyone craving the taste of summer tomatoes in February. The secret here is tomato paste, which is hands-down the most intensely flavored form of preserved tomatoes you can get.

This is a slightly untraditional take on a classic penne alla vodka – a simple pasta dish known for a rich and creamy tomato sauce (and yes, a touch of vodka to deglaze the pan). I love the texture and bite that you get from orzo – which is just a small, rice-like pasta noodle – and this recipe actually feels very risotto adjacent.

Full disclosure, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make and it’s done in under 30 minutes, but you will be doing a bit of stirring at the stove to achieve maximum creaminess. I highly suggest you put on your comfiest PJs, pour a glass of wine, turn on some Olivia Dean, and enjoy the incredible smells that fill your home as you whip up this pasta. Summer can’t come soon enough, and this pasta makes it taste just a little closer.

PS – While I have every intention of being the sort of farmer who has time to preserve my excess tomatoes during peak summer months… in this wild season of life, that just isn’t the reality. So store-bought canned tomatoes/tomato paste it is! And there ain’t nothing wrong with that. ;)

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.

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Orzo alla Vodka

Serves 4

Orzo Alla Vodka (printer Version)

58.7KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ cup (4 ounces) tomato paste

• ⅓ cup vodka

• 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo

• 4 cups water

• ½ cup heavy cream or half & half, plus more to taste

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste

• Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 small diced yellow onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Lower the heat slightly and stir in 3 cloves minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently (to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn), until fragrant.

2. Stir in ½ cup tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it takes on a deeper red color. Pour in ⅓ cup vodka and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet (that’s where the flavor lives)! Simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed.

3. Add 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo to the skillet and stir well to coat the orzo in the tomato paste and spices. Add 4 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook at a steady simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the orzo is al dente (tender with a tiny bit of bite) and most of the liquid is absorbed. Exact cooking time may vary depending on the brand of orzo you use.

4. Stir in ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 more minutes, until the orzo is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. If you’d like the pasta to be saucier, add a bit more cream.

5. Taste (!) and adjust seasoning as needed. To serve, ladle warm pasta into bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil or parsley.

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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It’s been a cold, cloudy week here in North Carolina as we wait for an intense winter storm to hit this weekend. And honestly, the dark and foreboding weather has been a mirror to my state of mind all week. I cannot – I will not – sit here and pretend like what’s happening around our country, and especially in Minnesota, is okay. Because it’s not okay, it’s not normal, it’s not right.

The one glimmer of hope this week came from an unlikely place. Some of you may have heard of the Walk for Peace, which is a 2,300-mile pilgrimage by Buddhist monks making their way from Texas to Washington, D.C. And this week, the monks are trekking through North Carolina, and their path took them just a few miles down the road from our farm. So yesterday afternoon, I got my kids in the car and we drove to a nearby quiet two lane country highway to wait and watch for the monks to pass. I can’t adequately describe in words how meaningful the whole experience was – especially this week, when the state of the world feels so heavy. So I’ve done my best to capture the experience here.

It was incredible to witness the peaceful, joy-filled palpable energy that the monks on this pilgrimage are leaving in their wake as they slowly walk across the country. As they passed us on the road yesterday, we looked each other in the eyes and smiled and exchanged flowers and bracelets and apples and I’m just profoundly grateful.

But what’s the point, really? Why does this walk matter, especially right now? Well, in the words of the monks themselves:

“Everything that has ever mattered began with something impossibly small. A single seed. A first mindful breath. A quiet decision to take one step, then another.

Our walking itself cannot create peace. But when someone encounters us—whether by the roadside, online, or through a friend—when our message touches something deep within them, when it awakens the peace that has always lived quietly in their own heart—something sacred begins to unfold.”

That’s all I’ve got for today y’all. Stay safe and take care of each other. (And make some really good, easy winter sheet pan soup – recipe below)!

Did you know you can make soup on a sheet pan?

Well, you can do most of the work on a sheet pan (no constant stirring or simmering or hovering over the stove needed), and it might just change your life. Or at least how you make soup.

This is an ideal lazy snow day soup. It’s ridiculously easy to make, and the end result is warming, vibrant, and packed with nourishing veggies. Roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, a sweet/tart apple, onion, and fresh ginger create the flavorful base, and what makes this soup really sing is garam masala, which is spice combination traditionally made from a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. If you don’t already have a jar of garam masala in your spice cabinet, I highly recommend picking some up! You can also substitute it with curry powder and a dash of cumin + cinnamon.

Once the veggies are roasted and tender, just throw everything in a blender with some coconut milk, hot water, and a squeeze of lemon juice and you are DONE.

So good, so simple. This is what it means to eat like a farmer!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Winter Veggie Sheet Pan Soup

Serves 4

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It’s a balmy 22 degrees as I write to y’all on this Friday morning, which is prettyyy darn cold for us here in North Carolina.

It seems like much of the US is hunkered down with seriously cold temps this week, so I hope this finds you somewhere cozy under a warm blanket… not that anyone asked, but our family is obsessed with these big fuzzy blankets. We have them in every room of the house, and it’s what I’m currently snuggled under.

Thanks for all the love after my big announcement last week! The construction team officially broke ground on the new workshop on Wednesday, and after years of dreaming about having my own dedicated workspace, it’s finally feeling real. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, this quick video will catch you up to speed.)

In other farm news, this week I dropped off my seeds for the 2026 growing season to a local farmer friend who starts all the seedlings for our farm. Side note – I’m working on a new post that will go out next week where I’m sharing all the specific varieties for every vegetable that we grow on our farm, in case it’s helpful for fellow growers. So let me know if you have other seed-related questions!

Speaking of which… a reminder that if you have any gardening or cooking related questions, I’m here to help! Paid subscribers can send in questions on our private community HELP LINE, where there’s no question too big or small.

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Okay, let’s get to this week’s new crunchy, highly crave-able green supreme crunch salad, available for paid subscribers.

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We’re officially in deep winter, and it’s around this time that I start craving anything green and crunchy and bright. Anyone else?

Enter this green supreme crunch salad, which is packed with crisp, crunchy green veggies and fruit (think kale, cucumbers, celery, green apples, etc) and tossed with a creamy tahini, lemon & ginger vinaigrette. This salad couldn’t be easier to make – just some chopping and shaking up the vinaigrette, and you’re ready to eat in about 10 minutes. Another plus – this salad makes for great leftovers, because it’s full of hearty veggies that won’t wilt into a sad heap in the fridge.

So consider this salad the most fabulous vitamin boost you’ll get all week. Even my two-year old couldn’t get enough and was asking for second and third helpings (really).

Happy cookin good lookin!

xo Michelle

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Green Supreme Crunch Salad

Serves 4

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Hey friends, congrats on making it through the first week of 2026. How we doing?

Honestly, the state of the world feels just as fraught as it did for all of 2025, and the reality is that for all the resolutions we may set, nothing really changes on January 1. We’re still here, stuck in the same mess, and we still have to get up each morning and navigate our way through. Right now, I really don’t have any answers or any words of wisdom. All I know is I’m trying to balance the need to be informed and engaged politically/socially, while also protecting my peace and staying focused on creating good, tangible things in my little neck of the woods.

All this to say, I’m taking this year one day at a time and trying my darnedest to be a force for goodness and beauty and joy. Like playing with my kids in the biggest (and most expensive) pile of fresh compost.

Speaking of which… I’ve been sitting on some news for a while and I’m just going to get right to it: I’m building a workshop!

For the past 6+ years that we’ve lived in this house, my “office” has been our mess of a kitchen counter, with chaotic overflow into our guest room. And especially since having kids, any sense of personal space has completely gone out the window.

So for years I’ve dreamed of building a small workshop on our farm to serve as a dedicated place to work, grow my offering of value-added products, create art, write this newsletter (!), and bring people together with more hands-on workshops. But this kind of project is obviously a significant financial investment, and it always felt out of reach. On a whim, I applied for an agriculture business development grant offered through our county, and last month I got the insanely good news that I GOT THE GRANT.

And with that, I hit the ground running. I’m so freaking grateful to be surrounded by super talented and creative humans, and my dear friend Beth Williams (who is an incredible designer) took my vision for a simple, light-filled workshop and created the most elegant design for the space.

And I’m teaming up with the superstar crew at Red Dirt Design + Build for the actual construction of the workshop, which is breaking ground in the next week or two (!).

I’m excited to bring y’all through the whole workshop-building process from start to finish, so stay tuned for more about the overall workshop design, the materials we chose, the real costs associated with the project, the ups, the downs, etc etc.

But more about all that another day.

Now let’s get to the good stuff, aka this week’s new recipe that kind of changed my life – hidden veggie baked ziti, available for paid subscribers.

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I’ll never forget when our dear friends brought us a giant baked ziti while we were deep in the newborn trenches with our first kid. I was deeply sleep deprived, overwhelmed, and starving pretty much all the time, so when this ziti came into our house, all was right in the world. It was the definition of comfort food – warm and cheesy and filling and exactly what I needed to feel like a human again.

Ever since that day, baked ziti has become a regular fixture in our house (and now it’s the dish I always bring to my new parent friends). It was a nearly perfect recipe, except for ONE thing… it needed more veggies. What can I say? As a vegetable farmer, I can’t resist packing as many veggies as possible into my recipes, so I went to work tweaking the recipe until it was perfect.

I’m happy to report that I’ve successfully snuck in lots of carrots, celery, peppers, and zucchini into this ziti, so now you can enjoy the most comforting pasta dish while *also* getting your daily serving of veggies. And just in case you have a wildly picky eater in your house (like I do), all of the veggies are secretly blended right into the sauce, so your celery-hating children will never know the difference.

I really can’t emphasize enough what a soul-filling, healing recipe this is. Make it for yourself, make it for your neighbor, or just make it for anyone in your life who needs a hug in pasta form (which we all kinda need right now).

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Hidden Veggie Baked Ziti

Serves 10

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Happy new year friends!

Congrats on making it through the holidays and for almost being done with this strange, liminal week between Christmas and New Years. I love a fresh start, a clean slate, a blank canvas… but honestly, the past few weeks have been bonkers (in a mostly good way) and I haven’t had a moment to reflect on 2025 OR set goals for 2026.

(And also… who decided it was a good idea to start the new year in the middle of winter? I’m sorry, but post-holidays on January 1st is just *not* the time when my tired, overwhelmed self feels ready/excited to set a bunch of lofty goals for a new year. What I want to do right now is melt into my couch and binge watch Heated Rivalry and eat lots of soup ((hint: see today’s new recipe)) and read all the new books on my bedside table and hibernate all day in my pajamas.)

But I digress.

God willing and the creek don’t rise, next week I’ll finally have some childcare help again, and hopefully I’ll have the bandwidth to reflect and set some intentions for the year ahead… but until then, the farm is still fast asleep and I’m deep in mom mode, busy playing with toy trucks, building blanket forts, watching lots of Paw Patrol (aka the latest obsession for both of my kids), and bundling up to go play on the new swing-set in our backyard.

All that said, I’m genuinely excited to dive into my 4th year of this newsletter (!) and I’m so, so grateful to every single person who opens these emails in your already crowded inbox. Next Friday, I’ll be back with some major updates from the farm, including a BIG new project that is starting in just a few weeks that I can’t wait to tell you about… and of course I’ll have a delicious new seasonal recipe to share.

Speaking of which, keep reading for this week’s new recipe, which will ensure that you have good luck in 2026… black-eyed pea & collard green soup with smoked sausage.

And good news, it’s the first Friday of the month, which means the recipe is available to ALL subscribers! For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

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If you’re from the south, then you don’t need me to tell you that it’s good luck to eat black-eyed peas, collards, and ham on January 1st. (I fully realize that I’m sending this out on January 2nd, but it’s close enough lol). Growing up in Missouri, I had no idea this was a thing, but as soon as we set roots in North Carolina, let’s just say that the locals made sure to educate me properly.

This southern culinary tradition is deeply rooted in the African-American diaspora, and it’s been eye-opening for me to better understand the history behind the tradition – I highly recommend this article from NY Times if you’re interested in learning more.

If black-eyed peas and collards don’t exactly sound like your idea of a *good time* –hear me out! This is a super straightforward one-pot situation where the sum is truly greater than its parts. I really can’t explain it, but this combination of humble ingredients transforms into something altogether nourishing, hearty, and super flavorful. To make it extra quick and easy, I use canned black-eyed peas and they are perfect and taste like any other mild bean (just make sure to drain and rinse first).

Good luck or not, this soup is one heck of a delicious way to start your new year.

Get cookin good lookin!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.

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Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Green Soup with Smoked Sausage

Serves 4-6

Black Eyed Pea & Collard Green Soup (printer Version)

68.3KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 (12 ounce) package fully cooked Andouille or smoked sausage links, sliced into rounds

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 stalks celery, sliced thinly

• 4 carrots, sliced into thin rounds

• 3 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

• 4 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 diced yellow onion and 1 package fully cooked andouille or smoked sausage links, sliced into rounds. Cook the onions and sausage together for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions and sausage are beginning to brown. There will be extra fat in the pot from the sausage, and that’s a good thing (in my opinion)!

2. Lower the heat slightly to medium-high and add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and stir frequently for about 2 minutes, until well-mixed and fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn!

3. Add 4 thinly sliced celery stalks and 4 sliced carrots to the pot, stirring until the vegetables are coated in the aromatics that you added in the previous step. After about 2 minutes of cooking the carrots + celery, add 3 cans drained and rinsed black-eyed peas and 4 cups water (or low-sodium chicken broth) to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender and the soup has thickened to your liking.

4. To finish, add 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the greens have wilted, then turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Taste (!!!) and adjust seasoning as needed – you may want a bit more salt and/or more vinegar.

5. Serve in bowls alongside warm buttered cornbread, and some hot sauce if you’d like. And have a luck-filled new year!

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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It’s been a chillyyyyy week here in North Carolina, with lots of freezing days + nights and hints of flurries, but no real snow accumulation… fingers crossed we get some proper snow days this winter!

It was just too dang cold/wet to do much work outside this week, so not much to report there. Instead, I’ve been focused on lots of crop planning for next season, buying seeds, etc.

…and let’s be honest, I’ve been spending lots of time stuck inside this week cyanotyping my little heart out. (ICYMI, I’m kind of obsessed with an alternative photography art form called cyanotype, and apparently it’s become my whole personality?) Last weekend I had the BEST time at the Saxapahaw Holiday Market (a bustling holiday market extravaganza in our little village of Saxapahaw featuring 100+ local artisans, visited by thousands of people every year), and I still can’t really believe that my original cyanotype pieces are being sold at the wonderful Riverside Collective.

Speaking of which…

last call for holiday gifts!

• My healing herbal salve – This salve is made from an organic coconut + olive oil blend that is gently infused with medicinal plants grown on our farm (calendula, comfrey, and plantain). The infused oil is then blended with beeswax and fortified with Vitamin E and high quality essential oils. Basically, it has magical healing powers. Keep this luscious salve for yourself, or they make great gifts for the holidays. Get yours here.

• A *virtual* private garden consultation – Each season I accept a limited number of consultation clients, and I will personally guide them through goal setting + problem solving for the upcoming growing season, with the option of having me create a customized planting plan. Because these consultations are virtual, the consultation recipient can live anywhere. More info here.

• Farm to table cooking class – My workshops are very hands-on, include a full tour of the farm, and everyone helps harvest fresh produce that we use to make (and eat!) several vibrant, seasonal dishes together… all while learning tons of handy gardening and culinary lessons. It really doesn’t get more *farm to table* than this! 2026 workshop calendar here, and gift certificates available here.

• A 1-year subscription to this newsletter – Give the gift of good cooking + growing! Print a gift card that you can wrap here.

• PS – Here’s a curated list of my Top 10 Kitchen Tools, which is filled with must-have culinary items for anyone who loves to cook. Lots of good gift ideas in here!

Alright, let’s get to this week’s new recipe, which I absolutely will be making again for dinner tonight. I’m obsessed.

The idea for this recipe has been stuck in my head for a long time, and this week I finally brought it it to life. And HOLY GUACAMOLE this creamy tortellini situation with mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes is better than I ever imagined. It’s creamy without being overly heavy, and the sun-dried tomatoes + spinach + lemon juice add lovely brightness and vibrance.

This recipe is a true one-pot wonder and it’s on the table in under 30 minutes, making it the *ideal* cozy winter weeknight meal. I’m making this again for dinner tonight because I genuinely cannot get it out of my head.

Side note… this would be perfect for feeding hungry house guests over the holidays! As written, the recipe serves 4 hungry people, but it can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.

A few quick ingredient notes:

• Fresh tortellini is a revelation! Very affordable, feeds a crowd, and cooks in 5 minutes. Look for it in the refrigerated section, usually wherever your grocery store has specialty cheeses/cured meats/dips. This is a brand that I especially like.

• The sun-dried tomatoes make this recipe SHINE, so don’t skip them! You’ll need about 1 cup of drained and sliced sun-dried tomatoes, which I find is about the contents of a 7-ounce jar (like this one).

• Just a friendly reminder that ALL of my recipes are seasoned exclusively with Diamond kosher salt, and I *highly* recommend stocking your kitchen with this brand of salt for all your cooking, which is the industry gold standard. If you’re using fine sea salt or any kind of table salt, cut the amount of salt written in this recipe in half.

Happy cooking friends! I hope y’all love this recipe as much as I do. :)

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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One-pot Creamy Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms & Sun-dried Tomatoes

Serves 4

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Happy December! Happy holidays! Happy frantic wild chaotic stressful time of year!

This year my kids are 4 and 2, and it’s the first holiday season where they’re old enough to be properly giddy about Christmas trees and ornaments and making cookies and hot chocolate and stories of Santa’s reindeer… and it’s the actual BEST. I’m someone who usually gets very stressed out by the holidays (though I’m pretty sure that is all of us?), so it’s been a real breath of fresh air to re-experience the magic of this season through the eyes of my kids.

Out on the farm, there’s still tons to do as we end the year, but thankfully there’s no sense of intense urgency like there is during the peak growing season. We still have crops to clear out, weeds to pull, tarps to move, and a giant mess of a barn to clean out… but my team and I are moving more slowly and gently, sleeping in a little, and we know we will get it all done eventually.

I have a LOT of exciting updates and projects in the works for 2026, which I’ll be able to share more about in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. :)

In the meantime, let’s talk about some excellent holiday gift ideas…

1) My healing herbal salve – IYKYK… over the years, these salves have become a cult favorite, and they sell out every year! This salve is made from an organic coconut + olive oil blend that is gently infused with medicinal plants grown on our farm (calendula, comfrey, and plantain). The infused oil is then blended with beeswax and fortified with Vitamin E and high quality essential oils. Basically, it has magical healing powers. Keep this luscious salve for yourself, or they make great gifts for the holidays. Get yours here.

2) A *virtual* private garden consultation with yours truly! Each season I accept a limited number of consultation clients, and I will personally guide them through goal setting + problem solving for the upcoming growing season, with the option of having me create a customized planting plan. Because these consultations are virtual, the consultation recipient can live anywhere. More info here.

3) A farm to table cooking class at our farm! My workshops are very hands-on, include a full tour of the farm, and everyone helps harvest fresh produce that we use to make (and eat!) several vibrant, seasonal dishes together… all while learning tons of handy gardening and culinary lessons. It really doesn’t get more *farm to table* than this! 2026 workshop calendar here, and gift certificates available here.

4) A 1-year subscription to this newsletter! Print a gift card that you can wrap here.

5) Also! Here’s a curated list of my Top 10 Kitchen Tools, which is filled with must-have culinary items for anyone who loves to cook. Lots of good gift ideas in here!

Last but not least… local friends, be sure to stop by the Saxapahaw Holiday Market this weekend! The market runs from Sat, Dec 6th (9am-5pm) through Sun, Dec 7th (9am-4pm) and you can find my original cyanotype pieces at Riverside Collective. I’ll personally be at Riverside for a bit on both Saturday and Sunday, so come say hello!

Okay, enough chit chat, let’s get to this week’s recipe for tuscan white bean soup with winter greens. It’s the first Friday of the month, which means the recipe is available for everyone!

This tuscan white bean soup is like the coziest sweater you own, but in soup form. It’s hearty, colorful, warming and nourishing in all the best ways, and it’s filled with veggie goodness (think celery, carrots and winter greens, alongside aromatic tuscan herbs and creamy white beans).

It’s also a great example of how good cooking isn’t complicated – but it often requires a bit patience, as you gradually and intentionally build flavor throughout the cooking process. There aren’t any fancy ingredients in this recipe (and I bet you already have all of them in your fridge/pantry), but by the end, you’ll be amazed at the depth of flavor you’ve achieved from such humble beginnings.

But please don’t forget the splash of lemon juice at the end! It really helps brighten the soup and kicks all the other flavors up a notch.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.

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Tuscan White Bean Soup with Winter Greens

Serves 6-8

Tuscan White Bean Soup With Winter Greens (printer Version)

71.2KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 strips of bacon, diced (optional)

• 1 large (or 2 small) yellow onion, cut to a small dice

• 4 celery stalks, sliced ¼” thick

• 4 medium carrots, sliced into ¼” rounds

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 3 15-oz cans white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini), drained and rinsed

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, rind reserved

• 4 cups water

• 1 bunch winter greens (kale, collards, chard, etc), stems removed and thinly sliced (5 cups greens)

• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add 4 strips diced bacon and cook, stirring for around 4 minutes, until it begins to brown. NOTE: to make this soup vegetarian, just skip this step!

2. Add 1 large diced yellow onion, 4 sliced celery stalks and 4 sliced carrots to the pot and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes.

3. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried thyme and cook, stirring frequently to toast the aromatics, for about 1 minute.

4. Add 3 cans rinsed and drained white beans, 4 cups water, and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you’re grating from a parmesan wedge with a rind (or if you have Parmesan rinds stashed away), cut off the rind and toss it into the soup… it adds amazing umami notes and depth of flavor.

5. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and all the flavors have melded.

6. Add 1 bunch sliced winter greens. Simmer for another 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted and tender. Finish by stirring in 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and remove the Parmesan rind.

7. Taste! Add more salt and/or lemon juice if needed. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, just add a bit more water.

8. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some additional grated Parmesan.

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.

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I was talking with a friend earlier this week when it was brought to my attention that Thanksgiving is… NEXT WEEK?! Am I the only one who truly did not know this?

Alas. It’s been a relatively quiet week on the farm and we made a solid dent on my to-do list of clearing out old crops, covering all the bare soil with tarps, and cleaning up + putting away all the landscape fabric and drip tape. We also prepped our beds for planting garlic, which will go in the ground next week! (Side note, if you need a refresher on planting garlic, I have a handy guide here).

This week I also got my 2026 Johnny’s Seeds catalogue in the mail, which quite literally made me yelp with happiness when I opened my mailbox. IYKYK.

In case it’s helpful, here are my go-to sources for high quality seeds – if you go to their websites (see the included links), you can usually request a physical seed catalogue to be sent to your home:

• Johnny’s Seeds – especially suited for larger-scale growers, Johnny’s is my one stop shop for high quality seeds (and all kinds of farming + gardening tools). I source the majority of my seeds from Johnny’s! They sell in bulk, but also in smaller seed packet sizes for home gardeners.

• High Mowing Seeds – a 100% organic source for a wide range of seeds.

• Floret Farm – a dazzling range of specialty flowers, carefully bred and grown right on their farm in Skagit Vally, WA. A note that their shop is only open a few times a year, so make sure to sign up for their newsletter to be the first to know!

• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – seeds specially bred and selected for optimal success in the south/mid-atlantic region.

• Row 7 Seeds – experimental seeds bred for maximum deliciousness.

• Baker Creek – known for their rare/heirloom seeds.

In other news, last weekend I was honored to be part of a guest artist reception at Riverside Collective down the road from our farm in Saxapahaw, and it was a total pinch-me moment. It is WILD to think that 6 months ago, I could not have told you what a cyanotype was. And on Sunday, I was teaching folks all about the magic of cyanotype and showcasing my original pieces. I’m really not sure what’s to come, but I’m so wildly grateful to be right here, right now, surrounded by such an incredibly supportive community and doing work that fuels me + brings joy into peoples’ homes.

Holiday Cyanotype Commissions

Speaking of which! I’ve loved making some super special cyanotype commissions for friends & family these past few months, and I’m opening up 3 cyanotype commission spots for the holidays. Do you have a special photograph, flower, heirloom object, poem or handwritten note you’d like to turn a one-of-a-kind cyanotype? Let’s chat! I can turn almost anything into a cyanotype… it’s a pretty magical process, and makes an incredible, one-of-a-kind gift.

To inquire about a commission, please fill out this interest form.

One last thing! A heads up that I’m going to take next Friday off to spend time with family over the holiday, but you’ll see me again in your inboxes on Monday when I’ll be announcing 2026 farm to table workshop calendar + releasing tickets! Spots in these classes tend to sell out fast, so if you want to give a hands-on experience for the food-lover in your life this holiday, keep your eyes peeled for that email announcement on Monday (Nov 24).

Alright, let’s get to this week’s new recipe, which is an absolute must-have at Thanksgiving (which… just to remind you/me… is next week)!

In my family, it’s simply not Thanksgiving without sweet potato casserole. This recipe has been passed through the generations from my fabulous Great-Aunt Shirlee (who actually lives just down the road from us in Hickory, NC), and it truly is one of my all time favorite holiday dishes to make (and eat)!

Now, I know there are two different camps when it comes to the proper topping on a sweet potato casserole: team marshmallow and team pecan. Not trying to ruffle any feathers here, but I truly *cannot fathom* putting sweet/soft marshmallows on top of an already sweet/soft sweet potato casserole?! Someone please make it make sense.

All to say, I am obviously on team pecan, as it is clearly the optimal topping for giving the casserole some much needed texture and crunch. Another bonus, the topping comes together in about 5 minutes, which you can easily whip up while the sweet potatoes are in the oven.

I’d like to think this sweet potato casserole strikes the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and I love how decadent it tastes without being cloyingly sweet.

Whatever team you’re on, I genuinely hope you have a joy-filled and sweet potato-filled Thanksgiving holiday. Happy cookin good lookin!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Serves 10-12

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Early Tuesday morning we had our first real frost of the year, and around here, the first frost is always a momentous occasion. It’s a bittersweet marker of the end of the growing season, as we wrap up all the long, tiring days filled with abundance and embrace a slower, quieter, more restorative winter season.

In a normal year, I’d still be on the hook to provide CSA boxes full of fall veggies for another several weeks, which would have meant another month of constantly stressing over weather forecasts and fighting the wind to keep frost cover from blowing away so we could protect our crops from freezing.

But because we didn’t have a fall CSA this year, right now my farm team (and my toddlers lol, see below) are focused on cleaning up the farm and putting all the beds, well, “to bed” for the season.

I’ve also been using this quieter season to dream & scheme up some exciting things for 2026… here’s a peek at what’s coming!

CSA Program

For all of my local friends, I’m happy to report that in 2026 the Farmbelly CSA will be back in full force! There will be a Spring (8 weeks), Summer (10 weeks), and Fall (10 weeks) session of the CSA – so you can sign up for all 3 seasons or just pick the one(s) that make the most sense for your home. As a CSA member, you get a big box of 6-8 different fresh produce items from our farm every week, along with helpful info about how to store + cook each vegetable/herb. A few important bits of info as we look ahead to next year:

• CSA pickups in 2026 will be on-farm only, on the usual day/time of Tuesdays from 2pm-7pm (pickups on Wednesdays can be arranged).

• Sign-ups for the Spring CSA will open via email at the end of January 2026... I’ve already emailed folks who have been part of our CSA before, but if you’d like to be added to my CSA email list and be the first to know about CSA spots when they open next year, please send an email to michelle@farmbelly.com.

Farm to Table Classes

A heads up that I’ll be announcing my 2026 workshop calendar on Monday, November 24th! Stay tuned for an email from me with all the dates, details, and ticket links to all my upcoming farm to table classes – ranging from a beginning gardening workshop to knife skills, cooking with herbs, and much more. All of my classes are very hands-on and take place outside, hopping between the garden and our covered workshop space. Max 10 people per class to ensure an intimate and fun experience for everyone. PS – these classes make an awesome holiday gift for the foodie in your life!

Original Cyanotype Art

ICYMI… over the past year I’ve immersed myself in the world of cyanotype, which is a centuries-old photographic process that harnesses the power of the sun to create one-of-a-kind “blue prints”. I use tons of botanical elements from the farm in my work, and it’s been a true joy to dive into this medium.

Speaking of which! Local friends, join me at Riverside Collective in Saxapahaw THIS SUNDAY, November 16th @ 12-4pm for a laid back guest artist reception! I’ll be there to chat and mingle and teach folks about the cyanotype process with live demonstrations, and you can check out all my available original pieces.

Ok, enough of all that, let’s get to this week’s new recipe!

Ever since I first tested this salad recipe last week, I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s sweet! salty! herby! crunchy! and punchy with lots of fresh lime… honestly, it’s just a big bowl of sunshine and I’ve been enjoying it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This sweet potato, black bean and spinach salad situation is super user-friendly with ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry/fridge. It’s also highly adaptable, so you can easily swap ingredients as needed (ex – you can use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, arugula in place of spinach, walnuts instead of pepitas, parsley over cilantro, etc etc).

It’s a hearty salad that’s a whole meal in itself, though it pairs nicely with pretty much any kind of protein you may want to add. A fried egg (or two) on top would also be fabulous.

But whatever you do, DO NOT SKIP the cumin-lime crema! It’s a creamy, punchy, herby, super quick sauce that ties the whole salad together and makes everything really sing. Just trust me. Make this salad!

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, video tutorials, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

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Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Spinach Salad with Cumin-Lime Crema

Serves 4

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