Excerpted from the introduction of the 1990 edition of Out of Vermont Kitchens:
St. Paul's Cathedral published our first cookbook, Out of Vermont Kitchens, in 1939. The world and the small corner of it that is Vermont were very much different then, and yet some things stay the same. The values that first book represents - fresh ingredients cooked with pleasure and creativity for family and friends - are with us still today.
Vermont itself is a blend of old and new, a study in contrasts. It is still a rural state with many small family dairy farms and sugarbushes, but in recent years an influx of new residents from "down country" has brought us new life and richness with their interest organic gardening, sheep raising, and the production of a variety of cheeses and homecooked products now sold far beyond our borders. While treasuring our wonderful maple syrup and dairy products, we also welcome the addition of a broadened range of produce, herbs and spices to our shelves.
Vermont is a place of distinct seasons and sometimes harsh climate, but always of outstanding beauty. Much of our life continues to involve church suppers, town fairs, country auctions, and rigorous outdoor activity, along with a penchant for self-reliance and the homegrown. Our more recent neighbors have often settled here because they too love these simper pastimes and values. Those of us fortunate enough to live here wouldn't be any other place.
So come into our kitchens. Sit down and browse awhile through our recipe files and well-thumbed favorites. Then join us around the table to share a dish that, in the universal spirit of kitchen creativity, you have made your own.
Print editions of the 1990 Out of Vermont Kitchens can be purchased at booksellers across Vermont.
St. Paul's Cathedral published our first cookbook, Out of Vermont Kitchens, in 1939. The world and the small corner of it that is Vermont were very much different then, and yet some things stay the same. The values that first book represents - fresh ingredients cooked with pleasure and creativity for family and friends - are with us still today.
Vermont itself is a blend of old and new, a study in contrasts. It is still a rural state with many small family dairy farms and sugarbushes, but in recent years an influx of new residents from "down country" has brought us new life and richness with their interest organic gardening, sheep raising, and the production of a variety of cheeses and homecooked products now sold far beyond our borders. While treasuring our wonderful maple syrup and dairy products, we also welcome the addition of a broadened range of produce, herbs and spices to our shelves.
Vermont is a place of distinct seasons and sometimes harsh climate, but always of outstanding beauty. Much of our life continues to involve church suppers, town fairs, country auctions, and rigorous outdoor activity, along with a penchant for self-reliance and the homegrown. Our more recent neighbors have often settled here because they too love these simper pastimes and values. Those of us fortunate enough to live here wouldn't be any other place.
So come into our kitchens. Sit down and browse awhile through our recipe files and well-thumbed favorites. Then join us around the table to share a dish that, in the universal spirit of kitchen creativity, you have made your own.
Print editions of the 1990 Out of Vermont Kitchens can be purchased at booksellers across Vermont.