Small, independent farms are the lifeblood of Vermont's agriculture, from the sweetcorn grower to the dairy goat farmer to the cheesemaker whose locally sourced goat milk chevre becomes the heart of a new dish by a chef in Montpelier. While this farm-to-table cycle may be a phenomenon just hitting its stride in the United States, it has long been away of life in Vermont, part of the ethos that Vermonters use to define themselves. As such, Vermont exemplifies a standard of small-scale, community-minded, unadulterated agriculture that has become a national model. When Tracey Medeiros wrote Dishing Up Vermont in 2008, she wanted to showcase the chefs and restaurateurs who were dazzling taste buds with their fresh, whole-food creations. With The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, Medeiros has traversed the Green Mountain State once again, in search of not only those celebrated chefs but the hard-working farmers who provide them with their fresh and wholesome ingredients as well. Collecting their stories and some 125 of their delicious, rustic-yet-refined, Vermont inspired recipes, Medeiros presents an irresistible gastronomic portrait of this singular state. Classics like Vermont Cheddar Soup and exciting innovations like Ramp Dumplings or Raisin Hell Pie will send you racing to your local farmers' market in search of the ingredients. And with dishes that shout "only in Vermont,"like Wood-Fired Blueberry Pizza or Beer-Battered Fiddleheads, no matter where you are you'll want to transform your tried-and-true menus into fresh and flavorful Vermont farm table suppers. Tracey Medeiros is a freelance food writer, food stylist, and recipe developer and tester. She writes a weekly food column for the Essex Reporter and the Colchester Sun and writes the Edible Farm column for Edible Green Mountains Magazine. Medeiros is also the author of Dishing Up Vermont. She lives in Essex Junction, VT.
