The Forest Feast with The Novel Bakers

The Novel Bakers present

The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods

by Erin Gleeson

Now and then, a cookbook will cast a spell, enticing me to clear my schedule and cook every single recipe. The Forest Feast is that kind of book. It's absolutely gorgeous, a fusion of handwritten notes, watercolor illustrations, photography, and memorable food. The recipes were easy to prepare, delightful to read, and peppered with hints. You won't find any lofty, intimidating techniques, nor will you need to buy unusual ingredients or equipment. Everything I cooked was delicious.

The author, Erin Gleeson, is a self-taught cook, photographer, and artist. She and her husband moved from New York to California in 2011, and they were a bit dubious about the geographic change.
"I stumbled upon an ad for a cabin in the woods just outside of town with a separate building I could use as a studio. The view from the cabin is stunning, but I think what really sold me was the light. There is this glow about the place--a soft golden light that is warm and welcoming, almost magical. It's only miles from the coast, and dramatic banks of fog regularly roll in to create a soft-box in the sky, idea for photographing outside."

A dream of every food and lifestyle blogger is to have a light-drenched place of one's own. After setting up in the cabin, she began writing a blog--The Forest Feast--as a way to showcase her work to San Francisco cookbook and magazine editors.

"With nothing to lose," she wrote, "I let myself create imagery without boundaries, which led to incorporating handwriting and watercolor illustrations into my photography, which I'd never done before."
From her little forest, her blog became a cookbook that inspired people around the world.

 "I am drawn to color and shape," Erin Gleeson writes, "so often my dishes will start with that in mind. We could have mashed potatoes,  or we could have purple mashed potatoes. Adding color makes it just a little more fun!"

As I leafed through the book, color drew me to a persimmon-pomegranate salad.

Persimmon Salad

                                       Serves 4

8 fuyus persimmons, seeded and cut into chunks

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 red onion, diced

3 scallions, chopped

seeds from 1 pomegranate

Toss with the juice of 1/2 orange 1 lime, and 1 T. olive oil.

Salt to taste. I added ground pepper and Tabasco (if you're born in Louisiana, it's a law that Tabasco must be used in all savory dishes).

from The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson

Printable Recipe

I own several vegetarian cookbooks, but their strictness and hard-to-find ingredients made me lose interest. A Forest Feast isn't demanding, finicky, or limiting in any way.

"Although I grew up vegetarian and cook primarily that way," Erin explains, "I like the idea that these dishes could easily be served as sided with a non-vegetarian entree."
She succeeded beautifully.  

Below, you can see how the recipes combine Erin's art, penmanship, photography,
and culinary magic. 

"You won't need to make a long shopping list for most of the recipes," Erin writes. "Plus, I use many of the same ingredients repeatedly. Items I like to keep stocked in my kitchen include onions, garlic, garlic powder, Parmesan, puff pastry, Greek yogurt, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, and fresh herbs."

I will share more recipes from A Forest Feast this Wednesday and Thursday/Foodie Friday.

Visit the Novel Bakers for enchanted excursions into the forest:

Jain at ...a quiet life  and Mary at Home Is Where the Boat Is.

For more photos, visit A Forest Feast on the NB's Pinterest Board

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday,   Inspire me Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesdays,  and Home Sweet Home

Note: The Forest Feast is a book from my personal collection. This is not a compensated review--just playtime with the Novel Bakers and joyful sharing of a great cookbook.

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