The summer bounty is officially here and with it come two new, locally produced cookbooks, both with Healdsburg roots, that celebrate the very best of local food.
James Beard Award-winning chef Charlie Palmer’s “Wineland,” penned with Healdsburg journalist Matt Villano, features 20 Wine Country culinary luminaries from Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties who share their life stories and favorite recipes.
“The way we live here is an ideal, a philosophy, built around hard work and relationships,” says Palmer, a Healdsburg resident who chased that dream when relocating from New York with his family 25 years ago. “We make and grow and build and create. Community is paramount — this is about the most real place you can get.”
Some of the storytelling also comes from work of local photographer Emma Kruch, who spent more than a year trekking from cloud-blanketed mountaintops to being hip-deep in brackish bay waters to capture more than 125 images that add to the book’s artistry.
Flipping through the glossy pages, you can practically taste Liam Callahan’s tangy-sweet sheep’s milk cheese dotted with herbs from Bellwether Farms in Petaluma and smell the briny air at John Finger and Terry Sawyer’s Hog Island Oyster Co. on Tomales Bay.
The Healdsburg Farmers Market is the setting for Sonoma County native Liza Gershman’s latest cookbook, “Farm + Market: Healdsburg,” which reads like a love letter to the community that revolves in and around the beloved market.
Founded in 1978, the Healdsburg Farmers Market is one of the oldest certified markets in California. Gershman, who has written and photographed 20 cookbooks, celebrates the local farmers, ranchers, makers, chefs, and even home cooks who are the heart and soul of the market that runs Saturdays, April through December, and Tuesdays, May through September. A portion of proceeds from the book goes right back into the market to ensure it continues to thrive.
Rebecca Richards is one of its champions; she fell in love with Healdsburg 15 years ago and convinced her husband they needed to move from San Francisco. After visiting the market, she quickly got swept in with the community, and before she knew it, was on the board and helping with bookkeeping.
“I’m very into recipes and going to the market to see what’s in season,” says Richards, whose recipe for an arugula, nectarine, and quinoa salad demonstrates her respect for seasonal ingredients and the farmers who nurture them. Local nectarines are at their finest in June through August.
“I think people just assume that you can get anything at any time, which you kind of can, but that doesn’t mean it’s at its peak,” she says. “It kills me when I go to a restaurant in January and they’re serving BLTs. And I’m like, ‘No!’ I have to wait for summer for a real, happy tomato.”
A Tale of Two Cookbooks
Wineland is best for:
- Friends and family who love to visit Wine Country
- Those who want the story behind their favorite restaurants, wineries, and producers
- Accomplished home cooks
Find it at local bookstores and at charliepalmer.com.
Farm + Market is ideal for:
- Farmers Market aficionados
- Collectors of community cookbooks
- Local history buffs
Find it at healdsburgbook.com.