The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook: Recipes & Stories from the Biggest Little Farm

Seasonally inspired food, with more than 130 recipes from the chef, farmer, and star of The Biggest Little Farm.

More than ten years ago, chef Molly Chester and her filmmaker husband left their urban L.A. life to purchase a neglected piece of land northwest of the city in the hopes of creating a more delicious and purposeful life. With a passion for regenerative, biodynamic farming, but a big learning curve to overcome, they threw themselves into the daunting task of revitalizing the land, which had been decimated by drought and pesticides. Today, they steward 234 thriving acres of gardens, animal pastures, habitat corridors, and orchards, including their abundant “Fruit Basket”—a lush tapestry of landscape that provides seventy-five different varieties of fruit trees. Chester and her husband’s gentle, slow, and unconventional approach has inspired other farmers, and was the subject of the 2019 award-winning documentary The Biggest Little Farm.

This debut cookbook brings the bounty of the farm to readers’ kitchens. As a chef who has long understood that flavor and healthy food go hand in hand, Chester is passionate about farm-fresh ingredients, and her cooking celebrates the tree-ripened fruits, seasonal vegetables, pastured eggs, and grass-fed meats for which the farm is known. With sections divided by season, and insider tips for sourcing the best produce, this a must-have cookbook for home cooks looking for inspiration for their farmers’ market hauls, and anyone looking to create a closer connection to their food. With enticing, preserved end-of-summer larder treasures like Tomato Raisins or a Dried Summer Stone Fruit Medley, comforting dinners like Slow-Roasted Pastured Chicken with Lemon-Fennel Crust or Spring Frittata with Fresh Peas, Arugula, Artichokes, Chevre, and Pesto, and bright, luscious salads like Avocado and Cara Cara Orange Salad with Jalapeño and Sesame-Miso Dressing, these nourishing recipes are a delicious guide to eating in connection with the land.

About the Author

Molly Chester is a co-founder and farmer of Apricot Lane Farms, a 234-acre biodynamic farming project in Moorpark, CA. Prior to farming, Molly was a private chef in Los Angeles who specialized in healing the gut through nutrient-dense culinary techniques such as soaking, sprouting and fermenting. Molly believes that a delicious and healing dish is created in harmony with the rhythms of the local ecosystem.  She lives on the farm with her husband John, son Beaudie, dog Blue, and a menagerie of farm animals and wildlife. Molly’s story can be seen in the award-winning documentary, The Biggest Little Farm.

Author Residence: Moorpark, CA