A CONVERSATION WITH PHOEBE COLE-SMITH

A CONVERSATION WITH PHOEBE COLE-SMITH

Phoebe Cole Smith is a grower, gatherer and chef. At her previous home, Dirt Road Farm in Weston, Connecticut, she hosted farm-to-table barn suppers and private culinary experiences that celebrated her love of local produce, seasonal cooking, and community. Formally trained at The French Culinary Institute, Phoebe’s love of cooking began in childhood with appreciation for her mother’s hearty, seasonal, mostly made-from-scratch fare. Today, Phoebe can be found at Dirt Road Cottage – her next chapter on Chappaquiddick Island off Martha’s Vineyard, where she plans on hosting suppers and workshops that focus on the very freshest, sustainable, seasonal and local food sourced, gathered, grown and prepared on the island.

Phoebe wears the Kitty Dress.

What are your first memories of food or cooking?

When I think about my earliest memories of food, I realize that the connection is as much about my surroundings, who I was with, what the weather was like and what I was looking at when I ate it. Honestly, food in a vacuum isn't all that interesting, you know? So, the fried egg sandwich that my mom gave me in a rowboat on Martha's Vineyard when I was six was the most delicious fried egg sandwich ever because it was as much about the gulls swooping around us, the smell of the canvas life jacket across my chest and the sight of my mother straining the oars against the whitecaps on that brackish pond. I think that's one of the reasons I’m so keen on local seasonal food (as well as it being good for us and the planet), it’s the story of where food is from and how it gets to us that embellishes the experience of eating it.

Your (former) home, Dirt Road Farm, is a creative and culinary pursuit. How did it begin and what was your vision for the farm?  

Dirt Road Farm was a long and magical chapter in my life. Before it was a farm, it's where my children were raised, and where my husband and I cultivated much more than what grew in our fertile soil... enduring relationships with other farmers, with the guests who became extensions of the community we fostered, with our wonderful crew that cooked and gardened and designed alongside me, and who have all remained the closest of friends with us and with one another.

While DRF became a designated farm by virtue of our extensive maple syrup operation (which started with three buckets and three taps!), it became a culinary destination because of my barn suppers. With eggs from our chickens, honey from our bees, maple syrup from our woods, flowers and vegetables and herbs from our gardens, and with goods from all the hardworking farmers and fishers and makers nearby, the suppers were joyful and thankful celebrations of the abundance of each season.

Phoebe wears the Kitty Dress.

For those who don’t know Chappaquiddick Island, tell us about it. What’s special about it?

Chappaquiddick is a tiny island off the island of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. While I have a lifelong relationship with The Vineyard (my family roots go back to the 1930s and I've been a summer resident since I was a child), Chappy is relatively new to me. There is virtually no commerce on the island, other than a farm down the road from us. The terrain combines forest and sand plain and coastal dune and shoreline, and the natural beauty is mind boggling. It feels remote but it is a short ferry ride away from the picturesque town of Edgartown, a former whaling port on the main island. We have owned a compound of seasonal cottages here on Chappy since 2014 and are currently replacing the largest cottage with a four-season home called "Dirt Road Cottage" because it felt like the perfect transition from "Dirt Road Farm".

Phoebe wears the Mila Cardigan and the Kitty Skirt.

What does an average day look like for you?

My days still revolve around food and I’m lucky that the vineyard (and Chappy!) has a rich farming community. I cook all the time, partly out of habit and desire, but also out of necessity as it is not so easy to jump in the car and grab takeout for dinner anymore.

When I cook I’m always "developing recipes", learning about different varieties of produce, and trying new flavor combinations and techniques. For the past year, I’ve been writing a subscription newsletter with recipes and stories called “Dispatch from Dirt Road Cottage”.

What has having a farm like this one taught you?

Dirt Road Farm taught me so much about our collective connection to the land, to nature, and about how small we all are in the scheme of things. But, also that day after day, a little bit at a time, you can build things, you can make things happen, you can create something from very little.

How would you describe your approach to cooking?

I always start with whatever seasonal ingredients appeal to me, and then I base a dish - or a whole meal - around them.

What’s your favourite season and why?

Not to sound corny, but I usually revel in whatever season I’m in, even if I’m excited for the one ahead. I truly cannot imagine living somewhere where the seasons don't change. I tend to overdo the eating and cooking of some iconic seasonal ingredients such as tomatoes and sweet corn in the summer, and asparagus and strawberries in the spring, so that I'm almost sick of them (but not quite!) when their season comes to an end. As you can probably guess, I rarely eat seasonal ingredients at other times of the year.

You cook and host intentional barn suppers – what do you hope to share with these events?

I’m still figuring out how I might feed people in person again and am exploring my options here on the vineyard and Chappaquiddick. I don’t have a barn here so whatever I end up doing will not look exactly like Dirt Road Farm, and that's ok. I’m giving myself time while we are building our new "cottage" to see where my passion for seasonal local food takes me.

A CONVERSATION WITH PHOEBE COLE-SMITH

Phoebe Cole Smith is a grower, gatherer and chef. At her previous home, Dirt Road Farm in Weston, Connecticut, she hosted farm-to-table barn suppers and private culinary experiences that celebrated her love of local produce, seasonal cooking, and community. Formally trained at The French Culinary Institute, Phoebe’s love of cooking began in childhood with appreciation for her mother’s hearty, seasonal, mostly made-from-scratch fare. Today, Phoebe can be found at Dirt Road Cottage – her next chapter on Chappaquiddick Island off Martha’s Vineyard, where she plans on hosting suppers and workshops that focus on the very freshest, sustainable, seasonal and local food sourced, gathered, grown and prepared on the island.

Phoebe wears the Kitty Dress.

What are your first memories of food or cooking?

When I think about my earliest memories of food, I realize that the connection is as much about my surroundings, who I was with, what the weather was like and what I was looking at when I ate it. Honestly, food in a vacuum isn't all that interesting, you know? So, the fried egg sandwich that my mom gave me in a rowboat on Martha's Vineyard when I was six was the most delicious fried egg sandwich ever because it was as much about the gulls swooping around us, the smell of the canvas life jacket across my chest and the sight of my mother straining the oars against the whitecaps on that brackish pond. I think that's one of the reasons I’m so keen on local seasonal food (as well as it being good for us and the planet), it’s the story of where food is from and how it gets to us that embellishes the experience of eating it.

Your (former) home, Dirt Road Farm, is a creative and culinary pursuit. How did it begin and what was your vision for the farm?  

Dirt Road Farm was a long and magical chapter in my life. Before it was a farm, it's where my children were raised, and where my husband and I cultivated much more than what grew in our fertile soil... enduring relationships with other farmers, with the guests who became extensions of the community we fostered, with our wonderful crew that cooked and gardened and designed alongside me, and who have all remained the closest of friends with us and with one another.

While DRF became a designated farm by virtue of our extensive maple syrup operation (which started with three buckets and three taps!), it became a culinary destination because of my barn suppers. With eggs from our chickens, honey from our bees, maple syrup from our woods, flowers and vegetables and herbs from our gardens, and with goods from all the hardworking farmers and fishers and makers nearby, the suppers were joyful and thankful celebrations of the abundance of each season.

Phoebe wears the Kitty Dress.

For those who don’t know Chappaquiddick Island, tell us about it. What’s special about it?

Chappaquiddick is a tiny island off the island of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. While I have a lifelong relationship with The Vineyard (my family roots go back to the 1930s and I've been a summer resident since I was a child), Chappy is relatively new to me. There is virtually no commerce on the island, other than a farm down the road from us. The terrain combines forest and sand plain and coastal dune and shoreline, and the natural beauty is mind boggling. It feels remote but it is a short ferry ride away from the picturesque town of Edgartown, a former whaling port on the main island. We have owned a compound of seasonal cottages here on Chappy since 2014 and are currently replacing the largest cottage with a four-season home called "Dirt Road Cottage" because it felt like the perfect transition from "Dirt Road Farm".

Phoebe wears the Mila Cardigan and the Kitty Skirt.

What does an average day look like for you?

My days still revolve around food and I’m lucky that the vineyard (and Chappy!) has a rich farming community. I cook all the time, partly out of habit and desire, but also out of necessity as it is not so easy to jump in the car and grab takeout for dinner anymore.

When I cook I’m always "developing recipes", learning about different varieties of produce, and trying new flavor combinations and techniques. For the past year, I’ve been writing a subscription newsletter with recipes and stories called “Dispatch from Dirt Road Cottage”.

What has having a farm like this one taught you?

Dirt Road Farm taught me so much about our collective connection to the land, to nature, and about how small we all are in the scheme of things. But, also that day after day, a little bit at a time, you can build things, you can make things happen, you can create something from very little.

How would you describe your approach to cooking?

I always start with whatever seasonal ingredients appeal to me, and then I base a dish - or a whole meal - around them.

What’s your favourite season and why?

Not to sound corny, but I usually revel in whatever season I’m in, even if I’m excited for the one ahead. I truly cannot imagine living somewhere where the seasons don't change. I tend to overdo the eating and cooking of some iconic seasonal ingredients such as tomatoes and sweet corn in the summer, and asparagus and strawberries in the spring, so that I'm almost sick of them (but not quite!) when their season comes to an end. As you can probably guess, I rarely eat seasonal ingredients at other times of the year.

You cook and host intentional barn suppers – what do you hope to share with these events?

I’m still figuring out how I might feed people in person again and am exploring my options here on the vineyard and Chappaquiddick. I don’t have a barn here so whatever I end up doing will not look exactly like Dirt Road Farm, and that's ok. I’m giving myself time while we are building our new "cottage" to see where my passion for seasonal local food takes me.