Taste: Cooking with Shelburne Farms

For many years, I’ve collected cookbooks as mementos from places I’ve visited. During my time as a marketing and branding consultant, I spent an extended period in Burlington, Vermont, working on a project. While there, I discovered the rural marvel that is Shelburne Farms—a visionary working farm with a historic inn and restaurant.

After enjoying many meals there, often accompanied by perfectly crafted cocktails, I learned they had published a cookbook, Cooking with Shelburne Farms. It beautifully captures the spirit, flavors, and authentic charm of the farm and its surroundings.

I was recently reminded of that cookbook when my middle son began sending me videos of farms that offer “cow cuddling” experiences. It brought back fond memories of walking the grounds of Shelburne Farms, watching the livestock graze peacefully in the fields. That experience made my time in Vermont truly unforgettable.

“I love a cookbook that ‘s about a place — the landscape, the people, plants, and animals who live there, and that’s just what this cookbook offers.” — Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone