{"id":597082,"date":"2026-05-22T00:07:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T00:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597082\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T00:07:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T00:07:14","slug":"camilla-marcuss-backyard-lunch-and-her-approach-to-regenerative-cooking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597082\/","title":{"rendered":"Camilla Marcus’s Backyard Lunch\u2014and Her Approach to Regenerative Cooking"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At first glance, Camilla Marcus<\/a> is a study in contrasts. She takes her work seriously, yet brings a sense of playfulness to everything she does. She can pull off a dinner party for 100, but might not plan the menu until that morning, letting the farmers market be her guide. Her vegetable-forward cooking is deeply nourishing\u2014and she\u2019s never one to turn down a midday glass of wine.<\/p>\n

But nothing about Camilla feels inconsistent. She\u2019s so rooted in who she is that all of her layers come together as a beautifully aligned life\u2014one that reflects the passionate approach she brings to her work as a regenerative chef, founder of west~bourne<\/a>, and mother of four in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

To celebrate the launch of her cookbook My Regenerative Kitchen<\/a>, Camilla joined me for a backyard lunch under the trees with a few friends. We cooked vibrant, plant-based dishes from the book\u2014tartines<\/a>, a crunchy fennel salad<\/a>, and the most stunning rose chocolate bark<\/a>\u2014poured natural wine, and soaked up her perspective on what it actually means to cook in a way that nurtures both our bodies and the earth.<\/p>\n

Her philosophy, in her own words: \u201cWhat\u2019s good for our soil is always better for our health.\u201d<\/p>\n


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What I love most about how Camilla thinks about food is the sense of liberation in it. She writes about improvisational cooking the way musicians talk about jazz\u2014not knowing exactly where the notes will lead is the point. The farmers market becomes her guide, and \u201cnot being in control\u201d becomes both liberating and inspiring rather than stressful. I left our lunch genuinely rethinking the relationship between spontaneity and nourishment.<\/p>\n

Her book makes a compelling case that our everyday choices\u2014the ingredients we buy, how we prep them, what we do with what\u2019s left\u2014are actually the most accessible entry points into climate action. Not through deprivation or a complete overhaul, but through small, cumulative shifts that start to feel natural over time.<\/p>\n

Camilla Marcus\u2019s Tips for a Zero-Waste Kitchen<\/p>\n

Break up with paper towels. Keep a stack of washable kitchen towels within reach\u2014you\u2019ll be surprised how quickly you stop missing the paper.<\/p>\n

Reimagine your pantry. Swap plastic wrap for beeswax alternatives. Use glass jars and metal tins for everything from flours to preserves.<\/p>\n

Go reusable with storage. Stasher silicone bags replace Ziploc. Camilla also freezes stocks, sauces, and leftover wine in silicone molds for future meals.<\/p>\n

Use the whole vegetable. No stalk left behind. Fennel fronds become garnish, stalks go into stock, and most produce doesn\u2019t need peeling.<\/p>\n

Rethink \u201cscraps.\u201d Before you toss it, ask: Can this add flavor to a broth or sauce? Onion peels, herb stems, cheese rinds\u2014all fair game. Compost what you truly can\u2019t cook.<\/p>\n

Clean green. Look for nontoxic brands like Koala Eco, Branch Basics, and Grove Collaborative.<\/p>\n

Start composting. A countertop bin (Camilla loves the Bamboozle) is a low-barrier start. Composting emits 20x fewer greenhouse gases than landfilling food waste.<\/p>\n

Adapted from My Regenerative Kitchen<\/p>\n

All of this\u2014the swaps, the scraps, the compost bin\u2014sounds like discipline. But sitting in the backyard that afternoon, none of it felt that way. It felt like the most natural extension of how Camilla moves through the world: paying attention, wasting nothing, finding pleasure in the process. The menu below is where we started. Where you take it is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n


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\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Whole Stalk or Bulb Salad<\/p>\n

A salad that earns its name. Every part of the fennel shows up here\u2014fronds, stalks, bulb\u2014and the result is crunchy and bright.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTartines with Heirloom Tomato, Blue Cheese, and Golden Beets<\/p>\n

The tartines came together the way Camilla cooks everything\u2014intuitively, with whatever looked best at the market. Proof that the simplest things, made with good ingredients, don\u2019t need much else.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSpring Pea Gazpacho<\/p>\n

Cold, verdant, and soooo fresh\u2014this is the soup that makes you want to drink your vegetables. (Without giving you V8 vibes.) <\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDark Chocolate Bark with Bee Pollen, Rose Petals, and Pink Salt<\/p>\n

The bark that ended our lunch on the highest possible note. It\u2019s as stunning to look at as it is to eat\u2014and it comes together faster than you\u2019d think.<\/p>\n

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