The One-Block Feast

“More and more these days, cooking has come to resemble the Scout troop activities of our youth, in which we took pride in demonstrating our ability to do it ourselves. For those who are looking to get their proverbial merit badge, consider The One-Block Feast: An Adventure in Food from Yard to Table ($25) a survivor’s guide of sorts. Part cookbook, part how-to manual, the book cheerfully explains how anyone can take part in cooking from the ground up, whether you have 40 acres or 40 feet.”
—Tasting Table National, 3/23/11

“The One Block Feast is a beautiful demonstration of how to feed yourself deliciously from a modest backyard. It is an inspiring companion for developing food craft and urban homesteading skills using what’s right out the door.”
—Anya Fernald, former executive director of Slow Food Nation, founder of Live Culture Company, and founder of the Eat Real Festival
 
“Magical, doable, and fun! That’s what we came away with after dining with Sunset’s One-Block team a couple of summers ago. It has inspired many a meal, a host of garden improvements, and we’re teetering on getting chickens.”
—Nikki Silva of NPR’s The Kitchen Sisters
 
“I’m a firm believer in seasonal, local cooking. This book shows you everything that farm-to-table eating encompasses, and I mean everything!”
—Bill Telepan, chef-owner of Telepan and executive chef of Wellness in the Schools
 
“Margo True and her teams of backyard researchers have taken American ideals centered around living off the land and brought them into our twenty-first-century suburban reality. ”
—Sue Conley, co-founder of Cowgirl Creamery
 
“The One-Block Feast is thoroughly irresistible. If you’ve ever considered growing your own vegetables (not so hard), raising a few chickens (seems possible), tending your own honeybee hives (really?), making cheese from the milk of your very own cow (hey, why not?), or, say, turning seawater into salt (no way!), this delightful book will help you make your dreams come true. And even if you never actually do any of the DIY projects, there are plenty of delicious seasonal recipes to enjoy.”
—Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer, authors of Canal House Cooking 
 
“Thomas Church, who landscaped the grounds at Sunset, titled his book, Gardens are for People. So it seems utterly right that Sunset has produced The One Block Feast, a work that is truly for people. It’s about producing good food but also about friends and community. It’s about taking charge in this most important area of our lives and becoming strong, happy, and resilient. It’s helpful, but not preachy. And it shows what’s possible when a few people join forces and backyards to grow good food and harbor bees and maybe a cow, then cook and eat together.”
—Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone