Partner Chef: Janelle Weaver

Our visit with Janelle Weaver from the Bewildered Pig was gorgeous. She is everything we ever dreamed of being as a chef – creative, hospitable, whipping up beautiful intricate creations with ease, joyful and witchy. The way she handled ingredients was out of this world – using every ounce of a vegetable to never waste and always spur creativity. Nettle seeds for cracker topping; never tossing sourdough discard because she can always make it into something else like delicious earthy crackers; soaking, sprouting and turning organic local quinoa into the liquid for vegan cheese. Farm to table at its most elegant. Our closely held principle of no waste, nothing extra.

It was inspiring for us to see a master at work and feel that this level of artistry is possible. The projects always seem too time consuming when you read through books drooling and wishing you could make them. But she does it – with gusto and grace and ease. And she was self taught, like us. So who knows, anything is possible. We came home from cooking with Janelle remembering our deep love of food, how creative and beautiful and delicious it can be. How healthy and decadent both. How loving and nourishing and deeply healing it is to eat and to cook and to share food with others.

We felt so grateful that we could bring Janelle’s love of cooking and craft into our meals for the homeless, and it’s inspired us to continue to elevate our weekly meals, focusing on how we can use every bit of our garden produce and add special touches to each element of the meal. This has always been our intention with Love to Table, to have world-class chefs designing and cooking our meals, bringing the utmost dignity to those we serve. Contact us if you know a chef who would want to join our efforts of spreading love through food.

Janelle’s Menu:

Black Trumpet Egg Lasagna with Garden Greens and Sausage

Spring Bounty Salad with Watermelon Radish, Kohlrabi and Orange

Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting