From the Fyr (1.8.2026)

Hi! Happy New Year! This intro is long overdue, but here we are.

I’m Jess.

I’ve been writing here for a few months now without properly introducing myself, which feels a little like talking to someone at a dinner party for weeks without ever exchanging names. I’m a self-trained, local private chef and the person behind That’s What She Fed  (yes, the slightly tongue-in-cheek Instagram… wink wink).

If you know me, you know I love food. Like, really love food. I love eating, I love feeding people, and I care deeply about making eating feel joyful and accessible, especially for folks navigating allergies, health conditions, or other things that can make food feel more complicated than it should be. A lot of my work has been centered around helping people feel confident and cared for at the table again.

I started cooking with this Fyr crew about two years ago and spent a good chunk of time in the kitchen at the farm before taking a step back to raise another foodie baby! My fourth kid, and my first girl. These days I’m home feeding her, soaking up all of the joys of this season, and missing my kitchen crew while typing this from the sidelines. You’ll still catch me at monthly farm dinners and working events with the team all summer, but for now I’m the xoxo, Gossip Girl voice behind this weekly blog.

If there’s more you want, less you want, or something you’re curious about, please reach out. I’m always happy to hear from you, and honestly, this space is way better when it’s a conversation.

Dishin’ On the Cafe: You know what they say -  New Year, new MENU, baby!! We are starting this year off fresh and open for business this week! Fresh year, fresh lineup.This menu is INSANE! We’re leaning into bold flavors, cozy classics, and a little global inspiration.  Made exactly the way we love to eat! We know you’re gonna love it too. Now, if only it was easy to choose!

Egg Sandwich Our own farm eggs, smoked pork shanks, melty havarti, roasted mushrooms, onion & crispy sliced potatoes, and of course, with our housemade herbed mayo (using our eggs and EVOO!). Perfectly layered atop of our housemade sourdough schiacciata. 

Pork Schnitzel Sandwich Pork loin pounded thin, breaded, and fried until audibly crispy. Piled onto housemade schiacciata sourdough with horseradish-mustard aioli, melty Swiss, and a beet-dill relish that brings the bite. Crunch, tang, comfort. Nailed it!

Lamb Kofta & Chickpea Plate Warming spices, juicy lamb, tender chickpeas served over greek yogurt, and served with feta and dill. Simple, yet full of soul…and flavor!

Bánh Mì Made with our own pork, this sandwich is always crunchy, bright, herb & veggie-forward, and unapologetically bold. A classic for a reason.

Tacos Seasoned beef, crisp cabbage slaw, cotija. Messy and delicious in all the right ways.

Pork Tonkatsu Ramen Rich tonkotsu-style broth, slow-simmered from pork bones until creamy and emulsified, then layered with dashi, ginger, and scallion. Finished with roasted pork, springy ramen noodles, roasted mushrooms, shaved carrots, and pickled ginger & scallion. Deep, savory, and wildly comforting. The perfect way to warm up for a brisk January lunch date.

I don’t know what you are waiting for. Come hungry. Stay a while. Let’s start the year off right together!

Made with Love in the Market : We’ve also filled the market with a few ready-made meals that are very much how my family cooks and eats at home this time of year. The tonkotsu ramen broth is one we keep coming back to for easy kid-friendly meals at home with limited time. Full of collagen and deep savory flavor, I’ll heat it up, add whatever noodles we have on hand, and call it dinner for the kids. It’s an easy way to get nourishing broth into little bodies when everyone’s run-down from all of the holiday treats, chaos, and winter bugs, and it’s something they actually want to eat. You’ll also find a handful of hearty mains that reheat beautifully and make weeknights feel less hectic. This week, we’ve got a few go-to comfort meals that really hit the spot. Grab some sourdough, cheddar cheese, and our tomato soup for the perfect, classic snowy (or rainy) winter’s eve dinner. Put the soup in mugs and head outside to sit around the fire together for dinner. Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs (all chicken for any folks dealing with Alpha Gal!), and your class split pea soup with bacon and pork shanks straight from the farm.  Real food, made ahead, meant to be shared. These are the kinds of meals we’re reaching for right now. They’re comforting, grounding, and genuinely helpful in the middle of winter.

Crew’s Fyr Pick of the Week:  This week, Chef Devin and Chef Max are raving about the ramen and the Schnitzel. Both options don't hit the menu often, but when they do, you better be dashin’ right into the cafe before they sell out. Everything is freshly prepared and made to order. No shortcuts, no junk. We’ve got you and your health covered.

Market Grabs: One thing that really matters to us is what else we choose to carry in the market.  Not just what we make ourselves, but other products we stand behind. We feature an ever-growing selection of goods from other small businesses we genuinely like and believe in. These are people doing things the hard way. Small batch, artisan, made with real ingredients, no seed oils, no added junk. Just honest food.

We also try to keep the basics stocked. We know time is limited, and it’s not lost on us that choosing to shop here instead of a big retailer is a meaningful choice. It’s an honor to be part of your routine, and we want to make that choice easier, whether you’re grabbing something special or just checking a few everyday items off your list (which by the way, we included below!)

Many of the purveyors we work with are families like ours, busting their butts to support themselves while also trying to shift the food system in a better direction. When you shop in our market, you’re not only supporting us (which we’re deeply grateful for), you’re supporting a network of small producers across the country who believe that food can be better, from the ground up (literally).

A lot of what we carry goes a step further, too. Some products are fermented, some support other farmers, some add real nutritional value instead of empty filler. It’s an upstream effect.  Better ingredients, better sourcing, better impact. That’s the kind of food we want in our own kitchens, and it’s what we’re proud to put on our shelves.

Looking ahead, we’re committed to continuing to grow and refine what we offer in the market. That means expanding our selection thoughtfully, sharing more about why we carry the products we do, and helping you actually use them in your own kitchens. If there’s something you’d love to see on our shelves, or something you want to know more about, please tell us. Your feedback truly guides what we do, and this space keeps evolving because of the community that shops here.  And don’t forget to share our newsletter with your loved ones!! 

Kitchen Spark: We all find ourselves in food ruts, so here’s a little spark to light the fyr in your kitchen!  

And speaking of food ruts…over the past few months, I’ve been adjusting how we cook at home after Zack (my better half) was diagnosed with alpha-gal (if you know, I’m sorry you know). It’s been a learning curve for sure. Reading labels more carefully, rethinking old standbys, and figuring out how to keep meals feeling satisfying and nourishing without relying on the ingredients we used to reach for automatically. Some days it feels seamless, other days it’s a little frustrating, but it’s also pushed us to get more creative in the kitchen.

What’s surprised me most is how grounding that creativity has been. Slowing down, cooking with intention, and building meals around what does work has led us to new favorites. Like duck legs in the slow cooker, or simple brothy meals that feel deeply restorative. It’s not about restriction so much as adaptation, and finding comfort in food that still feels generous, shared, and deeply satisfying. Here is my recent go-to recipe for the most delicious slow cooker duck legs! (Don’t forget to grab some sourdough to dip in all that juicy veggie goodness at the bottom!). This is one of those meals that came out of necessity and stuck around because it’s just that good. It’s low effort, deeply comforting, and the kind of food that feels like it took more planning than it did.

Slow Cooker Duck Legs with Winter Vegetables

(a use-what-you-have kind of dinner)

Serves: 2–4 (one duck leg plus vegetables is plenty for one hungry adult)

Ingredients:

• 2–4 duck legs

• Salt & black pepper

• Granulated garlic (or fresh garlic if you have it, I use both always)

• Paprika

• 2–3 cups mixed vegetables, whatever you have on hand

  • Sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, garlic are my usual go-tos but I’ve used cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, peas, green beans…I discuss more swap options below

• 1 cup broth or water

How I Make It:

Season the duck legs generously with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. If you have a saute setting on your slow-cooker, sear the duck legs skin-side down until golden and some of the fat has rendered. Flip and sear the other side briefly, then remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add your vegetables and let them take on a little color in the duck fat. Scrape up those to-die-for browned bits, then deglaze with the broth or water.

Transfer the vegetables and liquid to the bottom of the slow cooker. Nestle the duck legs on top, skin side up. Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours, until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone. You can eat right out of the crockpot or throw the legs, skin-side-up under the broiler to crisp up that delicious finger-lickin-good skin.

That’s it. No stirring. No fussing. Set it and forget it (but I promise, you won’t forget this meal!)

To Serve:

Spoon the vegetables into bowls, top with a duck leg, and pour a little of the cooking liquid over everything. The duck practically melts, and the vegetables soak up all that rich flavor. And don’t forget the bread!

Random Fridge Trash Swaps:

This dish is very forgiving. Some easy variations:

• Swap sweet potatoes for winter squash, parsnips, or turnips

• Add fennel, celery, or cabbage if that’s what’s in the fridge

• Add any greens like spinach or kale at the end

• Use chicken or vegetable broth, or just water, it doesn’t matter. It still turns out great!

• Finish with fresh herbs, lemon, or a splash of vinegar if you want brightness

This is one of those meals that makes a long day feel manageable. Simple ingredients, slow cooking, and enough leftovers to make tomorrow easier too.

Like the idea of that one-stop-shop? Here is your grocery list (I put an F next to all items we have at the farm)

• 1-2 packages duck legs from the butcher (F)

• 1 quart duck or poultry stock (F)

• Paprika (F)

• Salt and pepper (F)

• Bread for dipping (F)

• Lemon (F)

• carrots

• celery

• onions

• fresh herbs

• any other vegetable you want! (Apples and pears would be great too!)