The Ranch Table with Elizabeth Poett: Recipes from a Historic California Ranch
In Episode 80 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast, Liren talks to Elizabeth Poett of Magnolia Network’s Ranch to Table about life on the ranch, her new book, The Ranch Table, and more!
The Ranch Table with Elizabeth Poett: Recipes from a Historic California Ranch
On the podcast, I recently spoke with Elizabeth Poett, star of Magnolia Network’s Ranch to Table, where she shares about life as a seventh-generation cattle rancher on her family’s historic 14,000-acre cattle ranch on California’s central coast. She also founded The Ranch Table, hosting classes, dinners, and events on the ranch. Elizabeth recently published her book, The Ranch Table, in which she shares recipes from the ranch, including harvests, celebrations, and family dinners.
In this episode, we chat about her appreciation for the ranch, what it’s like as a rancher in California, some of her favorite seasonal foods, and more. Listen to the full episode or keep reading for some of the highlights from Elizabeth.
What was it like growing up on a cattle ranch in California?
I was born and raised on the ranch, which has been in the family for seven generations — my sons will be the eighth generation.
My ancestor was granted the land in 1837, and today, we work hard to ensure the land and the ranch are sustainable, protected and stay in the family. We want it to remain safe for the cattle and wildlife, to keep it as it was in 1837.
In addition to the cattle, we have raised sheep and horses. We also grow dry beans, lavender, honey, and more. There is also wildlife that calls the land home.
My dad taught me ranching skills as I grew up, and my mom taught me how to cook.
My mom always encouraged my creativity in the kitchen. She is an incredibly relaxed cook and doesn’t worry about making it perfect. Everything is delicious, but recipes are treated as mere suggestions, and everyone is encouraged to be in the kitchen while she cooks. It can be chaotic, but it is always fun to hang out together. Often, cooking can be rushed and high-stress, but instead, we keep things “tranquillo” as she likes to say, and turn cooking into a reason to get everyone together.
Tell us more about your book, The Ranch Table
The book, The Ranch Table, takes you through the seasons on the ranch in California. Everything is shot and created on the ranch in my home kitchen with our produce and local ingredients, including things like Santa Maria Tri-Tip, with my home and the farm as the backdrop.
The book celebrates how every season is different, exciting, and lovely in its own ways. Even between years, each season is different because of weather variations and so forth. I believe every season has wonderful nuances, and there is always something to look forward to — which I try to share with this book.
The Ranch Table is a true representation of myself, the ranch, and what agriculture is like throughout the seasonal changes in California. It focuses on the local food and how cooking can be joyful and relaxing. My hope is it will bring friends and family together to cook delicious meals.
The ranch requires hard work year-round, but as we say in our community, work and celebration go hand-in-hand.
The Ranch Table, by Elizabeth Poett (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2023).
Learn more
Listen to the full podcast episode with Elizabeth here, learn more at theranchtable.com, and follow Elizabeth on Instagram. You can get her book, The Ranch Table, wherever books are sold. You can watch the Ranch Table show on Magnolia Network, available for streaming on Discovery+ and HBO.
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