Still life of pears in the pantry of Great Dixter, in East Sussex (England).
Aaron Bertelsen, current chef and horticulturist at Great Dixter, an idyllic English garden boasting a medieval appearance, has written a recipe book with which he wants to highlight the presence and importance of fruits and vegetables on his plates, but in which he also teaches us about the natural growth cycles of plants and gives us advice on how to get the most out of our own orchards and gardens.
Edited in English by the Phaidon publishing house, the recipe book is named The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden and draws attention, in addition to the delicious and simple preparations unveiled by Bertelsen, by the still lifes taken by the photographer Andrew Montgomery, who has been able to portray the essence and idiosyncrasy of the garden both in the most leafy months and in the most depopulated.
Great Dixter House and Orchard, once the residence of Christopher Lloyd and one of the most famous gardens in England.
PROPERTY HISTORY
Although at first glance Great Dixer may seem like a completely medieval house, the truth is that in reality only one of its three buildings is, the other two were added later in the 16th and 20th centuries.
However, it is not the constructions that each year thousands of people come to see up to the border between Kent and Sussex, in England. What visitors notice is the spectacular garden that the writer Christopher Lloyd cared for and cultivated for years, who was also a self-taught cook on the property.
Lloyd practiced a honest and simple cuisine based on local seasonal products, Simple and original recipes that come to light for the first time in this book and that accompany the current creations of Aaron Bertelsen, who perpetuates the legacy and history of the garden, the house and the large family of Lloyd.
Portrait of horticulturist and chef Aaron Bertelsen at Great Dixter's orchard.
MUCH MORE THAN A RECIPE BOOK
A love of horticulture is not new to Aaron Bertelsen, who is frequently invited to speak about the profession at events around the world. He practiced it as a child with his grandfather in his native New Zealand and, after studying Social Anthropology at the University of Otago, he volunteered at the Great Dixer orchard before working at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, of which he is still an advisor.
He returned to Great Dixter in 2005 and two years later became a horticulturist and cook alongside head horticulture Fergus Garrett, where he still works today.
A daily activity he reports in The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden in the form of practical tips and tricks with which he intends to teach readers how to plant, cultivate, collect vegetables, herbs and fruits.
In the book there is a seasonal diary in the form of a guide to learn how to organize and cultivate a garden, rotate crops, select seeds, fertilize... all depending on the needs of each season of the year.
Perry's tuna and potato salad recipe from Aaron Bertelsen.
TALK WITH AARON BERTELSEN
Some say that "horticulture is the future", when in fact it is the (forgotten) past...
Yes, humanity has never had a population so far removed from the countryside, but city dwellers can still have fun growing plants on a proportional scale, it can just be a pot on the windowsill. Also we are seeing a big push in growing vegetables in urban spaces where neighbors work together.
You have been connecting the garden and the kitchen for more than ten years, just what many chefs, restaurants and exclusive hotels are now pursuing. Do you consider yourself a gastronomic visionary?
First of all I am a gardener and I get angry if at least part of my day is not spent with hands buried in the ground and since I am the one who is in charge of growing the vegetables I want this to be the best it can be so I can use it in the kitchen.
How would you define your cooking style?
my style is very simple and homely. I try to bring out the flavor of the fresh fruits and vegetables I grow. My diet is plant based.
Grandma's Fruitcake, one of Aaron Bertelsen's favorite recipes.
I suspect that answering this question can be difficult, but what do you like more, gardening or cooking?
I love growing plants, and this will always be my priority. You will discover many more plants if you sow your own seeds and then cook with what has grown from them.
Which of the two is more satisfying?
Gardening brings me so much joy, but I also love food and cooking for myself and my friends. Nevertheless there is a great feeling of fullness at the end of the day when you've worked hard in the garden.
And which one hooks more?
I think the two hook and I'm glad I can do both at the same time.
In the book you say that autumn is the time when the season of a garden really begins. Could you give us some advice?
Learn from the mistakes of the previous growing season, but also clear your head and continue preparing for the next growing season. Soil is the most important part of gardening and, by having it in the best conditions, you will create the ideal environment for fruits and vegetables to grow with a large amount of nutrients that feed your body.
Fried Zucchini, a simple dish devised by Aaron Bertelsen.
Seasonal crops will define seasonal dishes... but are you in favor of, for example, planting a specimen that is not native to your geographic area, but that you know will grow perfectly in your farmland and under your climatic conditions? ?
If only we planted and grew the native species of England we would be very limited in the garden and the kitchen. I think you have to grow as much as you can from anywhere in the world that suits your climate.
Why is tomato pie one of your favorite dishes?
The tomato pie represents summer on a plate I also love seeing ripe tomatoes in the garden and I think this is a perfect way to use them.
You have dedicated a part of the book to preserves. Why do you consider them so important?
In winter we like to remember summer, something you get thanks to preserves. They also bring other flavors to winter cooking.
Detail of the lush orchard at Great Dixter, tended by Aaron Bertelsen.
Cover of the book 'The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden' (Phaidon).