Farmstead Chef

The proprietors of Inn Serendipity show how easy it is to cook homemade and homegrown meals that help the planet and go easy on your budget.

Join Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, proprietors of the award-winning Inn Serendipity, as they launch a return to our roots of independence, self-sufficiency and frugality, blended with the spice of modern living. Farmstead Chef whips up a quirky, homespun tale of how we can eat well, nourish our bodies, and restore the planet. Rediscover the benefits of homegrown and homemade cooking, preserving the harvest, stocking the pantry, all while building community.


From breakfasts to mouth-watering desserts, Farmstead Chef showcases the creative and budget-friendly side to eating lower on the food chain more often while taking responsibility for the food we put into our bodies—by growing it, sharing it and savoring it. Recipes include:
Zucchini Feta PancakesWinter Squash FrittersHerb-infused Spare RibsStrawberry Dessert PizzaHomemade Graham Crackers

After your meal, pull up a chair and enjoy inviting slice-of-life "Kitchen Table" features, such as interviews with local food heroes and visionaries transforming our food system. Farmstead Chef also shares tips practical cooking tips and lively short essays inspired by John and Lisa's organic, self-reliant homestead and bed & breakfast. This fully illustrated cookbook will show you how to reconnect with nature through food, especially when shared with friends.

Praise for Farmstead Chef

"Farmstead Chef stirs up revolution, moving us back into the kitchen, our home gardens and local farmers markets. It captures the renaissance of homemade and homegrown cooking where key ingredients include fresh, seasonal and local food along with a deep-rooted conviction that our every bite can make a difference in transforming our world." —Nell Newman, Co-founder and President of Newman's Own Organics


"This book put a big smile on my organic farmer face. Why? With playful people like Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko kissing off corporate America, the serious nature of taking back our food supply becomes a belly-laugh, belly-full party that even the most skeptic will want to attend. For good food and good laughter, Farmstead Chef is the place to be." —MaryJane Butters, publisher of MaryJanesFarm