Farm fresh

ALEXIS deBOSCHNEK • Side Dish, To The Last Bite, and Nights and Weekends (forthcoming August 2025)

CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine

ALEXIS deBOSCHNEK • cookbook author and recipe developer • Side Dish, To The Last Bite, and Nights and Weekends (forthcoming August 2025)
Neighborhood you live & work in: Delhi (Catskills)

It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I'm a cookbook author and recipe developer, which means most of my time is spent in the kitchen, although of course there's some computer work involved too. As any freelancer knows, working for yourself means every day and week looks a little bit different. I try to keep some semblance of a schedule for my own sanity, but between the release of my upcoming cookbook release (Nights and Weekends is out August 12) and our busy season on the farm (my husband and I run an Icelandic horse and pastured poultry farm on 100 acres), by the time Friday afternoon rolls around, I'm spent.

Farm chores don't stop on weekends, but I try to carve out some moments to myself to bask in the joy of summer. Usually that involves getting a few friends together and going for a late afternoon dip in our pond with a pitcher of Negronis and snack spread.

Any restaurant plans?
There's not a ton of options for dining out, which means we (and our friends) spend most of our gatherings hosting each other at home. It's actually one of the many things I love about living in the Catskills — there's a real sense of place here. I love getting to know my friends’ homes intimately. On the off chance we need a break, or just want someone else to take care of dishes, we'll stop for a drink at the bar at Hollow in Delhi followed by dinner at Brushland in Bovina.

How about a little leisure or culture?
I'm a five-minute drive from the West Kortright Centre, a 200+ year-old church turned performing arts center that hosts incredible performances, musicians, plays, and workshops. The church is nestled in a valley and sits next to a dairy farm so it's not unusual to hear the bells of the cows coming in as the music sweeps over the hillside.

Any weekend getaways?
I'm lucky to live in a place where most people go to escape their regular lives. Between April and October when the weather is at its peak here, I try to stay put as much as possible. While my husband and I joke about feeling perfectly content on our farm, we try to make an effort to make the most of our surroundings by camping at Alder Lake, hiking Bramley Mountain, and canoeing down the Delaware River.

What was your last great vacation?
My husband and I went to Rome and Puglia for our honeymoon back in October, and I'm counting down the days until we can go back. So much of our day-to-day life on the farms involves caretaking — of animals, of the land, of farm equipment — and it felt like such a welcome break to wander for hours only thinking about what gelato flavor we'd try that night.

After five days in Rome we really wanted to spend the remainder of our honeymoon taking it easy. We landed on Borgo Gallana, a gorgeous countryside home in Puglia surrounded by olive trees, a garden, and pool. If you're going to Puglia, you must take a private cooking class with Julie Marr at Everyone at the Table. The day starts with a stroll around the town square with Julie's husband, Francesco, where you get to sample local produce, chat with locals, get a coffee, and if you're lucky, try freshly made mozzarella. From there you'll learn various regional dishes with Julie and end the day with a feast. We left feeling like we'd made lifelong friends. It's also worth doing day trips to some of the buzzier towns like Lecce and Ostuni, where we found our favorite cafe of the week, Burro Cafe. If you're lucky, you'll be there on the days when the antique markets are happening. Come prepared with extra cash and room in your suitcase!

Where are you donating your time or money?
I donate monthly to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. Locally I'm on our town's beautification committee, and I’m in charge of all the planter boxes and gardens in our small town.

Photo credit: Christian Harder