Camilla Marcus’ Backyard Lunch—And Her Revamped Recipe

At first glance, Camilla Marcus is a case study. He takes his job seriously, yet brings a sense of playfulness to everything he does. He can throw a dinner party for 100, but he might not plan the menu until that day, letting the farmers market be his guide. Her vegetarian-forward cooking is deeply nutritious—and she’s not one to turn down a midday glass of wine.

But nothing about Camilla feels out of place. She is so focused on who she is that all of her layers come together like a well-aligned life—reflecting the passion she brings to her work as a restaurateur chef, founder of west~bourne, and mother of four in Los Angeles.

To celebrate the launch of her cookbook My Kitchen RenovationCamilla joined me for a backyard lunch under the trees with a few friends. We cooked healthy, plant-based dishes from the book—tartines, a robust fennel salad, and the most amazing rose chocolate bark—pouring natural wine, and soaked up her vision of what it really means to cook in a way that nourishes both our bodies and the earth.

His philosophy, in his own words: “What is good for our soil is always good for our health.”

What I love most about the way Camilla thinks about eating is the sense of freedom in it. He writes about advanced cooking the way musicians talk about jazz—not knowing where the notes will lead is the point. The farmers’ market becomes his guide, and “uncontrollable” becomes both liberating and motivating rather than oppressive. I left our lunch rethinking the relationship between self-care and nutrition.

His book makes a compelling case that our everyday choices—the ingredients we buy, how we prepare them, what we do with the leftovers—are actually the most accessible gateways to climate action. Not in cuts or complete changes, but in small, cumulative shifts that start to feel natural over time.

Camilla Marcus Tips for a Zero Waste Kitchen

Get rid of paper towels. Keep a stack of washable kitchen towels within reach—you’ll be surprised how quickly you stop running out of paper.

Rethink your pantry. Swap the plastic wrap for beeswax alternatives. Use glass jars and metal cans for everything from flour to storage.

Go and reuse the storage. Stasher silicone bags replace Ziploc. Camilla also freezes leftover stocks, sauces, and wine in silicone molds for future consumption.

Use all vegetables. No race is left behind. Fennel leaves are garnished, stalks go into stock, and many products do not need to be peeled.

Consider again “leftovers.” Before you toss it, ask: Does this add flavor to the broth or sauce? Onion peels, vegetable stems, cheese rinds—all are fair game. Compost what you can’t actually cook.

Clean the greens. Look for non-toxic brands like Koala Eco, Branch Basics, and Grove Collaborative.

Start composting. A countertop bin (Camilla likes Bamboozle) is a low-barrier start. Composting emits 20x fewer greenhouse gases than composting food waste.

Adapted from My Regenerative Kitchen

All of this—the swap, the scraps, the compost bin—sounds like a command. But sitting in the yard that afternoon, no one felt that way. It feels like a natural extension of how Camilla walks through the world: paying attention, sparing nothing, finding joy in the process. The menu below is where we started. Where to take it is entirely up to you.

All Stalk or Bulb Salad

A salad that gets its name. Every part of the fennel is visible here—the leaves, the stems, the bulb—and the effect is crisp and bright.

Tartines with Heirloom Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, and Golden Beets

Tartins come together the way Camilla cooks everything—literally, whatever looks best on the market. Proof that simple things, made with good ingredients, don’t need much else.

Spring Pea Gazpacho

Cold, green, and very fresh—this is a soup that makes you want to drink your greens. (Besides giving you V8 vibes.)

Dark Chocolate Bark with Bee Pollen, Red Flowers, and Pink Salt

Bark ended our lunch on a high note. It’s as surprising to watch as it is to eat—and it comes together faster than you’d think.