In our latest In Conversation segment, we’re thrilled to spotlight Soph Gordon, the brilliant author of The Whole Vegetable, seasonal chef, and retreat host known for her sustainable and thoughtful approach to cooking.
Soph's dedication to using seasonal ingredients and minimising waste brings an inspiring touch to every dish she creates.
It’s the perfect way to connect with the story behind her mouthwatering recipes and find tips for your own sustainable kitchen adventures.
Share a little bit about yourself with our community
My name is Sophie, I currently live in Brighton which for me has the perfect balance between living by the sea and the country side. I’m a massive nature girl and love being outside. You can’t beat getting up and out on a cold but sunny morning for a long walk. I’ve been interested in food for as long as know. My dad was a chef so I feel lucky to have been encouraged to eat and try a lot of different food groups growing up. I used to love pulling up a chair and watching my dad cook, or getting involved, asking as many questions as possible and of course, stealing a taste whenever he wasn’t looking. I love cooking with the seasons, I find it helps my creativity and keeps the inspiration flowing. I really try to take into account what I’m eating and how I can best use the whole vegetable and minimising food waste along the way. I thrive in making a meal out of what you might call ‘scraps’, far from it in my opinions.
You have a lovely book called 'the whole vegetable' tell us about it
Where to begin! Probably the thing I am most proud of, I poured my heart and life into making it. I wanted to share my philosophy to cooking that is very simple but often overlooked. I wanted to share how easy it is to cook with vegetables, using the entirety of it and have along way. It’s broken up into 6 seasons due to the variety of produce over the months. Each season then focuses on 5 core vegetables and one fruit. I’ve also included a big ‘basics’ session with recipes such as homemade stock, seasonal compotes, pancake bases, breads etc. It’s a vegetable bible!
Do you have a favourite comfort pasta recipe?
I think half of this answer is based on the nostalgia element but for me, you cannot go wrong with a veg heavy, tomato based, pasta bake. Think big pasta shapes that can fill up with the filling, maybe a bean and a delicious crispy golden top!
We're all about making food about joy at Northern Pasta, what does joy mean to you?
Ohhh this is a good one. I think joy can take many forms. There are things that bring me joy such as being outside and in nature, sunshine, the perfect cup of tea and to feel joy I think is a sense of calm and a still or less frantic mind.
What are you looking forward to?
Right now I’d say I’m looking forward to testing some new recipes over the autumn and winter - my favourite time for produce. This time of the year calms down a little for me job wise so I always look forward to dedicating some time to developing things, spending time with my partner and generally not having to make an excuse to stay in, be cosy and put on a good film.
Finally, any faces, places, podcasts or else you'd like to shout out?
Like many, I’ve been on a Coleen Hoover book binge, I can’t get enough. I feel sad for my teenage self when I had no interest in reading as now I can’t get enough. I’m about to part ways with Coleen and read XXX. Podcast wise, I always have so many on the go and have recently been listening to Dr Tara Swart, she’s amazing, a neuroscientist, I recommend listening to her own podcast as well as some of the interviews she’s done recently. Another podcast I really recommend is called The Big Drink Rethink. I’m not a huge drinker, but I find it fascinating to listen to and some really insightful things to think about.
