Shaye's Italian Kitchen

Shaye's Italian Kitchen An American cook with an Italian appetite! www.theelliotthomestead.com My hope is to encourage others to thrive in their own homes.

Life is full of opportunities to celebrate and a Tuesday lunch can be just as exciting as a Saturday supper. Here on our small farm, we find ways to celebrate each other, our quiver of children, gardens full of flowers, ironed linens, and life on the farm. We live on two acres in Washington State and on that land, we raise our dairy cow Cece, a flock of laying hens, ducks, hogs, sheep, geese, and

a variety of produce in our large, organic gardens. From this ground, we're able to grow food and celebrate the tastes, flavors, and motions of life. The table is always open to visitors, strangers and friends alike. The plates are full, the music is loud, the fellowship is rich, and the wine glasses are rarely empty. The laundry hanging on the line may cause some to think we’re old fashioned – and maybe that’s true. But whether we're pulling weeds, smoking ham, reading to the children, or milking the cow, you're always welcome to join in.

Years ago, I began keeping what I call a harvest table. It’s a table in my kitchen that will hold whatever I need to… cr...
07/31/2026

Years ago, I began keeping what I call a harvest table. It’s a table in my kitchen that will hold whatever I need to… crocks of wooden spoons or slices of leftover focaccia… but especially the produce of any given season. The eggs and squash of winter are replaced by alllll the bounty of summer during the warm months. It’s like edible, moveable art that we get to eat. Plus, I find that if it’s without arms reach, it’s much easier to add it onto the menu for supper. It’s the best way that I have found to organize the bits and bobs of produce that we use all the time in the kitchen. How about you? How do you organize yours?

How are you feeling about sourdough lately? This is my thirty year old Italian starter. She’s been with me to Italy thre...
07/31/2026

How are you feeling about sourdough lately? This is my thirty year old Italian starter. She’s been with me to Italy three times now, each time I gather new yeast and bring new Italian vibes back with me 🥖 Lievito madre, mother levain. The mother of all yeasts and the bubbler of all bread! Are you baking with a lievito madre, or sourdough starter, currently? (Side-note, I love baking sourdough bread, and summer because it rises so quickly in my poorly insulated kitchen! 🫠)

Super ripe figs with a teeny dollop of goat cheese and drizzle of honey is about as good as it gets. But tell me - does ...
07/28/2026

Super ripe figs with a teeny dollop of goat cheese and drizzle of honey is about as good as it gets. But tell me - does the thought of that actually delight you, or no? Do figs stand a chance for you against Oreos or Snickers? These were replaced a long time ago in our kitchens… but maybe they’re not for you yet. Lovers of ingredients - let’s give some encouragement in the comments for those who are learning how to fall in love with good ingredients and good food! What inspired you? What delighted you? Please share a bit of your journey for those just starting theirs! (PS: mine in the comments!)

I have a lot I want to say. First, I expected some nasty comments after my post yesterday and I got zero and I just want...
07/24/2026

I have a lot I want to say. First, I expected some nasty comments after my post yesterday and I got zero and I just want to say thank you for being decent, kind, supportive human beings. I was so grateful. Second, I need you to know that I planted allll the veg in hot compost this year and as you can imagine, the kitchen garden is quite pitiful indeed. I didn’t freak out (old me would have really, really freaked out). Instead, I found an amazing solution - our neighbors who grow beautiful, organic veg right down the road. Each week I pick up an order and now I’m eating like a queen and I didn’t have to w**d! I miss my kitchen garden this year but I’m also glad that I’m not doing it myself, I got to connect with my neighbors and support them in their farming endeavors. I am grateful for people who grow food and I want them to keep growing it! All that’s to say, between both of these situations, I feel entirely taken care of, nourished, and lifted up. So thank you. Now tell me… how does your garden grow this hot, July day?

Not to age myself, but it’s been sixteen years since I started this work. I still love it and feel deeply grateful for w...
07/23/2026

Not to age myself, but it’s been sixteen years since I started this work. I still love it and feel deeply grateful for what I’ve been able to do. But seasons change, life changes, yet our mission remains the same: to do right by our kids. Spending allllll summer preserving food and early morning milking inevitably had to give way to education, drivers ed, and piano lessons. We aren’t just trying to skirt through this chapter, we’re looking to thrive in it. Many of you have been with us for all the chapters of our family and I want to say a heartfelt thank you! In some ways, this change was inevitable. When I was 21, a country half a world away stole my heart and I was never the same, no matter how much I try to avoid it. Instead of fighting it, I now look forward to digging deep, refining our work, and charging forward into the work the Lord has called us to: helping you cook for the people you love! Even though our future content will be more defined to the kitchen, I look forward to sharing our love of the land, vegetable garden, beautiful ingredients, kitchen heritage, and bountiful tables with the world. I’d like to introduce you to Shaye Elliott 💕 The Elliott Homestead - I love you still. Thank you for your service 😊

I just want you to see the prettiest photograph of apricots I have ever, ever taken and share that it did something so v...
07/01/2026

I just want you to see the prettiest photograph of apricots I have ever, ever taken and share that it did something so viscerale to my heart that I immediately began to restock all our photography in the shop and edit some new Italy images, and a few from the farm, and I just remembered through my effort that this is the piece of me that I love dearly and a piece that’s always been a part of me and I could happily pass all my time in some ancient village telling its story and noticing all its tatters and charm and eating and sharing its dishes that families sit down to every day… simply by taking its picture. I take food photos for work, sure, but photography is for my soul. I don’t geek out on gear or know how to work all the bits and bobs, I don’t heavily edit and I don’t add stuff that wasn’t there. My photos are real, and honest, and mine and I love this piece of me dearly. And this photo reminded me of that. I guess I needed it.

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PO Box 369
Malaga, WA
98828

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