The Ranch Table

A seventh-generation cattle rancher in the rolling hills of California’s Central Coast, Elizabeth Poett unites a passion for land and animal stewardship with joyous gatherings fueled by fresh, seasonal food.  At Rancho San Julian, the 14,000-acre ranch that has been in her family since 1837, Elizabeth hosts culinary gatherings that vibrantly encapsulate the generosity, history, and deliciousness of the land.

And so, with her debut cookbook, THE RANCH TABLE: Recipes from a Year of Harvests, Celebrations, and Family Dinners on a Historic California Ranch, it only made sense for the pages to span a year, capturing the rhythms of the land and the honest conviviality of ranch life.  

Indeed, with each chapter spotlighting an event or a special day—springtime branding, dinner in the lavender fields, holiday cookie bake-offs with the kids, the quiet beauty of a winter evening spent at the kitchen table—the recipes and storytelling transport readers and cooks to this beautiful corner of California.

With a focus on seasonal ingredients—including vegetables and meat grown and raised on the ranch and fish from California’s Central Coast—Elizabeth’s food is rustic and homey, both accessible for weeknight cooking and easy enough for larger gatherings. 

THE RANCH TABLE draws in readers with both expansive photos of the ranch today and archival images of its past, bringing a sense of place to Elizabeth’s cooking. 

Read Elizabeth's COWGIRL Cover Story on the COWGIRL App!