At the Table with Camilla Marcus

Morning begins the way it often does—kids gathered around the kitchen island, eggs from the backyard, and a savored cup of coffee. This is the rhythm of Camilla Marcus’ world. A chef by training, a founder by instinct, and a mother of four, she moves through her kitchen with intuition—one shaped as much by the farmers market as it is by the realities of family life. Her meals are rooted in seasonality and a deep respect for where food comes from and where it’s going next.

This intentional approach is why we teamed up with her brand, west~bourne, to create The Sunday Salad Set—a bundle built around a simple idea: fresh greens, a pour of good oil, and a bowl passed around the table is all you need to create an experience worth savoring.

Ahead, Camilla shares what life looks like right now, how motherhood has reshaped the way she feeds people, and the small, daily choices that add up to something larger—at the table and beyond.

Photos by Michelle Nash

That first hour is absolute mayhem. Solo mornings with four kids is not for the faint of heart, but we always make it fun. I typically gather the kids around our kitchen island and get everyone in on the prep. We make a european-style spread with a little something for everyone—often leftovers to minimize food waste and of course fresh eggs from our sweet chickens. My non-negotiable is my one coffee of the day. It’s a serious ritual for me to make a pistachio milk cappuccino on my La Marzocca. The kids know that’s my me time, and the one part of the morning that I need. Then it’s off to the races through multiple drop offs—messy, beautiful, lovely amidst the full tilt chaos.

It’s less about perfection, and more about getting something delicious on the plate. Coming from a background in restaurants, I’m used to plating things in a particular way, and making sure my food is cooked with the exact right technique. That script is completely different at home where it’s not about output but more importantly the experience and feeling around it. 

One is that we all contribute to a meal and we all participate in clean up (even the baby). Cooking and eating are communal activities with the core goal of bonding and nourishing us as a unit. It’s all about togetherness. We also clap for whoever the head chef was for a meal, to show real gratitude for the work it took to make and get a meal going with boundless joy right at the start.

I’m actually less interested in ‘sustainability’ since I find it to be a buzzy word that has, unfortunately, been green washed into oblivion. Instead, I try to focus on regeneration which is all about nourishing the earth (caring for our soil, composting with my Mill, reusing when possible) and low-impact behaviors (avoiding plastic, shopping at brands with shared eco-friendly initiatives). I believe simple intention around everyday choices have a profound compound impact on the world we will have and pass down.

Food accounts for almost one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. The only system that can capture carbon in time to address the looming climate crisis is food and agriculture. And it’s also the only system that we, as everyday consumers and humans, can have a proactive effect on—a cosmic kismet. So, look for regenerative brands to buy and support at the grocery store. Start shopping from regenerative farms. Make small swaps in your food staples and see where it takes you.

I am obsessed with all alliums, and I particularly love this riff on a classic french onion soup, campfire style, that brings in a diverse range of them with a hint of smoke. It’s a relatively simple one that requires patience and an open flame.

There’s no greater teacher we have than nature. I immerse my kids in growing, tending and harvesting food every chance I can. I love to involve them in gardening at home - we choose what to grow together and talk almost daily about what each plant needs and why and how they all communicate and work together. Most often on weekends we do a farm adventure so they can see it all first hand at scale - the hard work and the unmatched beauty - like going to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano or Finley Farms in Los Alamos. They are rooted in a deep appreciation for the nurturing it takes to give back to the land so that it can in turn nourish us.

Obviously the food and beverage being intentional, as surprising and unique as it is delicious, and mindful sourcing. I often incorporate makers and growers that I know to share their stories and incredible craft. That’s where the story and experience begins and draws in all senses to gather.

I let go of rules and expectations - it’s the only way to play jazz and let the experience flow. For example, I love breaking up a meal and having dessert in a different room, like a slice of cake sitting on the floor in the living room or roasting something over ice cream around a fire. Keep it loose and keep it relaxed.

Shameless plug — our west~bourne regenerative extra virgin avocado oil. We call it our “green gold.” Seriously though, it goes with pretty much everything. I love it on berries and cream for a sweet dessert, as a finishing touch on proteins and grains, and mixed with some delicious vinegar for a simple salad dressing.

Energy is contagious, and I believe cooking is the ultimate energy transmitter. So my golden rule is that if the host is relaxed and having fun, guests will embody that too. I also think thoughtful music (hello, vinyl) and finding ways to integrate guests into the experience like contributing to a dish or having each person bring something that relates to theme of the evening for an exchange.

Lots of preserve projects (pickled chilis, pickled shallots, citrus, mustard seeds etc.), whatever I’ve harvested from my garden, yuzu juice and yuzu kosho (always from YUZUCO), Tache pistachio milk, wine.

Truth be told, I do not like to repeat dishes if I can help it. That said, my pink radicchio salad with cara cara vinaigrette which we made together at my home years ago. I live for the moment rosalba season begins. It’s like eating art plucked from nature.

Broccoli stems. We of course are committed to eating whole vegetables root to stem, and so they really don’t know that most people eat just the florets. It’s a fun party trick when families come over.

Rhubarb, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, leeks,and of course avocados.

Next: Camilla’s Pink Radicchio Salad—one she returns to each spring when the light lingers later and friends gather around the table.