Welcome!  My name’s Rachel Orchard.  I’m a 30-something year old living in the Boston area finding the beauty in the “every day”.

I first started this blog as a passion project to help document my journey into food, following a realization that a career in medicine was not my cup of tea.  It’s been a while since I’ve updated it, but I’m in need of a creative outlet and returning to writing feels hopeful and joyful.

A longer spiel is below for more context.  But for now, I’ll leave it here!

Thanks for reading.

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Who am I? I spend as much time as possible outdoors, have a dog I treat as my own child, and dedicate a little too much of my brain power towards thinking about what I am going to eat next.  My travels in Europe and Asia have instilled in me a life long passion of learning about other cultures through food, and sharing a delicious meal with others is my absolute favorite thing to do.

How did I get here?  After graduating with a degree in biology from Boston University and a very brief stint in the world of emergency care, I quickly realized that the field of medicine, at least in this sense, was not for me.  I was frustrated with the idea of shuttling people around from appointment to appointment, providing necessary but temporary care, never being involved in solving the root of the problem.

It’s in this round-about way that I’ve found my way to food, because to me, that’s what it all comes down to.  I’ve decided to take a more public health approach, questioning why we even have these problems in the first place, and viewing things from a more preventative standpoint.  I work in the development of sustainable food systems because I believe that our health and the health of our environment are undeniably linked.  And because I love food.

In the past couple of years, I’ve worked for a variety of food-related businesses — namely farms, restaurants, and non-profits — all with the goal of trying to get the most high quality, local food into the hands of as many people as possible.

Why “Orchard e Orto”?   I chose this name for a few different reasons.  Orto literally translates to “orchard” in Italian, but in reality refers to the personal garden found outside many Italian households, where the vegetables they serve in their own kitchen are grown and picked as needed.

Why Italian?  This culture has become a huge part of my life, and I’ve fallen in love with the Italian-way of eating and cooking.  My favorite recipes use simple ingredients in a way nature intended them – it’s amazing what eating seasonally and using a little high quality olive oil can do.

I decided on the name of this blog not just because of my namesake, but also of what an orchard represents: a symbol of nature, growth, and the source of so many foods we love and depend on.  It is natural, vibrant, and simple – orchards grow food, and we eat that food.  It is beautifully simple.

This blog is meant to follow my journey, highlighting some of my favorite Italian-inspired recipes and my own way of contributing to a more sustainable and transparent food system.

I hope you enjoy reading, and please do not hesitate to reach out – I’d love to hear from you!