Chef Lauren

09/03/2026

Teamwork, attention to detail & local food always wins!

09/03/2026

“Eating is an agricultural act.” — Wendell Berry

Remembering Wendell Berry, whose words remind us that food connects us to land, labor, and community.

If you’ve visited the Duke Farms Farm Barn Café, you may have seen this quote on our table signs. Here, it’s a daily practice — carried through the local farms we source from and the seasonal food we’re grateful to share. 💚

09/01/2026

Back to school means getting back into the rhythm of things! 📚🍎

One thing I’m focusing on with my families this season is making sure the fridge and cabinets are stocked with easy, grab and go options for lunchboxes, after school snacks, and those “we need dinner NOW” evenings.

And don’t underestimate the after school snack! Littles have had a full day too. A good snack can help replenish them before homework, practice, play, or whatever comes next.

And honestly, the grown ups need one too. 😂

A little planning makes feeding everybody well feel a whole lot easier. 🧅

What is your go to after school snack?!

09/01/2026

Happy back to school to all the Littles in my life! 📚✏️🖤

It’s such a pleasure to be in the lives of so many amazing juniors and to get a front row seat as they learn, grow, discover who they are, and become a little more themselves each year.

Wishing all of you a school year full of curiosity, kind teachers, good friends, big laughs, and plenty of moments that make you proud of yourself.

Be kind. Ask questions. Try new things. Eat your veggies. And remember, it’s always a beautiful day to get better. 🧅🖤

08/30/2026

Nine years in, and I’m still learning what it means to become a better chef. Turns out, so much of that growth has very little to do with what happens on the plate. I wrote a little about what “getting better” looks like to me these days. 🧅

Head over to the blog at tinyonion .net and check it out!

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

I recently had the pleasure of getting to know Brandee Younger and hearing her play for the first time, and she is absolutely incredible.

I’m so excited to see her back at Duke Farms for Wild by Nature. Come experience what I already know will be a beautiful afternoon. And as an added bonus, I’ll be preparing lunch!

🎟️🔗:in comments!

08/28/2026

Got home later than usual tonight and definitely considered grabbing something on the way home.

Instead, I came home and threw together a quick turkey rice bowl with black beans, fresh cilantro, scallions, avocado and salsa…and felt so much better about the decision.

We tend to think of grabbing food out as the convenient option, but there’s something to be said for keeping your fridge stocked with simple ingredients that make throwing together a quick, nutrient-dense meal just as easy.

08/26/2026

A little behind the scenes 😂

Who you choose to provide your services matters.

Someone who gets you. Understands your vision. Knows when to guide you and when to let you do your thing.

I always say makes me look good, but really, he makes it easy for me to just be me.

And I pray that I am to my clients what Eneg Visuals is to The Tiny Onion. 🧅

08/26/2026

tiny glimpses of a BIG life.