Most people recognize Nick Offerman from his roles in Parks and Recreation and The Last of Us. Dedicated fans likely know about his Los Angeles-based wood shop. But not everyone knows about this deep cut in Offerman lore: he likes to work on a farm in the English countryside.
The actor first bonded with farmers Helen and James Rebanks over a shared love for the author Wendell Berry at an event in Kentucky. Now Offerman likes to pop by the Lake District of England to stay at the Rebanks' sheep and cattle farm.
“We have basically adopted Nick,” Helen says.
Helen documented the ins and outs of running a household in rural England in her heartfelt memoir The Farmer's Wife: My Life in Days. Both she and Offerman recently stopped by the Delish Kitchen Studios to share some of their favorite memories from the farm.
When visiting the Rebanks, Offerman stays in an apartment off of the sheep barn—what he describes as “the greatest accommodation [he has] ever slept in.” But when he’s not sleeping, he’s helping out with projects around the house.
“Part of the reason I love hanging out with the Rebanks is because they allow me to do chores that remind me of my youth,” he says. “I feel like I am contributing to the family and the farm.”
Helen wears many hats on the farm, but one of her primary jobs is feeding everyone from their farmhouse kitchen. Many of the ingredients in the kitchen come from their own farm.
“I love looking after the chickens. That's my favorite job every morning," Rebanks says. "I'm rewarded every day with fresh eggs on the farm." Seeing the hens—and experiencing their unique quirks—dispelled a lot of Offerman's preconceived notions about farm animals.
“I have been a typical dullard male," he jokes. "I’ve stereotyped the chickens as having no personality, which is exactly why The Farmer’s Wife is a necessary piece of writing.”
Between anecdotes about life on the farm, the book features some of her family's (and Nick's) favorite recipes using ingredients from the land. She includes quintessentially English classics like roast beef with Yorkshire puddings, scones, and sausage rolls. Several recipes are passed down from or inspired by her family—from marmalade and cookies from her grandmothers to a loaf of banana bread perfected by her son Isaac.
The Rebanks leave room for some fun, like making Jell-O shots and throwing the occasional can of Coca-Cola into their grocery cart. But most of what they eat is comforting, nourishing, and made with wholesome, high-quality ingredient.
“It's hard work [on the farm]. It's cold, it's wet, we live in the lake district, so it's often raining. So I like to make a big pan of broth or some stew and keep us going,” Rebanks says.
It’s an especially welcome respite for Offerman after a busy day outdoors. “I grew up in the country with a farm family in Illinois,” he says. “If it's cold and drizzly and you come in and have ham hock broth or just a cup of tea and a biscuit. It’s so much more delicious and restorative and edifying.”
You can buy a copy of The Farmer's Wife online and wherever books are sold.
