Fluent in Food

Kelly Minter: Bread Maker and Bread Breaker

Words by Nicole Letts
Lifestyle Photos by Cole Gorman
Styling by Callie Blount and Megen Minter
Recipe Photos by Stephanie Mullins
Styling by Teresa Blackburn



Some theologians say “bread” appears at least 492times in the Bible. Its references to nourishment, breaking bread, and dining are powerfully symbolic, and supper is one of the most poignant and history making points within its pages.

Fare-featured passages are plentiful, but this Psalm strikingly exemplifies food as one of our greatest gifts: “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine and bread that sustains their hearts,”(Psalm 104:14, 15, NIV).

Kelly Minter lives and breathes this Psalm. She’s a former Christian music singer (with three albums under her belt) turned creative writer, amateur gardener, skilled cook, devoted missionary, published author, and gifted speaker. Her two-day Cultivate events draw hundreds of women as Kelly guides them through music, prayer, and discussion.

It’s no surprise that her latest venture bridges her passions for food and faith. In fall 2019, Kelly released her first cookbook, “A Place at the Table,” in partnership with self-taught chef and former Blushing Berry owner, Regina Pinto. Raised in Brazil, Regina was working in accounting, only to realize her first love was food.“I discovered it was one of the gifts God gave me, and with it I could reach a lot of people.”

A few years ago, Kelly and Regina found themselves traveling and cooking together with Justice and Mercy International through the jungles of the Amazon. When Kelly’s publisher approached her about doing a cookbook, she turned to Regina as her writing teammate. “Even though I love cooking, I needed areal chef.” The duo united and began down the path of researching, recipe testing, and most of all, story writing.

“A Place at the Table,” while filled with over 85 recipes along with stunning accompanying photos, also includes various stories from Kelly’s life. She recalls family dinnertime where her dad’s culinary kicks opened his children’s eyes to the variety of seasonal foods, and her mom’s dedication to dinnertime stressed the importance of gathering and enjoying each other’s company. Likewise, Regina shares traditional Brazilian dishes and family favorite recipes. Turn the pages and linger at footnotes to discover a recipe’s history or how it’s tied to the duo’s tale.

“One of the main goals of the cookbook is to get people together or to have people over into your home,” Kelly explains. 
Regina continues, “Every time I move there’s one thing I do to get to know the neighbors: I bake bread, and I make pies, and I go door to door. Everybody knows me as the bread lady because I went to every single house and took them bread.” There bread is again; the food that connects us.

Cooking for someone gives them a peek into your heart, and serving them a meal, as Kelly explains, is a small, selfless act.“Service is a big part of the heart behind this project. Through it, I’m showing the love of Jesus to people through being able to have them into my home and being able to cook and serve them.” Food is our universal love language, and through “A Place at the Table,” Kelly and Regina are filling not only our stomachs but our bread baskets too.

Roasted Chicken + Root Vegetables
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Serves: 8

Ingredients
Spice Rub:
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sage, chopped
• 10 fresh sprigs thyme
• 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Meat:
• 1 large roasting chicken, whole or cut in half

Vegetables:
• 5 mini new potatoes, cut in half
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 4 red potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 cup pearl onions
• 8 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Make the spice rub with salt and pepper, to taste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sage, sprigs of thyme, and butter, mixing well. Rub the chicken with the spice mixture and set aside.
3.Mix the vegetables with olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the vegetables around the bottom of a roasting pan.
4.Drop the chicken on top of the vegetables and bake for 45 minutes (if the chicken is in halves) to 1 hour (if the chicken is whole), or until chicken is done and golden in color.

Find three more recipes from Kelly Minter in the magazine!

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