A Morning in the Garden With Sabrina Rudin

Presented in collaboration with Haven Well Within
Photography by Michelle Nash

Sabrina Rudin and I first connected in our DM’s—we had mutual friends, and it turned out, a lot of the same convictions about food. When her debut cookbook arrived—Healthy with a Side of Happy—I read it cover to cover in an afternoon and then did what I always do when something moves me: I started planning a party, this time for the Austin stop on Sabrina’s book tour.

When we finally met in person, there was that immediate recognition that felt like old friends. We spent the morning of the brunch cooking together—a Picnic Hoagie, Niçoise Salad, and Lemon Tart from her cookbook—and then some of my favorite women arrived to savor a morning of sunshine and nourishing food. We treated them to pieces in Haven Well Within’s summer collection to wear to the party—easy linen and cotton, the kind of breezy, effortless pieces that feel exactly right for a morning in the garden, and everyone showed up feeling (and looking) so relaxed and fresh.

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Before we dove in, Sabrina shared the story behind the recipes—her mother’s kitchen, the after-school ritual of feeding a crowd, the way certain food becomes a tradition before you realize it.

Sabrina is the founder of Spring Café in Aspen and New York—an organic, vegetarian restaurant she opened in 2013 while living in Aspen as a snowboarding instructor. One of the things I find most interesting about Sabrina is where her conviction comes from. Her mother was a pioneer in the natural foods movement decades before wellness had a hashtag—studying under Anne Wigmore, attending the Kushi Institute, building a household around the belief that food is medicine. Sabrina grew up inside that worldview, and you can taste it in everything she makes.

Healthy with a Side of Happy is her attempt to pass it on. One hundred plant-based recipes built on the premise that food should be delicious first and nourishing second—and that those two things should never feel like a negotiation. Every recipe is one that becomes yours: the one you make on a weeknight, for a Sunday gathering, for every person you want to feed well.

The recipes are the kind that make people want to stay at the table longer. And on a morning like the one we had, celebrating a dream that took years to build, that felt exactly right.

The Table

I wanted the brunch to feel like a meander rather than a formal meal, so I set up a buffet and let guests take their plates into the sunshine, explore the garden, find a corner to settle in, and enjoy.

The color story came from the lemons and blue skies in our backyard in summer: pale yellow, cream, shades of blue. I set the table with Casa Zuma: our white linen table throw, oversized natural linen napkins, the Canyon Serving Platter, and large Vintage Wood Boards. 

I pulled out all my favorite vintage terracotta vessels I’ve been collecting from Round Top for years, and filled them with butter yellow dahlias and garden roses, olive branches, spirea, and chamomile flowers. I wanted it to look like I went into someone’s slightly overgrown garden and came back with armfuls of wild branches.

The Gift Bag

I love a good send-off: that extra touch that makes every guest feel cared-for, and I wanted to leave every woman who came with something that felt like a small luxury. 

Each canvas bag was packed with small delights that I personally love. A signed copy of Sabrina’s cookbook, of course. A cashmere wrap soft enough that you’ll reach for it constantly. An eye mask. The Cleanse Gourmet x Haven Well Within’s Restore Intention Crystal Kit — a lavender spray and grounding crystals that have been on my nightstand for months. And Haven Well Within’s Palma Candle, which smells like a slow afternoon in a sun-warmed coastal garden.

And I was so excited to include a set from Haven Well Within’s new Resti collection—poplin boxers and lace-trimmed tank for each guest. The collection is built around something I’ve been sitting with a lot lately: the idea that rest isn’t a pause from your life, it’s how you fill up with energy. The collection feels like that conviction made tangible—minimal, beautifully made, the kind of thing that blurs the line between getting dressed and being restored.

Picnic Hoagie Sandwich

To be completely honest, a sandwich doesn’t usually make the cut when I’m building a party menu. But thanks to the fact that this Picnic Hoagie is bursting with gorgeous summer produce, it earns its spot on even the most aesthetic spread (and it also disappears faster than anything else you put out, which is the real test!) 

The layers—the basil pesto, the mushrooms, the goat cheese, and arugula—are stacked so generously it barely holds together, which is exactly right for summer picnic vibes.

Get the recipe for Sabrina’s Picnic Hoagie Sandwich here.

Coconut Lemon Tart

I love to end a gathering with something citrusy, cold, and beautiful. The fact that this tart can be made the night before is another reason why it’s great to serve to a crowd. It needs at least four hours in the fridge to set up, and that overnight chill actually makes it better: more custardy, more intensely lemon, the silky filling against that nutty, toasted crust. The whole thing came together in about 45 minutes of actual work, and then I moved on with my day and let the refrigerator do the rest.

The flavor is striking in the best way—a dessert that makes you close your eyes for a second—with the coconut cream softening just enough of the tart lemon flavor. The nutty crust made from walnuts, cashews, and gluten-free graham crackers is so satisfying, and plays beautifully against the smooth filling. 

Get the recipe for Sabrina’s Lemon Tart here.