A Plate for All Seasons
Published January 2026
By Karlie Ybarra | 14 min read
Can one meal truly be life-changing? Those who spend much time on social media probably have heard this idea attributed to some recipe or other—likely involving cottage cheese—but it's unlikely a single grainy (albeit protein-packed) "cheesecake" will make a difference in anyone's existence.
When Katelin Nole talks about her dinner with destiny, she isn't speaking in clickbait. The meal she and her husband Will shared at Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy in Depew seven years ago altered the trajectory of their lives.
"There were chickens grazing everywhere, and they had this bountiful garden where they harvested the majority of items for the dinner and then made a world-class meal out of it," Katelin says. "It was like city folk coming to the country and touching grass for the first time."
The communal dining table at Living Kitchen in Depew allows guests to share the experience together. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
The property itself is enchanting: Abutting post oak forest are four hundred acres populated by bleating goats and verdant garden beds. There's a hand-built wooden cabin where, on the screened-in porch, twinkling lights and paper lanterns warmly direct diners to a seat at one of two long tables. But it wasn't just the dreamy setting that inspired Katelin and Will to quit their jobs and become full-time farmers. It wasn't the food, either.
"It was a meal centered around ancient grains," Katelin says. "I kept the menu for the longest time, but I can't remember the exact dishes."
What left an impression were the two women who brought Living Kitchen to life: Lisa Becklund and Linda Ford.
"Linda gave us a tour of the farm and walked us around the gardens, and then Lisa took over as soon as we got to the cabin," Katelin says. "The powerhouse that those two are together just made it a special experience. And the joy and enthusiasm that Lisa does the dinners with is infectious. We wanted to do something like this."
Katelin eventually asked if the pair might need any volunteers, which they didn't at the time. But that didn't deter her in the slightest—she soon found an agricultural training program in Washington state. After they completed training and returned to Oklahoma, the Noles reconnected with their muses, who just so happened to be looking for an opportunity to step back from farming. In 2024, the Noles established their growing imprint, Lightfoot Farm. A few years ago, Katelin hadn't even cultivated a garden, and now she helps grow much of the produce for Living Kitchen's beloved multicourse seasonal dinners.
It turns out one meal can change the course of multiple lives—if it's cooked by Lisa Becklund.
Lisa Becklund, left, and Linda Ford at Cow and Cabbage. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
Like many Oklahomans, Becklund’s story starts far from the Sooner State. In her native Washington, she had a successful Sicilian restaurant but was burned out. Feeling energized by visits to the nearby farmers' market in Seattle, she longed to trade her toque for overalls.
"I was ready to sell everything and be a farmer," she says. "I wanted to grow the vegetables and not have to cook them."
Becklund knew someone in Oklahoma, so she decided she'd stay a year. But she fell in love with her adopted home and in 2005 established Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy on her new seven-acre farm near Kellyville. As she milked goats, collected eggs, and undertook the thousands of other daily chores of farm life, she learned more of what it takes to get ingredients to market.
"When you're a chef, you know a lot about how to cook a vegetable, but you don't know how it's grown or how long it takes to grow," Becklund says. "Garlic is a good example. We use it gratuitously, but it takes nine months to grow. When you grow garlic for the first time, you realize what effort and intention goes into it."
Some of the lessons Becklund learned were harder to swallow.
"I was inexperienced, and then coming to Oklahoma, which is probably one of the more difficult climates to grow in because of our weather extremes, I was really struggling as a farmer," she says.
The goats needed feeding, so Becklund decided to go back to her metaphorical roots to raise funds. In 2006, she hosted her first Living Kitchen dinner—a lavender-themed affair for about twenty people. It had a secret menu that diners didn't get to see before that evening, which created an air of mystery but also freed Becklund to feature whatever she could harvest fresh from her own farm.
The crispy Oklahoma Griddle Fried Catfish at Cow and Cabbage in Tulsa is made with cornmeal breading. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
The following year, Linda Ford was feeling ground down by city life. She was working in higher theological education, but she longed to feel closer to nature. So she was excited when friends invited her to join them on a farm-sitting gig. A weekend was all it took: After that, she volunteered every opportunity she could until two years later, when she put down roots and moved to Living Kitchen. Now that such a dynamic duo had been established, they'd need more room to grow. So Becklund and Ford leased the four-hundred-acre Oakley farm and cabin in Depew. They continued expanding their dinners, which sold out faster each fall as word spread. Becklund crafted a unique menu for each occasion and dazzled guests as host, sharing the tale of each bite as diners explored the culinary possibilities of Oklahoma. Ford became a Jill-of-all-trades, making seating arrangements for each dinner, repairing farm equipment, and doing whatever else she could to support her now-wife and business partner.
Though it was much different than her theological career, Ford sees parallels between both of her worlds.
"I was doing work in pastoral theology and pastoral counseling, which is being focused on seeing people for who they are," she says. "There's a lot that goes hand-in-hand with what I do. The kind of hospitality that I want to show is the kind that ensures people who come to our restaurant feel seen."
Fresh local ingredients, fantastic flavor, and beautiful presentation are hallmarks of a meal at FarmBar in Tulsa. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
Hosting life-affirming—if not life-changing—dinners for thirty-six guests at a time, Becklund continued to showcase the wonders that grow right in Oklahoma soil, but after a decade, it seemed time to expand again. In August 2020, she and Ford opened FarmBar, which brought the hyper-fresh, multicourse tasting concept to the heart of Tulsa. Inside the slate and wood space illuminated by candles, parties of six or fewer also can enjoy a five-course pre-fixe menu or a ten-course tasting menu Wednesday through Saturday. Tuesday features burgers that are becoming legendary among locals.
"When I was a kid, we used to joke that my dad's burgers were like meatloaf, they were so thick and hearty, so that's what I wanted to put on our menu," Becklund says. "But I also have to give credit to the ranchers at BF Farms in Enid who raise the beef, because it's grass-fed and has so much flavor."
It wasn't just Oklahomans who craved Becklund's flavors. In 2020, she was nominated for what is essentially an Oscar for cooks: the James Beard Award's Best Chef Southwest. What does a now-nationally acclaimed chef with two wildly successful restaurants do next? Add another heaping helping to her plate, of course.
In May 2022—the year Living Kitchen was named a semifinalist for James Beard Outstanding Restaurant—il seme opened in Tulsa’s Deco District. Its name means the seed in Italian, and il seme's menu changes depending on the availability of fresh, mostly local ingredients. Diners always encounter some form of fresh-made bread and pasta, but a random special seasonal ingredient might just show up in the form of a chutney or sauce. Surprise is one of Becklund's signature spices.
Living Kitchen in Depew offers seasonal multicourse tasting menu dinners that nearly always sell out. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
By 2023, running three restaurants and a farm as well as traveling constantly among the three was not sustainable—even with Ford now dedicated to the cause full time. It seems fated then that Katelin and Will Nole would announce their return to Oklahoma and their hope for a farming gig. Becklund asked if the two wanted to grow for Living Kitchen.
"It was a full-circle moment of her inspiring us on our journey and then asking us to work with her out here, which is completely wild," Katelin says.
With the Noles leading the farming operation, it might seem an opportunity for Becklund and Ford to get a little downtime, but that's not really the style of driven, creative people. Instead, they took over a bright and airy space on Tulsa's Cherry Street, establishing Cow and Cabbage as a specialty grocery store and restaurant focusing on—what else?—Oklahoma's rich agricultural heritage.
"This is something it feels like Tulsa needs," Becklund says. "It’s a place where people can go to get fresh meats and produce, really strong lunch and dinner options, and local products that can be turned into a quick meal."
Keeping with Lisa Becklund’s focus on quality and freshness, pastas at il seme in Tulsa are handmade at the restaurant using Italian flour, while most of the menu ingredients are locally sourced. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
Much of Becklund's time of late has been focused on making her newest venture a lasting success, but to her, one of her most important job titles will always be mentor.
"Bringing up the next generation of thoughtful chefs and cooks is crucial to the future of our industry," she says.
The most important lesson Becklund tries to impart to those she works with might seem a little ironic considering she was a finalist for the best chef in the country in 2025. But this chef, who’s had to push her perfectionism aside, emphasizes the value of failure.
"We have to be okay with making mistakes," she says. "We just can't get stuck there. We have to use mistakes as opportunities to grow."
For Becklund, part of growing means trusting others with her vision. The Noles helm the farm, and Jordan Hawley—who was himself a semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest in 2024—leads the culinary team at il seme. Ford hopes this might lead to a little well-earned downtime, but it's likely the pair aren't done branching out. When every meal is served with a side of endless possibilities, it's hard to stay out of the kitchen.
.jpg)
