Lindsay's seasonal, local, loving food blog, Rosemarried, first caught my eye last year. She prepares healthy foods and strives to cook (and live) in the moment. When I realized this blogger and I lived in the same city, I knew I had to check out her kitchen.

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Lindsay lives in Portland, Oregon and shares her small home with her husband, cat and dwarf bunny. Their humble rental kitchen has taken on personality and style with Lindsay's carefully curated selection of vintage wares, turquoise accents and beautiful coffee-related equipment. Lindsay's husband, Nicholas, works in coffee at the Albina Press, one of the city's most celebrated coffee shops. For their wedding a few years ago, Lindsay registered for a few kitchen tools, but her Mom suggested that her friends buy "something old and blue" from the saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Lindsay's friends came through with a myriad of turquoise and blue curios that now adorn this sweet kitchen.

• Visit Lindsay's blog: Rosemarried

Lindsay's open kitchen shows us how far a little white paint and cute metal handles can go in a rental kitchen. Also, a pale color palette on the walls helps all the turquoise accents pop. With light pouring in through the window, I can't think of a better place to be than standing over this accomplished home cook's shoulder and playing sous chef to one of her delightful, seasonal dishes such as a wintery grilled goat cheese, roasted beet and wilted sandwich, chai snickerdoodles, or curried carrot soup with orange and lemongrass. Don't those flavors just leap off the page?

Lindsay also co-organizes a quarterly food swap in town, where a group of about 30 people bring their homemade goods to trade. This is a community event much beloved by bloggers and home cooks alike; I'm looking forward to joining in on the fun next time.

This kitchen's bones are humble but they hold creativity and a love for feeding family and friends good, honest fare. Lindsay serves it up!

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10 Questions for Lindsay (and Her Kitchen)

1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
I do my best to eat seasonally, so I often find myself being inspired by the changes each season brings. Seasonal eating makes me appreciate the little things, like the first asparagus sighting at farmer's markets in the spring or the first bite of a peach in the summer. I'm also lucky to live in the fine city of Portland, Oregon, and I'm constantly inspired by the food, farmers, chefs, baristas, and artisans that reside here.

2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
My Dutch oven. I use it to cook anything and everything.

3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
A while back, I hosted a 'Cheese, Wine, and Swine' dinner party for a few good friends. I prepared a 5 course meal that highlighted Northwest cheeses and wines. The menu included home-cured duck prosciutto, moules frites, pork rillettes with apricot mostarda, and roasted beet salad with pistachios and whipped goat cheese. The food was fabulous, the wine was superb, and all of it was enjoyed alongside some of my best friends. And I was so proud that I was able to pull it all off in my tiny little kitchen!

4. The biggest challenge in your kitchen:
The never–ending stack of dirty dishes in my sink! Being a food–blogger (and part–ime caterer) without a dishwasher can be trying at times. Thankfully, my husband is a champion dishwasher and helps me keep the dish stack to a manageable size.

5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
It's a rental — couldn't do much but decorate.

6. Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen:
Quality pantry ingredients. I've worked hard to build up an array of quality salts, olive oils, vinegars, and spices. I think it makes all the difference in my cooking!

7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
I'd like to knock out the walls and make the space a few feet larger, but considering I'm renting the place, that's probably not going to happen. So, I'll most likely leave it alone.

8. How would you describe your cooking style?
I often describe my style of cooking as "Slow food for fast life". I work a full time job, I'm on the board with my local farmer's market, I write a food blog, and am always on the go. While I'm passionate about sustainable living and eating whole and healthy foods, it's hard to actually cook this way in the midst of a hectic schedule! Thus, my cooking reflects the struggles of a working woman who's doing her best to support a diet that is local and seasonal. It's simple, fresh, and fast!

9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received:
Michael Pollan is a hero of mine and he's changed the way I think about food. He's given a lot of great advice over the years, but I think this bit of wisdom is my personal favorite: "Don't eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." It's such a simple rule, but it's a great one to follow if you're looking to reduce your intake of processed foods.

10. What are you cooking this week?
Roasted broccoli with Sriracha and honey, slow cooker pork mole, quinoa stuffed poblano peppers, and more!

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Featured Resources

• Pots and pans: Le Creuset, Calphalon, Lodge, and a few miscellaneous pieces.
• Dishes: hodgepodge, mostly vintage and things I find at thrift stores and estate sales
• Tea towel on stove: Life at The Table

• Visit Lindsay's Food Blog: Rosemarried

Related: Avery's Small & Soulful Pickling Wonderland

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)