People might be surprised to discover that April Bloomfield is something of a vegetable obsessive. The innovative British chef, better known for her robust and often protein-centric cooking at hip New York City eatery The Spotted Pig, as well as The Breslin and John Dory at the Ace Hotel, is renowned for her bold cuisine—aggressively assertive dishes presented with a refreshing dose of honesty and simplicity. “But I love my veggies,” she declares. “Sometimes I could just do without the meat.” Today, NOWNESS showcases painterly images by Brazilian photographer Marcelo Gomes, who captured Bloomfield away from the heat of the kitchen at the organic Berried Treasures farm in Cooks Falls, NY—a source of her fruit and vegetables. “The menus at [the restaurants] are very seasonal,” explains Bloomfield. “It’s nice to buy from somewhere local, from someone who cares what they do—that filters down and translates to the chef and what they put on the table.” Gomes’s autumnal images of Bloomfield are taken from his show Once a Year I Tell Her How You Are, currently on view at Levi’s Photo Workshop in New York. 

Click here to see a recipe Bloomfield conjured up just for NOWNESS.