NEWBERG, Ore. — During a call for creative fundraising ideas in February 2026, two Library Foundation of Newberg board members teamed up to bring Newberg’s recipes to the page and support the Newberg Public Library.
The resulting cookbook, “The Newberg Table,” sells for $30, with proceeds supporting the purchase of children’s books for the library. It includes recipes from Newberg chefs, as well as home recipes from community members, such as a nut brittle recipe from Mayor Bill Rosacker and chocolate chip cookies from Korie Buerkle, the library’s director.
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The foundation started in the 1970s to provide additional funding for the library, according to foundation Treasurer Andrew Bierer.
“Currently, the library is primarily funded by the city, so this provides a secondary source of funding,” Bierer said. “We feel like it’s our duty to continue to support the library from a community center separated from the city, and so our basic logistical role is to manage a treasury and then make donations to the library to make sure to continue to support them.”
The foundation functions as an endowment, meaning it holds assets in investments and donates a portion of the interest to the library. Bierer said the foundation contributes 4.5% of its treasury to the library annually, about $30,000 to $35,000.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Bierer said the foundation received few, if any, new donations, which prompted the idea to raise awareness of the foundation and create fundraising opportunities. According to Bierer, part of the goal of “The Newberg Table” was to show how accessible it is to self-publish a book.
“If this book makes no money and just generates people who want to publish and do creative things and get excited and get energized with the library, I think it’s accomplished its goal,” Bierer said.
Board member Jenny DeLapp had the idea for a cookbook in the back of her mind before the brainstorming began. After moving to Newberg two years ago, she wanted to learn more about the community, and a cookbook of recipes from local chefs offered a way to do that.
Together with Bierer, DeLapp went to Newberg restaurants to ask whether they would share recipes and stories for the cookbook.
“I just started going to my favorite restaurants and talking to the people there I know, and Andrew [Bierer] did the same thing,” DeLapp said. “I didn’t have anybody say no — the interest in the community is really exciting.”
Marvin Eans, an associate professor of art and design at George Fox University, helped DeLapp and Bierer work out some of the creative logistics in the early stages. Multiple photographers, including Eans, volunteered to photograph the participating chefs, and DeLapp and Bierer donated many hours to the design, writing, editing, and production.
Aside from publishing costs and what Bierer calls a “very small amount” of money for graphic design work, “The Newberg Table” is entirely a volunteer effort.
“Part of the charm of the book is that there are different photographers, so it doesn’t have that completely polished feel — it has that community feel — and you can really see different people’s input,” DeLapp said.
Once the project gained traction, more restaurants and photographers became involved. DeLapp said she would understand if businesses did not want to give away their house recipes, which led to creative submissions. Chehalem Valley Brewing, for example, submitted what DeLapp said was a meal they made in college.
“It worked to approach it as, ‘we’re not here to steal your recipes, so you can give us whatever you want,’” DeLapp said. “‘We’re here to celebrate you. We’re here to lift you guys up and to remind our community that we’re proud of our restaurants.’”
For Ashlin Indiana Elwood, owner and executive chef at Storr’s Smokehouse on East First Street, contributing to the cookbook was an honor.
“As a chef and small business owner here in Newberg, I think there’s something pretty special about being asked to contribute to a project that celebrates our community,” Elwood said. “Food has always been about more than just feeding people to me. It’s about bringing folks together, sharing stories, and creating memories around the table.”
Elwood submitted a recipe for Oregon Smoked Salmon, in which a whole side of salmon is cured in a brown sugar and salt mix, seasoned with more brown sugar and then rosemary and spices, smoked for an hour to an hour and a half, and glazed with maple syrup.
“I wanted to share something that reflects both our region and my approach to cooking: taking a great ingredient, treating it with care, and letting the fire do its work,” Elwood said.
Javier Santos, managing director of Caravan Coffee on East Ninth Street, shared the recipe for the Evergreen Latte, a staple of Caravan’s winter seasonal menu.
“It’s a comforting drink that feels at home during a Pacific Northwest winter,” Santos said. “One of our favorite things is watching a guest take that first sip, settle in, and stay a little longer than planned. That’s the experience we wanted to share through this recipe.”
Santos said he was inspired by the collaboration the cookbook highlights.
“My first thought was that this was a wonderful way to bring the community together,” Santos said. “A cookbook captures more than recipes; it shares the people and stories behind them. I was especially glad to see George Fox University and its students involved, connecting with the local businesses and people who help shape the place where they live and study.”
Originally from Montana, Bierer said he especially noticed Oregon’s emphasis on the meaning behind food, which contributed to the creation of “The Newberg Table.”
“Oregon really takes a lot of pride in their food, and not just like standard food, like the personality of the food,” Bierer said. “It doesn’t have to be sensational, it just has to have a story behind it. It has to have a reason why you make that food. Because I mean, we grow so much. There’s so much growing here that you’ve got an abundance of everything. So the cookbook really spoke to the pride of what I think Oregon and specifically Newberg appreciates.”
According to DeLapp, the first print run of 100 books is nearly sold out, and the foundation is looking to print more in time for the holidays.
The cookbook is the foundation’s first fundraiser, and board members are already planning their next efforts. “Newberg Story Slam,” a storytelling performance, is coming to the George Fox Commons Room 101 in 2027.
DeLapp sees the cookbook as a window into some of the more overlooked pieces of the Newberg community.
“When you share your food, it’s a piece of you, especially for these restaurants — their food is a piece of them,” DeLapp said. “Coming together over food creates more community and more cohesiveness. Those connections bind you.”
“The Newberg Table” is available online through the foundation’s website for pickup at the Newberg Public Library. It can also be purchased in person at the library or at participating restaurants.
