Edible Memphis Issue 48 - Summer 2020

N O. 48

SUMMER 2020

FOOD, FARM, AND COMMUNITY IN THE MID-SOUTH

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summer 2020 PUBLISHER Bill Ganus bill@ediblememphis.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Stacey Greenberg stacey@ediblememphis.com ART DIRECTOR Emma Meskovic emma@ediblememphis.com COPY EDITOR Manda Gibson AD SALES Ali Manning partner@ediblememphis.com DESIGN AND LAYOUT Rebecca Phillips FOLLOW US Facebook: Edible Memphis Instagram: @ediblememphis Website: ediblememphis.com Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions.

If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies. Thank you. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2020 All Rights Reserved.

ON THE COVER Bolstered by his university education, family, and love of nature, Matthew Robinson takes an experimental approach to farming. Page 16. Photo: Ziggy Mack ON THIS PAGE David Glover removes and rehomes about 200 bee colonies a year from Memphis-area businesses and homes. Page 20. Photo: Richard Lawrence 2 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

contents

5

LETTER FROM PUBLISHER

34 FARM

GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN

BY BILL GANUS • PORTRAIT BY EMMA MESKOVIC

6 9

LETTER FROM EDITOR

How more Mid-South farmers are choosing to feed their livestock on grass—and why you should care

BY STACEY GREENBERG • PORTRAIT BY EMMA MESKOVIC

BY ANDY MEEK • PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHEL RUSSELL

CONTRIBUTORS PAGE

38 MEMPHIS FRIDGE

PLATING AND POLITICKING WITH TORREY HARRIS

BY EMMA MESKOVIC

10 AT HOME

Cooking along the campaign trail

GOSPEL IN THE GARDEN

BY JAYNE ELLEN WHITE • PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHIP CHOCKLEY

Chef Tam’s Garden of Hope

BY STACEY GREENBERG • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZIGGY MACK

44 CALL TO ACTION

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

12 DECODING THE LABELS

Let’s make drinking “off premise” a forever thing

CERTIFIED NATURALLY GROWN

BY BRAD PITTS • PHOTOGRAPHS BY BREEZY LUCIA

A peer-reviewed process with high standards

BY EMILY ADAMS KEPLINGER • PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD LAWRENCE

48 THE BUZZ

BEER FOR ERRRBODY

16 FARM

Beale Street Brewing Co. is Memphis’s first Black-owned brewery

THE PRODUCE TRIBE

Drawing on his science background, a farmer expands into holistic healing

BY TERRE GORHAM • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZIGGY MACK

BY ANDY MEEK • PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL BUTLER, JR.

52 BEST BUDDIES

SOMETHING TO BARK ABOUT

20 OH, HONEY

MEET THE BEE WHISPERER

Local makers are whipping up dog treats with natural ingredients and lots of love

David Glover’s bees sweeten the community

BY BIANCA PHILLIPS • PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL BUTLER, JR.

BY EMILY ADAMS KEPLINGER • PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD LAWRENCE

56 GUIDE

BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANT GUIDE

22 GUIDE

A preview

QUESTIONABLE VEGETABLES

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA MESKOVIC

Fight food waste with proper storage STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

26 THE CATEGORY IS

CLEVELAND STREET REALNESS

57

MARKETPLACE

Thank you to these locally owned businesses that make Memphis a better, tastier city

From costume designing to quarantine cooking, Vietnam-born Bruce Bui is feeling the fantasy

BY STACEY GREENBERG • PHOTOGRAPHS BY BREEZY LUCIA

ediblememphis.com 3

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4 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

Call 901-523-2746 or view our full menu at hogsfly.com

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Portrait photograph by Emma Meskovic

A

t Edible Memphis, we work diligently to find the balance between meaningful and fun. Between telling the sometimes inspiring, sometimes painful stories of the opportunities and challenges faced by the heroes who operate our food system and posting tantalizing photos of summer cocktails. That balance is harder now than ever, when there seems so little to celebrate.

The current crisis has become a crucible for a new form of entrepreneurship in which visions must be cast into an unknown future with unknown markets and unknown regulations.

Business models are less predictable than ever, and flexibility is a mandate rather than a bonus.

And, suddenly, in a very physical and experiential industry, digital is king.

When we relaunched Edible Memphis in the summer of 2018, we started with a “digital-first” strategy so we could leverage technology instead of people or capital (by necessity as much as preference). And we have certainly found a strong degree of digital traction. A recent ad campaign for Old Dominick’s summer gin racked up over a million impressions in a few weeks.

While many are digital-first consumers, we all are wired to thrive best in the context of relationships that are not conducive to a digital substitute.

So we were happy for our digital-first engagement model to be dependent on a people-first, experiential, event-based revenue model. Partnerships with events like the Craft Food & Wine Festival, Grind City Coffee Expo, Dinner in the Gardens, and Reharvest provided the revenue for us to continue our storytelling and community engagement. That model no longer exists, so we, like you, are adjusting, restructuring, and preparing for an unknown future.

Surrounded by instability at the intersection of two struggling industries—media and food—we are inspired by and eternally grateful to our subscribers and advertising partners. You believe in the power of stories and of “food, farm, and community” as essential to neighborhood and economic development. We hope our audience will see you as the heroes you are. •

KEEP THIS MAGAZINE

running.

SUBSCRIBE AT EDIBLEMEMPHIS.COM/SUBSCRIBER

USE CODE

Summer2020 FOR 20% OFF

WHILE I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION: BILL GANUS Publisher Follow: @billganus

1. BLACK LIVES MATTER. 2. JUSTICE FOR BREONNA. 3. WEAR A MASK. ediblememphis.com 5

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

STACEY GREENBERG Editor in Chief Follow: @nancy_jew 6 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL BEER Over 900 breweries, including several in Memphis, are participating in the making of Black is Beautiful beer.

(Read more about this in “Beer for Errrbody” on page 48.)

The base recipe for this initiative—a high abv stout—was created by Weathered Souls Brewing Company in San Antionio, Texas, and designed to showcase different shades of black. One hundred percent of the proceeds from each beer are to be donated to organizations that support equality and inclusion. (Learn more about the project at blackisbeautiful.beer.)

Mia Saine (@theofficialmiasaine), a Memphis-based illustrator and designer, created the artwork shown here for the Black is Beautiful beer made by Memphis- and LA-based Beers a Go-Go and LA-based Indie Brewing Company. As you can see, Mia’s work combines bold illustrations and designs with affirming messages to celebrate minorities and to normalize Black self-love, vulnerability, empowerment, and hope. Follow @beersagogo on Instagram for updates on how to purchase this beer in Memphis.

Portrait: Emma Meskovic; Other photo: Stacey Greenberg

Portrait photograph by Ashley Harper

T

here’s been a lot of talk about when “things” might get back to “normal.” Personally, I think we all can do better than what was considered normal just a few months ago.

In the days following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others whose names I don’t now know by heart, I saw a photo of a poster that resonated with me. It was made for a Black Lives Matter march by Jay Urich, a University of South Carolina student and quarterback. It read: “Matter is the Minimum: Black lives are worthy. Black lives are beloved. Black lives are needed.”

At Edible Memphis we believe “matter” is absolutely the minimum.

In this issue, you’ll read about Chef Tam’s Garden of Hope and how it has helped her cope with the stress of the daily news.

Matthew Robinson shows us his farm and tells us the family history behind The Produce Tribe. We peek in Torrey Harris’s fridge and learn more about his involvement with the local Black Lives Matter movement. Kelvin Kolheim shares his journey to start the first Black-owned craft brewery in Memphis and his collaboration with other local brewers on a Black is Beautiful beer. We also take a look at the racist history of our current liquor laws, and how COVID could change them. Plus, we have a one-page quick reference sheet for our popular Black-Owned Restaurant Guide, which is being constantly updated online.

(We have a rule of personally visiting the restaurants we feature.)

There’s another photo of a billboard going around that reads: “Everything you love about New Orleans is because of Black people.” I certainly think the same should be said of Memphis.

Our food, music, and culture would not exist without the contributions of Black people.

Black lives are worthy. Black lives are beloved. Black lives are needed.

More Black voices are needed in these pages. I welcome writers, illustrators, and photographers of all experience levels to reach out to me. I want to share your stories. •

Get Up 'N Grit It

A New Take on an Old Classic

Bourbon. Steak. Prime.

Deliciously Southern

ediblememphis.com 7

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8 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

Richard Lawrence takes pictures in and around the city of Memphis and the Mid-South. @sundayinmemphis

Justin Fox Burks has been a professional photographer for 20 years, but that’s not all.

He photographed and co-authored two vegetarian cookbooks, The Southern Vegetarian: 100 Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Table and The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table.

He feels fortunate to be able to make interesting images for a living. @justinfoxburks

Michael Butler, Jr., loves everything Memphis.

His goal is to show the beauty in Memphis that others overlook. He’s a photographer, videographer, Memphis tee collector, foodie, lover of tacos, and mayor of South Memphis. @_one901

Chip Chockley, an attorney by day, has been a professional photographer since 2008. Things that make him happy include tacos, mai tais, and his wife and kids. @chipchockley

Terre Gorham is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader who cultivates volunteers and foodies for the downtown Memphis Farmers Market.

Emily Adams Keplinger is a Memphis-based freelance writer and editor who works for print and digital publications, as well as social media. She enjoys putting a positive spotlight on good people doing good things, in hopes of helping connect people to one another and moving the community forward.

Breezy Lucia is a Memphis transplant from Kansas City, Missouri. She’s a queer photographer and filmmaker living in Midtown. When she's not using a camera, she's baking bread or making fermented beverages. @breezylucia

Ziggy Mack is an internationally published photographer about town. When not immortalizing the movements of ballerinas, circus performers, and mermaids, he spends his time finding candid moments involving delectable cuisines and the people that create them. @fomoloop

Brad Pitts is an award-winning Memphis mixologist and beverage manager at the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC). @lbradpitts

Rachel Russell is the daughter of Half High Beef owners Mike and Aven Russell. As a child, she spent weekends on the farm with her grandparents. She now serves as Half High Beef's photographer and social media manager. @halfhighbeef

Jayne Ellen White has worked in the music tourism industry for 13 years and is currently the music specialist and developer of Music Hub at Memphis Tourism. She is a seasoned home cook, a yogi, and an ally for Black lives. @jayne.ellen.vv

Andy Meek is a native Memphian whose work during a nearly two-decade career in journalism has appeared in outlets like The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Fast Company. @andymeek

Emma Meskovic is the queen of all trades at Edible Memphis. You can find her posting on social media, managing print files, designing ads, or editing the website. You can also find her standing on a chair, taking photos of her food, and proclaiming, “Sorry! This is my job!” @emmamesk

Bianca Phillips writes about vegan food (and shares images of everything she eats) on her blog, Vegan Crunk. She's the author of Cookin' Crunk: Eatin' Vegan in the Dirty South. By day she works as the communications coordinator for Crosstown Arts/Crosstown Concourse. She and her partner, Paul, are the proud parents of five cats and one very stubborn (but adorable) pit bull. @biancaphillips

BECOME A

CONTACT stacey@ediblememphis.com

Gospel in the AT HOME

Garden Chef Tam’s Garden of Hope

BY S TACE Y GREENBERG • PHOTOGR APHS BY ZIGG Y MACK

Learn how to make Chef Tam’s Purple Hull Peas You can find the recipe on our website at ediblememphis.com

10 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

A

A A

nyone who’s been to Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe has experienced the magic that comes from Chef Tamra Patterson’s kitchen. Anyone who follows Chef Tam (@cheftamraeddy) on Facebook has gotten to vicariously experience the joy of gardening. Chef Tam regularly goes live from the garden to show her friends what’s growing and to share her thoughts on the process.

Chef Tam says her husband is sort of like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the garden. “He’s so excited and is extremely supportive,” she says. “My son, on the other hand, is a senior in high school. He helps, but he tries to inch away when I’m not asking him for something!”

Her update on June 10 particularly struck a note:

Gospel in the Garden this morning... and Transplanting my tomatoes and garlic ... Transparent moment, I’ve become obsessed since the murder of George Floyd with keeping things close and keeping things alive, I don’t know a mama alive that hasn’t clung closer to their children during this time. It’s made me obsessed with keeping my plants alive and helping them thrive, I mean if I see one lil sickly leaf I’m like naw you ain’t finna kill the WHOLE thing ... It’s been difficult mentally and I’m okay telling that truth ...

I’ve cried more and been more emotive, more angry and more tender. This little piece of earth back here in my backyard brings me peace and hope ... Sometimes I force my son to come out and help me do things not because I can’t but because I wanna see his face and make memories... #TamsGardenofHope #Tamsgardenofpeace beans, greens, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, peas, watermelon, eggplant, chives, rosemary, mint, purple basil, garlic and onions.

Chef Tam, who is most excited about her purple hull peas, says, “This is my first garden; however, it feels like I’ve been doing it forever. The uncertainties in life will often force you to reevaluate the way you live, what you rely on, and what you should

rely on. From COVID to the senseless murder of George Floyd, my heart has been pulled right toward my Garden of Hope daily!”

It’s clear that the garden is a source of inspiration. On June 13 she wrote: Y’all have no idea how it feels to wake up and notice growth, I ain’t even see these last night and honestly it had to be cause they were hiding under the leaves or because I wasn’t expecting anything on this plant just yet. Either way here’s your inspiration for today, just when you aren’t expecting it is when God is going to bless you, in the most unlikely place, in the place of awe and surprise... Boom, Bam Ting!

And she’s finding metaphors for daily life. From June 11: This goes to show how we need each other ... the birds are knocking down the seed and homeboy down on the ground collecting ... Everyone doesn’t have the ability to climb a greased pole, that’s why those with (privilege) wings gotta make sure everyone eats, now the squirrels are working too they just ain’t got the wings the birds do ... America ought to be about everyone doing their part on their level. NOT the winged telling the unwinged they ain’t worthy and should starve !!! - Y’all gone get that on the way home.

There’s also a good bit of humor. Upon finding cucumbers on June 14: So that’s why this ole fass tail girl was wrapping her lil arm tentacles around EVERYTHANG next to her!!! Home girl was in heat. Anyway let me stop being mean to her since she’s obviously pregnant, gone gimme my cucumber Sally with ya fasstail!

Chef Tam says the “Garden of Hope” has helped usher in peace when the whole world seems to be going bananas. We’re honored that she has chosen to share it with us. •

ediblememphis.com 11

DECODING THE L ABEL S

Certified Natur ally Grown A peer-reviewed process with high standards

BY EMILY ADAMS KEPLINGER • PHOTOGR APHS BY RICHARD L AWRENCE

W

ith the burgeoning of farmers markets, the general public has become more intimately acquainted with terms like “eating local” and “organically grown.”

However, in the 18 years since Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) farms came onto the food scene, much of their identity—along with the ways their produce differs from “organically grown” produce—remains a mystery.

Both CNG farmers and organic farmers eschew the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. However, CNG farmers take things to a different level, holding their methods to a higher standard that is detailed certification models that rely on peer inspections, transparency, and direct relationships. “Many consider CNG a good alternative or supplement to being certified organic,” notes the CNG website.

“The benefits of CNG include marketing, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging to a national movement.”

Certified Naturally Grown farms fall under the categories of produce, apiary, livestock, aquaponics, or mushrooms. Each category has its own certification process. For instance, the broad category of “produce” includes not only fruits and

12 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

vegetables, but also flowers, herbs, grains, maple trees, and Christmas trees. In essence, the CNG process provides growers with produce standards that detail what substances are and are not allowed, as well as acceptable methods and ingredients used in CNG production.

According to Suzannah Schneider—communications manager and certification coordinator at the Certified Naturally Grown nonprofit organization—Alvin and Shirley Harris of Harris Farms in Millington are the farmers who have been with the CNG organization the longest. They started farming in 1971, focusing on vegetables and blueberries. By 1991, they were growing their crops completely naturally, and they joined Certified Naturally Grown in 2002, the same year the program began.

“We recognize Alvin and Shirley as the respected elders of sustainable farming in West Tennessee,” explained Suzannah.

“They are true pioneers in a land of corn and soy, where they’ve grown fruits and veggies organically for several decades, while mentoring many beginning farmers.”

Josephine and Randy Alexander, owners of Tubby Creek Farm, became CNG certified in 2014. Their farm in Ashland,

Visiting other farms is a highlight of CNG certification for Tubby Creek Farm's Randy Alexander.

PEOPLE CARE WHAT PRACTICES ARE BEING PUT INTO THEIR FOOD. – Scott Lisenby

Mississippi, includes about 70 acres of land, five of which are under cultivation. The couple grows 30 different kinds of CNGcertified vegetables; they also raise goats and eggs.

“For produce, there is little difference between what is required to be either a CNG or organic farm,” explained Josephine.

“The biggest difference between the two certifications is the process. As a CNG farm, we get peer-reviewed. That means every year we ask another CNG-certified farmer to come inspect our farm. They work from a checklist and talk to us about things like how we control pests and weeds, how we protect biodiversity, and what are our sustainability goals. They also inquire about where we get our seeds and plants. The peer review ensures adherence to the CNG standards. Additionally, it helps us build a network with other CNG farmers. That part boils down to opportunities to compare notes with other like-minded farmers, and also to make collaborative efforts in our purchases for items such as compost and fertilizers. Part of our decision to be CNG was because we saw other farms in our area with that certification. They were farms we respected and admired, so we wanted to be considered their peers.”

Randy says their CNG certification hasn’t really changed their

ediblememphis.com 13

THEY WERE FARMS WE RESPECTED AND ADMIRED, SO WE WANTED TO BE CONSIDERED THEIR PEERS. – Josephine Alexander farming practices. “Our sustainability ideology and values were already aligned with those of being a CNG farm,” he said. “However, our certification has given us an opportunity to visit other farms. When we go to do a peer inspection for another farm, we get a personal tour of somebody else’s operation. That allows us to learn exactly how they are doing what they are doing.”

Local mushroom grower Scott Lisenby of Bluff City Fungi is a strong believer in the CNG process. Though their certification has lapsed during COVID-19, they still follow all CNG standards and anticipate likely renewal of their certification in the future. The standards for CNG mushroom certification are separate from those for produce because mushrooms, unlike plants, are not grown in soil. The mushroom standards have been developed in consultation with the experts on CNG’s Mushroom Advisory Council and apply to both indoor and outdoor mushroom producers.

Think of it as a “best practices” guide. For example, to gain CNG mushroom certification, the substrate can’t include byproducts of genetically engineered agricultural crops and requires a clean water source.

“We were actually going for the organic certification until we found out about the CNG designation,” recalled Lisenby.

“We saw that the CNG standards were stricter. It made us feel like that was a way to convey to our customers that we were producing our product at the highest possible quality level. That’s what is so powerful about the CNG certification.

People care what practices are being put into their food.”

For farmers interested in pursuing CNG status, the process starts with completing paperwork. Applications are accepted year-round, and farmers should arrange their on-site inspection within two growing-season months of submitting their application. There are 20 CNG farms in our area (see a state-by-state list of farms at certified.naturallygrown.org), with more than 750 CNG producers across the country. Most of those farmers sell at farmers markets or through CSAs, and some sell to the public through local, independent grocers. •

14 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

Josephine Alexander and her husband, Randy, grow 30 different kinds of vegetables and raise goats and eggs on their CNG-certified farm in Ashland, Mississippi.

@sillygoosememphis 100 Peabody Place 901.435.6915

ediblememphis.com 15

THE PRODUCE TRIBE FARM

Drawing on his science background, a farmer expands into holistic healing

BY TERRE GORHAM • PHOTOGR APHS BY ZIGGY MACK

The beat of The Produce Tribe begins on 10 acres in Stanton, Tennessee, and reverberates for hundreds of miles through West Tennessee, touching Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, and Greeneville. Ten acres can produce a lot of nutrition—peas, squash, collard greens, okra, tomatoes, turnips, mustard greens, beets, kale—and Matthew Robinson, whose “tribe” includes his family’s bordering Sanderlin Farms, has come into his own rhythm as the lead sower of his land.

“It’s an incredible amount of work,” says Matthew, a self-described hybrid city/country boy from Nashville. “When I was 14, one of my uncles started bringing me around my family’s farm in Stanton more frequently. I enjoyed the country life and helping my family out. I decided I wanted to be involved with agriculture in some aspect; I wanted to be outside, not in an office.”

So Matthew looked for ways to bring together his passion for agriculture and his love for nature. He sought out the systems of farming, the scientific hows and whys and what-ifs. He headed to Tuskegee University, a historically Black college in Alabama, where he earned a master’s degree in plant and soil sciences. He took his knowledge and entered the university’s Cooperative Extension Program, where he educated small farmers in Alabama’s Black Belt communities about growing produce.

By 2016 Matthew was ready to farm full-time. He returned to his family’s roots, leased 10 acres from his grandmother, and, in September 2016, planted The Produce Tribe. The name? “What I’m doing is an extension of my family—the 16 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

ediblememphis.com 17

What I’m doing is an extension of my family.”

– Matthew Robinson

people around me who are there to help, who are thinking the same way, who are members of the same ‘tribe,’” Matthew explains. “The name just made sense to me.”

His university education changed the way Matthew looked at traditional farming. “My approach to farming is different,” he says, as he checks in on the tomatoes strung vertically through one of his three greenhouses. “I do a lot of experimenting because I know what should work and what won’t. I take chances that not every farmer would take, like growing different varieties of things. Have you ever seen a purple sweet potato?”

One of his latest attempts is to grow kale year-round. So far, keeping it well-watered seems to be key.

Like most entrepreneurs, his challenges include capital and time management and marketing, as he works to find outlets where he can sell what he grows. “What makes that more challenging is that I have a perishable item,” he says. “When I harvest okra, I’ve got to move it within a couple of days; it can’t just sit here.”

He moves his produce through a wide band of distribution outlets, including restaurants and wholesale customers. During the height of the season, he sells at farmers markets throughout West Tennessee; this summer he’s at the Memphis Farmers Market and South Memphis Farmers Market.

COVID-19 led to a dip in his wholesale and restaurant sales, but he found a new market as CSAs exploded and he began selling to Bring It Food Hub and 275 Food Project.

“It’s a lot of late nights, a lot of all-nighters,” Matthew admits. “But I build my business based on quality. I cull a lot of things that are bruised or have soft spots. When I pick squash, our cull pile is about the same size as our good pile.

We feed the cull pile to the sheep and hogs at my family’s Sanderlin farm.” He grins ruefully: “Those animals ate good last year!”

And so, when the topic of the future comes up, it’s not surprising when Matthew hesitates. “I’ve been working hard for four years,” he says slowly.

“And there’s not a whole lot of money in it. To be sustainable, you have to 18 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

make enough to invest back into your farm.” He pauses, then brightens: “But, as an entrepreneur, business diversity is what I’m into. I believe in having multiple avenues in case one doesn’t pan out.”

One of those multiple avenues is named Celestial Tribe Healing Company, a holistic enterprise set to sprout on various plots throughout West Tennessee.

Cofounded two-and-a-half years ago with DeQuarius King, a former roommate from Tuskegee University, this new endeavor has already produced a product called Braingevity, a dual extract of locally sourced mushrooms, other fungi, and herbs to help boost brain health.

“My whole life I’ve seen the older generation riddled with Alzheimer’s and dementia; it’s a plague to a lot of families,” Matthew says. “Braingevity is really geared toward increasing memory and brain function.”

He’s selling Braingevity, along with other tinctures like Immuno-Support, at farmers markets this summer. In the first markets of the summer, the products sold well, and he believes word will spread as his potent tinctures speak for themselves.

More kale and more tinctures. And the tribe expands again. •

ediblememphis.com 19

OH, HONEY

MEET THE BEE

Whisperer David Glover’s bees sweeten the community

BY EMILY ADAMS KEPLINGER • PHOTOGR APHS BY RICHARD L AWRENCE

David Glover is a self-described “bee whisperer.” Ever since bees buzzed into his life

Each bee colony that David Glover removes from a business or home has about 40,000 bees. David says that about one-third of the food eaten in the U.S. exists because of pollination.

20 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

in 2009, Glover has turned the encounter into a sweet success, for himself and for others.

“It started when I took my daughter to see a friend’s honeybees,” recalled Glover. “During that fateful visit, the bees swarmed up into a tree. I devised a plan to attach a bucket to a pole, a long pole. The idea was to hit the limb where the bees were swarming, causing them to fall into the bucket. With the bees in the bucket, I quickly dumped them into an empty hive box and helped my friend set up a second colony.”

Glover said he found the process fascinating, and quickly recognized the potential for a bee removal business. His method involves cutting out the comb and moving it to a new hive box. About 200 times a year, he removes hives from area businesses and homes, with approximately 40,000 bees in each colony. He has used those bees to set up his own hives, and now he counts over 100 hives in his personal apiary, each one established by removing problem bees from somewhere in the greater Memphis area.

In addition to establishing his own apiary, Glover, who is a master beekeeper and a member of the Memphis Area Beekeepers Association as well as the Tennessee Beekeepers Association, relocates most of the bees he removes to help other area beekeepers who have lost their colonies, enabling them to restock their vacant hives—for free.

“I get paid to take bees out of houses and businesses, and those bees go right back into the system for free,” said Glover. “I supply local food producers like Jones Orchard. Our bees help pollinate the orchard, and they sell the honey. I have also provided bees for several local nonprofit organizations, like Thistle and Bee and Bee 901 Co.” Thistle and Bee is an organization with a mission to help women who have survived prostitution and trafficking.

“The organization began with a social enterprise based on beekeeping and selling honey,” explained Eyleen Farmer, a retired Episcopal priest who is the entrepreneurial founder of Thistle and Bee. “Toward the end of my tenure at Calvary Episcopal Church, I founded Thistle and Bee as a multifaceted ministry grounded in my belief in the power of love to change the world. In our early years, David Glover helped us learn the finer points of beekeeping and helped us grow our apiaries.”

Farmer said that in the summer of 2018, Thistle and Bee’s apiaries grew from 13 colonies of bees to more than 60 colonies, allowing the organization to add to their inventory products such as herb teas, beeswax candles, and super-premium granola made with their honey.

For Bee 901 Co., the honey from donated bees also fuels change in the form of community impact.

“We are a nonprofit creating sweeter lives for Memphians in need with life-changing honey,” explained Kevin Woods, a cofounder of the organization. “One hundred percent of the money

we make from selling honey is donated to The King’s Daughters and Sons, a nonprofit nursing home. Our contributions have funded rehab equipment for the facility and a custom wheelchair for one of the residents. That funding would not have been available otherwise, and, in the case of the wheelchair, insurance wouldn’t pay for it.”

In addition to rehoming bees, Glover offers information in a “train-the-trainer” fashion so organizations like Germantown’s Farm Park and Rhodes College can enrich their educational programming.

“With bees as our common interest, we have cut across political and cultural differences for the sake of global sustainability,” said Glover. “In the United States, the largest benefit of what bees do is agriculture pollination. In fact, about one-third of the food we eat exists because of pollination, and 85 percent of plant life exists because of pollination. Locally we provide hives for pollination at Jones Orchard.

“With a shared goal of saving our bees and repopulating empty hive boxes, beekeepers are working together to address world hunger and sustainable food sources. And, locally, we are working to give people more sustainable futures.”

For more information about David Glover and his business, visit thebartlettbeewhisperer.com or his page by the same name on Facebook. You can find Thistle and Bee online at thistleandbee.org. You can find Bee 901 Co. at bee901.co. •

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GUIDE

Fight food waste with proper storage S TORY AND PHOTOGR APHS BY JUS TIN FOX BURK S The statistic is staggering: “We waste 40 percent of the food we grow in this country,” Jerry James Stone, my good buddy and YouTube chef, tells me on our Friday afternoon phone call. This hits me hard. I mean, think about all the hungry mouths that could be fed in this country and around the world if we could reduce that number just a little bit.

A vegetarian since the late 1980s, Jerry has become interested in the sustainability and environmental justice aspects of eating a plant-based diet—including everything from climate change to immigrants’ rights.

Concerned, I ask Jerry what I can do, personally, at home to make a positive impact and help reverse this trend.

“We can all do better,” he assures me. “The easiest way is crop storage.”

OK, I know, dear reader, you’re imagining giant grain silos and warehouse-sized walk-in coolers filled to the top with burlap sacks. That image is daunting. But he’s talking about the small portions of crops that we all take home from the grocery store, get in our CSAs, or bring home from the farmers market.

“People assume that the way that the grocery store displays produce is the best way to store it at your house,” Jerry explains. “It’s not!” The high turnover at grocery stores allows the store to display produce in sub-optimal ways. I want to unlearn what I think I know and find out the best ways to store some common ingredients in order to avoid mealy tomatoes, mushy potatoes, and questionable cucumbers.

As we talk about specific fruits, herbs, and vegetables, it dawns on me that the optimal way to store each is clear: The climate and conditions in which the produce is grown generally dictate how that specific crop should be stored for maximum shelf life.

“For example, potatoes are a root, so they like a dark, cool place,” explains Jerry. “Thinking about how things are grown is important to figuring out the best way to store them!”

Now, armed with the best information on the best way to store some of my favorite vegetables, herbs, fruits, fungi, and roots, I am here to share this knowledge with you.

22 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

CUCUMBERS

“Cool as a cucumber” is misleading! The best place to store these guys is not in the fridge, but on the countertop. “They’re sensitive to cold,” Jerry says. “So whole cucumbers will last oneand-a-half to two weeks on the countertop.” Cucumbers grow in the heat of the summer, so this makes a lot of sense.

TOMATOES

Always store your tomatoes on the countertop. Never store your tomatoes in the fridge because it causes them to have a mealy texture, according to Jerry. “Buy tomatoes with the vine attached,” he advises. “The vine covers the tomato core where moisture can escape and cause the tomato to quickly go bad.” Never fear—you can cover the core with a piece of tape (yes, tape) and store the tomato core-side-down for a similar effect.

EGGPLANT

Jerry jokingly calls eggplants “fragile little beings.” Store eggplants in the same way as cucumbers—out on the countertop. Because they also grow in the summer heat, the fridge causes them to rot faster.

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HERBS

“Woody herbs such a thyme and rosemary should be kept wrapped in a damp paper towel in a reusable food storage container,” suggests Jerry.

The same refrigerated “cut flower” method as described above works for tender herbs such as parsley, dill, and cilantro. Add a reusable sandwich bag over the top to create a tiny greenhouse for your herbs to thrive. Basil is the exception to the rule. “Basil shouldn’t be in the fridge,” Jerry told me. Got it!

CARROTS AND BEETS

These root vegetables like it a little cold. Jerry advises: “Remove the beet greens and carrot tops immediately because the roots feed the greens and the greens will continue to pull nutrients and moisture from the root, shortening the root’s shelf life.” Once the greens and tops are removed, wrap the root in a damp paper towel and place inside a bag in the vegetable crisper. Use the carrot tops to make a pesto, and sauté the beet greens with some mushrooms for an earthy side dish.

GREENS

“Kale—you can’t mess it up,” Jerry laughs. Baby greens, microgreens, and tender lettuces are another story. They should all be kept in the fridge in an airtight container with a folded, dry paper towel at the bottom of the container to absorb any moisture. The main reason greens go bad is because they bruise easily, Jerry informs me. The bruised greens deteriorate and get slimy. Be careful with those babies.

MUSHROOMS

I was very interested to know how to store mushrooms. As much as I love them, I do have them perish on me from time to time. The culprit, according to Jerry, is the plastic wrap they come packed in at the supermarket. “Mushrooms need to breathe,” he says. His advice is to keep the mushrooms in the crisper in a paper bag with the top folded down to protect the mushrooms from getting too dried out while also preventing them from deteriorating beneath the plastic wrap.

ASPARAGUS, BROCCOLI, BROCCOLINI, & CAULIFLOWER

“Store them in the fridge like cut flowers in a flower shop,” Jerry suggests for asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, and cauliflower.

Arrange them in a jar or reusable container so that the cut end of the vegetable is in a small amount of water, and place it in the fridge. “The water will keep the produce from drying out in the arid refrigerator environment,” Jerry points out.

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POTATOES & SWEET POTATOES

Keep these tubers in a paper bag in a cool, dark place like a drawer or a cabinet. “They are very sensitive to light,” Jerry warns. “When potatoes are exposed to light, they can turn green and taste bitter.”

ONIONS AND GARLIC

Keep these babies in the dark as well. But Jerry advises: “Never store your onions and garlic near your potatoes.”

The moisture from the onions causes the potatoes to start to sprout, which definitely isn’t ideal.

Take a few extra minutes when putting the groceries away to think about the best place to store your haul. That way you can not only be assured that your produce has the best texture and flavor that it can possibly have, but you’ll also be doing your own part to fight food waste. If we all do our part, then we can make a big difference in this world. •

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THE C ATEGORY IS

CLEVELAND STREET From costume designing to quarantine cooking, Vietnam-born Bruce Bui is feeling the fantasy

BY STACE Y GREENBERG • PHOTOGR APHS BY BREEZ Y LUCIA

B

ruce Bui is a costume designer, performer, and foodie. We chatted with him about how he’s been staying safe (and busy!) through the pandemic, his favorite restaurants, and cooking at home—including his role in a new quarantine cooking show. Then we went shopping with him at Viet Hoa, the popular Asian market on Cleveland.

Bruce was born in Vietnam. After a short stint in a refugee camp in the Philippines, he and his parents arrived in the United States in 1985, when he was eight years old. They settled in Southern California, in the San Fernando Valley, and that’s where he grew up. “I’m basically a valley girl,” he says.

Now he lives near Overton Square with his husband and is the head of the costume department at Ballet Memphis. You can also find Bruce volunteering his talents for various organizations in town. Bruce has been involved in Choices’ Condomonium fashion show, where all of the fashions are made of condoms, and the Memphis City Beautiful Trashion Show, where the fashions are made of recycled items.

Bruce is also a closeted actor. Through his alter ego, Bianca, he does shows with Friends of George’s, a troupe of drag queens and gendernonbinary performers. One hundred percent of proceeds from each show are donated to a different nonprofit. Last year, they raised over $30,000. “I love those gals and love the work we do. I’ve also been a board member for several years,” he says. He’s also a cast member of the hilariously fun Break-Up Show.

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EDIBLE MEMPHIS: How did you land in Memphis?

I went to California Lutheran University and majored in theater and communications, with an emphasis in costume design, much to the confusion of my parents. They would have preferred a doctor or businessman, because they didn’t know what costume designers do. That, and the whole gay thing. That really confused them.

I worked a lot of professional shows to put myself through school, and freelanced once I graduated. I was never interested in doing TV or movies. I wanted to stay in theater, which was really difficult in Southern California. In the summer of 2001, I was looking for a home company to work full-time, and, when Ballet Memphis had a position open, they flew me out to interview, and I thought it was a great fit. I loaded everything I owned, which wasn’t much, in a U-Haul and drove to Memphis two weeks after that. I will never forget my work anniversary, because it’s September 11, 2001. Ask me about that day sometime.

BRUCE BUI:

Whoa... What’s a typical day like for a costume designer?

In ordinary times, I would be rushing to get to the ballet in the morning, even though I only live two blocks away. An average day at the ballet mostly consists of managing costume construction. There are three costume technicians in the shop, and it’s a coordinated effort to construct all of the different designs, for multiple pieces or multiple shows; some can be opening in a few weeks, some opening six months later. There’s a lot of collaboration in designs, and it takes a lot of meetings, and different people signing off on ideas. I joke that the busier the show is, the less actual sewing I do, and the more paperwork I have to get through.

But, with the COVID pandemic, I’ve been religious about staying in and keeping my distance. In the beginning, I made a lot of face masks to donate to different organizations that needed them, and friends. Then I started to make masks for a friend with a store on Broad, who was having a hard time keeping up with her orders. Lately, since I have plenty of time on my hands, I’ve been digging through my stash of drag fabric, and making face masks with a little something extra, and selling them on my DivoDeluxe Etsy shop—a little side business since I don’t know when theaters are coming back to any recognizable state.

What’s the most exciting thing you are working on right now?

Friends of George’s is working on Quarantine Kitchen, a series of at-home quarantine cooking shows with queens. Each queen is doing a segment of instructional video, making a drink or a dish in their home kitchen. [Bianca makes egg rolls.] It’s more entertainment than instruction, but it’s been so fun working as a team again, via Zoom, to come up with the ideas. We are shooting it ourselves since we’re all staying at home. I’m not a big technology person, so there was a real learning curve.

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We all believe that it’s a privilege to be able to create something that will be enjoyed by our audience, even though most of us have been affected by the pandemic, both economically and emotionally—and also as a diverse theater company, listening and responding to the Black Lives Matter movement. I think it’s invigorating to ask what theater can do in times of crisis.

Can we hear more about your alter ego, Bianca?

I love Bianca. She is the outgoing gal who easily maneuvers crowds and uses her superpowers for good. She loves to be on stage and share in the crowd’s energy, and isn’t as shy as Bruce.

I found that, when I used to audition for plays, I would have a hard time being cast because of my ethnicity. But I also realized that I had a knack for comedy, especially when playing drag roles. I played a few female roles in university. When I moved to Memphis, I worked with Emerald Theatre Company and played lots of drag rolls there. In the Break-Up Show, Bruce only appeared in the first year out of six years of shows. Bianca replaced Bruce. And, currently, with Friends of George’s, we all have our drag personas, and it’s really fun to get to share the joy and raise a bit of money while doing it. It’s given me a chance to meet more people and be a part of events I never thought were possible. Also, Bianca has an opportunity to make outfits that Bruce could never wear in real life.

OK, we have to talk about food! What restaurants have you missed most during COVID? Since Greg and I have been pretty strict about keeping ourselves at home, I do miss the restaurants we often frequent. I miss walking over to Side Street and grabbing a quick dinner. I miss walking over to Zebra Lounge. I miss going to Molly’s La Casita.

Places where we’re familiar with the owner and staff. I miss feeling connected to the neighborhood.

I miss running to Pho Binh for the lunch buffet, which I think is one of the best experiences in Vietnamese food. I tell everyone

that it feels just like going to a family meal at my mother’s. The food is fantastic, it’s not fussy, and you just help yourself. I miss Phuong Long and their “train pho,” which is the everything bowl.

Best pho broth in the city. Oh—and their crispy egg pancakes.

I think what I miss most is the human experience of meeting a good friend somewhere, enjoying a meal or a cocktail, and connecting with that energy that you just can’t achieve over a Zoom call.

But the pandemic has also provided an opportunity to revisit some of my favorite Vietnamese recipes at home, which we have been, just to satisfy the craving.

Tell us what you’ve been cooking at home.

Bánh bèo is a childhood favorite. My husband loves it. I don’t make it often because it’s so time-consuming. It’s a small disc of steamed rice and tapioca flour mixture, with a shrimp paste sauce on top, sprinkled with fried onions and fish sauce.

I make caramelized spare pork ribs often with whole boiled eggs, served over rice, and simmered to tender perfection.

Wontons. Whenever I make them, I just make a ton and freeze them. So handy when you need them—throw them in ramen, fry them, etc.

I have a big binder of recipes printed/cut/found, and I make notes on them to match my taste.

Do you have any tips for shopping at Viet Hoa? I have a silly thing that always works for me: Go for the labels that have threes. I buy the three-crab fish sauce and the three-lady rice paper.

If you are missing your favorite dim sum items, try looking in the frozen aisle. Most dim sum staples are there and need just a few minutes of steaming to be hot and ready.

Explore the fresh fruit section. Try something different like a dragon fruit or a rambutan fruit, or staples like mangos and avocados. I swear the fruits there are just fresher and sweeter.

Take a quick minute to peruse through the packaged meat section. Aside from having all of the traditional cuts, they also have pre-seasoned cuts for a quick dinner, and some nontraditional cuts such as tripe and feet.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try balut eggs—fertilized duck eggs that are boiled or steamed to semi-firm. Try eating them with a teaspoon or egg spoon with lots of salt and pepper and lots of herbs like mint and Thai basil. In Vietnam, they are street food, usually eaten after a night of drinking. I have early memories of my father having friends over for a night of talking and drinking; there are dishes served for these occasions, and balut was one of them. I enjoyed eating them when I lived in Southern California. •

Learn how to make Bruce’s Favorite Wonton Recipe Find the recipe on our website at ediblememphis.com

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FARM

Going Against the Grain How more Mid-South farmers are choosing to feed their livestock on grass— and why you should care

BY ANDY MEEK • PHOTOGR APHS BY R ACHEL RUSSELL

F

arming is one of those professions—if you don’t know anyone who does it for a living, or no one in your family is carrying on with it as part of a multi-generational tradition, it’s easy to have a sort of candy-colored notion about what all it entails. You might think that it’s a storybook kind of Americana, comprised of the tinkle of cowbells in the distance as they graze, the sight of a bright red barn and a silo, the smell of fresh hay… You get the idea. But the reality is much more grueling and demanding of a commitment than is probably in the average person to make. And running a farm is as much about operating as a quasi-CEO as it is all the things you might imagine the life to entail, like the early mornings of feeding animals and watching over their health.

Take Home Place Pastures, a fifth-generation farm in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis. President and cofounder Marshall Bartlett offers an almost wonky description of just how it is that one goes about making a success of a farming enterprise, especially one like his that focuses on certifiedhumane, pasture-raised pork and grassfed beef and lamb. The beef on this vertically integrated farm is grassfed, meaning the animals’ diet doesn’t include corn or any kind of grain supplement—the management of which requires a pretty intense level of knowledge, dedication, and patience.

“If you’re managing forages year-round to finish cattle, you’re having to be really knowledgeable about the interplay between your soil, your plants, your animals, and the ruminants you’re managing,” he says. “And you start to look at your whole farm as an ecosystem. As a loop of inputs and outputs.” The devoted

farmer, in other words, is managing what animals eat and how much, how that gets fed back into the soil, the plants grown on the farm, the animals’ health and proximity to each other, and so much more.

Drive out to the country, maybe deep into Fayette County and even beyond—when a trip might convey you past all those rolling green fields—and try if you can to imagine what must be required to farm all that land you see around you. Chances are, the importance of the grass those animals eat and how they eat it (and when in their life cycles they do so) probably has never occurred to you. Thing is, there’s a lot about modern farming that’s like that—that’s little understood by the outside world while occupying a place of supreme importance in the scheme of things for the owner of a farm. A great example is the practice of raising a farm’s animals on a grassfed diet, versus corn, grain, or some alternative.

Running an operation like Home Place Pastures means needing to stake out where a person stands on the notion of grassfed versus grain-fed beef—which the farmer prefers, an understanding of why it’s important, and the consequences of choosing one over the other. “It’s really an environmental, land-management concern for us,” Bartlett explains. “If you’re feeding your animals grain that you’re bringing in, that’s an input from the outside that they’re depositing through manure into the pasture. But you’re really sort of cheating, in that you don’t have to have the knowledge of the soils and the grasses to sustain those animals and create that closed-loop system.

“Grassfed cattle is so important to me because it allows me to farm the way I want to farm to enhance my soils and my land. ediblememphis.com 35

And I think it matches up with what nature had planned and how these ruminants evolved over time to be sustainable contributors to an ecosystem. I think it makes [the animals] healthier and then creates a product we can market based on those principles, which also has a unique, very different flavor that’s much more complex and interesting and reflects the seasonality of what we do. And we can get a premium for it.”

Along these same lines, we talked to proprietors of several other local farms about where they come down on this same practice and why they, too, think it’s important—and, especially in light of a greater awareness of climate change and an interest from consumers in sustainability, why they think the general public should bother to care.

For some context, here’s a number to think about: The market for grassfed beef, according to market research firm Technavio, is 36 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

projected to balloon by a little more than $14 billion over the next four years. That’s thanks to the continued efforts of farm owners like Peter Schutt, who explains why more farms like his are going this route, of raising grassfed beef for reasons that include, well, that it’s better for the environment and for the animals, for a start.

His farm, he says, produces beef cattle that are always eating grass. “Cattle are not made to digest grains such as corn, since they evolved from animals that have grazed on wild grasses for millennia,” explains Schutt, the owner of Winchester Farm. “We go against the grain, so to speak, since 99.9 percent of beef cattle in the U.S. are finished on feedlots, mostly in the West and Midwest, where they are fed nothing but corn for the last few months of their lives.” Because of that unhealthy diet, not to mention the fact they’re crowded together in manure-filled paddocks, the animals pick up things from each other, including germs that

make them sick. Which means they need to take in the same things we do when we get sick—antibiotics.

Most of them get steroid patches behind their ears to speed up growth. “The cycle of feeding beef cattle in feedlots is terribly unsustainable and bad for the environment,” Schmitt continues.

“It requires animals to be hauled by truck or rail, often from great distances, and the feed also must be hauled from great distances.

This, then, becomes part of industrial agriculture, wherein huge fields are planted in a single crop, and that crop—say, corn—is then grown for animal feed, usually requiring the use of GMO seed and plenty of herbicide and sometimes pesticides.”

Mike Russell, the co-owner of Half High Beef in Piperton, Tennessee, says his operation switched to grassfed beef about three years ago for reasons similar to those of Winchester Farm.

Moreover, he says, consumers should care about whether farms do this because it entails better overall treatment for the animals, it’s more environmentally friendly, and it results in a better product overall to enjoy.

If you’re a person who thinks much about the meat you consume, you may have heard another term: grass-finished.

Depending on who you talk to, you’ll either hear that grassfed and grass-finished are indistinguishable or split by the smallest of distinctions. The technical difference is that grass-finished beef is the product of cattle that’s fed only on grass and forage all its life.

Grassfed, as you might imagine, removes that “finished” qualifier, referring to a diet of grass for most of the cattle’s life before it’s switched to a grain-based diet at some point.

“The USDA actually doesn’t recognize a difference—you couldn’t label something as grassfed unless it’s also grass-finished,” said Russell, whose farm has been in his family for six generations now. It was an egg farm into the 1990s, and the family does a lot of real estate development now, but parts of the farm are still totally agricultural.

“About three years ago, I decided I wanted to do grassfed beef,” he said. “I’d done the traditional beef before and saw a lot of things that could be improved upon.”

He brings up the same concerns as Schutt. About how grain-fed calves get shipped to a feedlot, with the crowded conditions, the competition for corn, the ease with which germs can spread, and all the rest. “And when you do grass, none of those processes occur,” Russell says. “They’re out on the farm, on the ranch. They’re - MIKE RUSSELL

“I think people just get it—that there’s value in knowing where your food comes from.”

not crowded. They’re not in a smelly, stinky environment. They don’t need antibiotics, because they’re not sick.

“I see people that I consider to be normal, everyday people who I’d not have thought 10 years ago would have cared. And I think it’s because of people realizing, as an industry gets larger, there’s just some necessary pitfalls. There’ll be a recall on this, or a recall on that, E. coli here, this over there, and it just makes you wonder. I see people assigning value to the old ways of doing things. I think people just get it—that there’s value in knowing where your food comes from.”

According to registered dietitian nutritionist Barbara Quinn, grass-finished beef is often leaner than beef that’s been finished on grains. The grass-finished variety also tends to have higher concentrations of the good omega-3 fats, though many Americans unfortunately say they prefer the richer and somewhat “meatier” (for lack of a scientific term) taste you get from corn-fed beef.

Which leads to perhaps the best question of all: We know about the animals’ treatment in this process. Is one or another better for us?

The jury is still out on that, according to Cris Watson, the owner of Renaissance Farms. But expect more and more farmers like him to dive into this, regardless, thanks to some important trends that show no sign of slowing down. “My wife and I started this farm 10 years ago, as a result of wanting to grow our own food, because we learned a lot about food systems and didn’t trust it,” he says.

“The reality is you’re up at 3:30 in the morning, and you’re out the door as soon as you can see. There’s some very bad days. There’s some great days. There’s a lot of great days. But it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or it’s 95 degrees or it’s snowing—your animals are not down in Texas in a feedlot. You’ve got to move them and feed them and take care of them, regardless of what’s going on. It really is not the picturesque red barn with a silo. It’s a lot of hard work, and the premium associated with the product line really doesn’t cover all of that. But there is value to having happy animals that taste really good and are healthier for you by all accounts—there should be some value to that, so that more people would do this.” • ediblememphis.com 37

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MEMPHIS FRIDGE

POLITICKING WITH TORREY HARRIS Cooking along the campaign trail

BY JAYNE ELLEN WHITE • PHOTOGR APHS BY CHIP CHOCKLE Y

[Editor’s Note: Edible Memphis does not endorse political candidates.]

T

orrey Harris, manager of human resources for the Shelby County Trustee, grew up in Camden, Arkansas, but has considered Memphis his home since moving to the city in 2011 to attend Christian Brothers University. The former Walmart corporate assistant bakery buyer got into the human resources field when the company experienced a decrease in bakery sales after food celebrity Paula Deen’s products were dropped from the company’s inventory because of allegations of racist behavior.

Torrey is currently running for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 90 in the Democratic party primary election on August 6. We sat in Torrey’s pristine kitchen in his Midtown apartment and had a conversation about his path from working in food to politics, his affinity for black and old gold cookware, and his joy of pulling out all the stops as a host.

Edible Memphis: What is your first memory related to cooking?

Torrey Harris: My grandmother is who I really learned how to cook from. Once, for her birthday, when I was in fifth or sixth grade, my cousins and my siblings and I decided we were going to be grown-ups and we woke up really early to cook pancakes for her. I messed up, though—I made one huge cast-iron-sized

pancake that was cornbread thick! I decorated it and made icing with caramel and everything. She was so excited just because of the thought behind it.

What was your first food-related job?

My very first food-related job was at Sonic. I was the assistant manager. That is actually what shot my career off, because they gave me an opportunity while I was in high school to be in management. That is probably the only time I’ve done anything illegal, because I was working late hours while in high school. I had the night shift. I still go there for the drinks.

What is your favorite drink at Sonic?

I go for the Ocean Water!

How did you make the transition from food to HR and then to politics?

When I was graduating from high school and working in food-related jobs, I was very intrigued by President Barack Obama. To know that a Black man could take leadership and run an entire country—I thought, OK, I can do a little bit more than just be a young man from Arkansas who moved to Memphis for college and a job. I started volunteering in politics and working in

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HR for Walmart. My biggest thing is just helping people. My goal is to figure out how to help somebody. If I can benefit one person, I feel like I’ve done my part.

Photo: Brandon Dill

We saw Brandon Dill’s photos of you protesting after George Floyd’s death. Can you tell us more about your involvement with that?

I remember the day we decided to start protests because of the most recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, it was literally maybe 10 of us at 6:30 p.m. that day, directly outside my home on Union Avenue. The crowd grew, the attention grew—it was unbelievable. I remember yelling, “Defund the police,” and, in my mind, thinking, “Wow! If we can defund the amount of money that goes toward harming us and put some of those resources toward mental health and therapists in schools, to dispatched calls, and truly taking that money and putting it back into the community, we could make sure we have more young men and woman walking into life, working, and living in a city that cares about them.”

I’m a Black man. I don’t get to just go to a protest and say chants—I live in fear really. We checked in every night just to make sure everyone made it home. That’s the world we live in.

And, yeah, Black lives do matter. I want to be able to go to the grocery store, leave, and, if I get pulled over, feel at ease that I can still live to make it home and cook the food I just got. But right now I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel like my life truly is more than a number. Until then, and even then, we are fighting for Black Lives Matter.

We are very inspired by your willingness to work towards change. And clearly you are a busy man. What is your default thing to cook when you’re hungry and need to make something really quickly?

So, I’m all about plating. I don’t care if it’s quick or if it’s something that is going to take forever. I love to plate food, even if it’s just me. My quick meal would be penne pasta with my homemade creamy marinara sauce and cheese and nothing else in there. I can put on the water, jump in the shower, cook, and then make sure I get a picture of the plated food!

Any ingredients that you couldn’t live without?

I feel like parsley goes in everything. I use it for everything. I buy fresh bunches, and I don’t really know if it has a taste—but I use it. I use a ton of rice. Jasmine rice with everything!

What is your favorite indulgence?

I am from the South, for real. I eat a lot of Blue Bell ice cream.

Vanilla is my go-to flavor. I am a plain-Jane person. Also, anything with caramel in it.

40 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

What is your favorite thing to do in the kitchen?

People have a favorite thing to do in the kitchen [laughs]? I think my favorite thing is when me and my small group of friends or my campaign team get around my island in my kitchen. I would sacrifice having a small living room, a small bedroom, or closet just to have a large kitchen to host my friends. My go-to when I am hosting is a taco bar. I don’t do simple tacos. You will have a crawfish option, a turkey option... I come with the limes.

I come with the pico. I go all out. If it’s pasta night, you’re getting wine. And, if it’s tacos, you are gonna get margaritas. I cook with cocktails!

What’s in the freezer?

I prefer fresh food because I don’t eat a lot of meat, so there is not a lot in the freezer. I have my Raw Girls soups in there. I love them! I eat a lot of plant-based alternative meat products and a lot of salmon. Other than that, the freezer has my Blue Bell! •

What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget?

I have gold everything. I am a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and our colors are black and old gold.

I have black and old gold cookware. My cooking utensils are all gold. Gold whisks and spoons—that’s my thing!

Do you watch cooking shows? If so, which are your favorites?

Yes, I watch all the cooking shows. People think I’d have CNN on all day, but, nope, it’s cooking shows. Interestingly enough, although it is not legal here yet, I watch a lot of Cooked with Cannabis. It is a competition show, and they are cooking full meals with cannabis. They do different levels, and it’s really unique.

What is your favorite place to shop locally for food?

I go to Kroger and Fresh Market a lot. When I lived downtown, I would go to the Memphis Farmers Market downtown and get fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers.

What condiments are in your fridge right now?

I have the mayo with olive oil in it, and Heinz Mayochup.

I don’t care for ketchup without mayo in it. I have a lot of taco sauce, and the mustard is for everybody else. Nothing about mustard is good to me.

Fruits and vegetables?

Parsley [laughs], bell peppers. My mom felt like bell peppers added the most flavor to anything, so I always have those. Avocados, fruit trays, and I eat a ton of spinach.

What is the most embarrassing thing in your refrigerator?

Smith Creek moonshine. I had a family member that used to make corn liquor. I think I only like it because it reminds me of family [laughs]. The apple pie flavor is very good! I eat pretty healthy, outside of the fact that I love Smuckers Uncrustables peanut butter sandwiches.

Learn how to make Torrey’s Creamy Marinara Sauce You can find the recipe on our website at ediblememphis.com

ediblememphis.com 41

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4 4 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

C ALL TO AC TION

Taking it to the Streets Let’s make drinking “off premise” a forever thing

BY BR AD PIT TS • PHOTOGR APHS BY BREEZ Y LUCIA

e’ve seen many things change over these last few months. Not just here in the Memphis metro area, but everywhere. It’s a confusing time with much uncertainty, and the desperate scramble to keep restaurants and bars in business is only now beginning to play out.

With dining rooms closed, businesses have been relying on takeout and to-go items to prop themselves up. Margins are thin in regular times, and many of these places are utilizing every available option just to keep their businesses from going under.

The most recent option in Tennessee has been the allowance of the sale of alcoholic items “to go,” albeit with certain restrictions. Liquor-by-the-drink in Tennessee has always been confined to inside spaces. A few places, like Beale Street, have their own rules governing open containers; the relaxed guidelines add to the economic impact of proprietors and promote tourism. What makes Beale Street unique is that it is the only place in Tennessee where open containers are permitted to be carried out into the street and between bars. Another quirk is that no establishment on Beale Street is required to have a special liquor-by-the-drink license. It merely has to be located in the designated district.

Public drinking hasn’t always been illegal in the United States.

In some cities, like New Orleans, it is a cherished tradition few could imagine living without. In the 1950s and ’60s, municipalities around the country began to restrict open consumption— ostensibly as a way of thwarting an activity that was perceived as a public nuisance and bad behavior when, in fact, many of these policies were racially motivated and discriminatory, nearly to the point of being unconstitutional. A side effect of the restrictions,

though, was that restaurants received zero revenues from alcohol sales, cutting seriously into their bottom lines.

In the late 1960s, attitudes toward open consumption began to change again. Memphians—who were among those unable to purchase liquor-by-the-drink in a restaurant—held a referendum in 1969. On May 21, 1970, liquor-by-the-drink sales took effect and transformed nightlife in Memphis forever. Fast forward 50 years, and the circumstances are no less dire for restaurant owners than they were in the ’50s and ’60s.

A slew of new liquor laws have been enacted since 2014.

Wine and beer are readily available in grocery stores now, but liquor can still only be purchased at a liquor store or in a drink at a restaurant or bar. Traditionally, an establishment expects to earn about 30 percent of its revenue through the sale of alcohol. With uncertain futures for dining rooms that have spent most of the last several months shuttered or open only to limited patrons due to COVID-19, the state of Tennessee has relaxed restrictions relating to the sale of alcohol. With the implementation of Executive Order 17 (which was extended through August 29, 2020, with Executive Order 50), restaurants are allowed to sell beer, wine, and cocktails for delivery and consumption away from their individual establishments, known in the industry as “off premise.” According to statistics from Rally for Restaurants, the economic impact of COVID-19 on Tennessee’s restaurant industry, as of June 25, 2020, has resulted in revenues that are down 65 percent from 2019 figures. This easing of the rules has opened the door for many businesses to prop themselves up amid profitability shortfalls and has led to much innovation in

ediblememphis.com 45

the packaging and selling of alcoholic beverages. Whether the governor will continue to extend these relaxed regulations remains to be seen. One concern for state and local authorities is the perceived increase of DUIs and related instances, but the data suggests that states like Louisiana and Tennessee have had similar numbers over the last several years. DUIs as a whole have been decreasing in the United States for the last 10 years.

While the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission has established guidelines stemming from Executive Order 17, some gray areas in those regulations have caused the interruption of business by proprietors such as the nascent delivery service Thunder Road, run by longtime Memphis bartenders David Parks and Jef Hicks. Other places, like Slider Inn, have seen some short-term success with the popularity of their famous Jameson Slushies. On busier days, they have sold as many as 250 of the popular concoction. Tara Bolton, general manager of Slider Inn, says that alcohol sales have accounted for a little more than

46  edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

Traditionally, an establishment expects to earn about 30 percent of its revenue through the sale of alcohol.

half of their daily business since the new rules took effect. She even credits the ability to sell prepared drinks to go as being the sole reason they were allowed to keep as many employees on the payroll during the shutdown. An informal poll of a few other managers at local, independently owned restaurants suggests that to-go sales and delivery of alcoholic beverages (along with food) have buoyed their flagging inside sales by as much as 50 percent.

This is substantial and has been a source of salvation in these desperate times.

Grassroots campaigns are beginning in Tennessee and other states to extend the current model in perpetuity, albeit with some concessions. Florida and Texas have also begun petitioning state legislatures to modify current alcohol laws to concede to-go alcohol sales forever. Jake Smith, founder of the Drinks To-Go Forever in TN Facebook group, believes to-go alcohol sales are the future of restaurants in Tennessee—and the United States as a whole—and every effort should be made to find new ways to

help keep these businesses profitable and adaptable for the future.

Our favorite restaurants and bars are what make our neighborhoods and cities vibrant and exciting places to live and work and raise families. They are our meeting places, informal offices, hangouts, and recurring destinations for celebrations, memorials, or just a night out. They are in trouble, and we should explore every avenue and possibility that ensure their survival. •

GET INVOLVED Join the Drinks To-Go Forever in TN Facebook group.

Sign the Drinks To-Go Forever in TN petition at change.org.

Contact your state representatives. Find your legislators at capitol.tn.gov/legislators.

ediblememphis.com 47

THE BUZZ

BEER FOR Errrbody Beale Street Brewing Co. is Memphis’s first Black-owned brewery

BY ANDY MEEK PHOTOGR APHS BY MICHAEL BUTLER, JR.

The first time you meet Kelvin Kolheim,

at least two things immediately grab you about this 42-year-old craft brewer who’s the founder of Beale Street Brewing Co. Looking around most local taprooms, you certainly don’t see a lot of Black faces like Kolheim’s—which is something this brewer thinks he can do his part to change, as a result of, well, the second thing you notice right away when you meet him: a deep and abiding love for all things Memphis.

This love is the final ingredient added to every brew he creates, whether we’re talking about his Centsational IPA (the “cent” being a nod to University of Memphis men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway) or even something like the Black is Beautiful stout, which he’s been working on as part of a project to raise awareness of the injustices that Black men and women are facing around the country. Those kinds of things matter, Kolheim explains, because the first step in expanding the diversity in a field like his is to start not by simply multiplying the number of brewers like him, but by first turning all kinds of people into drinkers and connoisseurs of craft beer. To make sure brewers, in other words, are catering to diverse consumers.

For Kolheim, that starts with using the drinks he produces to fly the flag for his hometown. “You know, a guy asked me one time—he said, ‘What gives you the right to use Beale Street in your name?’ And my response was, ‘I don’t own Beale Street. But I plan to be a good steward of the name, because this is Memphis’ brewery. I plan to make Memphis proud. We’re celebrating Memphis, through the love of craft beer,’” he said.

48 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

ediblememphis.com 49

“Craft beer is definitely underserved in the Memphis market, and a rising tide lifts all boats. If we could make Memphis a beer scene like Austin, Denver, Asheville, you know, it’ll raise everybody’s position in the craft beer community.”

Right now, he’s contract-brewing out of the Lazy Magnolia brewery in Kiln, Mississippi, while he looks for a permanent spot for Beale Street Brewing here. Let it also be known that—while he had the bad luck to launch his first brews right at the start of the coronavirus pandemic—he also is apparently impervious to catastrophe.

Most people talk about the pandemic in a kind of hushed or exasperated tone. Kolheim breezes past it in his origin story, as just one of those interruptions that come your way when you’re chasing a dream. Beale Street Brewing put out its first two beers, Centsational IPA and Space Age Sippin Vol. 1, back in March. It was decided that his beers’ tagline—one of them, anyway—would be BEERrrbody, which itself is a hometown-flavored twist on the “Memphis vs. Errrbody” catchphrase.

“The initial run was a small run,” Kolheim explains about those first brews. “But, of course, everything shut down right in the middle of March, so our production got put on hold. We had tastings get put on hold. Some with launch parties, launch events. Even promotional video material for social media, all of that kinda got put on hold.”

Now that things have slowly started to reopen, he’s decided to go ahead and pick up right where he left off. On July 3 he replenished the stock of Space Age Sippin Vol. 1. He’s set to release a pair of new beers—Memphis All-Day Errrday and 528hz of Love & Hoppiness—this summer. About the latter, he explains that the “528hz” in the name is the music frequency of love and healing: “It’s almost like a yoga thing. 528 Hz is, like, in your DNA and everywhere. It’s the healing properties of vibrations and frequency, and they call it 528 Hz. Just the love frequency of music.” As far as the drink itself, it mixes passion fruit, strawberries, cranberries, grapes, and hibiscus flowers. An Ekuanot dry-hopping adds notes of papaya, bay leaves, lime, and cloves.

As far as Memphis All-Day Errrday, it’s a Hazy India pale ale with touches of pineapple, pear, stone fruits, and citrus, as well as hints of pine. And the hops are El Dorado, Azacca, and Cascade.

“I started out approaching this from a cooking perspective,” Kolheim says, by way of explaining how he first got into craft brewing. “A friend of mine bought a home-brew setup, and, when I realized I could manipulate flavors and flavor [the drinks] like food, that intrigued me a whole lot. So I just kind of ran with it from a culinary perspective—of adding flavors, utilizing different hop varieties and malts. It’s so cool that it translates into the flavors and the notes that you can pick up on in the beers. That’s fun to me.”

There’s fun in what you do, but there’s also the chance to put personal and meaningful things out into the world along the way.

50 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

That’s what Kolheim is doing with Black is Beautiful, the stout beer he’s been working on through the Black is Beautiful project launched by the San Antonio-based brewery Weathered Souls Brewing Co. Through this project, participants like Kolheim are donating brew proceeds to local foundations—in Kolheim’s case, to MICAH, a coalition of community- and faith-based organizations focused on economic equity, education equity, and immigration and intercultural equity.

Kolheim reached out to his fellow Memphis brewers to collaborate on a local Black is Beautiful beer. The response was swift, and Wiseacre, Crosstown, Meddlesome, Memphis Made, Ghost River, Soul and Spirits, and Memphis Filling Station are working together with Beale Street Brewing to brew two versions that can be purchased directly from the breweries.

“The times we’re in, it’s a callout,” Kolheim said, about why he wanted to add his effort to the project. “It’s showing support for the community.”

In a way, the project is also about showing people that all are welcome in the diverse, inclusive brewing community. “The Black is Beautiful initiative is a collaborative effort amongst the brewing community and its customers, in an attempt to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily,” the project’s website notes. “Our mission is to bridge the gap that’s been around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.”

Visit bealestbrewing.com for a list of restaurant, bar, and retail locations. •

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52 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

BEST BUDDIES

Something to

BARK About

Local makers are whipping up dog treats with natural ingredients and lots of love

BY BIANC A PHILLIP S • PHOTOGR APHS BY MICHAEL BUTLER , JR .

I

n 2005, Farm House Barkery co-owner Becky Bruewer lost two dogs— Buddy and Elliott—to kidney failure, which her vet attributed to melamine in imported dog treats. Melamine, an industrial chemical that isn’t approved by the FDA for use in animal or human food, has been found in wheat gluten and rice-protein concentrate in some imported dog foods and has been associated with kidney problems in dogs.

“I swore I’d never, ever give my dogs more treats off the shelf,” says Bruewer, who runs Farm House Barkery in Newbern, Tennessee, with her husband, Tim. Locally, the couple sells treats at the Memphis Farmers Market and Cordelia’s Market in Harbor Town.

Farm House Barkery is one of a handful of local and regional dog bakers and treat makers, both large and small, creating healthy, all-natural treats and providing Memphis pups with an alternative to mass-produced, store-bought treats.

After Buddy and Elliott passed, the Bruewers began baking dog treats at home to ensure their pups were safe from imported ingredients. At the time, Bruewer was a full-time nurse with no intentions of becoming a full-time dogtreat baker. But, after she gifted her vet with some treats, the vet encouraged Bruewer to start baking the treats commercially.

“He kept after me about it, and, on a challenge, I researched what I would need to do to start a bakery business. I just opened the company to see if he was right,” Bruewer says. “And, lo and behold, people did want treats that were sourced responsibly. What’s happened since then has been amazing.” ediblememphis.com 53

Today, the Bruewers run a Farm House Barkery storefront in Newbern, and they sell in retail stores in Memphis, Jackson, Dyersburg, and Covington, Tennessee. They specialize in bone-shaped biscuits with flavors like apple, blueberry, peanut butter, and the Elvis-inspired Hound Dog (with peanut butter and banana).

They’re also known for their Ruffins dog muffins, which Bruewer says are also a hit with humans: “People started eating our Ruffins because they’re sugar-free, and some people have sugar intake concerns.”

Farm House Barkery’s treats are also salt-free and made from regionally sourced ingredients, such as sweet potatoes from Ripley, Tennessee, and apples from Jones Orchard in Millington.

The Bruewers’ three dogs—McKenzie, Max, and Molly— assist with taste-testing, so the treats are always dog-approved.

They make a sweet potato treat that’s grain-free, but their other treats are made with grains. Bruewer says she hasn’t jumped on the grain-free bandwagon. “These are treats, not food,” she says. “We’re not your dietary source.”

The Bruewers aren’t the only local dog-treat bakers. While their business is focused regionally, the Union Avenue location of Memphis-based Hollywood Feed bakes and packages dog treats to sell in their 103 stores around the country. In 2016, the Union location of Hollywood Feed expanded the store’s footprint and added a full-scale dog bakery.

“Initially, when we opened the bakery, we just made pastries for the Union location. The pastries are free of preservatives, and we can only sell them there due to their short shelf life,” says Hollywood Feed co-owner Jean McGhee. Pastries include breakfast donuts (topped with chopped bacon), carob mint cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and quiche bites—all made with natural ingredients and no refined sugar or wheat.

The recipes were created by master pastry chef Sarah Nicholson, who McGhee says was challenged with creating wheat-free, human-grade treats for dogs.

“All of her training had been with flour and sugar, and we hired her and said, ‘You can’t use flour or granulated sugar.’ But she was able to come up with recipes using almond flour and coconut flour and maple syrup,” McGhee says.

54 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

The Hollywood Feed Bakery also fills special orders for custom dog cakes. The sixinch cakes are decorated with all-natural colors, and McGhee says they’ll write any message so long as it fits on the cake.

Though the pastries and custom cakes are only available at the Union Avenue store, the bakery has since expanded their operation into creating shelf-stable treats for all Hollywood Feed locations. Those shelf-stable treats include decorated, iced cookies in seasonal designs.

“We try to keep to minimal ingredients with no artificial colors or flavorings, and we use natural ingredients to create colors for the frosting,” says McGhee. For example, the black icing is made with a mixture of spirulina, beet powder, and turmeric.

Hollywood Feed also bakes dog biscuits to package and sell at all of their locations.

“The biscuits stay close to our Southern heritage with flavors like chicken and waffles and the Memphis recipe, which is peanut butter, banana, and bacon,” says McGhee.

Biscuits, cookies, and dog muffins are great treats for any time of year, but during the hot Memphis summers, pups might rather cool off with pupsicles from MEMPopS. Unlike MEMPopS’ fruity and creamy ice pops for humans, the pupsicles are made with savory ingredients, like chicken stock, roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and brown rice—molded and frozen onto a rawhide stick.

“People were coming in and buying regular pops for their dogs, so we thought, ‘Let’s just make a dog popsicle,’” says MEMPopS owner Chris Taylor. “The dog pops taste like pureed chicken soup.”

Taylor first experimented with using a regular popsicle stick but says he quickly realized that dogs would try to eat the stick, which could splinter. That’s when he got the idea to use rawhide in its place.

People bring their dogs into the dog-friendly Crosstown Concourse MEMPopS location just for the dog pops, says Taylor. Memphis Animal Services (MAS) often brings dogs into the building on foster field trips (when they take dogs out to explore the city and meet potential adopters), and those shelter dogs get a special discount on dog pops at MEMPopS. The pupsicles are available at MEMPopS retail locations.

You can also find them at MEMPopS mobile units or get them delivered free with orders of 10 or more pops (you can mix and match pops for humans and pups).

When dogs are in the mood for a good local brew, they

have a couple of options. Local dog treat maker BrewBakers Barkery makes all-natural treats using spent beer grain from local breweries.

“The grains are basically garbage to the breweries. They would just be dumping them, so we go by and bring a five-gallon bucket.

They fill it up for us, and we go on our way,” says Meg Bender, who co-runs BrewBakers Barkery with her brothers Jeff and Nick Ayers.

Bender had been making dog treats at home for her own dogs for some time. But when Jeff picked up some spent-grain dog treats at a festival he attended, the siblings got the idea to try their hand at baking spent-grain treats commercially.

Their bone-shaped treats come in a variety of flavors, such as Memphis BBQ (made with smoked pork shoulder), smoked turkey, bacon cheeseburger, bacon, cheddar cheese, and peanut butter. The ingredients are always all-natural, and they use as many organic and locally sourced foods as possible. They even have a CBD treat made with CBD sourced from Southern Hemp.

Bender's dogs, Zack and Fargo, (and Jeff's dog, Champ) serve as taste testers. Bender says Zack prefers the Memphis BBQ, while Fargo loves them all.

“Fargo even goes nuts over the spent beer grain in the bucket when we bring it home.

He’ll eat anything,” she says.

BrewBakers Barkery treats are sold at the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, Memphis Farmers Market, the Agricenter farmers market, and City Market.

Local Memphis brewer Kelvin Kolheim of Beale Street Brewing Co. also bakes treats using spent grain from his operation. He calls them Beale Street Bluescuits.

“There’s no alcohol in spent grain since it hasn’t fermented.

It’s just the good stuff,” Kolheim says.

Beale Street Brewing Co. is currently contract-brewing beer out of a Mississippi facility while they search for their own building. Their cans hit grocery store shelves this spring, just as the pandemic was starting. But, long before he started brewing commercially, Kolheim was experimenting with homebrewing, and he was left with several pounds of spent grain with every batch of beer.

“I saw some spent-grain dog treats for sale at a brewery in Nebraska, so we started playing with developing our own recipe,” Kolheim says. “We tested them on the family dogs—Miles and Biggie Smalls—and they went nuts for them. There is so much grain left over, and you hate to throw it away.” Kolheim isn’t currently selling his “bluescuits,” but he occasionally does

pop-ups. Pre-pandemic, he gave his treats away at local brewery taprooms, like Crosstown Brewing Company and Meddlesome Brewing Company, as well as at events at the Pink Palace Museum, like the Science of Beer and the Pink Palace Crafts Fair.

“We typically give the treats away because we like making dogs happy,” Kolheim says. “But once our [taproom] is up and running, we’ll sell them there.”

Beale Street Brewing also partners with local groups to teach them how to make dog treats. In early February, they worked with a group of students from St. George’s Independent School on their Permaculture Day of Service to bake and package 100 pounds of dog treats made with the spent grain from the brewing company’s first official batch of beer. The students then donated the treats to the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County and The Savior Foundation. Students each took home a bag of treats as well.

“We want dogs to feel paw-some,” says Kolheim. •

Get your paws on them BEALE STREET BLUESCUITS: Available at select events BREWBAKERS BARKERY: Available at Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, Memphis Farmers Market, Agricenter International farmers market, City Market FARM HOUSE BARKERY: Available at Cordelia’s Market and Memphis Farmers Market HOLLYWOOD FEED BAKERY: Pastries available only at 2015 Union Avenue location; biscuits and cookies available at all locations MEMPOPS: Available at retail locations and mobile units and for free delivery with orders of 10 or more pops (you can mix and match pops for humans and pups)

ediblememphis.com 55

GUIDE

A preview ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMMA MESKOVIC MUGGIN COFFEE HOUSE Whitehaven's first independently owned and Black-owned coffee shop has opened! Ken and Mary Olds gave us a tour. We love the coffee, the pastries, space, and, most especially, the staff!

They partner with J. Brooks Coffee Roasters to brew a light roast (Kinda Brew,) medium roast (Looking for the Brewin'), and dark roast (Hard Out Here for a Drip). 1139 Brownlee Road

KC'S SOUTHERN STYLE RICE

Visit KC's Southern Style Rice on South Third Street. This big red trailer can be found in the parking lot by the flea market.

Don't be surprised if there's a line–it’s worth it. What makes it "Southern style”?

Owner Kirby Carter offers a smokier take on your classic fried rice recipe. They also offer fish plates, sandwiches, tenders, rib tips, and more. 4444 South Third Street 56 edible MEMPHIS • SUMMER 2020

See our full Black-Owned Restaurant Guide at ediblememphis.com.

The guide is regularly updated.

MOSA ASIAN BISTRO

COOPER STREET 20/20

Mosa Asian Bistro blends the bold flavors and savory spices found in classic Thai, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines. To make our Asian comfort food dishes, we use the freshest local ingredients, inspiration from family recipes, and a modern approach. We offer dine-in and carryout for lunch and dinner, along with catering.

If you have eyes for healthy, flavorful food that’s ready to take home and heat, Cooper Street 20/20 is your place. For a special occasion or just dinner in front of your favorite show, a five-star meal is only an oven away. With more than 25 years in the restaurant business, owner Kathy Katz creates fresh, prepared foods, using local ingredients whenever possible.

The South Memphis Farmers Market, an initiative of The Works, Inc., has been a food oasis in South Memphis for over a decade, offering fresh produce, staple foods, and free, nutrition-based cooking classes. Visit the outdoor farmers market this summer, open Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

cooperstreet2020.com 901.871.6879 800 South Cooper Street

somefm.org 901.505.0221 1400 Mississippi Boulevard

mosaasianbistro.com 901.683.8889 850 South White Station Road

MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET The Memphis Farmers Market is a weekly, nonprofit, outdoor marketplace featuring local farmers and artisans. The market showcases locally sourced produce and food items, as well as locally produced kitchen and garden arts and crafts from the Mid-South region. The market strives to educate the community about eating local, nutrition, and food choices. Enjoy live music and weekly themed events and fun programs. memphisfarmersmarket.com 866.348.2226 South Front Street and West GE Patterson

edible

MEMPHIS

MARKET PL ACE Thank you to these locally owned businesses that make Memphis a better, tastier city.

LULU’S

PHILLIP ASHLEY CHOCOLATES

LuLu’s provides handmade, plant-based food and drink to Memphis, using traditional methods with a focus on regional and seasonal ingredients. Find them in their new location at Puck Food Hall and most Saturdays at the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market.

Phillip Ashley Chocolates is on a mission to break the boundaries of conventional chocolate making and develop a style of chocolates that are both visually stunning and breathtakingly decadent. Each chocolate is handcrafted in small batches using ingredients from around the world, focusing on seasonality, with the finest fair trade chocolate.

shop.lulusmem.com 409 South Main Street

SOUTH MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET

RIVERSET RYE They said rye whiskey was too harsh. They said that trying to make it smoother would only destroy its flavor. We didn’t listen. Instead, we created the smoothest rye whiskey on the market, and we refused to compromise its flavor in the process. This is our rye rebellion.

With Riverset, you will never have to sacrifice flavor for drinkability again. Go against the current and push the limits with us. There’s always more room aboard this ship. Cheers! riversetrye.com

FAST & FLAVORFUL PALEO COOKING You can find Fast & Flavorful Paleo Cooking, written by Memphian Amanda Torres, at Arrow (2535 Broad Avenue), Novel (387 Perkins Extended), and Burke’s Book Store (936 South Cooper Street). Or order a signed copy from The Curious Coconut website. thecuriouscoconut.com

phillipashleychocolates.com 901.572.1011 1200 Madison Avenue ediblememphis.com 57

Our team of experts can help you start your business, grow your business, and connect you to answers for your most difficult business-related questions.

Learn more at epicentermemphis.org