January/February 2023
Holli Myers has a love of fashion
Jack the Bakery combines fine and culinary arts
THE LOFTS COFFEE CO.
Big City Style
Anew year has arrived and, with it, there is much to look forward to in our region.
Regional staples, like the IrontonLawrence County Memorial Day Parade, Poage Landing Days in Ashland, the Lawrence and Boyd county fairs and Ashland’s Summer Motion, are going strong and will return.
And the last few years saw the arrival of new events, such as Ironton Wizardfest, the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival and Ohio River Revival in Ironton. Meanwhile, Charleston, brought back its Sternwheel Regatta to a great reception after a decade and a half hiatus, while the Nelsonville Music and Arts Festival returned after two years of COVID-19 cancellations.
After winter winds down and everyone readies for warmer weather, there will be abundance of activities available in the Tri-State.
In addition to festivals and events, there are a number of businesses geared for the outdoors. Whether rafting and boating, getaways or camping, many of these take advantage of our area’s rural and scenic beauty, within a day’s drive, that provide opportunities for recreation for families.
If you know of something you would like to see featured as we plan our spring and summer content, please let us know and we will our best to spotlight it.
Here’s to a fun and Happy New Year to all of our readers.
January/
8 OHIO RIVER DRIFTWOOD Ohio River Driftwood turns debris into art
16 VC BOUTIQUE VC Boutique has been serving Huntington for six years
22 JACK THE BAKERY Bakery combines Milton woman’s expertise in fine and culinary arts
30 SOUTHERN OHIO MUSEUM Museum is more than arts and artifacts
34 THE LOFTS COFFEE COMPANY Lofts Coffee Compay brings big city style to Portsmouth
38 FROM THE COOKBOOK Apples are theme for tasty dishes
3 FROM THE EDITOR Looking forward to local events
54 THE LAST WORD Shelby Davidson details mission of STEM+M school
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To say the Ohio River is important to Clyde and Denise Roberts is an understatement. The couple, who live right on the water in Chesapeake, started their own business surrounding the river, and, more specifically, its driftwood.
Ohio River Driftwood was born a few years ago, after Denise took home her first piece of driftwood.
“I had found a twisted piece of wood that I thought was cool, so I connected it to a two-by-four, stained it and took it to work,” she laughs at the memory. “Everybody loved it. They went on and on about this piece. Eventually, we started messing around with the driftwood.”
The Roberts started crafting their pieces as a hobby in their home
workshop. They received their first customer almost unexpectedly — someone came to their home to originally buy a table, but couldn’t resist the driftwood sculptures they had displayed and asked to purchase them.
The Roberts then realized the potential of starting a business. Now, I’m meeting with the couple on the banks of the Ohio River in South Point, where they’ve found countless pieces of inventory over the years.
“Our sculptures are original pieces. You will never find another one like it, because we literally pick them. That’s our supplies right there,” Denise says as she points to the riverbank.
“When the tide goes down, inventory’s up,” Clyde adds.
Ohio River Driftwood’s pieces come with a letter of authenticity personally signed by Clyde or Denise. Each piece is named and numbered and one of a kind.
“The letter tells you what we used on that piece, like the type of stain,” Denise says. “It also tells you if we got it in Chesapeake, South Point, Aberdeen, Gallipolis. We travel the whole river.”
Once the Roberts take home a promising piece of driftwood, it generally has to dry on their drying rack for at least 30 days. Then, the couple cleans it, including every hole and crevice, with a Dremel tool to remove sand and dirt and any little critters that might be living inside. The next step is to disinfect the piece and finish sanding. Aside from this process, the piece will not be changed.
“Mother Nature’s doing the work. We’re just enhancing it,” Clyde says.
“When we say we do driftwood sculptures, people think we’re making horses, owls, things like that, but we’re keeping it natural,” Denise says. “I don’t know how many people have stopped and said they would have never thought to pick up an old piece of driftwood and stain it, so hopefully we’re inspiring people.”
Ohio River Driftwood also accepts custom orders, as many people may have driftwood at home that they’re unsure how to preserve. Once finished, these also come with a letter of authenticity.
“They might have a piece of driftwood Grandpa gave them; I’ve heard the stories,” Denise says. “Bring it in, and we’ll get it mounted, stain it and make it nice and something that can stay in the family for years.”
Since 2021, the Roberts have mainly done vendor shows, and that’s where Denise’s idea of making jewelry stemmed from. They needed something small on their table that would both help bring in customers as well as help them make their money back from the cost of the booth.
“We were going to do a show, and I said we needed something small on the table because our pieces are not inexpensive. You’re looking at three to nine months of work,” she says. “We were down here on the river looking around, and I thought this would make cute jewelry.”
Denise ordered jewelry-making supplies and got to work. She’d never made jewelry before and says it’s been a trial-and-error process. She uses glass, fossils and stones found washed up from the river, which she cleans and disinfects before setting into a chain and adding a charm.
“It took off faster than the driftwood did,” she says. “We were just picking up rocks and stuff out here, and I was taking it home and experimenting.”
Much like the driftwood sculptures, each piece of jewelry is also one of a kind, and now Denise has incorporated a build-your-own stand for upcoming vendor shows, so customers can choose what specific pieces to include on the jewelry they want.
“I can’t make two pieces the same,” she says.
The reception to their business has been nothing but positive and supportive so far. They’ve even had customers educate them on the stones and fossils they’ve found, and they enjoy learning as they go.
“It’s really fulfilling,” Clyde says.
“When you do art, it’s what you like. But to sit it out there and have somebody else look at it, that’s intimidating because you’re thinking of all the little issues that you don’t like,” Denise says. “Then they come up and say, ‘This is gorgeous. That’s beautiful.’ You’re just like, ‘Wow, I did do something.’”
While the main goal for the business now is to build the customer base, Denise has big plans for the future: she wants a gallery.
“I’d like to find a place and make it for artists, just artists in this area,” she says. “There’s nothing like that here in southern Ohio. We could have big artisan shows like the vendor shows that we go to now: all artists. That’s the plan eventually.”
Because their business started as a hobby, it’s still just as fun for Clyde and Denise. Each weekend, the couple can be found traveling along the river in search of their next piece, and after work during the week, they unwind by spending time together in their workshop.
“It’s a really good experience for us. It is basically a hobby that got out of hand,” Clyde says.
The Ohio River is so special to the Roberts that they even got married on the river a few years ago — their wedding arch was made of river driftwood — just before officially launching the business.
“I’ve lived on it all my life,” Denise says. “I grew up in Burlington, and now I live in Chesapeake on the river. And I wouldn’t live anywhere else.” a
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Holli Myers has had a love for fashion for as long as she can remember.
“When I was little and I would go to the grocery store with my mom, I would always be in the magazine section, flipping through the pages,” she said. “Then, as I got older, I started to discover boutiques and really loved shopping in them. I just loved the experience; I loved how curated and unique the items were.”
In 2016, Myers’ career dreams came true when she became owner of Village Collection, a long-standing clothing boutique in downtown Huntington.
“It still doesn’t seem real sometimes, and it’s been six years,” she said.
Prior to purchasing the business, Myers had been working at Village Collection for eight years — six as store manager — under the guidance of Vicki Rosenberg, the store’s founder.
“I really clicked with Vicki immediately, and I felt a mentor kind of aspect with her,” she said. “I had worked at other places, but she was the most seasoned person I’d worked for. And I felt like I could really learn from her. I was really grateful for that relationship. I highly recommend working with someone experienced and learning from them because it [retail] is a very unpredictable environment … but you still have to make your own path.”
And Myers was ready to do so, despite the expectations and challenges that came with assuming ownership of an established business.
“I do think working there for as long as I did helped me notice things that I would do differently, and I think that being a manager and cultivating the social media
VC Boutique offers unique clothes for working women
audience and developing relationships with the customers was what really helped me get through,” Myers said. “I felt really confident. That’s not to say I didn’t fall on my face, because I still had a lot to learn, but I kept going. I had to take a lot of chances to learn what worked and what didn’t.”
As with any entrepreneurial venture, Myers understood that change was something she couldn’t fear if she wanted to succeed.
“Passion requires you to reinvent yourself,” she said. “It helps keep you creative. Look at challenges and change as an opportunity to learn and grow, and don’t be afraid to fail.”
One chance she took was rebranding Village Collection to VC Boutique in a “nod to the past and the future.”
“I feel like a boutique is a little bit more curated, a little more specific — it targets a certain type of customer,” Myers said.
For Myers, that customer was the “VC Girl.”
“The VC Girl is a working woman who loves adventure, loves to stand out in a crowd, loves to take risks — to take chances — loves to dress up and try something new,” Myers said. “She is very inclusive, and she has a sense of confidence. She is not afraid to be unique. She’s knows who she is or is on her way to getting there.”
With the new brand in mind, Myers decided to also focus on better curating VC Boutique’s stock with stylish, high-quality staple and statement pieces that would last.
“At a certain age, you want longevity,” Myers said. “You want pieces you can wear over and over again.
Some of the brands VC Boutique carries include Steve Madden, Wildfox, Greylin and Heartland. Myers also mentioned that accessories like hobo handbags and Haute Shore handbags are big sellers.
“These are more of the affordable clothing brands, and then we have lux items [Johnny Was, Cleobella, Rails], which is something
kind of rare in this area. A lot of the brands we carry are womenfocused and we also have a lot of sustainable or eco-conscious brands,” Myers said. “There’s just a big variety and something for everyone, I hope.”
After successful navigating through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (“COVID really taught me about loyalty … we made it through the hardest thing”), Myers celebrated another business milestone in September when she moved VC Boutique to a new location a few blocks away.
“They say opportunities come when you least expect them, and that [relocating] had been in my mind for a while because I had heard the feedback about things like lack of parking, and I was also limited in what I could do in the other space. It felt like a pipe dream, though.”
Despite that feeling, Myers still had big hopes, so she didn’t turn down the chance when it arose.
“My desire to grow the business grew even more after my mom
passed away. I felt that there was a change that needed to happen, and I was very motivated. I felt her throughout the whole process — she was the driving force — and I trusted my gut,” Myers said. “It was a really cool opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, and we’re just so happy to be here.”
At a recent symposium, Myers was inspired to think about what she would like the future of VC Boutique to be in the future, and it coincides with business’ tagline, “Be stylish and YOUnique.”
“More women and young kids are being encouraged to see individuality as an asset,” Myers said. “I hope that, in the future, I have the ability to leave VC having made some impressions on future females to not be afraid to be authentic.”
VC Boutique is located at 801 4th Ave. in Huntington. Current business hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit shopvcboutique.com for more information. a
| Jack the Bakery
the Bakery | feature
Leah Gore went to Marshall University for fine arts and her creative touch can be seen in all of her work, whether it is her sculptural wall pieces, paintings or the food she creates at Jack the Bakery.
Gore, a native of Huntington, opened the business in her Milton home full time last year and has quickly earned a reputation for her breads, sweets and customized cakes.
The business is named for her maternal grandfather, who owned and operated a bakery, The Dutch Oven, in the Bluefield, West Virginia area until the 1980s.
“It thrived for years, until it burned down,” Gore said, noting she was “super close” to her grandfather. “It was before I was born, but I learned about it through storytelling, articles and artifacts. This way, I can pursue baking and pay homage to him.”
Gore said she went to school for savory cooking, but baking is something that is rooted in her family.
“I grew up eating good bread,” she said. “My mom taught me the value of quality food.”
Gore said she opened the business after moving back from time abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and Cape Town South Africa.
“It came out of necessity,” she said, noting it followed her leaving a job as manager of a local flower shop. “I had been baking on the side and wanted to stay in the area because of my parents.”
One specialty at her bakery is the bread.
“I make sourdough-based breads, using local wheat out of Kentucky,” she said. “And cornbread, with my grandmother’s recipe. And self rising bread — it’s an Appalachian bread that not many people know how to make, and I learned and have taken it and made it my own.”
She also produces sweets, such as cupcakes, cookies and donuts.
“I make apple miso pie,” she said. “I like to use Mutsu apples and Granny Smiths, with caramel.”
Other items include apple tarts, made from roasted apples with an apple glaze, bourbon pecan pie, carrot tea cake, chocolate chip cookies, cosmic brownies, lemon tarts, key lime pie, pepperoni rolls and pound cake.
“Basically anything and everything,” Gore said. “ And I make a blackberry cobbler to die for.”
Gore learned about baking in her travels, such as when she worked at a French bakery in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
“I learned French breads and baguettes,” she said. “I got a taste for it, working with a bunch of French guys.”
And, in Copenhagen, she worked a restaurant named Juno.
“I learned European techniques and good European bakery items.”
But much of her skill is self taught, from reading and experimenting, as well as studying culinary arts in high school.
“Once you learn techniques, you can branch out and be more creative and explore,” she said.
Gore’s focus at the moment is on her gift boxes, which come out once a month and are preordered.
She said they usually sell out and contain several items, based on the season.
“And what food is available at the time,” she said. “And they don’t know what they’re getting. It’s a surprise.”
She also does customized cakes, which she said she starts by asking customers for their top five favorite and least favorite things in a cake.
“It’s always a surprise and a fun time,” she said.
She said business has been strong, through word of mouth and she is pondering the next step she wants to take with the bakery.
Gore continues to work as an artist and serves as an assistant to Barry Kaufman, a Charleston-based artist who works in sculpture, painting and ceramics.
She said art was “inevitable” for her, raised by a father who was
always drawing and doing water colors, and introduced her to artists like M.C. Escher and Vincent Van Gogh.
“Anything I can’t get out of baking, I do in art,” she said. “It’s always been a part of my life, from an early age.”
Though her creativity can be definitely be seen in her culinary items, such as the cakes, which take on a sculptural quality, making use of lines and imperfections.
“Any food I make – everything artistic touch,” she said. “They’re unusual and I haven’t seen stuff like this around. They’re vibrant use color and texture — and everything is edible.”
For more information, visit Leah Gore on Facebook and NomLeah on Instagram. a
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Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center highlights local history, and is accessible to public
Standing at 825 Gallia St. in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center is more than just its grand stone façade.
To its community, it represents so much more than just a building containing art and artifacts. It’s a simultaneously a window into other worlds, past and present.
Over 100 years old, the building was originally built as the community’s largest bank in 1919. It opened its doors as museum in 1979, after the Security Savings Bank and Trust Company had looked to move into a new location down the street and raze the structure for a parking lot.
A group of lawyers looking to secure the site for a city museum found an opportunity in the last will and testament of the then recently deceased Dr. Russell Leiter.
Leiter was chief psychologist at the Portsmouth Receiving Hospital from 1955 to 1964, but was internationally famous for the development of the intelligence test known as the Leiter International Performance Scale.
More relevant to the founding of the museum, however, the late doctor stated in his will that all of his estate be left in the care of Security Bank. His large collection of silver was to be donated to the Columbus Academy of Fine Arts, unless there were a museum in Portsmouth with the ability to display the collection. In light of this, the bank donated their old building to be the permanent home for the doctor’s collection.
The museum remained under city ownership until 2006, when the museum’s board, looking for a chance to grow, approached the city with a plan to purchase the museum.
Helping the museum to grow at this crucial time was an outstanding group of museum professionals, some of which have gone on to prominent positions in the art world, including the lead preparer at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, professors at the Harron School of Art in Indianapolis, and head exhibition designer for the Smithsonian’s African American History Museum.
As part of the new direction as a privatelyrun museum, located in one of the poorest
counties in the state, removing the barriers to entry for the community was something SOMACC’s board of directors were adamant about.
Admission to the galleries is completely free. In reference to this, SOMACC artistic director Charlotte Gordon insists, “We’re not an ivory tower on a hill, we try to remain accessible.”
This focus on the community manifests itself in the work contained within the museum with two permanent installations featuring the largest single collection of works by the Portsmouth native, Clarence Holbrook Carter, known for his work in the American Scene style and “Art of the Ancients,” containing 10,000 prehistoric Native American objects from the Charles and William Wertz Collection. The latter of which contain works from the Adena and Hopewell cultures native to the Ohio Valley.
Driving home this focus on the community is the biennial, juried ‘Cream of the Crop’ exhibition showcasing the work of artists living within an 85-mile radius. SOMACC sold $17,000 worth of local artists’ work in the previous year alone.
To co-director Gordon, the positive impact in the community extends to more than just the artists. “Many people in the area don’t have the means to travel,” she says, “We feel that part of our job is to bring the world to them.” a
When Terry and Terry Ockerman decided they wanted to open a coffee shop, they had several goals in mind.
They wanted their Lofts Coffee Company in Portsmouth to be upscale, they wanted to offer the best coffee available, their coffee producers to get a fair shake when it came to getting paid and they wanted to do everything possible in house.
“We roast in house. We make our baked goods here,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman.
Mr. Terry Ockerman travels to where the beans are grown to talk to the producers in Kenya, Ethiopia and Columbia.
“The thing about us is that we like to meet the farmer that grows our coffee and shake his hand,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman. “We are paying a premium for the coffee beans. That way we know we are getting the highest quality coffee. In return, it helps those farmers and their communities. It helps to build their schools, their hospitals.”
Mr. Terry Ockerman said that it is important to go to the country of origin for their coffee.
“We have to have a relationship with the farmers,” he said. “We want to see where the product is grown and work with them to grow a better product for us and our
customers. We meet entire families and there is a lot to be said for having that relationship.”
Once the coffee is shipped to the U.S. and delivered to the Lofts Coffee Company, it is roasted, degassed and ground up and ready to be consumed.
“Every cup of coffee you drink here has probably been roasted within seven days,” Mr. Terry Ockerman said. “We roast it, we grind it and then we sell it. So, you are getting the freshest cup of coffee in town.”
Their drink menu is a wide variety of coffee drinks from black coffee to golden lattes, teas, smoothies, frappes, immunity boosting beverages, wines, beer and mixed drinks.
The Ockermans own The Lofts apartments in the 800 block of Gallia and their coffee shop is adjacent to it and draws students and staff from Shawnee State University and the downtown business community.
Mr. Terry Ockerman said their customer base wanted a good place without the pretensions.
“They didn’t want that if you weren’t a hipster, you weren’t welcomed,” he said. “We have a unique customer base, we have everyone from 12-year-olds whose parents bring them in and we have retirees in their sixties who meet here every week. We have a huge customer base, age-wise, and we like that.”
He said the goal is to introduce their customers to a quality coffee
and to feel like they are in a big city setting.
“We want to offer the same product and customer service that they would get in larger cities,” Mr. Terry Ockerman.
One interesting feature of the shop is a patio space that wraps around the back and side of the building, which is a popular draw for people to drink and talk with friends. There is also large roll up doors that are open wide on pleasant days giving the coffee shop an open-air feel.
“I wanted to build a place that I would want to go to,” said Mr. Terry Ockerman.
It is a family business for the Ockermans. Their son, Fox, a 15-yearold STEM student, helps roast the coffee beans and grinds the beans up for use in the coffee shop as well as helping package it in bags and K cups for sale.
“With our K cups, it tastes like a pour over,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman.
The coffee shop prides itself on its baked goods such as jumbo muffins, scones, cookies and many flavors of macarons.
“We bake all of our muffins and pastries fresh every day,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman. “Our goal is to give the community and customers a fresh product.”
Their food menu also includes waffles to go, avocado toast, cinnamon rolls, soups, sandwiches, salads, a bean burger, cheese plates, loaded oatmeal, charcuterie boards, and specialty flatbreads. a
food | From the
SALSA
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced poblano pepper, seeds and ribs discarded
• 1 small fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs discarded, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
HUEVOS RANCHEROS
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 4 corn tortillas (6 inches), warm
• 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1 small avocado, quartered and sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 medium lime, cut into four wedges (optional)
To make salsa: In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil, swirling to coat bottom. Cook onion 2 minutes, or until almost soft, stirring frequently. Cook poblano and jalapeno peppers 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic. Cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
To make huevos rancheros: In medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil, swirling to coat bottom. Cook eggs 3-4 minutes, or until whites are set and edges are fully cooked.
Place one tortilla on each plate. Top each tortilla with beans and one egg, being careful not to break yolk. Gently top each egg with warm salsa, cheese and avocado slices.
Sprinkle each serving with cilantro and serve with lime wedge, if desired.
• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup no-salt-added frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 medium avocado, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Red hot-pepper sauce, to taste (optional)
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Remove from heat. Spoon quinoa into four bowls. Top each with tomatoes, corn, avocado, green onions and cilantro, if desired.
Lightly spray large skillet over medium-high heat with nonstick cooking spray. Crack eggs into skillet. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes, or until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny. Using spatula, carefully transfer one egg sunny side up into each bowl. Sprinkle with hot sauce, if desired
• 1 goat cheese log (8 ounces), softened at room temperature
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Fresh Cravings Chunky Salsa, Mild
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• Crackers, chips or vegetables
• 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Rosé
In food processor or blender, blend goat cheese with sea salt and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. If mixture is too firm, add cream little by little while pulsing blender until light, fluffy consistency is reached. Spread whipped goat cheese into shallow serving dish or onto board.
Top with salsa.
Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley, if desired. Serve with crackers, chips or veggies. Pair with rosé.
• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 container Fresh Cravings Roasted Garlic Hummus
• 1 package mini naan dippers
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary, minced
• La Veielle Ferme Rosé
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Chop butternut squash into 1/2-inch chunks. Toss squash with olive oil, maple syrup, cumin and chili powder.
Spread on sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Spread hummus on naan dippers and top each with squash and fresh rosemary.
Pair with deeper, savory and earthy rosé.
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 large flour tortillas
• 16 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
• 1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, drained
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 container Fresh Cravings Restaurant Style Salsa, Medium
• New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Prepare sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place large flour tortilla on sheet pan. Top with handful of grated cheese.
Sprinkle chiles on top of cheese layer. Add chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with additional cheese.
Top with another tortilla. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Work in batches to make three sets of cheese-filled tortillas.
Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters.
Serve with salsa and pair with sauvignon blanc from New Zealand with zest and zing.
• 1 tube (16 ounces) prepared polenta
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 container Fresh Cravings Pico de Gallo Salsa, Mild
• 1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
• Mateus Rosé
Heat oven to 400˚F. Slice polenta into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Arrange on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and let cool.
Combine jumbo lump crabmeat with salsa. Top each polenta round with crab salsa mixture. Garnish with finely chopped fresh mint and pair with vibrant, fruity rosé.
• 1 can (15 ounces) READ 3-Bean Salad
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 peeled garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pinches salt, plus additional to taste, divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus additional to taste, divided
• 3 small carrots, trimmed, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 9-10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Jarred pesto, for serving (optional)
Drain and rinse bean salad; set aside.
In large pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and 1 pinch salt; saute until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and zucchini with remaining pinch salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp tender, 5-7 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes. Add Parmesan rind, if desired. Cook about 10 minutes until most tomato juice evaporates. Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to boil. Add tortellini; cook 2 minutes, or just until tender. Stir in bean salad and spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes to heat through.
Season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve garnished with pesto, if desired.
BALSAMIC DRESSING
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, finely ground
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
SALAD
• 10 ounces baby arugula
• 3 Envy apples, sliced
• 9 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 ounces pomegranate arils
• 3 ounces pecans, toasted
To make balsamic dressing: In small serving bowl, whisk honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Place dressing bowl in center of large board or platter. Arrange arugula around dressing bowl in wreath shape.
Place apple slices on top of arugula. Sprinkle on goat cheese, pomegranate arils and pecans.
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 8 oat-wheat bread slices
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
• 12 ounces Havarti cheese
• 2 Envy apples
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Lightly butter one side of each bread slice and place on baking sheet butter side down. On side without butter, spread cranberry sauce on half of bread slices.
Slice Havarti cheese about 1/4-inch thick and place over cranberry layer. Thinly slice apples and layer over cheese. Top with remaining bread slices with butter side up.
Bake 5 minutes then carefully flip each sandwich. Bake 3-5 minutes until cheese is melty.
STREUSEL TOPPING
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
FILLING
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds Envy apples, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 deep dish frozen pie shell
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
To make streusel topping: Mix flour, chopped pecans and light brown sugar. Stir in butter using fingertips until incorporated with small lumps of butter visible. Refrigerate.
To make filling: In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter until amber, stirring often. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, stir sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla and flour using spatula. Pour brown butter over apples and mix, scraping skillet with rubber spatula to incorporate brown butter bits.
Place frozen pie shell on baking sheet. Add 2 cups apple mixture into shell, gently pressing apple slices for even base. Add remaining apple slices and gently press. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over apples.
Bake 30 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake 35-45 minutes until topping is golden and apples feel tender when pierced with fork.
• Salted water
• 1 pound macaroni noodles
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 Envy apple, peeled and diced
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Romano cheese, grated
• 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
TOPPING
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook until just tender. Drain and set aside.
In large pot over high heat, melt butter then saute diced apple until caramelized and tender. Sprinkle in flour and stir. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Whisk in heavy cream and milk; bring to boil, whisking frequently so milk doesn’t burn.
Once boiling, turn heat to low and whisk in cheddar cheese, Romano cheese, gruyere cheese, salt and Worcestershire. Continue whisking until cheese is melted thoroughly. Carefully pour mixture into large blender and blend on high until smooth.
Pour cheese sauce over noodles and stir. Pour macaroni and cheese into 9-by-13-inch pan and spread evenly. Heat oven to broil.
To make topping: In medium bowl, melt butter and stir in panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over macaroni and cheese; broil until golden brown.
From the Cookbook
• 6 Envy apples
• 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, water
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 large plain sponge cake
• 2 cups vanilla bean custard
• 1/2 cup caramel or butterscotch sauce, plus additional for garnish, divided
• 1/2 cup cream
• Fresh apple slices
• Fresh strawberry slices
Peel, core and dice apples; place in large saucepan. Add caster sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 cup water. Simmer apples 5-8 minutes until tender. Combine corn flour and remaining water. Stir corn flour mixture into apples until apples are syrupy.
Cut sponge cake into 2-centimeter diced pieces. Arrange 1/3 of sponge pieces in base of serving bowl. Add half of cinnamon apple pieces, including syrupy juices. Add 1 cup custard and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients, finishing with sponge cake; chill.
Whip cream and spoon dollops over sponge cake to cover top. Garnish with apple slices, strawberry slices and caramel sauce.
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 jar RAG⁄ Classic Alfredo Sauce
• 1 package (12 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 package (12 ounces) fettuccine pasta
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)
In large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Cook chicken, in batches if necessary, stirring occasionally, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and set aside.
In same skillet, add sauce and broccoli; stir. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
In separate pan, cook fettuccine according to package instructions. Serve chicken, broccoli and sauce over hot fettuccine and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
MARINADE
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
• 1 beef flank steak (12 ounces)
YOGURT SAUCE
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
To make marinade: In large bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic.
Lay steak in flat container with sides and pour marinade over steak. Marinate at least 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours, turning several times.
To make yogurt sauce: Combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic and salt. Set yogurt sauce aside at least 15 minutes to blend flavors. Sauce can be prepared up to 1 hour in advance and refrigerated.
Preheat broiler to high with rack 3 inches from heat source.
Broil steak about 10 minutes on each side to minimum internal temperature of 145˚F. Let cool 5 minutes before carving.
Slice thinly across grain into 12 slices.
Serve three slices with 1/2 cup yogurt sauce.
Tip: Serve in sandwich with pita bread, lettuce and tomato.
• 4 boneless pork chops (about 3 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 medium orange, rinsed and zested
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
SAUCE
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium apple, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup 100% orange juice
Preheat oven to 350˚F. To prepare pork chops: Season pork chops with pepper and orange zest.
In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes. Remove pork chops from pan, place on nonstick baking sheet and bake 10 minutes to minimum internal temperature of 160 F.
To make sauce: Add chicken broth to saute pan and stir to loosen brown bits from pork chops. Set aside.
In small saucepan over medium heat, cook grated apples, cinnamon stick and bay leaf until apples begin to soften.
Add cranberries, orange juice and reserved broth. Bring to boil then lower heat to gentle simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, or until cranberries are plump and apples are tender. Remove cinnamon stick.
Peel orange and cut into eight sections.
Serve one pork chop with 1/4 cup sauce and two orange segments.
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds salmon or halibut fillets, cut into four serving-size pieces
• 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line 18-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan with foil. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In medium bowl, toss tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano or dill weed, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Place fish pieces, skin side down, on one side of prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining pepper. Lightly press feta cheese on top of fish. Pour tomato mixture on other side of prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, 12-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork.
Place salmon on serving plates. Spoon tomato mixture over top.
What would make the future of the Tri-State brighter, more prosperous and more innovative?
Many answers might point to the exciting new economic developments, like Lawrence County’s The Point industrial park, or the plans for Huntington’s ACF site. Even remote work possibilities brought about in the post-COVID-19 economy are potential benefits.
While the “Rust Belt” effect of the 20th century has not been kind to our local economy, many leaders in the Tri-State are looking forward to revival in the 21st. But an important piece of the economic renewal puzzle is often overlooked: Education. How can our region reach new heights if educational institutions remain the same?
To ensure that the Tri-State has a strong base of innovative talent for innovative jobs, there needs to be an innovative education institution. Tri-State STEM+M Early College High School, has been pursuing this goal since the school’s opening in 2017. In education, STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Founded by the late Dr. Scott Howard, TSS was created with the belief that new industrial investments alone could not build an economy nor a society. While innovation many times bypasses us here in the state’s most southerly county, TSS is a noticeable outlier in that trend, being the only accredited public STEM school in Southern Ohio.
This means that attending is free for any student of high school who is an Ohio resident and students can transfer in from anywhere in the county, or even the state. Explicitly created with cutting-edge jobs in mind, TSS seeks to fill an empty niche for nurturing the talent of tech-savvy innovators of our region.
STEM is not only a content focus, but is also a wholly different philosophy of education that is based on hands-on learning and problem-solving in the real world - in contrast to a dependence on standardized testing.
Located in South Point, TSS is always happy to host potential students for shadowing or tours to see if STEM learning is right for them. For students seeking extraordinary challenges in a tight-knit environment, with hands-on learning and the freedom to develop one’s own interests, the future of the Tri-State area is looking brighter with every semester.
