Food life Summer 2015

Traveling Locavore Savoring Savannah

Beekeeping 101 Start Your Own Hive

summer 2015

Honey Summer’s Gold

Bee & Bramble

Moving Mead Mainstream

plus

recipes, restaurants & more!

SUMMER 2015 | FOODLIFEMAG.COM

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FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

features

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SUMMER 2015

ET H ICA L EVOLU TION

How Plant Chef Jason Sellers came to value humane eating and hard work. by maggie cramer

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pas s the p otatoes

Root Bottom Farm, located in Marshall, NC, is the epitome of phrases like “less is more” and “small is beautiful.” by josh o’conner

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m oving mea d m ainstrea m

Bee & Bramble Fine Mead is an alignment of personal passions and professional pursuits.

by Noah Raper-Robins

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the b utcher & sandwich mak er

Discover what Foothills Local Meats is up to in Asheville and Black Mountain. by maggie cramer

photograph by SARAH JONES DECKER

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issue 04

summer 2015

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on the cover Golden rich honey drizzled over fresh biscuits is a delicious treat no matter what time of day.

Photograph by Tiffany Welsh

the guide

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tr avelin g locavor e 23 Tiffany Welsh takes a day trip to Savannah and hits many tasty local spots.

habibi: My love 36 What do local honey and Syrian refugees have in common?

Q&A 28 with Ashley English, local author of books on topics ranging from homesteading to entertaining.

local li bations 38 Get familiar with the mixologists competing for the crown at AWFF’s Elixir on August 20th.

g ettin g sta r te d in beekeep ing 30 Learn where to begin in the rewarding hobby of beekeeping.

recipes

by jon christie

kitchen conve r sations 34 The Asheville Bee Charmer is more than just bee-themed products and jars of honey. by lori theriault

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by tiffany welsh

blueb er ry lem onade 29 honey & tom ato br uschetta 35 Gr ille d steak 35 Honey b ou r b on pr aline ice crea m 42

stay co nnecte d

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editor’s letter Ah, Summer…the heat, the bugs, and bathing suit season. Yuck! When it comes to those things, I can’t say I’m a big fan. But you know what I do love about summer? All of the farm fresh food. In fact, it feels like the food scene in the mountains really bursts into life this time of year.

Festivals and food events abound, the markets are bustling, and it seems like every time you turn around there is a new bar or restaurant opening.

You know who else loves summer food, the honeybees.

Honeybees spring into action at the first signs of Spring and by Summer, they are hard at work producing honey.

Thankfully, we get to reap the sweet rewards of all that hard work. If you love honey as much as I do, you will really love this issue. We talk to a honey expert, Jon Christie from Wild Mountain Bees, about what it takes to keep bees. We learn about making mead from Bee & Bramble, have dinner with the Asheville Bee Charmer and we finish off the issue with a sweet recipe for honey bourbon ice cream – the perfect summer treat!

This time last year, we had just published the premier issue of Food Life. It’s hard to believe a year has already gone by. It’s been great fun meeting all the wonderful food people in WNC. I can’t wait for year two! Dig in y’all.

Editor twelsh@iwanna.com

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General Manager/Publisher Patricia Martin Betts Editor Tiffany Welsh Art Director carrie harder Production/IT Manager Jeff Ruminski Contributors jon christie maggie cramer sarah jones decker siobhan egan ashley english Laurie MCcarriar josh o’conner tim robison noah raper robins lori theriault Advertising Consultants pam hensley Rick Jenkins maggie leftwich roberta lloyd ROSE LUNSFORD jenny webb Kimberly White Production rachel hoeft randy whittington Proofreader Sam Howell Distribution Manager Mark Graham A Publication of

i wa n n a p ub l i c at i on s 2 2 Garf iel d St r eet, Suite 100 A s heville , N C 28803 828. 210. 0340 Food Life, a publication of IWANNA, has accepted contributions which may not reflect the opinion of the publisher. No portion of Food Life may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

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Jason Sellers’

Ethical Evolution How the Plant chef and owner came to value humane eating and hard work. by maggie cramer

by Tim Robison 8photographs FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

photographs by Tim Robison

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jason sellers has always loved to cook—just not to eat.

“As a kid, I would feign eating to get it over with as quickly as I could,” he says. “I would have rather been outside playing, but I liked cooking with my mom. She was a really good cook, so she would have me by her side.”

When he did eat, it certainly wasn’t anything you’d find on the menu of his Asheville restaurant, Plant: “Cereal, Popsicles, weird packaged food from the 70s,” he reluctantly recalls.

Then one day, he “woke up.”

“It was this visceral meets intellectual epiphany that happened,” Sellers shares. “I realized I really loved the act of eating.”

The cerebral component that had been a missing link? Ethics. He was picky and always left the meat on his plate for a reason: a strong belief that animals shouldn’t be eaten.

Armed with skills handed down from his aunts to his mother and his mom to him, he set out to become the best vegetarian cook he could—although, he admits, the ambition wasn’t just about feeding himself and his newfound love of food.

“It was to impress young women,” he says with a hearty laugh. “I thought, this is pretty cool. Cooking is this intimate experience and maybe I’d be lucky enough to show it off to somebody.”

From the Classroom to the Kitchen

That was the 1980s, when, he notes, vegetarian cooking was “the pits.”

“The fist time I had vegetarian food made for vegetarian food’s sake, I wasn’t sure about it,” he reflects. “I remember telling myself ‘I think this is good.’” He also remembers his first encounter with tofu at a music festival. “I thought that’s really bad: That belongs on the periphery for a reason.”

In other words, he wasn’t sure where vegetarian food could go—or even if

view the menu at plantisfood.com

it could be anything other than cheesy casseroles and lentil loaves.

But his interest was piqued. He continued to hone his skills on his own—by thumbing through cookbooks and perching in front of the Food Network, which had just launched—and in restaurants. It was in fast-paced delis where, he says, he figured out he liked to work and work hard.

So he started working like crazy. He went to college, then grad school.

He started teaching English. Then he became a medical writer. He did public relations for a skin care company during the day while moonlighting in restaurants and attending culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City.

After graduation, he started an internship at the prestigious vegan eatery Candle 79. His work ethic

impressed them so much that he landed a job as he was walking in for intern shift number two.

“Being on the line there during lunch and having the server tell me I was cooking a celebrity’s food,” Sellers says, “that’s the moment I realized I was participating in something that was judged all the time and that had all this prestige surrounding it.

There was this air of now you’re a professional and you have to get this right. It clicked for me, and I realized restaurant cooking was what made me excited. ” His stint there was also the time in his life when he began to see the vast array of possibilities for vegetarian and vegan food. He started to formulate his own humane cooking philosophy, one not based simply on omission and imitation but around truly elevating and uplifting vegetal offerings.

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Cultivating Plant

After Candle 79, Sellers moved to Asheville and began working at Laughing Seed Café, where he stayed a little over a half-decade— he served as kitchen manager and executive chef for three and a half of those years. It was an invaluable time, he says, in which he learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business and about the likes and dislikes of the Asheville eater. But by year five, he was ready to make his food.

The opportunity to do so came knocking in the form of business partners Leslie Armstrong and Alan Berger, and Plant was born in 2011.

Opening Asheville’s first all-vegan restaurant certainly felt like a risk, he notes. He knew local eaters had an appetite for vegetarian food but wondered how his menu would go over without the big cheese to the rescue, since he no longer ate any animal products. And, he knew that to do vegan food his way—with fresh, organic, and local ingredients and the labor required to make everything inhouse with the utmost attention paid to every detail—he’d have to charge a higher price point.

“I just had to have faith,” he says. “I knew that if we cared enough about it, it would make sense to a certain number of people and we’d be okay.”

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No Meat, No Cheese, No Problem

The risk paid off: Plant is thriving, and the animal product-free menu hasn’t kept folks from walking in the door or coming back for more.

In fact, Sellers shares that most of his customers aren’t vegetarian or vegan.

And that’s just fine by him.

Because while Plant is a vegan restaurant that wears its ethics on its sleeve, Sellers hopes diners see it as a great restaurant—period. A place where they can go and enjoy food they wouldn’t make for themselves at home, and where the food is seasoned well and not in danger of resembling his first bite of tasteless tofu.

“Our customers are just people who see us fitting in amongst peers,” he says. “They consider us a restaurant that’s chef-driven and has people who work in it that really care about the food they’re putting out, just like Table, or the Admiral, or all the other great restaurants in town. I’m really grateful for that.”

Maggie Cramer is an Ashevillebased freelance writer, editor, and communications specialist. She can be reached at mcramerwrites@gmail.com. photographs by Tim Robison

serving up

summer A look at what’s sprouting up on Plant’s menu for the summer season...

• Almond-milk fresh “mozzarella” paired up with local tomatoes.

• Lemon-saffron panna cotta with bruleed seasonal fruit, thyme, and hazelnuts.

• Housemade cherry cola; Sellers and his team make everything from the soda itself (a blend of citrus, spices, and brown sugar) to the cherry syrup.

• And a secret ingredient: “I’m obsessed with sesame lately in all its forms,” Sellers says. But he’s mostly using it as a phantom ingredient, not the star; if you can’t put your finger on a taste this summer, it just might be sesame.

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feature

root b otto m fa r m

Pass the Potatoes by josh o’conner

Root Bottom Farm, located in Marshall, NC, is the epitome of phrases like “less is more” and “small is beautiful.”

LOCATED ON A NARROW ISLAND of property hemmed in by a creek on one side and a road on the other, the farm unfolds in a subtle manner, revealing a cornucopia of carefully arranged crops 12

FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

which will produce delicate flavors, textures, and colors throughout the year.

Owners Sarah and Morgan Decker have worked to create a selection of crops, which could satiate the palates of even the most discerning eater while also satisfying the conscience of the most concerned environmentalist.

Root Bottom Farm’s crops are essentially separated into two sections on the property, with one side being oriented toward perennial crops and the other side being oriented toward annual crops – with healthy scatterings

learn more at rootbottomfarm.com

“Microgreens have made us a little different, and that’s what made us unique and attractive to managers of markets.” of beautifully landscaped areas and flowers to be sold for cut flowers and floral arrangements. As Sarah puts it, “With the amount of space that we’re working with, we grow a large variety of crops.”

Everything is organically grown using “no spray” techniques. The farm functions as a labor of love with Sarah, Morgan, and one fulltime intern providing the bulk of the work necessary to sustain day-to-day operations and to engage the more long-term goal of transforming the property from a former hoarder’s haven into a functioning farm. The couple can recount a number of stories about reclaiming the farm from its past – noting that the property previously had outbuildings filled to the ceiling with junk and four vacant mobile homes, one of which was completely filled with Christmas memorabilia.

In reviewing Root Bottom Farm’s crops and products, Morgan speaks highly of the role that microgreens have played in establishing the farm, “Microgreens have made us a little different, and that’s what made us unique and attractive to managers of markets.” Additionally, he says that microgreens provide the basis for multiple restaurant accounts. Sarah frames it saying, “Microgreens put us on the map.” The farm has also begun offering some value-added products including pesto and a garlic butter aptly named “Dragon’s Breath.

In addition to sales at farmers markets and restaurants, Root Bottom Farm operates what Morgan terms to be an “ESA” (or E-mail Supported Agriculture) program as opposed to the more traditional CSA box. The ESA set up acts as another market opportunity for the farm, one that allows them to capture the seasonal population changes of the local region. Customers who subscribe to the weekly e-mail blast get a notification letting them know what is available on the farm; the customers in turn select what they would like and it is delivered later in the week at a designated pickup point. ESA offers Root Bottom Farm’s customers the ability to interactively make choices that cater to their produce needs, while also allowing them the flexibility to work around vacations and variations in their weekly schedules.

The ESA concept is not the only thing that sets Root Bottom Farm apart. Over the course of the summer, Root Bottom Farm will be hosting three farm-to-table dinners on the property. The meal will feature 100% local Madison County cuisine – vegetables from Root Bottom Farm, meats from Dry Ridge Farm and breads from Smoke Signals Bakery.

Vegetarian and gluten free options will also grace a table filled with farm

products harvested the day of the meal. Chef Dava Melton of Blessed 2 Cook will tie all of the ingredients together into a family-style meal. The events will also include a tour of the farm and entertainment following the meal. Dinners will be held rain or shine.

The intent behind the dinners is to form a relationship with the farm’s customers and to create an opportunity for communal gathering.

The proceeds garnered from ticket sales for the dinner will raise the capital necessary for Root Bottom Farm to construct a root cellar, because as Sarah puts it, “A farm focused on root crops should have a root cellar”. But the dinner is more than an attempt at crowdsourcing capital; it is a chance to present the farms products in a different venue, to highlight the local community and the products that it offers. Sarah adds, “The money is going toward our root cellar, but people are going to remember coming together for these dinners and passing the food around.”

Josh O’Conner is an urban/land use planner with a passion for food and urban agriculture.

photographs by sarah Jones decker & siobhan egan

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MUSIC FROM

Asheville’s Original CRAFT BEER FEST

Jeff Austin Big Daddy Love Packway Handle Band

M o r e i n f o r m at i o n at B r e w g r a s s F e s t i va l . c o m ZSY 14

FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

b ee & b r am ble fine m eads

feature

Moving Pass Mead the Mainstream: Potatoes

Bee & Bramble Fine Meads

by Noah Raper-Robins

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For many, hobbies serve as a wonderful outlet from the day-to-day of job and career. For a fortunate few, personal passions and professional pursuits align to create a true labor of love. J.D. “Ivar” Schloz is one such fortunate fellow. The owner/operator of Bee and Bramble Fine Meads has a singular focus on producing top-shelf honey wine, an interest that has grown from his personal obsession into a full-time occupation. Drawing upon his engineering background, Schloz is pushing mead into the conversation as a main-line beverage that can proudly stand alongside more traditional forms of wine and beer. Mead, or honey wine, is an ancient beverage often poetically dubbed “the nectar of the gods.” Using honey as its primary ingredient, mead is often flavored with other fruits and even herbs to produce more complex flavors. Like cider, mead has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts during the last decade, as producers and consumers alike are rediscovering this unique beverage.

On a too-hot summer day, Schloz

led me into the cool, dark confines of his one-man operation in Fairview. In the tidy main room of his self-designed facility, impressive pieces of machinery and winemaking paraphernalia rest comfortably next to pallets of bottled finished product, ready for store shelves and spots on customers’ racks.

Gregarious and engaging, Schloz walked me through the process of converting raw honey into bottleready mead, and the additional steps to bottle or keg the precious liquid for the ultimate end consumer. His operation is organized and efficient, as would befit the brainchild of a former process engineer.

But why mead? Schloz first tried homemade honey wine on an annual bike trip some years back, and he marveled at the pleasant, uplifting buzz it gave him and, perhaps more importantly, the absence of a hangover the next day. His curiosity about the beverage was piqued, and he filed mead away in the back of his engineer’s brain to further investigate.

When he left his job as a metallurgist in Washington State and relocated to Asheville in 2004, Scholz found a booming homebrew scene, which was right up his alley as an experienced home brewer. He explains that the plentitude of brewers in the area actually dampened his own desire to brew beer at home: with so much good homebrewed product to try, and so many startup breweries cropping up as well, he reasoned “why bother?”

What the homebrew glut did to dampen his own brewing enthusiasm, however, it also gave back in terms of motivation to try his hand at the much different challenge of crafting honey into wine.

Schloz explained that he finds most commercial meads on the market have an “overwhelming taste of honey.” For personal taste, he wanted something else: a honey wine that would reveal the subtle underlying flavors of the honey, without blanketing the palate with sweetness. As he embarked on systematic investigation of the steps required to produce mead to his liking, he zeroed in on locating the correct SUMMER 2015 | FOODLIFEMAG.COM

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learn more at beeandbramble.com

“For personal taste, he wanted something else: a honey wine that would reveal the subtle underlying flavors of the honey, without blanketing the palate with sweetness.” yeast strain to use in fermentation to “unlock” the flavors contained in the honey. After running the rule over more than thirty yeast strains over the course of several years, he knew right away when he had found the one he wanted: “it was immediately apparent – it was really stunning actually.” So which yeast strain is the key to his perfect mead? Schloz is coy.

With a wink, he assured me that the particular yeast strain he uses is and will remain a closely guarded secret.

Bee and Bramble is also dedicated to producing mead that is unfiltered and unrefined (meaning the beverage has not undergone a process to remove small particulates in the liquid). The resulting beverage is more flavorful and aromatic, and reveals more of the underlying character inherent in the honey.

Schloz points to local sourcing of raw materials for his mead as another key in development of his ideal flavor.

He settled on mountain wildflower honey as the base ingredient due to the complexity of the flavor profile it revealed as compared to singlesource honeys such as poplar or sourwood. During our conversations, he repeatedly emphasized the hyperlocal nature of his product; every ingredient and much of the support infrastructure (down to the graphic design services for his labels) is sourced as locally as possible.

With his product nearing readiness several years back, the first market testing Schloz undertook was with a time-honored group: his buddies.

Old-time music being another of Schloz’s many pursuits, he began taking bottles of his homemade concoction to gatherings for what he dubs the “personal appreciation” of his fellow musicians. The reaction was immediately positive – of folks who had already tried mead but didn’t care for it, he heard quite often “but I 16

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like this!” And the consensus among everyone who tried it was that he should absolutely start selling it.

The aforementioned engineering skill set was even more essential as Schloz took his friends’ advice and prepared to bring his mead to the commercial marketplace. He carefully designed and oversaw construction of his winery facility and the even more arduous task of getting the required certifications to begin operation. Now that he’s been up and running for a while, Schloz looks back at this time period as an exercise in “learning why more people don’t do it.” Even for a relatively small-scale operation, he needed to navigate the bureaucratic channels to officially set up a winery, with all of the inspections, approvals, and licenses that came with it.

Fortunately for the drinking public, Schloz’s persistence paid off, and he is fully up and running, with a broad range of offerings to satisfy diverse tastes. The “Traditional,” Bee and Bramble’s flagship mead, is crisp, light, and floral, with a nuanced flavor profile that is unexpected and

extremely pleasant. Very comparable to a dry white wine in flavor and alcohol content (11.5%), the mead drinks well on its own or pairs well with meals, particularly beef, poultry or fish. Schloz’s creative imagination and rigorous testing has led to numerous other meads, including combinations with hibiscus and rose petal flavorings, the Cyser (a mixture with apple cider), versions with assorted berries, and a forthcoming blueberry/ginger mead that should be available in early fall.

Schloz’s handiwork has been garnering much-deserved attention: Bee and Bramble was recently featured on UNC-TV’s “Carolina Weekend,” and he maintains a steady schedule of tastings and events throughout WNC. All of Bee and Bramble’s meads are available directly from the source by visiting beeandbramble.com, and consumers in the Asheville area can find Bee and Bramble in several local wine shops and a selection of downtown Asheville bars and restaurants. photographs by tiffany welsh

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feature

foothill s local m eat s

The Butcher & Sandwich Maker by maggie cramer

The meat case at Foothills Local Meats’ newest location on the South Slope sits nestled amongst shelves of six-packs, potato chips, Big League Chew, and every other convenience-store staple imaginable.

“It’s like a New York-style bodega,” Foothills’ owner Casey McKissick says of Ben’s Penny Mart, their home since mid-March. He couldn’t be more thrilled with his company’s corner of the corner market.

Setting Up Shop On the Slope

McKissick opened the flagship Foothills location—a full-service butcher shop dedicated to advancing the craft of whole-animal butchery—in Black Mountain in the fall of 2013.

Not long after the meat hooks were hung, he began thinking of ways to grow and expand the young business. He decided to open a small neighborhood sandwich shop and a location in Asheville was the logical choice.

“The market here isn’t being filled by what we’re doing: really good sandwiches that are made out of local, pasture-raised meats,” McKissick notes, adding that before they moved in, there was very little food available in the burgeoning area between Asheland, Biltmore, and Southside avenues.

McKissick feels his eatery has been a welcome addition to the neighborhood, citing a sense of camaraderie between businesses and strong relationships with the handful of breweries just a stone’s throw away. Brewery employees receive a discount on sandwiches and meats. What’s more, Foothills rolled out bike delivery to South Slope tasting rooms, as well as homes and offices, in May. “Brewery customers are drinking, and they get hungry,” McKissick says, “They don’t want to leave the brewery—and the brewery doesn’t want them to either—so they can call us up and our bike guys will bring them a freshly made sandwich in 15 minutes.” It’s a win-win-win; already, he shares, the charcuterie by courier feature is a boon to business.

Serious About Sammies

In fact, the new store-within-a-store model is helping busi20

FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

learn more at foothillslocalmeats.com

ness overall. McKissick imagines three or four more Asheville-area sandwich shops, and is looking for existing businesses that might have a place for a deli case and counter.

But, he reminds, a Foothills’ sandwich shop isn’t like other neighborhood sandwich shops.

“You can get Reubens a hundred places,” he acknowledges. “But what makes our Reuben and other sandwiches so special is that we start with really good, local meat and really good, often local, bread. The foundation is top-quality meat that you can feel good about.”

Their Cuban, he points out, is the main star, made with nearly all locally sourced ingredients—from the meats (house-smoked ham and mojo pulled pork), to the pickles (dills from Green River Picklers), the mustard (Lusty Monk) and the bread (Annie’s Cuban). “I haven’t found anyone local who makes Swiss cheese yet,” he notes, quipping that the Cuban is surely 99 percent local by weight.

He plans to add a chicken salad sandwich to the menu for summer. Other customer favorites include Southern staples like their Fried Bologna Hat Trick (composed of three different housemade bolognas, cheese, and toppings) and their Carolina-style hot dog, which diners are often surprised to learn is homemade. Foothills’ dogs are 50/50 beef and pork, hand-cut lean and fat. In other words, they aren’t made up of mystery meats and only include meat that comes from their regular suppliers.

Chickens, Cows, and Pigs, Oh My!

Foothills Local Meats currently works with four farms: Happy Hens and Highlands in Burnsville and Balsam Gardens in Sylva for poultry, Apple Brandy Beef in North Wilkesboro for beef, and Wild Turkey Farms in China Grove for pork, from Berkshire pigs to be specific.

Just as he is excited about new business models that work well for Foothills, McKissick is thrilled to have a paradigm in place that works well for his suppliers, too. “We’ve got to get to business models that make sense,” he says.

“For these farmers, we’re offering wholesale business with more sales at a time, fewer transactions, and lower transaction cots.

We’ve sought to build relationships that we hope can continue on in perpetuity based on everyone being happy.”

He plans to keep his suppliers and customers content for as long as possible, continuing to evolve the business: He and his team will bring back their popular Butcher’s Table family-style dinners in one incarnation or another this summer—likely pop-up collaborative meals around Asheville, and McKissick and his business partners will keep working to carry out the promise of their motto: Come for the meat. Stay for the revolution!

For more information, visit Foothills Local Meats online at foothillslocalmeats.com or Facebook.

photographs by Tim Robison SUMMER 2015 | FOODLIFEMAG.COM

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traveling locavore

the guide

Savannah arriving in Savannah,

I am immediately mesmerized by the Spanish moss hanging from the massive trees on every block. It’s easy to tell why Savannah has won awards for their tree stewardship. The historic homes and public gardens throughout the city are equally beautiful; modern, but at the same time, a city frozen in the early 1900s. One thing that is not frozen, however, is the weather. A visit in April, feels like summertime in the mountains of NC - upper 80s with high humidity to match. I take a quick survey of food options and find about 1,000 restaurants listed online, which rivals what we have in WNC. Immediately, I know I will enjoy eating my way through this town.

by Tiffany welsh

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the guide

traveling locavore

8am

Although I would normally sleep late on a vacation day, I set my alarm this morning so I will not miss breakfast – Savannah style. It is worth getting up early, the streets are empty and the morning air is cool. I arrive early at the Funky Brunch Café. A cook your own breakfast kind of place.

They have pancake griddles right in the middle of the table. They offer a variety of mixings for your pancakes and will cook them for you, if you’re still a little too tired to make breakfast.

An order of batter is enough for two people, especially if you’re getting eggs or other side items. The best part: every pancake is warm off the griddle when it goes into your mouth.

9am

After breakfast, I head to the Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market. Set in a beautiful location right in the middle of downtown Savannah, this market 24

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appears to be thriving. With nearly 30 vendors, they offer just about any kind of local food you could ask for. My first stop: Clark & Sons Organics. A table brimming with pecans (pronounced pee-cans, when in South Georgia), a favorite treat of mine. I say, “I’d like to buy a bag of pecans,” and am greeted with the reply, “That would make me so happy!” followed by a booming laugh and big smile. How could I not smile in response? I proceed around the rest of the market taking in the variety of things that are not yet in season at home – strawberries, in the first week of April!

While at the market, I also meet Joanne Morton, Director of Operations for Well Fed Magazine. Well Fed, a cross between Food Life and ASAP’s Local Food Guide, is the guide to everything local in Savannah. We exchange

publications and stories of local food.

She tells me Savannah is experiencing the same kind of boom in local food as Asheville. She also mentions her travels to other parts of the country, where there are similar local food scenes. The takeaway, you can eat and support local wherever you go!

10am

While I am here in Forsyth Park, I decide to take a walk around.

The scenery is breathtaking. Not the same as the views in WNC, but everywhere you go you can feel the history surrounding you. The park, measuring about 30 acres in size, was established in the 1840s. It features a beautiful fountain, constructed in 1858, at the north end. While there, I note three different wedding parties having their photos taken by the fountain, obviously a major attraction for visitors and locals alike. Many of

savannah

the homes along the park’s edge are marked with plaques indicating their construction date, 1889, 1903, etc.

All more than 100 years old and very well preserved. The large trees in the park must be just as old and provide a wonderful place to shade yourself from the sun and relax for a while.

11am

After all that walking around I am hungry again and dying to try the Green Truck Pub. Advertised as ‘casual atmosphere featuring food made from scratch, local craft brewers and produce from Georgia farms’. It sounds just like my kind of place! I’m glad I arrive early, because there is a line to get in by the time my food comes out. The atmosphere has a cool vibe - an old fast food joint, converted into a local eatery. It’s obvious they don’t take themselves too seriously.

The menu looks great, but I decide

to go with the daily special – the Smokehouse: a local burger topped with bacon, house-made BBQ sauce and smoked Gouda. My favorite twist is the cooking options for the burger – bloody, cooked or burnt.

I am something of a cheeseburger connoisseur, so it means something when I say this is one of the best burgers I have ever had. Don’t miss it if you’re in town.

2pm

While reading through Well Fed magazine, an article about the Back in the Day Bakery caught my eye. I’ve never met a baked good I didn’t like, so I decide to check it out.

I pull up outside of an unassuming building, directed here by my GPS. For a moment, I think I must be in the wrong location. The neighborhood looks a little rough and the building looks a little run-down, but I’m here so

I decide to go in. Once inside, I have to stop for a moment just to take in the décor and the furnishings. Nothing has been overlooked, right down to the employee’s uniforms. Just like the rest of Savannah, it’s both hip and old-fashioned at the same time. I am so glad I didn’t judge this book by its cover! I order up a Mexican chocolate cookie and sit down by the window for some people watching. There is a dad and his small daughter at the table across from me enjoying a flight of mini cupcakes. The little girl likes to lick the icing and the dad is left to eat the rest. It brings back memories of spending time with my own Dad. Everything about this place is just so sweet!

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25

the guide

traveling locavore

make a list, because there is no way I can make it to all their suggested places this trip. One place really peaks my interest through, the Top Deck Rooftop Bar, which they promise is the best place to go if you like “good views and hot chiseled guys”.

7pm 5pm

For dinner, I decide to walk to Treylor Park. Because of the name, I figure this to be a casual restaurant.

When I arrive, I am surprised to find the dining room to be rather new and upscale - but it’s the outdoor garden that I’m interested in. A quaint little courtyard complete with a separate bar and food service and strung with lights to create the perfect outdoor space. It’s early, but the place is already getting crowded. I start my meal with a shot of pecan Bourbon. It comes with a warning from the bartender –

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don’t shoot it or you may choke on the pecans! I order a Grilled Apple Pie: a grilled cheese topped with cinnamon apples, fried chicken and bacon.

Although it might sound like a strange combination, the sandwich is quite good. I also enjoy how they serve the waffle fries in a mini fryer basket.

The most enjoyable part of my meal, however, is talking with the two guys sitting next to me, Phillip and Eric.

They work for the local paper and are full of recommendations for eating and drinking in Savannah. I have to

I head to the Top Deck Bar, which is atop the Cotton Sail Hotel.

Both the bar and hotel are very nice. I feel a bit under-dressed. I’m not sure why the bar has an indoor area, except to shelter patrons during a rainstorm as there is no one sitting inside, the deck, however, is quite crowded. I pull up a stool at the edge of the deck, which provides a terrific view of the river, bridge and pedestrians below on River Street. The promise of “hot chiseled guys” did not disappoint, so ladies, make sure and leave your male companions at home. The drinks were reasonably priced and they serve a tapas menu, which I was much too full to sample. All together a great end to my food holiday in Savannah. I can’t wait to visit again!

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27

Q&A

Ashley English

Local author of seven books on the topics of homesteading, cooking and entertaining.

Q

Tell us a little about your background.

I was raised in Virginia and North Carolina, with a brief stint in the Florida panhandle when I was 14.

I attended UNCA before heading up to Washington, DC for nearly 4 years, returning in December 1999.

After returning, I pursued degrees in Nutrition and Sociology. My path to writing took a rather circuitous route, working in a variety of jobs before taking a leap of faith to become a fulltime writer and blogger in 2008.

Q

To date, you’ve written 4 books on homesteading topics - canning, chickens, dairy and beekeeping. What inspired your interest in this lifestyle?

My maternal grandmother, Nanny, owned a U-pick blueberry farm in Chesapeake, Virginia when I was a child. I spent many afternoons and weekends there, picking blueberries, playing with the large flock of chickens she kept, digging up potatoes and pulling vine-ripened tomatoes from her garden, and watching with curiosity and wonder as she canned mason jar after mason jar of fresh juices (grape and tomato were some of the regulars), jams, jellies, pickles, and more in her kitchen. That time with her left an indelible mark on me.

Q

You’ve also authored 3 cookbooks. To what do you attribute your love of food?

I have been interested in baking and cooking for as long as I can remember.

My mother kept a small but inspiring collection of cookbooks that I would pore over as a child. I was especially interested in baking, and remember, like it was yesterday, baking a pecan pie around age 8 that turned out surprising good, while some petit fours I tried my hand at were toothsome, 28

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tough things best forgotten. Though her repertoire as a home cook was a bit limited (no pad Thai or sushi for her!), never veering too far from the southern foods cooking style she grew up with, mom was an adept cook. Her food, coupled with my own penchant and curiosity for cooking & baking and time spent in Nanny’s kitchen were all the motivation I needed to inspire a lifetime love affair with all things foodrelated.

Q

Why do you think local food has become so popular in recent years?

I think the interest in local foods stems from a combination of several factors.

Climate change and the role that long distance shipping of foods plays into it, numerous recalls and scares from foods grown on a massive scale, and an overarching resurgence of interest in all things handmade (from food to furniture to clothing and beyond) have combined to make folks want to be a bit closer to their foods, figuratively and literally.

Q

If you could have dinner with one person (living or dead), who would it be? And why?

I would very much like to have dinner with my great-grandmother, Lena May Law. “Ma Maw”, as I knew her, grew up in the mountains of southern Virginia, in the small town of Bassett.

By virtue of necessity, she canned, and cured meats, and cooked nearly every meal my grandmother and her 3 siblings ate. I’d love to sit down with Ma Maw and ask her about my family’s food history and traditions. She passed away when I was 8, and I would love the opportunity to pick her culinary brain and learn first-hand about the foods that shaped who I’ve become today.

Q

What local food you always have in your refrigerator or pantry?

We usually have some meat from Hickory Nut Gap or trout from Sunburst, as well as vegetables from Hominy Valley Organic Farm and bread from Old World Levain bakery or Farm & Sparrow (or both!).

Q

If you could only own one cookbook other than your own, what would it be?

Well, it’s not really a “cookbook” per se, but it is the most indispensable food book I own, really. The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, is exceptionally helpful when I’m doing recipe development.

It’s become my most frequently referred to “cookbook” in the kitchen.

Ashley English is a local author of seven books (and currently working on her eighth and ninth) on the topics of homesteading, cooking and entertaining. You can follow her life’s journey on her blog at smallmeasure.com photograph by tim robison

blueberry lemonade Makes 1 gallon

I

have a long history with blueberries. My grandmother owned a pick-your-own blueberry farm when I was a child, and today my husband and I have our own “Blueberry Hill” at our home, planted with seventeen bushes. To top it off, our son resembles the title character in Robert Mc­Closkey’s Caldecott Medal–winning children’s book, Blueberries for Sal, which he loves dearly. It’s understandable, therefore, that the indigo-hued orbs would make their way into a pitcher of lemonade for me. On one of the dog days of summer, when simply remaining upright feels like too much work, pour a glass of this lemonade, find a shady spot (or better yet, a ham­ mock!), and sip the swelter away. ingredients Simple syrup (recipe follows) 1¾ cups blueberries, divided Juice and pulp from 6 large lemons (with the seeds strained out; about 1½ cups juice) Cold water Ice For the Simple Syrup 1 cup boiling water ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup honey

prepare Combine the boiling water, sugar, and honey in a heatproof bowl to make a simple syrup. Whisk until the ingredients are fully incorpo­rated. Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Puree 1½ cups of blueberries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the simple syrup, and process until fully blended. Strain the blueberry syrup through a fine-mesh sieve placed atop a 1-gallon pitcher. Using a spoon, gently press the solids, forcing out as much liq­uid as possible. Compost the solids.

Add the lemon juice to the pitcher. Fill ¾ full with ice-cold water. Top off with ice cubes and ¼ cup of blueberries. Stir to combine. Store the pitcher in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

From “Quench” by Ashley English, © 2014 by Ashley English. © 2014 Photographs by Jen Altman. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.com SUMMER 2015 | FOODLIFEMAG.COM

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the guide

int r o d uction to b eekeep ing

by jon christie

Beekeeping offers many rewards – fostering endangered pollinators will help your garden, provide you with honey and other hive by-products, and introduce you to some fascinating creatures to study.

Where to Begin

You might be surprised to learn that North Carolina has the oldest and largest beekeeping organization in the nation.

The NC State Beekeepers Association was founded in 1917 (www.ncbeekeepers.org) and most counties across the state have a local chapter. Chances are there is a monthly meeting near you, where you can meet local beekeepers and find a beekeeping mentor. Many of these county chapters also offer bee schools in late winter or early spring particularly for “newbees” to learn how to get started. Membership also typically affords the use of club honey extracting equipment for a nominal fee. Beekeeping is not exactly intuitive so seek out information from books, videos, and online (beware), but most importantly from your local resources.

The Gear

You will need some basic gear for sure, including the hives themselves, additional supers for the bees to grow

into and store honey, a smoker to calm the bees, a hive tool for prying apart supers and the frames they contain, a feeder for lean times and for starting out new colonies, protective gear and most importantly, the bees.

Bees are usually sold in two ways: the three-pound package or the nucleus colony. Package bees may be priced a little cheaper but a nucleus colony is a better bet, especially for a new beekeeper. Nucleus colonies are already established and come with a laying queen, brood, and resources. It is generally advisable to start with two colonies to give you some comparison as you observe and learn, as well as resources to help out a colony should problems arise.

Last but not least - don’t forget the bear fence! Beehives anywhere in these mountains will require a properly constructed and adequately powered electric fence.

There are two kinds of beekeepers around here: those who have a bear fence and those who will have a bear fence.

The Location

Now that you’ve considered the bears, you will also want to consider how you use your property when locating your hives. Flight paths, sunny locations, water sources, bee allergies, and set back restrictions within the city limits are all considerations, so think about your neighbors, too. A jar of honey can often go a long way to sweeten up the idea of bees to a concerned 30

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neighbor. But, you’d better discuss the idea of getting bees first, especially in urban and suburban settings.

The Cost

Most folks starting from scratch with two hives of bees and all of the items mentioned above will spend around $1,000 or more in the first year. Costs can be trimmed by assembling or building your own equipment (make sure you stick with standard dimensions), working with a simple $20 veil instead of a full suit, starting with just one colony and teaming up with a friend or neighbor for comparison’s sake, or catching a “free” swarm of bees. On the other hand you can also spend considerably more if you choose to go with classy copper topped cypress hives, additional protective gear for family members, lots of accessories, honey processing equipment, or to build an elaborate aesthetically pleasing bee yard.

The Commitment

Once you are “stung”, the time commitment really won’t matter. But seriously, everyone is mighty busy these days – beekeeping will take some time and effort. Bees are not just something you place on the back forty, gaze at from 100 yards away and say, “My bees over yonder, they’re doing great (I think?).” Au contraire! All too often hives left untended in today’s challenging environment wind up dead. So you’ll need to get your hands in there and see what’s going on. I would recommend weekly or at least bi-monthly inspections roughly from March through October taking maybe an hour or so each time. You will get more efficient as you gain experience and find that there are times when they need more attention and times when they are better left alone. You may spend 30 minutes or more each

for more info, visit wildmountainbees.com week in spring or fall mixing feed to help build up a new colony or supplementing a colony with inadequate stores for the coming winter. You may spend a few winter days preparing equipment for the coming season and maybe more than a few days fretting over whether you did everything right or if your “babees” are okay when its 9 degrees outside. Honey harvesting, extracting, and bottling may occupy a weekend or two each year, but don’t count on a harvest your first season. It’s been said that it takes the right number of bees in the right conditions in the right location at the right time to make a honey crop. You may get lucky your first year, but it will take some experience to produce this perfect storm of rights and sometimes nature just will not cooperate. Also factor in some continuing education time to read, watch, and attend bee meetings and special events. I think you will find the time will evaporate as you are drawn into this beautiful and mysterious world of the bees. And you will ultimately be better for it.

Over the last several years nearly everyone has become aware of the perils faced by these essential pollinators. This has resulted in a critical resurgence in backyard or hobby beekeeping. Whether you are interested in better pollination in your garden, taking steps toward self-sufficiency, carrying on Grandpa’s legacy or just the sweet rewards of a honey harvest, you will find the dynamics of a honeybee colony with its seasonal ebbs and flows endlessly fascinating and rewarding.

Jon Christie is a commercial beekeeper in Madison County, bee advocate & educator, and owner of Wild Mountain Bees, a local beekeepers supply & honey shop at 425 Weaverville Rd. in N. Asheville.

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restaurant

r ou x a s heville

Roux: Comfort Food, Local Brew Step inside the Hilton at Biltmore Park, and you are overwhelmed with modern elegance. A wide-open lobby greets you, with friendly faces all around. To your left, you see their restaurant, Roux.

Drawn in by the smells of delicious food, you will find yourself seated in an open air space, with views of the pedestrian traffic through large windows overlooking the street. Once served, you find the Executive Chef, Randy Dunn, has really outdone himself with the menu. Something like meatloaf, that you may remember from childhood has been transformed into a slider with white cheddar, balsamic ketchup, and grilled onions and served alongside hand cut French fries. This is not your mother’s meatloaf!

And that is only the beginning.

Chef Dunn has more than fifteen years experience in the culinary arts and it shows. He has a take on food

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that makes even the most typical ingredients a complex symphony of flavors.

Roux fuses southern comfort with modern sophistication; dishes are inspired

by Dunn’s grandmother’s kitchen and spiced with locally farmed ingredients that are all Asheville. The restaurant sources ingredients from several local farms – cheese from Three Graces Dairy, meats from Hickory Nut Gap, fish from Sunburst Trout and produce picked up weekly at the City Market South, located right in Biltmore Park.

Behind the scenes, Roux works hard to keep a small footprint. They recycle all of their cooking oils with Blue Ridge Bio Fuels, use solar panels to heat their water, use environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycle all of their plastic, glass and paper. By using local sources for their ingredients, they not only support vendors from this area,

but also eliminate the environmental effects of shipping.

However, while you’re there, you won’t be thinking about what is happening behind the scenes. The mix of comfort foods with a twist and their convenient location will have you coming back again and again. Check out their website for daily menu specials at rouxasheville.wordpress.com. Discover Roux and you just may become addicted.

Roux is located in the lobby of the luxurious Hilton Asheville in the heart of Biltmore Park Town Square.

For information, visit RouxAsheville. com, or call 828-209-2715. Hours are 11 am to 5 pm daily for lunch, 5-10pm for dinner, and 11 am to 2 pm for brunch Saturday & Sunday.

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33

the guide

kitchen conve r s ation s

Just an Old

Bee Charmer

The Asheville Bee Charmer is more than just bee-themed products and jars of honey. by lori theriault

HOW SWEET IT IS: A honey tasting at The Asheville Bee Charmer You’ll also find a veritable hive of activity dedicated to a passionate support of the honeybee and sustainable beekeeping.

Jillian Kelly and Kim Allen’s passion for honey began many years ago in Chicago, with Kelly looking for healthy alternatives to sugar, which led to a love of all things honey and bee-related. They had been making visits to see friends in Asheville for over ten years, so when they began looking beyond their life in Chicago, Asheville easily made their short list.

One of the first people they met in Asheville was Phyllis Stiles, who helped conceive Bee City USA in 2012. Through Bee City USA and the Buncombe County Bee Keepers, Kelly and Allen were welcomed into the Asheville area bee community. Soon after, Kelly announced to Allen that she wanted to open a bee-related business. Kelly and Allen opened the flagship Asheville Bee Charmer in West Asheville in June of 2014, followed closely by a second store located downtown in October 2014.

While they were stocking the store for opening, they both began reaching out to local beekeepers as well as local creative resources for unique, one-ofa-kind, bee-themed wares. Asheville Bee Charmer opened with a Pollination Celebration event that benefited Bee City USA, which they repeated again this year.

The store’s name comes from their favorite line, “you’re just an old bee charmer” in their favorite movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes”. At both locations, the centerpiece is the Honey Tasting Bar, which features up to 50 honeys from as close as Fairview to as far as Europe.

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Each honey, no matter the origin, is vetted to ensure it is sourced ethically, leaving more than enough honey in the hives to sustain the bees. And if 50 honeys sounds like a lot, think again.

“There are about 350 varieties”, says Allen, “so we’ve got a long way to go, and a lot of different honeys to taste”.

“An unimagined plus to the Tasting Bar”, says Kelly, “is that when you’re at the bar, taste and smell memories come from everyone. Everyone has a story, a memory that they share.” An additional plus, says Phyllis Stiles, is the opportunity for education. “When Bee Charmer staff talks about honey from around the world, they always talk about each honey’s floral source. Not only does the Bee Charmer offer a storefront for promoting and selling local, regional or international honey and other bee products, it heightens awareness of the beekeeping community and, more generally, the relationship between bees and plants, and the valuable ecosystem services the 20,000 species-strong bee

genus provides.”

The Tasting Bar also provides an opportunity to showcase the many ways honey can be used. “I think people are sometimes a little bit single minded about honey”, says Allen, “… that it only goes with oatmeal, or yogurt or tea, and we’re trying to expand upon that, and take it into cooking, and using it in different ways”. During my kitchen conversation with Kelly in her home, she prepared an amazing meal featuring several honeys, including a Grilled Flank Steak and a surprising Honey Tomato Bruschetta. And before you ask, yes, a cookbook is something they plan to do in the future. And Bee City may soon pair with Beer City, as several area craft breweries have approached the Bee Charmer about future collaborations.

Kelly and Allen’s passion for bees doesn’t stop at their two storefronts.

They currently have six hives located in Marshall on 26 acres of privately owned land. The hives are surrounded by plants and trees designed to offer them food year-round. “They’re doing extremely well,” says Allen, “they’ve probably already doubled in size, and we’re up there every two to three days making sure they have enough food”. But no honey will be harvested from these hives this year, as Kelly explains: “Winter in higher elevations can be difficult, so if they make it through, then next year we’ll look at making a first pull of honey.

But our priority always is to make sure the bees survive.”

Allen and Kelly welcome the growing interest in beekeeping, and in fact they would love to see hives on the roofs of buildings throughout downtown

for more information, visit ashevillebeecharmer.com Asheville, as they are in New York City and Chicago. Even so, they want to help make sure that anyone interested in keeping bees understands the commitment and responsibility involved.

“I think that people think they can put them in the back yard and never have to pay attention to them,” says Allen, “And that’s not true…because you want

to make sure that they’re fed, and on their way to building a comb. And in the winter, you just have to make sure that they’re in there, and that they’re warm and they’re fed.” Bee City’s Stiles agrees.“I think rooftop hives in urban areas help remind us that nature is all around us and that we are part of nature ourselves”.

In an introductory email to Phyllis Stiles, Kelly said, “my business is based on kindness, honesty and giving back,” and Stiles thinks she and Allen “have thoroughly lived up to those values!”

As Allen puts it, “here we feel like we’re making a difference.”

photographs by lAURIE McCARRIAR

Honey and Tomato Bruschetta ingredients

1 baguette (Jillian used gluten free, but either works) Mieli Thun Italian Dandelion Honey Chopped Tomatoes (enough to cover the split baguette)

prepare

Split the baguette down the middle, and spread a generous amount of honey on both open sides. Cover with the chopped tomatoes, then toast in the oven until the bread is brown on the edges. Serve hot.

Grilled Steak ingredients

2 lb skirt steak honey: can be wildflower, Jameson’s infused, or any honey to your taste

marinade:

½ cup wheat-free tamari 1 TBSP sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, grated

1” knob of ginger, grated 1 small bunch scallions, chopped

prepare

Mix together marinade ingredients, and put in a shallow pan if cooking within the hour, or put in a Ziploc bag big enough to hold the steak if a longer marinade is possible.

Drizzle honey on the steak, and smear it all over. Add the steak to the marinade, put in the fridge if you want an all-day marinade, turning the bag once or twice during the day. If for the hour, place in the shallow pan, coat with marinade and then turn once after 30 minutes.

Heat your grill to Medium/375 degrees. Cook 6-8 minutes per side. If cooking on coals, use indirect heat for first side, then flip and place closer to the coals.

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the guide

f ood f o r thou ght

What do local honey and Syrian refugees have in common? the answer is jennifer macdonald, the woman behind Habibi Baklava, a MiddleEastern style baklava that she handmakes in small batches and sells at local coffee shops. But MacDonald is about much more than pastry. She is an award winning filmmaker, a former cryptologist, a high school Arabic teacher and a world traveler and she lives right here in Asheville.

As a young girl, MacDonald was always interested in travel. She made her first journey to Morocco at the age of sixteen and immediately fell in love with the culture of North Africa and the Middle East. A few years later, she learned Arabic, which allowed her the opportunity to really connect with the people of the region. For the past ten years, she has been trying to make her way through all 22 counties in the Arab League. She has visited ten so far. Many Americans would be frightened to make those trips given the unrest in that area of the world – A fear that MacDonald hopes to change through her work. She says, “That area of the world is covered in the press by what violence and doom and gloom is happening, but the other millions and millions of people have normal lives just like we do.”

Last year during her solo visit to Turkey and Lebanon,

by tiffany welsh MacDonald documented the struggles of the millions of Syrian refugees who have been displaced by the war through video and photos, which are currently on display at the aSHEville Museum. As a mother of two, she was very moved by the number of women and children living in the “tent cities”, who are receiving their only support from non-profit organizations. But what struck her most was the exploitive nature of the many journalists and photographers who visit the area to document the struggle, but then go back home and forget about it. She decided she wanted to do more than just come home with some pictures, because as she puts it “I really wanted to bring something back to their community, that was personal, that was from my community and that was specifically from other children.”

“I wanted to see what, if anything, I could do, as someone who loves children and believes that all children deserve to have a childhood – and by that I mean playing, invention and school,” says MacDonald. She spent some time talking to and working with organizations that are already in the region. But she wanted to do something that was more personal. As a result, she and a partner, Vanessa Bell, founded HADAYA, which is an organization with the purpose of providing a basket

containing toys, books, games and art supplies to families in the Syrian refugee camps. Her students got on board and collected 150 soccer balls to donate.

She also received support from others in the community, including: The Learning Community School, Jubilee, The Asheville Yoga Center, The Block on Eagle Street, Antique Tobacco Barn, Roots Hummus and several local restaurants. She has been collecting supplies and money for the past year and this summer she and Vanessa will make the first delivery of 200 baskets to the area. MacDonald hopes that this will be the first of many such trips.

So, what do local honey and Syrian refugees have in common? A few months ago, MacDonald began making baklava as a means to raise money for HADAYA. Her baklava is different than the typical Greek baklava most people have tasted.

The sweetness is subtle and the flavor is rich in spices common to the Middle East.

She tries to use as many local ingredients as possible, with the exception of the pistachios that she imports from Turkey.

She currently sells the baklava at BOMBA, High Five Coffee, Bee Hive Coffee and through special catering orders and hopes to expand her baklava business later this year. All the profits from baklava sales go directly to HADAYA. For more information on Jennifer’s travels and the work of HADAYA, please visit her website at theluminousscope.com

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37

the guide

local lib ation s

Wet Your Whistle

Asheville is often mentioned for its food and beer. But what about our cocktail scene? We have nearly as many accomplished mixologists as chefs. Every local has their favorite bartender, but who is the best in town? We’ll soon find out. On August 20th, the Asheville Wine and Food Festival will kick off with Elixir, an annual showdown between the best mixologists in the city. A ticket will let you sample their creations, as a winner is crowned the “Best Mixologist of 2015”.

Noah hermanson Sunny Point Café Hermanson got his start in the local beverage scene at Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian, where he created a craft cocktail program. Last year, he left Vinnie’s to begin working at Sunny Point Café. An exciting move for Hermanson, as he has been a lifelong foodie and Sunny Point is well known for excellent food. He was tasked with establishing a bar in their newly remodeled space. The bar launched this past January and serves what Hermanson and many others claim to be “the best Bloody Mary in Asheville (if not the world)”.

Erin Hawly MG Road

Courtney Foster The Junction (2014 Winner) Foster is no stranger to the restaurant world. She grew up working in a restaurant in Marietta, Georgia and learned valuable service skills early on. Since then, she has spent a lot of time traveling and learning about other cultures, which are often reflected in her recipes. When she develops a new recipe, she always looks for the yin and yang of flavor, aiming to create something that is balanced, beautiful and unique. As 2014’s reigning champ, she will be defending her title against some tasty competition this year.

Justin Ferraby Pulp Ferraby is an underground pioneer in the Asheville cocktail scene. If you’ve ever been to Pulp or the Orange Peel, chances are Ferraby has served you a drink. Ferraby is a busy man - a husband, a father, Founder of Asheville’s DIG Festival and a Futbol fanatic. He draws upon both the dark force and the Jedi for his inspiration.

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Hawley’s bartending career began in Austin, Texas at a bar that involved less mixing drinks and more slinging beers, but it sparked a real interest in cocktails. So when she moved to Asheville, she began working as a bartender at the Asheville Public and later moved to MG Road. She has used her time at MG Road to really hone her skills and knowledge and will surely make a fierce competitor at Elixir.

spencer schultz Rhubarb Asheville Kala Brooks Top of the Monk Brooks began her career in the post 1990s martini boom. She is a self-proclaimed cocktail nerd, who has a love of finding unique flavor combinations to suit every palate. As the Curator at Top of the Monk, she spends her time researching classic cocktails from the pre-prohibition era. She prides herself on using traditional techniques and recipes.

Schultz grew up working in his parent’s restaurant in Highlands, NC. He always knew he wanted to pursue a career in the food industry. In 2011, he relocated to Asheville and began working as Bar Manager of Chai Pani, where he assisted in opening their Atlanta location. Last year, he was hired as Bar Manager at Rhubarb, where he is able to work alongside his brother, Travis Schultz, who is a soux chef. Their close relationship has led to much collaboration between food and cocktails at the restaurant.

visit ashevillewineandfood.com

stephen wheeler Buffalo Nickel Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Wheeler’s culinary curiosity was nurtured by the endless line of talented chefs and bartenders he brushed elbows with during his time in Boston. After spending six years running a from-scratch wood fired kitchen, Wheeler began expanding into libations. His foundation for understanding the chemistry behind how flavors work together blossomed in the kitchen. The progression to cocktails was natural and the only thing missing was some study of pre-prohibition era cocktail recipes and techniques.

Leslie Johnson Sheehan Grand Bohemian It wasn’t until she arrived in Asheville, that Sheehan really appreciated the art of the craft cocktail. As a former bartender at Wicked Weed, she developed a real enthusiasm for craft beer, boutique spirits and innovative twists on classic techniques. She currently works at the Red Stag Grill in the Grand Bohemian Hotel. Working at the Red Stag has led her to develop an individual style – a truly less is more approach. She likes to incorporate quality ingredients and the best techniques to get superior tasting cocktails.

Don’t miss your chance to taste cocktails from all of these great Mixologists, plus several NC craft distilleries at Elixir. Purchase tickets at: ashevillewineandfood.com SUMMER 2015 | FOODLIFEMAG.COM

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the guide

calen d a r food, wine, beer, and spirits, plus cooking demonstrations, and a chance to meet cookbook authors, farmers, chefs, winemakers, brewers, and much, much more. Come sample the best of Western North Carolina’s food scene! Tickets are available online. ashevillewineandfood.com WNC Bat t le o f t he Bur g er Aug 23 | The Salvage Station, Asheville Nominated restaurants compete for the title of Best Burger in WNC. The winner will continue on to the World Burger Championship competition in Kissimee, FL. A VIP ticket buys you all the burgers and beer you can consume. Make sure to bring your appetite! VIP Tickets are $30 or pay by the burger. kellyddenson.wix.com/battle-of-the-burger

photograph by sarah jones decker

aug ust 38th A nnu a l S ourw ood F e s t i val Aug 8-9 | Black Mountain The Sourwood Festival fills downtown Black Mountain each year. Over 30,000 people from all over America will be in attendance. Music, dancing, arts & crafts, super food, kid’s rides and games, face painting and more in a no alcohol environment make it the perfect event for you and your entire family. With about 200 vendors you will discover lots of local and unique arts and crafts and there will be something to please every palate with BBQ and vegetarian faire, custom-crafted ice cream and funnel cakes and jellies. Add to that the honey and bee demos as well as the gourmet sourwood honey - you don’t want to miss this event! Admission is FREE sourwoodfestival.com As h e v ille V e g an F e s t 2 0 1 5 August 16th, 12-5pm | Pack Square, Asheville A celebration of compassionate living including food samples, giveaways, great speakers, beer, music, and more to benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary. Admission is FREE bwar.org/ events/veganfest Ash e v ille W in e an d F ood F e s t i val Aug 20-22 | Downtown Asheville Launched in 2009, the Asheville Wine & Food Festival celebrates all that’s worth savoring in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This festival offers several signature events – ELIXIR brings an elaborate cocktail party and mixology competition on for the second year, SWEET offers a decadent evening of desserts on Friday and the Grand Tasting on Saturday is a smorgasbord of 40

FOODLIFEMAG.COM | SUMMER 2015

Ba c o n f e st Asheville Aug 29 | Highland Brewing Company Meadow, Asheville Celebrate all things bacon at Baconfest Asheville. Bacon aficionados will be on hand for cooking demos. Take home bacon products and sample bacon creations from some of Asheville’s best restaurants, featuring: bacon ice cream, bacon beer, bacon chocolate and more! Event attendees will receive a ballot to select their favorites at the festival. This event sells out every year, so get your tickets now! $15 General-Admission Adults / $30 VIP / Children 9 and under are free 1059themountain. com, 828-259-9695 Or g a n ic f e st Aug 30 | Pack Square Park, Asheville Asheville’s 14th annual Organicfest celebration will bring thousands to Pack Square Park to celebrate everything organic, green and healthy! In celebration of National Organic Month, the Organicfest was created to spotlight, connect and share the rich organic community of farmers, artists and businesses with our community. Admission is FREE organicfest.org

se pte m be r NC Ap p le Fest iva l Sep 4-7 | Downtown Hendersonville Enjoy 4 days of fun including one of the best-known Street Fairs in the Carolinas with Freshly Picked Apples, Arts & Crafts, Festival Food and FREE Entertainment at the Historic Courthouse on Hendersonville’s Beautiful Main Street.

Admission is FREE. ncapplefestival.org Or g a n ic Gr o we r ’s Sc ho o l Ha rves t Co n f e r en c e Sep 11-12 | AB Tech, Asheville Organic Growers School presents the second Harvest Conference, a fall event featuring all the popularity of the Spring Conference with a focus on the fall growing season, harvesting, canning, growing, gardening, energy, cooking and more… all organically of course. We pride ourselves on bringing you down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living, while remaining affordable and accessible. organicgrowersschool. org

Bu lling to n G a r d e n s an n ual Fal l P l an t Sa le Sep 11-12 | 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville Bullington will hold a fall plant sale over two days that features many late blooming perennials and annuals including mums and asters with perennials at reduced prices. There is also a gardening rummage sale featuring gardening-related items and books. Donated items for the sale may be dropped off at Bullington. All proceeds support educational programs at Bullington Gardens. Admission is FREE. For more info call 828-698-6104 Brew g ra ss F e sti val Sep 19 | Memorial Stadium, Asheville Founded in 1996, Brewgrass Festival is Western North Carolina’s original craft beer festival. North Carolina is now home to over 100 breweries and brewpubs, and since those early days, Asheville has formed a burgeoning beer scene – even reigning as “Beer City USA” four years in a row. Brewgrass Festival’s annual event has always showcased some of the most in-demand and exciting brewers in the region.

Tickets are $55 per person brewgrassfestival.com ASAP’s Fa rm T o u r Sep 19-20 | Various Locations Every year over 2,000 visitors participate in ASAP’s Farm Tour Weekend connecting people firsthand with the producers who grow their food. Connecting farmers and consumers is a key goal of ASAP’s mission and helps us build a stronger local food system. Cost is $25 per carload for a weekend pass to all farms. asapconnections.org/events/asap-farm-tour WNC G a rlic F e s t 2 0 1 5 September 26 - 10am to 4pm | 146 Church St, Asheville Garlic fest is an opportunity to eat some creative and awesome garlic inspired dishes - garlic ice cream, garlic fudge, garlic cookies...There will also be opportunities to learn about growing your own garlic. Workshops will be scheduled and run on a first come first served throughout the day. Garlic Fest is organized by Sow True Seed, a local seed company that supplies certified seed garlic and supports the mission of local and sustainable food systems. Admission is FREE wncgarlicfest.com

Asheville City Market Saturdays 8-1

Asheville City Market South Wednesdays 12-4

Black Mountain Tailgate Market Saturdays 9-12

East Asheville Tailgate Market Fridays 3-6

French Broad Food Co-Op Tailgate Market Wednesdays 2-6

Henderson County Tailgate Market Saturdays 7-12

Leicester Farmers Market Saturdays 9-2

Mills River Farmers Market Saturdays 8-12

North Asheville Tailgate Market Saturdays 8-12

Oakley Farmers Market Thursdays 3:30-6:30

Original Waynesville Tailgate Market Wednesdays + Saturdays 8-12

Weaverville Tailgate Market Wednesdays 2:30-6:30

West Asheville Tailgate Market Tuesdays 3:30-6:30

For a complete list of the 90+ tailgates in the region, including their season start dates, visit ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.

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the guide

las t b ite

for the pralines:

½ C Tennessee Honey Bourbon 2 Tbsp Honey 2 Tbsp Butter 1/8 tsp Salt 1 C Pecan halves

for the ice cream:

½ C Sugar ¾ C Milk Powder 1 1/3 C Milk 1 tsp Vanilla ¼ C Honey ¼ C Tennessee Honey Bourbon 2 C Heavy Cream 3 Egg Yolks

pralines: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with aluminum foil.

Add bourbon to a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, cook about 4 minutes more, to reduce the amount of liquid by half. Add the honey, butter and salt to bourbon. Cook until butter melts, stirring constantly. Stir in pecans.

Pour pecans and glaze into prepared baking dish. Bake 10 minutes, then stir. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir occasionally while cooling to fully coat the pecans. Set aside to cool.

ice cream:In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk powder, and milk.

Whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, honey, bourbon and heavy cream.

Cook over medium heat and just warm. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning. Remove the pan from heat.

Place egg yolks into a medium bowl. Whisk slowly while adding about ½ C of the warm milk mixture. Continue whisking until it is even in color and consistency. Whisk in remaining milk mixture.

Pour mixture back into the saucepan and return to the stove at medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes more, stirring often. Remove from stove and cool in an ice bath for 15 minutes.

Transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Pour the cooled base into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add the praline pecans in the last few minutes of churning. Transfer ice cream to a container and freeze 8 to 12 hours before serving. courtesy of tiffany welsh

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