okra. Issue 23 2023 Full Version

UP & COMING SHACK

Chef Ian Boden's Passion Project in Staunton, VA

COUNTY SMOAK

Smoaky Bar-B-Que in Lynchburg, VA

RAMPING IT UP

The Arrival of Ramps in WV Calls for Celebration

THE LITTLE BAKERY Made From Scratch Goodness in Quaint Blue Ridge, GA

There’s a fine art to traveling in Mi i ippi.

In Mississippi, the arts are everywhere. Across our state, you’ll find cultural attractions celebrating the works and influence of Mississippi’s greatest painters, potters, folk artists, writers, and musical trailblazers – everything from art galleries to hands-on arts experiences. Start your travel journey today at VisitMississippi.org/Arts.

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art | Biloxi, Mississippi

#WanderMS

48: PASSION PROJECT

The Shack, Chef Ian Boden’s restaurant in Staunton, VA is a true work of passion.

56: WHERE THERE’S SMOAK

The Hess family’s extensive travels to experience different styles of barbecue led them to open County Smoak in VA.

STORIES

64: RAMPING IT UP

Ramp season in WV is greeted with foraging, cooking, and celebrating the wild leek.

72: GET YOUR GOAT

These Arkansas transplants created a new life and livelihood by raising goats and making cheese.

78: SWEETEST LITTLE BAKERY

At a quaint bakery in Blue Ridge, GA, Arial Joyner charms guests with her delicious treats and nostalgic flair.

Photograph by Henry Gonzalez

CHAPTERS

EDITORIAL

PG 8: STAFF

The people who keep us going.

PG 9: OUR CONTRIBUTORS

The people who make our stories come to life.

FRONT

TO DINE SOUTHERN

PG 28: THE ENTHUSIASTIC SOUTHERNER

Robert St. John recounts his meeting with a Golden opportunity.

PG 31: GATHERINGS

Flora Supper Club in Flora, MS.

PG 36: NOTEWORTHY

Try these unique takes on some local favorites.

PG 38: ON OUR PLATE

Try this twist on a classic PB & J by Chef Darren Smith of Rivertown Bistro in Conway, SC.

SOUTHERN COMFORTS

PG 12: SHINING BRIGHT

Danielle Parton shines on with her Shine Girl moonshine and distillery in TN.

PG 18: BY SOUTHERN HANDS

You’ll want these finds made by locals.

PG 22: WHAT WE’RE READING

Linda Skeens sweeps the competition and rises to blue ribbon champion with her recipes.

SOUTHERN SNAPSHOTS

PG 86: TOMATO LOVE

This NC farmer found his calling growing tomatoes.

PG 92: LAY OF THE LAND

Our readers submit photos of their special Southern places and people. Photo above submitted by Lydia MacDonald.

A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

PG 100: THE WILD UWHARRIES

Wild, untamed, almost mystical in nature; the Uwharrie Mountains are full of adventure in NC.

PG 106: WHERE WE WENT

Learning about gold mining in Montgomery County, NC.

COVER County Smoak Bar-B-Que Lynchburg, VA

Photograph by Scott Speakes

STAFF

Scott Speakes

Publisher

Genie Gaither Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Rebecca Cashwell

Design Director

J. M. McSpadden Liesel J. Schmidt

Contributing Editors

Richard L. Jones

Copy Editor

Advertising Sales Specialists

Brittany Sanders brmcdonald45@gmail.com

Scott Speakes scott@okramagazine.com

CONNECT WITH US

facebook.com/okramagazine @okramag contact@okramagazine.com

Photograph by Esin Deniz

CONTRIBUTORS

STEPHEN IRONSIDE, owner of Iron Lotus Creative, is a photographer & videographer based in the Ozark Foothills of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Combining his passion for light with his love for great local food, he believes that great visual imagery is one of the best tools available to expose and find solutions for our problems with nutrition and food insecurity. Stephen is available for hire worldwide. ironlotuscreative.com

ERIC J WALLACE is a writer, avid lover of the outdoors, and devotee to the ongoing search for the Good Life. His work has appeared in many noteworthy publications, including Outside, Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak, WIRED, Atlas Obscura, Modern Farmer and more. He is presently a contributing editor for the internet’s greatest fount of culinary wonder, Gastro Obscura. drericjwallace@gmail.com

JOSEPH MCSPADDEN is a freelance writer and music enthusiast whose work has appeared online at theflamestillburns.com, and at mbird.com, a journal that examines faith in the real world. His love for roots music led to a gig at nodepression.com, where he reported on live music from The Birchmere, the famed music hall in Washington, DC. He is fascinated with the way words and music impact our lives and can be used as a vehicle for healing. Host of The Village Night Owl podcast, an interview show featuring musical artists. He lives in Virginia with his wife Suzanne.

HENRY GONZALEZ is an advertising photographer who has lived and worked out of Atlanta, Georgia, and the Southeast for over 20 years. Photography started as a hobby and became a career. After graduating from photography school, he moved to Atlanta and has been in demand ever since. He specializes in all types of photography: food, fashion, interiors and editorial. He’s always up for a challenge. henrygonzalezphotography.com

SUSAN MARQUEZ is a lifelong learner who finds joy in the unexpected discoveries often found on the path less traveled. She began writing professionally in 2001 and 2,800 articles later, she is still telling the stories of the South. With one foot in suburban Mississippi and the other in New Orleans, she can pack a suitcase in record time. “Writing gives me an excuse to ask questions, and to learn more than what can be seen on the surface.”

TYLER DARDEN is a food and lifestyle photographer and cinematographer based in Richmond, Virginia. After spending the first part of his career as a magazine art director, he followed the siren call to pursue photography full time in 2010. In his free time, he experiments with large format and ultra large format film photography, documentary and filmmaking. His photos have been published in Virginia Living Magazine, Wall Street Journal, LIDL Grocery Stores, Garden & Gun, Self, Men’s Health, and Colonial Williamsburg. tylerdarden.com

LAURA DRUMMOND is a writer who loves sharing stories about the American South–its people and places, food and drink, history and culture. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her family. bylauradrummond.com

MARIANNE LEEK is a retired high school educator who continues to teach part-time at Tri-County Community College. She lives with her husband in western North Carolina, where she spends much of her free time enjoying the outdoors. Her work can also be found in The Bitter Southerner.

Artistic expression meets culinary perfection. From museums, music, and theater to a big food scene with plenty of local chef-driven restaurants and casual sidewalk cafes, it’s no wonder we were named one of the Best Trips of the Year by Explore Georgia.

Photograph by Ashley and Zac Brown, Shining Light Photography

Photograph by Ashley and Zac Brown, Shining Light

Photography

SHINE GIRL ‘SHINE

NOT ONE TO TRADE ON HER FAMILY CONNECTIONS, DANIELLE PARTON MAKES HER MARK HER OWN WAY

Written by Jimmy Proffitt / Photography Courtesy of Shine Girl

The first time I met her she was raising a toast at her best friend’s wedding rehearsal dinner. Well, it was part toast and part warning for the husband-tobe, as it came across sweet, threatening, and funny all at the same time. At the end of that evening she asked if I could give her a ride to her car, which was still parked back at the church. I’m not sure why she asked me, since we’d just met, and I’m not sure why I agreed, knowing she had the ability to cast a curse while casting a spell. It seems the spell has lasted on me for more than 25 years.

The her, well that’s Danielle Parton. Yep, she’s a Parton. I’ll go ahead and address the obvious question. Yes, she wears high heels, puts on a perfect face, and can hold her own in a room full of men. Oh, and she’s Dolly’s niece. All those high heels, face stuff, and holding their own, well it’s a family condition. She comes by it honest. I called my parents that night, “You won’t believe who I gave a ride to!”

My mom grew up Dolly-Parton-poor. If you’re not familiar with that kind of poor, well consider yourself privileged. It’s a poor that poor people give a hand-up to. The kind of poor that inspires a song about a coat made from scraps, whose patches are sewn so beautifully, and whose lyrics are woven even more beautifully, that the garments of Kings and Queens don’t compare to the wearer, but still inspire a poor bully to remind you of how much better off they are than you. But the thing about being that poor is, you make the most of everything you have and the best of your situation. Happiness comes from contentment, so no matter how poor you are, you can still be happy.

Anyway, I wanted to go ahead and get that out of the way. I don’t see Danielle as Dolly’s niece anymore, and when I see a picture of Dolly in her 30’s, I just see Danielle. The resemblance is striking. I’ve told Danielle that she and I are the same person in some alternate reality. My mom was born a Barton. Both of our high school colors were purple and white. She calls Dolly, Aunt Granny and I called my Great Aunt Gladys, Aunt Grandmaw, just because I couldn’t remember her name once and she looked like grandmaw. My grandaddy was a preacher man, so was one of her great-grandaddies. She’s related to lots of Ogle’s and my nextdoor neighbors growing up were The Fogle’s. And today I’ve got manboobs, and man she’s got boobs! That’s another family condition. One day I was playing around Dollywood and a woman stopped me and asked if I was related to Dolly, ‘cause I also had lots of naturally blonde hair. I didn’t wanna disappoint her, so I said, “A little bit.” I told Danielle about it and after that she started calling me Bruther and I call her Seestur.

Danielle doesn’t take advantage of Dolly’s celebrity. I remember a time when she tried to get away from it, but that’s hard to do. Looking like she does, she’d only fool a blind man, and only then if she didn’t speak. She needed to know that opportunities were available to her because of the hard work she put in, not because of who she was. She’s found balance in that now. She is a Parton, and she embraces that, but she’s also a Noland. Around the hollers of East Tennessee, the Noland’s have played an important role, too.

At some point we ended up working side-by-side. That’s when I really got to see her wit, determination, and drive. She’s tough as nails, yes, the acrylic ones, when she needs to be, and tender and sweet as a ripe peach, even when she doesn’t wanna be. Incredibly smart, generous, and quick-witted, she even

Danielle Parton

Opposite: Shine Girl’s Botanical Spritz is made using Shine Girl Rosè, Shine Girl Lavender Moonshine, strawberries, lime, and honey. It’s the perfect drink to cool off on a hot Southern summer night.

cracks herself up most of the time, and it’s often seasoned with just the right amount of sarcasm, making it that much more enjoyable. Spend any time around a Parton and you’ll see they can find the funny in anything, and they’re way smarter than they let on.

Parton graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. She was the first female on the Parton side to graduate from college. Afterwards she worked in Dolly’s office and spent a short amount of time waiting tables while she got all her ducks in a row, or rather got her frequent flyers lined up down the aisle. She became an airline flight attendant, and it wasn’t long before she was traveling the world. Just a few weeks before 911, her foot was broken by a drink trolly running over it during a flight, so she was back home recuperating that day. Otherwise, she would have been passing through the World Trade Center that morning on her way to catch the flight she was schedule to work. After that, telling the pilot that they were prepared for take-off wasn’t enough for her. She’s more of a I’ll-be-in-charge-of-my-own-destination kinda’ gal. So, what did she do? She joined the Air National Guard and became a pilot. First flying for 118th Airlift Wing in Nashville, then the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, KY, and then back to TN in the 164th Airlift Wing in Memphis. Over a decade ago she became an Aircraft Commander and has operated C-130 and C-5 aircraft around the world and in combat. While not on duty with the Guard, she was back with a commercial carrier, one of the largest in the world, flying an Airbus A320. When I get the chance to hug her neck, I don’t know if I should still call her Seestur or salute her. She’s pretty informal at home though, so it’s a hug full of respect and love.

Proving she’s her own kind of Parton, she’s acquired a few honors of her own from peers and her country, receiving the Combat Action Medal, the Air Medal, is on the Commodore’s List of Flying Excellence for Undergraduate Pilot Training, and is a Distinguished Graduate of C-5 Initial Qualification.

A few years ago, I stopped to drop off some food at her house and she said “Now, you can’t tell anyone.” I agreed as she handed me a shot glass, opened a cabinet door, and poured us each something out of a mason jar. “What is it I can’t tell anyone?” “That I am making liquor, Bruther” to which we both toasted “Liquor, hell, I barely know ‘er!” as we thew it back. I didn’t tell a soul. I never do when someone asks me not to. I’ve even kept a secret my great-grandmother told me over 50 years ago. That one’s going to the grave with me, and we’ll have a good laugh over it someday.

Now don’t worry, I’m not breaking my word to her by telling you now. She’s gone legit and is making it fulltime. She was legit then; I just didn’t know she was doing it. She’s pretty good at keeping a secret too. Danielle opened Shine Girl Distillery in Sevierville, TN, and has just celebrated a full year open for business.

So, how does a graduate with a business degree, that became an airline flight attendant, that became a pilot, and is a decorated veteran serving our

country, end up making moonshine you ask? Well, it’s in her blood – both for it and against it. The earliest settlers to the area were of Scots Irish decent, of which Danielle is too, and they brought their love of making spirits with them. Her great-grandfather, Wiley Noland, made hooch in his cabin Just down the holler a piece, Lee Parton was known to make a little too, but just to help support his small family of 14; him, Avie Lee, and their 12 youngin’s. Danielle’s mother is a Noland, and her daddy is Bobby Parton, youngin’ number 5, just after Dolly. The Noland’s and the Parton’s were neighbors and friends before they were kin to one another.

There was another Noland that didn’t look too kindly on moonshiners and what they were doing back in the woods. Ray Noland was the Sheriff of Sevier County throughout three decades; in the 40s, 50s, and the 60s. He felt moonshine was destroying local families and was most known for his efforts to end illegal moonshining in the county. Throughout areas like Pittman Center, English Mountain, Jones Cove, New Center, and Cosby, of which Wiley Noland lived in the center of. It was pretty well known that liquor was being made in the dark of night, and sometimes in the middle of the day if they were back in a holler far enough. Ray was the brother of Wiley, which also meant he knew the Parton’s well.

Ray was known to treat everyone the same, so he often arrested and busted up the stills of many relatives and friends. However, his brother and Lee never were stopped. Perhaps their operations were too small to mess with, and what would it do the family. It wasn’t a great source of income for either of them. There’s a family story that one day Ray, as Sheriff, did come into his brother’s house looking for moonshine. Edith, Wiley’s wife, however had placed the jars they had, in the pantry behind her canned goods. In Danielle’s words, “No respectin’ mountain man would ever touch a woman’s canned food. You don’t mess up a woman’s kitchen!” There it was hidden in plain sight. “Well played, Great-grandma Edith” Danielle said. That reminded me of a story I’d heard growing up from my neighbor, Mary. Her daddy was a moonshiner in Virginia and owned practically one whole side of a mountain. He and her brothers had stills placed in several spots on the mountain. When the Revenuer was spotted, they signaled each other with a gunshot, but nowhere near where a still was. That was to throw him off the trail and to let the others know he was around. The lawman reached the house and went inside. There he found Mary’s stepmother sitting in the kitchen nursing a newborn baby. They looked around and didn’t find a thing, and of course they would’ve never asked her to move, especially with a baby attached. When they left, she stood up to reveal the gallons of moonshine she had covered up with her dress, underneath what

Above Left: Shine Girl’s flavors are smart, delicious and playful. It’s made for women but appeals to men as well. Above Right: Parton joined the Air National Guard over a decade ago becoming an Aircraft Commander. Below left: Danielle holding a family history photographic reminder of where she came from and a reminder of brewing things legallly. Below right: Sheriff Ray Noland with a 500-gallon still seized in 1955.

ALMOND “OH JOY” BROWNIES

Original recipe by Jimmy Proffitt, The Appalachian Tale

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups white granulated sugar

1 cup plain flour

1 ½ tsps baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup regular cocoa

DIRECTIONS

¼ Tbl dark cocoa

¼ cup Shine Girl Coconut Moonshine

1 stick butter, melted

2 large eggs

¼ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

Sift together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, regular cocoa, and dark cocoa. Stir in moonshine, melted butter and eggs. Mix well and spread into pan. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and then cut into thirds for 9 brownies or fourths for 16 brownies.

RED VELVET NEW FASHIONED

Recipe courtesy of Shine Girl

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces of Shine Girl Red Velvet Moonshine

1/2 ounce of simple syrup

3-4 drops of orange bitters

Orange peel

DIRECTIONS

Place 1-2 large ice cubes in a rocks glass. Pour the Shine Girl Red Velvet Moonshine over the ice, then add the syrup and bitters. Stir until well chilled. Express an orange peel over the glass and garnish with it.

Opposite Above: With over a decade in service, Parton has operated C-130 and C-5 aircraft around the world and in combat. Today she still flies, but now it’s commercial cargo planes. Opposite Below: Parton tending to business in her distillery. In the beginning, Parton had her Uncle Dale Noland on this whisky making journey. Together they learned the craft before she opened Shine Girl.

Photograph by Ashley and Zac Brown, Shining Light Photography

Photograph by Jimmy Proffitt

they thought was just couple of old apple crates she was using for a chair. Wiley and his wife also raised bees and sold honey, which their kids still do today at the same site. And he was a part-time deputy for Ray, helping him haul stills down to the courthouse lawn and bust them up. What’s that old saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Danielle’s Papaw Lee was a sharecropper and later farmed his own land. His moonshining days didn’t last long though, ‘cause Mamaw Avie Lee wasn’t very fond of it. Dolly’s been known to tell the story that when he’d sampled too much “he’d come up the road a singin’ at the top a his lungs” and her mama would holler “Run and git the slop bucket, ch’r daddy’s been a drankin’ again.” I think if Sheriff Noland had a chance to sit down with Danielle today, he’d be just as charmed with her as he was when she was a youngin’.

SO NOW YOU KNOW how Parton got into distilling, but maybe the bigger question is why, so I asked her “Why start makin’ moonshine when you’re already doing so much? Where’d the idea come from?” She said she was driving down the interstate from Nashville to Charlotte to simulator training and saw a billboard for a new distillery. She’d heard that a guy she went to school with had opened one and thought, that’s such a good idea. I’m so glad they did that. Then said to herself “Man, somebody should make our family’s recipe.” So, knowing that Papaw Lee made some and Great-grandaddy Wiley made a little more, as soon as she got home that afternoon, she started researching how to get a trademark. It’s a valuable lesson she’s learned from who she was raised around, that your intellectual property is the most important thing. “You have nothing if you can’t control the name of it.” Claim and protect your property! With that she secured a few marks to lay claim to the Parton name in the spirit’s world, which didn’t come without some challenges. She worked through those, taking up her time and money, and in the end, she said “I still didn’t have a good, peaceful feeling about it. Ok, I have my trademark, but I really don’t like it. At the time I didn’t even like the name, Parton’s Moonshine, because it relied too heavily on my name, and on Dolly’s fame. I mean, I’m not an idiot, Dolly made the name Parton famous. It just is what it is.” Running this through her head on another drive, the name Shine Girl came to her. She said, “that’s the name, that’s it”. She went home that day and secured another trademark.

Using recipes that came down from both sides of her family, Danielle began distilling. She’s steadfast in her rule that she won’t make anything she can’t say she likes, stating “How do you sell that?” She has four flavors of moonshine: Red Velvet, Lavender, Rose’, and Coconut. Therer’s also Vodka and a Limited-Edition Rum. She says “70% of spirit purchase decisions are made by women, why shouldn’t the alcohol they buy be made by a woman, and for them.” You can see her as a guest judge on Master Distiller’s and featured on Moonshiner’s on Discovery channel. She’s often at Shine Girl and happy to sign a bottle and take a selfie. As you leave, she’ll send you off with “Glad you got to see me!” shinegirl.com

SAKHAR JAMS FOOD

Two personality-filled powerhouses from Columbia, South Carolina are taking the world of jams, jellies, and preserves by storm with their own concoctions featuring locally sourced fruits, intentional infusions, and old-fashioned, small batch methods. Spend five minutes with them, and you’ll quickly see that they’re destined for big things—they should probably have their own reality TV show.

Reshma Mahadkar and Jessica Henry are managing to make jam—and run a thriving business—with their own four hands. Both are single moms with five children between them, nothing about their journeys has been easy.

Born on the outskirts of Mumbai, Mahadkar came from humble beginnings, and recalls stealing fruit as a child to feed herself and her brother. After coming to the United States in 1992, she watched her parents become successful business owners. She internalized their entrepreneurial approach, taking her own professional risks and setting lofty goals.

Henry was born in upstate New York. Her grandparents were farmers, and she grew up living close to the land, learning to can fruits and vegetables. When she was a teen, Henry’s parents bought land in South Carolina. They lived in tents on the property while they all pitched in, building their home by hand.

This experience instilled in her a do-it-yourself spirit.

Mahadkar and Henry lived on the same street in Columbia, SC bonding over their shared love of food, scrappy childhoods, and conversions to the Jewish faith. “There are so many parallels to our lives,” says Mahadkar. Their friendship soon turned into business partnership, and they haven’t looked back.

Mahadkar took up jam making as a way to cope during a difficult season of life. At the same time, Henry was looking to reenter the workforce after a decade as a stay-at-home mom.

In July 2020, the pair started making small batches of jam in their home kitchens using fruit grown by their friends. After months of selling out as quickly as they could make their jam batches, the self-described jam queens decided to launch Sakhar Jams in January 2021. “I used every single bit of my background to come up with a business model for us, and she took an enormous risk,” says Mahadkar.

Sakhar means sugar in Marathi, Mahadkar’s native language. “Resh’s dad cried when she told him she was using that name,” recalls Henry. “It means a lot because he came here to give her these kinds of opportunities.” The name honors Mahadkar’s upbringing and their Indian-inspired jams, like Strawberry

Reshma Mahadkar Jessica Henry

Written by Laura Drummond / Photography by Dang Good Creative

FRIENDS SERVE UP THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR

Masala Chai and Rangpur Lime Marmalade.

Sakhar has flourished. Operating out of a commercial kitchen space, they distribute jams to retailers throughout South Carolina as well as directly to customers nationwide via their online store. “A lot of dedication, thought, and planning has gone into the success of our business,” says Mahadkar. Even with their growing popularity, Sakhar’s recipe for success hasn’t changed. Mahadkar and Henry continue to make all the jams by hand, yielding nine jars at a time. It’s truly a labor of love. “Our jams are so special because we make it the way your grandma would make it.”

Flavors are released in small batches according to their seasonality, as all their fruits are sourced in South Carolina. “When we’re supporting South Carolina farmers, the community gets stronger,” says Henry. “Your jam that you’re eating was literally picked maybe a week ago and then processed. The freshness is there,” says Henry.

GrowFood Carolina supplies fruit from farms across the state, and Sakhar also partners directly with fruit growers. For example, Mahadkar and Henry found a farm in Rock Hill, SC that had raspberries this summer, so they made the nearly two-hour drive to pick enough for jam. “It makes no sense to me to get from an outside source when there’s so much growing regionally,” says Mahadkar. “It’s important to us because of sustainability. It helps our community, and

our jam tastes that much better.” The flavor combinations—of which there are many—are thanks to their creativity and consistency. “Resh has a drive for creativity, and I make the jam,” says Henry. “Coming up with flavors and ingredients is natural to me,” says Mahadkar. She considers what flavors will naturally complement the fruit that’s in season, how they can incorporate ingredients from local businesses, and what unique combinations will get people excited. Some flavors keep it simple and “let the fruit shine,” as Henry says, like Original Blackberry, Original Raspberry, and Muscadine Jelly. Others are infused with high-end spirits, artisanal teas, and other ethically sourced ingredients, like Strawberry Prosecco, Brown Sugar Peach Bourbon, Apple Chai, and Spiced Honey Plum. “Every jar that you’re buying, you’re supporting a plethora of people,” says Mahadkar.

When asked what the future holds, the ever-pragmatic Henry says she’s only focused on the next step, while the persistent dreamer Mahadkar shares a list of plans and possibilities. “We have roots here in Columbia. It’s all about building the community that we’re in,” says Henry. “We want to model for our children that grit and perseverance—despite failures and obstacles—can lead to fulfillment,” says Mahadkar. “I see space in the food community for Sakhar. Our hope is to grow big enough so we can be an asset in the South.”

sakharjams.com

THE CEEBO EFFECT

Most light beers aren’t marketed as something to be savored. In fact, the brewing method isn’t one that allows for any depth of flavor, and the mouthfeel of a full-bodied beer is completely lost. But for Kyle Alligood, maintaining all the properties that make beer such a sensory experience is part of what makes his non-alcoholic brew different. You get all the flavor, all the richness—but none of the effects of the alcohol, and with significantly less calories than even light beer.

Alligood’s inspiration was simple. Being a wine rep in San Francisco, he was constantly around alcohol and wanted to eliminate the complications and headaches of hangovers without having to sacrifice the social enjoyment of drinking. Naturally, he took advantage of the growing number of non-alcoholic beers available so that he could still be socially active and network as a wine rep, without the effects of alcohol impeding him. After moving back to Charleston, South Carolina, in 2019, he realized that he was in the perfect position to fill a hole in the market: As massive as the local brewery scene is, none were offering non-alcoholic beer.

It wasn’t until 2020 when the world shut down and Alligood was furloughed that the idea went from abstract concept to reality. After a couple of years of brainstorming and transitions with his day job as well as the support of his wife, Lauren, he founded Ceebo in March 2022, with the release his first product in the North Carolina and South Carolina markets in April 2023. Named Ceebo for the “placebo effect” that drinking a non-alcoholic beer can offer, Alligood is filling that niche in the market that is decidedly lacking in the South. As plentiful as mass-produced light beers may be none of them are of Ceebo’s incredible quality. And with good reason, as Alligood’s methods for brewing are unique. “We make small batches utilizing an innovative brewing process that never exceeds 0.5 percent ABV during any point of the process, as opposed to the more popular, harsher methods of making beer and then removing the alcohol after it has been brewed,” he explains. “We then pasteurize to ensure flavor, stability, and compliance.”

If it sounds expensive and time consuming, it’s because it is. Still, “our

Kyle Alligood

Written by Liesel J. Schmidt / Photography by Hack Hargett

ALL THE FLAVOR, ALL THE RICHNESS—BUT NO

brewing method is high risk, high reward,” Alligood says. “It is simply not economical to mass produce in the way we make it. But the tradeoff is the overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic feedback from our customers that Ceebo is the best non-alcoholic beer they have ever tasted. We produce Ceebo the way we do because we are passionate about our mission, and the product is stellar.”

Being as passionate as he is about the non-alcoholic market, there’s little mystery that Alligood is so dedicated to creating something special to the growing number of consumers who want to move away from alcohol. “We’re helping people by giving them choices,” he says. “Ceebo fills the void for the truly great and classic, pilsner-style non-alcoholic beer that I, and so many others, enjoy. No one should have to settle for a non-alcoholic beer that they do not love but drink to just have something in their hand. By being the non-alcoholic beer that people genuinely enjoy drinking—and one that they will reach for time and time again—Ceebo can help people in so many scenarios.

We’re the perfect product for anyone that likes beer but not always the alcohol,” he continues. “We strive to be the most inclusive non-alcoholic beer out there, embracing the ‘traditional’ segments of non-alcoholic beer

ALCOHOL

consumers, while attracting those that still drink but are looking to cut back, whether it’s for a month, a week, or just in the moment.” Their flagship beer, “The Classic,” has been one that Alligood has been dedicated to getting perfect before going to market. “It’s the style desperately needed to get more people drinking non-alcoholic beers,” he says. “The South is hot and humid, so we wanted The Classic to be crisp, clean, and refreshing. The South also has outstanding cuisine, and having a non-alcoholic beer that pairs well with food was a non-negotiable in development. Mouthfeel is an element that many other non-alcoholic beers fall short on, but we got it right. This is the subtle characteristic of Ceebo that brings the food pairing magic.”

Currently, Ceebo is available for sale in retailers and restaurants in North Carolina and South Carolina. Future plans include expanding to additional states in 2024 with a focus on the South. They are also available via e-commerce on their website and ship to 44 states.

In support of their mission to create a healthy, fun and engaging peer-supported community for young adults navigating mental health and recovery, Ceebo is partnering with a local group in Charleston, Quest in Recovery, for their fall campaign. ceebobrewco.com

READING what we’re

SWEEPING THE COMPETITION: LINDA SKEENS’ RISE TO BLUE RIBBON CHAMPION

Written by Liesel J. Schmidt / Photography Courtesy 83 Press

When Linda Skeens entered her first recipe in a local fair, the world wide web wasn’t even a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee’s eye, and social media was decades away from being thought of. But nearly forty years, countless competitions and too many recipes to count later, the Castlewood, Virginia native has become internet famous for doing something that she does as easily as breathing: winning

With a collection of more than 1,500 ribbons under her belt, Skeens is most certainly a force when it comes to competition cooking and baking. In the many years she’s been entering her cookies, pies, cakes, brownies, candies, breads, jellies, jams, canned tomatoes and corn, pickled peppers, sauerkrauts, relishes, and sauces, she sweeps the competition and takes ribbons home from essentially every category she enters. Perhaps unsurprising in the face of so many wins, Skeens entered the Virginia-Kentucky District Fair in the summer of 2022 and won ribbon after ribbon after ribbon, until she’d racked up a stack of 30.

30 ribbons! In all the years Skeens has been cooking, she has clearly learned how to make magic in her kitchen—30 ribbons are inarguable proof of that. And while the fact that she so handily dominated the competition may not have shocked anyone who has been tracing the arc of Skeens’s contest history, the lofty number hit the internet with incredible force. As much as she shied away from the resulting limelight in the beginning, Skeens has since parlayed her internet fame to publish a much-anticipated collection of recipes and family stories called Blue-Ribbon Cooking: Recipes and Tips from America’s Favorite

County Fair Champion. In the book, she shares more than 30 of her prize-winning recipes with readers as well as over 70 other dishes that are family favorites.

Q : When did the idea for the book come about, and what was your vision for it?

A : For years, my friends and family have been telling me that I should write one. I always wanted to—I wanted something to leave my family when I’m gone.

Q : How long did it take you to collect so many recipes?

A : I started collecting them 40 years ago—maybe more. I got a lot from family and friends as well as from newspapers, magazines, and cookbooks. There were also many recipes I just thought up myself.

Q : How long have you been entering your dishes into contests and fairs, and what led you to do so the first time?

A : I’ve been competing with my recipes since I was 36. I started around 1984. My late son, Frank Jr., talked me into entering, and I got hooked.

Q : How do you prepare for entries as large as you make, with so many dishes?

A : A month before the fair, I choose which things I will bake. Then I make a list of all the ingredients I need and go to the store for supplies. Three days before the fair, I bake up a storm.

Q : That’s a lot of work! I hope you have someone to help?

A : No, I do it all myself. Sometimes if my daughter Cathy is around, she will wash the dishes for me. But she always takes me to the fair

and helps me set up and get it all entered.

Q : What do you love most about entering your food into contests? Clearly it’s a labor of love.

A : I just love a challenge! There are a lot of good cooks—most of whom are my friends—so I have some stiff competition. It’s a lot of fun when something you’ve baked wins.

Q : With the extraordinary number of ribbons you’ve won, I have to ask, have you ever lost a contest?

A : Oh, yes. There have been a few times I’ve lost some of the divisions, but I just try harder the next time. You can’t always win. It’s best if you can just have fun trying.

Q : You’ve been cooking a long time, but who taught you to cook?

A : My mother and mother-in-law were both great cooks, and they taught me a lot. But I also learned a lot just by doing things and trying things on my own.

Q : What do you love most about cooking?

A : Everything. I just love cooking and baking. I love to see my family and friends enjoy eating what I have made for them. Christmas Eve is my favorite time. I fix up a lot of good food and have my kids and grandkids over to my house. They all have their own special favorites that I cook.

Q : What did you love the most about writing the book?

A : Getting to pick exactly what I wanted to be in the book.

Q : What was the most challenging thing about writing it?

A : It was a lot of work, deciding which recipes I wanted to use, what pictures I wanted to include, and making sure I thanked everyone who had helped me with writing it and putting it all together.

Q : Do you have a particular favorite recipe in the book, and what makes it a favorite?

A : The jam cake is a personal favorite because it was my late mother’s recipe.

Q : If you could leave people with one recipe to remember you by, what would it be?

A : I’d want them to remember me for my yeast rolls. Everyone loves them, and I love making them.

Q : Why do you think Southerners attach such great importance to food and recipes?

A : It gives you comfort cooking for family and friends. Even in lean times, we always had good, home cooked meals.

Q : How long did it take to write the book? To go through your recipe collection?

A : A long time! Much longer than I thought.

Q : If you could host a dinner party of any ten people, past or present, who would you invite, and why?

A : I’d want my family to be there because they are the ones I love to cook for and visit with the most.

Q : What do you hope people take away from your book?

A : I hope that people will enjoy cooking my recipes and that it will bless them to read my story in the book.

Q : So, this is your first cookbook. Do you have plans to write any others?

A : (laughing) I’m not sure. I haven’t gotten that far down the road just yet.

Look for Linda’s cookbook on Amazone or bookstores near you.

TACO SOUP GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

Simmons Delacata Catfish over Truffled Polenta in a Spicy Creole Sauce of Andouille, Bacon, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Corn BRAVO • JACKSON, MS

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ROLLING INTO SEASON 12!

Vera Stewart is host of the VeryVera Show, syndicated across the Nation in 42 markets. The show combines Vera’s natural teaching ability and etiquette insight with modern twists to your grandmother’s favorite recipes. Vera Stewart is also a nationally recognized cookbook author whose career in the food and hospitality industry spans nearly four decades.

CHAPTER

2

TO DINE SOUTHERN

Photograph by Kasi Beck

entHUSIASTIC SOUTHERNER

THE t t Musings of a World Class Eater

Written by Robert St. John / Photograph Courtesy of Robert St. John

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

To be successful in the restaurant business, it takes total commitment and sacrifice. It's a brutal way to earn a living. But for those of us who are bit by the bug and are totally obsessed, we couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Bankers hate restaurants. The reason bankers hate restaurants is because of the high mortality rate in the industry. There aren’t many businesses one can get into so easily and fail so miserably.

Here's the scenario. Joe cooks a good steak in his backyard. Joe's friends tell him, “Joe, that's a great steak. You should open a restaurant.” He agrees. Joe mortgages the house and opens Joe's Steakhouse. Joe learns quickly that being able to grill a good steak in his backyard is about 5% of what he needs to know to run a successful restaurant. He wonders why it looks nothing like it did on the Food Network. He had visions of sitting at table five every night, basking in the adoration of his grateful guests. Instead, he ends up washing dishes at 1:00 AM because the dishwasher called in with his fifth flat tire or sixth dead grandmother in the past two weeks.

Around the time he's taking the greasy mats out to wash on the back dock for the ninth time that month, he's decided that the bank can keep his money. It's brutal, granted. But for those who love it, are obsessed with it, and can't see themselves doing anything else, it’s a blast. I got bit by the restaurant bug. At 19 years old, after switching from being a radio station disc jockey to managing a delicatessen. It seems like the bite occurred on the first shift of the first day. But to be accurate, it was probably sometime during the first week that it struck me that this is what I want to do going forward, actually, what I was “supposed” to do.

I loved the restaurant business so much that I got a second job in another restaurant, and after managing the delicatessen during the day, I waited tables at night. I immediately set a new course for my life. My goal was to open a restaurant. I was so set on that goal that I believed nothing could have stopped me. No matter how long it took— no matter what it took— I would open a restaurant. I haven't looked back since.

I realize I am an odd bird. Everybody who is in this business is not obsessed like me. A very select few are more obsessed. A few weeks ago, I met one. Zacchaeus Golden is one of the great success stories in the restaurant business. He was born in the Mississippi Delta and grew up with a single mom. At 16, he started working in fast-food restaurants. At 17, he moved to Mobile, Alabama. And eventually enrolled in a culinary program in junior college. He

had that tunnel vision that some of us get when all we can think about is that we want to open a restaurant, and we can't think of anything else; he “got bit.” He set out to learn all he could about the business. After several stretches in Mobile-area kitchens, he began a journeyman's jaunt across the country, working his way into some of the finest kitchens in the world.

After two stints in New Orleans, working for some of that city’s finest chefs, he hopped on a Greyhound bus with $300 in his pocket and his eye on the two-star Michelin-rated avant-garde home of minimalist food, Coi, in San Francisco. He was hired. In less than seven years, he had gone from Sonic to the top of the food chain in one of America’s great food cities. This is where I get humbled in the commitment category. Granted, I was obsessed with restaurants. In my spare time, I did nothing but read restaurant trade magazines. I took 18 and 21 hours in college while working a 40-hour-a-week schedule. I stayed up until three in the morning designing menus and restaurants. I lived in a one-room above a garage until I was 30. That pales in comparison to Chef Zach Golden. His desire to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant was so strong he lived homeless in San Francisco for six months just for the opportunity to work at Coi. He slept on the streets during the day and worked as many shifts as they would give him in the restaurant.

That’s commitment.

Six months in, he was caught sleeping on the floor in the dry storage on an exceptionally cold night and was let go. That didn't stop Golden in his quest to learn from the best. He was steadfast in his desire to absorb everything he could from the world's greatest chefs. In a matter of days, he had worked himself into the kitchen at The French Laundry an hour up the road.

The French Laundry is widely considered one of the best restaurants in the country. To me, there's no competition. It is the best. And, in my opinion, Thomas Keller is—by far—the absolute best chef in America and probably one of the top three in the world. Zach Golden, late of Sonic Drive-In in Belzoni, Mississippi, spent nine months cooking in Keller’s kitchen.

It’s one of the greatest success stories I’ve ever known in this business— from tater tots and chili dogs in the Delta to foie gras, Kobe beef, and three Michelin stars in Napa. But he was just getting started. He continued his quest on the East Coast at the Michelin three-starred Inn at Little Washington. He stayed there “until it got cold” and then headed back home to Mississippi.

Last year, in the middle of the post-Covid decimation of the dining industry—

at the worst time to open a restaurant in the history of the restaurant business— and in a neighborhood that hadn’t seen a successful restaurant in decades, Golden opened Southern Soigne. He didn’t have to worry about whether bankers liked the restaurant business. He didn’t need a bank. He opened it with money he saved from working in other restaurants.

He was 28.

That is commitment.

That is dedication.

That is the ultimate example of restaurant tunnel vision I have ever witnessed.

The story doesn’t end there. It’s just beginning.

Golden gathered all the knowledge he gained under some of the top chefs in the nation and brought it home. In a house built in the final year of the Civil War, he works the restaurant virtually alone. His mother is there, and she helps serve and host. But the entire operation is run by two people. Southern Soigne is a 12-seat, reservations-only, tasting menu experience like no other in Mississippi (or surrounding states, for that matter).

I've been in this business for 40 years. I thought I had seen it all. I have never met someone as dedicated to his craft and as single-minded in his focus as Chef Zacchaeus Golden.

Chef Zach Golden is everything I love about this business; he is the perfect example of how razor-focus on achieving a goal and living out a dream can be done, against all odds, against all accepted norms when one is willing to do what it takes— whatever it takes— to achieve their goal. Those are the stories we must pass on. Golden’s journey is just beginning. Onward.

FOIE GRAS

1 lb. Foie Gras cut into 2-ounce slices

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

WITH TOASTED BRIOCHE, FIG RELISH, AND REDUCED PORT WINE GLAZE

1 Tbl butter

2 Tbl minced shallots

1 ½ cups whole fig preserves, small dice

8 slices fresh Brioche, crusts removed, and cut in half on a diagonal

1 recipe Fig Relish

1 recipe Port Wine Glaze

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450º

Season the foie gras with the salt and black pepper.

Arrange the brioche on a baking sheet.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and arrange the foie gras in the heated skillet so they are not touching. Cook for 45 seconds. Turn each pieces over and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Place the brioche in the oven to toast.

To serve, place one piece of the brioche toast on each serving plate, top with one piece of the cooked foie gras. Top each piece of foie gras with 2 tsp of the fig relish. Rest another piece of toast atop of the foie gras. Drizzle the plate with the port wine glaze and serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

ROBERT ST. JOHN is a Mississippi native. He has spent almost four decades in the restaurant business as a restaurateur, chef, columnist, and author. For over 20 years he has written a weekly syndicated newspaper column. He is the author of eleven books. St. John is the creator, producer, and co-host of the Public Broadcasting series Palate to Palette with Robert St. John and Wyatt Waters which will soon film its fifth season. In 2009, St. John founded Extra Table, a statewide non-profit organization that ships healthy food to over 50 Mississippi soup kitchens and mission pantries every month. robertstjohn.com

2 Tbl brown sugar

2 Tbl sherry vinegar

2 Tbl minced celery

2 Tbl small diced red peppers

½ tsp fresh thyme leave, chopped salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter over low heat in a small sauce pot. Cook the shallots for 3 minutes. Add in the diced figs and brown sugar, and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. Add in the sherry vinegar, celery, and red bell peppers, and lower the heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the thyme, salt, and black pepper and remove from heat. The flavor of the relish is best if made a day or two in advance. When ready to use, warm it slowly in a small sauté pan over low heat. Yield: 1 ½ cups

WINE GLAZE

1 cup chicken stock

1 Tbl brown sugar

1 cup port wine

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pot. Simmer and reduce until mixture forms a thick syrup. Yield: one quarter cup

PORT

FLORA SUPPER CLUB

this dining experience is more than just a meal

Written by Susan Marquez / Photography by Kasi Beck

RAINES ENJOYS THE FREEDOM THE SUPPER CLUB GIVES HIM TO EXERCISE HIS CREATIVE MUSCLES IN THE KITCHEN

This page: Louisiana-raised Wagyu beef filet topped with locally-grown microgreens, creamed spinach and potato mash. Opposite Top: California wines were paired with each course and were explained about the pairing with each particular dish. Opposite Bottom: For more than four hours inside the little brick building, diners forgot about the outside world, as they enjoyed their meal. Previous page: Gulf drum and crab on Original Grit Girl fried polenta wedge, topped with microgreens with hollandaise.

There is no question that the COVID pandemic changed the way many restauranteurs do business. The word “pivot” never applied to any other industry as it did to restaurants. Fine dining restaurants turned to creating family-style meals with curbside pickup. One thing that did not change was the desire of people to enjoy a meal unlike what they would have at home, in a nice setting. Being waited on became a luxury.

As the world returned to a more normal, pre-pandemic state, some of the changes that were made to survive were dropped, while others were adopted permanently. Being cooped up at home created a renewed sense of adventure for many people. Going out to eat at a restaurant wasn’t enough. They wanted a true overall dining experience. Even one that might be a bit exclusive.

On a rainy night recently, thirty souls braved bad weather to drive to Flora, Mississippi for a unique dinner experience. They entered a rather small historic brick building next to the railroad tracks by a side door. As each person entered the building, they looked around to take in the décor. It was simple. Exposed brick walls, concrete floor. The long communal tables set with gleaming China and crystal, sparkling from the light of glowing votive candles, beckoned.

A friendly hostess greeted each guest with a smile and offered a glass of rose’. She directed them to an artfully arranged multi-level charcuterie board, heavy with house-made sausages, pastrami, and other savory meats alongside a variety of interesting cheeses, peppers, grapes and more. Old friends greeted one another while new friends were made. When all the guests had arrived, it was time to find a seat. The Flora Supper Club was about to begin.

As each of the six courses was served, Chef David Raines stepped out of the kitchen and into the dining room to explain what was on the plate, and often, how it was prepared. Each dish featured locally sourced ingredients, including salad greens from Salad Days, vegetables from Two Dog Farm, and grits from the Original Grit Girl in Oxford. A representative from a winery in California paired wines with each course and talked to the guests about what they were drinking and why it had been paired with that particular dish.

By the end of the evening, guests were satisfactorily satiated, many saying they would like to do it again soon. As a matter of fact, despite the

premium price of the evening, many have attended the Flora Supper Club on repeat. It’s more than just a meal. The entire evening is an experience. No one feels rushed. Time is taken between courses and people enjoy visiting with one another. For more than four hours inside the little brick building, diners forgot about the roaring thunder and lightning outside.

The room was filled with laughter, followed by appreciative oohs and aahs as plates of food were served and wine was poured. After admiring the presentation, each course was savored, and guests discussed the flavors with one another. Conversations led to food memories of meals eaten at restaurants around the world. There is no doubt that the people who attended The Flora Supper Club on that stormy night will remember the experience for a long time to come.

Raines enjoys the freedom the supper club gives him to exercise his creative muscles in the kitchen. “I have not served the same dish twice since I’ve been doing this,” he says. The first event was held last winter, and so far there have been thirty dinners, all open to the public on a first come, first served basis. “We are presenting about four dinners a month,” he says. “I am doing the kind of cooking I really enjoy.”

After living and working in exotic places around the globe, one may wonder how this Michelin-trained chef ended up in Flora, Mississippi. “My wife liked it here,” he says. “She thought it would be a great place to raise our two children. After being in the area a while, I had to agree with her.” Flora is located in Madison County, and while it is a small old town, it has enjoyed a resurgence as people seek to escape the city in favor of a slower pace. The main corridor is reminiscent of the fictional Mayberry, with shops, banks, restaurants and professional offices.

Being a chef is a second career for Raines, who first worked in the financial sector. But when he decided to dive into the culinary world, the Monroe, Louisiana native did it in a big way. He received his culinary degree from the prestigious Johnson & Wales and continued his education in the culinary field with classes in international bread making at New York’s French Culinary Institute, Master of Regional Italian Cuisine in Jesi, Italy, and intense classes in wine at the Guild of Master Sommeliers in New Orleans.

His work took him abroad to Japan, Australia, Italy and finally to Denmark, where he met his wife. The couple moved to New Orleans where he

OLD FRIENDS GREETED ONE ANOTHER WHILE NEW FRIENDS WERE MADE

SIX COURSES WERE SERVED AND WITH EACH, CHEF RAINES STEPPED OUT OF THE KITCHEN, JOINING GUESTS, TO EXPLAIN EACH DISH AND ITS PREPARATION.

cooked at Emeril Legasse’s Nola before he landed at Restaurant R’evolution in the heart of the French Quarter, creating award-winning cuisine inspired by the gastronomic traditions of the seven nations associated with New Orleans history.

When the owners of Restaurant R’evolution opened Seafood R’evolution in Ridgeland, Mississippi in 2012, they brought Raines in for the launch. Raines made it clear he would only be there for one year. “I thought we would be here for a year and move on,” he says. It was during that year that Raines’ wife fell in love with Madison County.

After leaving Seafood R’evolution, Raines acquired an historic building in downtown Flora and spent a year of planning before opening his farmto-table butcher shop, Flora Butcher, in 2016.

Raines learned the art of butchery from Chef Ryan Farr at 4505 Meats in San Francisco. The old-world-style shop in Flora has become a destination store for residents throughout central Mississippi and beyond who drive to the store to purchase Japanese Waygu beef, raised on his father’s cattle farm in north Louisiana. The store also carries Prime Angus beef, and Raines works with local farmers to source other proteins. The shop sells a variety of packaged made-in-Mississippi products as well, ranging from stone ground grits to seasonings and sauces.

With business going well at his butcher shop, Raines set his sights on opening a restaurant down the street. Dave’s Triple B, celebrating barbeque, beer and blues, opened in 2018. Last year, it seemed a natural for Raines to open Raines Cellers next to Flora Butcher. Raines can recommend wine for customers purchasing steaks at the butcher shop and they can go next door to buy it.

Post-Covid, Raines decided to pull the plug on Dave’s Triple B. While he did a great job with it, he admitted that barbeque just wasn’t his thing. “I liked the building, so I started thinking about what I could do with it.” He knocked around the idea of doing a supper club concept. He had heard about other popular supper clubs, including the long-running Delta Supper Club, and he liked the idea. “I was asked to do a private dinner at someone’s home, and that really made me think a supper club would be something people in this area might enjoy.” With The Flora Supper Club, Raines can draw on his extensive training, experience and talent to create memorable meals for people who enjoy a true culinary experience.

For more information on The Flora Supper Club, visit their Facebook page where you can find a schedule of upcoming events.

OXTAIL RAGU

At one time, oxtails were literally the tails of oxen. Frugal cooks consumed every part of an animal, and the tails, when cooked slowly, provided additional meat for soups and stews. Today oxtails are actually the tail of beef cattle. The gelatin-rich meat gets its appearance from the large amount of collagen. Chef Raines uses oxtail to prepare his savory oxtail ragu. The key, he says, is cooking the oxtails low and slow to get the desired texture and flavor.

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs oxtail, cut into ½ inch to 2 inch sections kosher salt black pepper, freshly ground all-purpose flour

4-5 oz extra virgin olive oil

3 spanish onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

4 cups red wine

4 cups beef stock

3 cups tomato sauce

4 bay leaves

2 large sprigs fresh sage

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1. Season the oxtail liberally with salt and pepper and then dredge in the all-pur pose flour to coat. Shake off any excess. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high and then brown the oxtail in batches until they have been seared on all sides. Remove them from the pot.

2. Add the onions to the pot and reduce to medium heat. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir the onions until they start getting some color. Add the garlic cloves and cook for one minute more.

3. Next, add the remaining ingredients and continue to scrape the bottom of the pot to get everything loose.

4. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the oxtail back to the pot and simmer for at least 2-3 hours.

5. When the oxtail is just starting to fall apart, turn off the heat, remove them and allow to cool. When cooled enough to handle, shred the meat off the bones and be careful not to get any small bones mixed in. Use a ladle to skim any fat off of the sauce still in the pot.

This page, Top left: Dessert of free form mixed berry galette topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Top center: Chef Raines plating the oxtail ragu and pasta. Top right: Salad of mixed locally-grown hydroponic greens with house crisped onion strings, heirloom tomatoes with champagne vinaigrette. Bottom: Multi-level charcuterie board, filled with house-made sausages, pastrami, and other savory meats.

6. Remove the herb stems but don’t worry about any leaves that have fallen off. Return the meat to the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let the ragu reduce gradually until it is nice and thick. (Don’t forget to stir it periodically as it simmers.)

7. Adjust the seasoning and pair it with a hearty pasta or gnocchi and finish with grated Pecorino Romano and a nice olive oil drizzle.

Recipe courtesy Chef David Raines

NOTEWORTHY

Memorable Tastes from Around the South

BOURBON BACON JAM

INGREDIENTS

2 large onions, diced

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

1 lb bacon, chopped

1 cup bourbon

½ cup molasses

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

salt and black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Drain oil, add onions and garlic.

3. Deglaze pan with bourbon, and reduce by half.

4. Add cooked bacon and all other ingredients and cook until thickened, stirring often.

ST. NEO'S BRASSERIE menu reflects the neighborhood comfort of Savannah, Georgia’s timeless brasseries, with a menu of fresh seafood, oysters, steaks, vegetables, and desserts. Executive Sous Chef Vincent Logan celebrates grilled foods with this Bourbon Bacon Jam as the perfect summer condiment. Made with crispy bacon, bourbon, and a handful of pantry staples, the sauce hits the perfect notes of any great barbecue sauce: sweet, smokey, and tangy. At St. Neo’s, they serve it on a classic burger, but don't stop there, it's versatile enough for almost anything. saintneos.com

THE DARLING OYSTER BAR in Charleston, South Carolina is housed in a 115-yearold storefront. Grab a stool at the raw bar or settle into a table. This energetic seafood restaurant reimagines classical preparations and tastes. A traditional bruschetta uses some of the season's most succulent flavors – tomatoes and peaches. Executive Chef Derick Wade spreads house-made whipped goat cheese on top of crisp toast. A combination of peaches, tomatoes, and shallots with a splash of olive oil and vinegar is placed on top. The dish is finished with fresh mint and flaky sea salt. thedarling.com

TOMATO AND PEACH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

1 quart tomatoes, medium diced

1 pint peaches, thinly sliced half moons

1½ cups goat cheese, whipped

½ cup heavy cream

1 inch pieces of bread, sliced

2 tbsp. mint, thinly sliced

½ cup sherry vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup shallot, thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Start by adding your goat cheese to a Kitchen Aid mixer with the whip attachment (bowl with hand whisk will work, too). Turn the speed on medium to loosen up the goat cheese then slowly add in your cream. Turn the mixer on high until the goat cheese gets light and fluffy. You may need to add some more cream depending on the goat cheese density. Your cheese should look like whipped cream. Refrigerate until needed.

Add your cut tomatoes, peaches, shallots, vinegar, and olive oil to a medium bowl and set aside.

Toast bread in a skillet with some butter until it is crispy and evenly toasted. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Once your bread has cooled slightly (so it doesn’t melt your cheese) evenly distribute all of the cheese onto the four slices of bread. Then top it with the tomatoes and peaches. Make sure you squeeze out the leftover olive oil and vinegar. Top with mint and cut in half. Finish with flaky sea salt.

3.

4.

TWIST ON A CLASSIC

WRITTEN BY MELISSA CORBIN / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VISIT MYRTLE BEACH

Chef-owner Darren Smith of Rivertown Bistro in Conway, South Carolina is one of those chefs that prefers to make dishes from ingredients on hand. “I never go into a situation like whether it's a market or my walk-in and go, ‘I'm gonna make blank.’ But what I do is look at things that are available and decide,” he explains his process and admits that most everything has “been done already.” So, he would rather make recipes his own with tweaks here and there to “make things interesting for the diner, and to pique their interest.”

Piquing their interest, he did indeed with his unique play on PB&J. The ingredient that initially inspired his twist on such a classic is something that has remained a part of his larder for years – boiled peanuts. Yet, he wasn’t aiming for the texture or flavor of a traditional hummus that calls for tahini, lemon, and a little cumin, “I just kept it simple with some mayonnaise and pepper which made it more along the lines of a peanut butter. It's just texturally different, and not quite as sweet.”

When it came down to his jelly interpretation, he couldn’t resist the blueberries from the farmer next to Smith’s boiled peanut vendor at the Conway Farmers Market. Literally farm-to-plate, the market is adjacent to Smith’s second restaurant, Bonfire Taqueria located along the Waccamaw River.

“I've been pickling stuff my whole life,” he explains how he landed on his blueberry jelly riff, “I wanted to pickle them, but I didn’t want them too acidic and vinegary.” That’s where the addition of strawberry puree and sugar came in handy to soften an otherwise acidic blow.

At home, Smith’s family prefers to grill their PB&J sandwiches, which is where he says, “It made sense to me to do an open face like a tartine or a crostini with that good grilled bread. I don't want anything to overpower that peanut butter and jelly combination, but I think it's really important to grill that bread with clarified butter and some salt and pepper.”

But, he didn’t stop there. While researching recipes that included fried boiled peanuts, Smith came up empty handed. So, he opted to fry additional boiled peanuts as a garnish for an added crunch which prompted a certain ah-ha moment, “Hey, maybe we just came up with something new!”

Smith’s invention started as an appetizer, but he also created a composed meal for a summer special at Rivertown Bistro, “I thought some caramelized summer squash would also be nice on there. We could leave it at that with some microgreens and have a delicious sort of vegetarian thing or add some pickled or poached shrimp … it can go in any direction and be as substantial as you want.”

If you’d like to try your hand at such an epiphany, Smith offers insight. With autumn well on its way, he encourages you to “don't be laser locked on your original idea.” If you like the pickled blueberries, but can’t find them at the farmers market, he suggests pickling grapes instead. Or, as apples are in season, opt to caramelize the naturally sweet apples in brown butter, “So it's like a caramel apple peanut butter situation going on.”

rivertownbistro.com

RIVERTOWN BISTRO'S PB&J CROSTINI

BOILED PEANUT HUMMUS

2 cups shelled boiled peanuts

2 tablespoons Dukes mayonnaise

1½ tablespoon boiled peanuts cooking liquid

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch of black pepper

Place peanuts in processor with all other ingredients, purée to a nice smooth consistency, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

TO ASSEMBLE

PICKLED BLUEBERRIES

1½ cups champagne vinegar

¾ cup sugar

1 cup puréed strawberry

3 cups fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cardamom

Pinch of black pepper

Bring the vinegar, sugar, strawberry, salt, cardamom, and pepper to a simmer. Then pour the hot liquid over the blueberries. Let come to room temp, cover, and refrigerate.

For the fried peanut garnish, simply shell the peanuts, dip them in seasoned flour, egg wash, and then back into the seasoned flour. Fry until crispy in peanut oil. Assemble components atop fresh-baked and lightly grilled focaccia.

CHEF DARREN SMITH's uncommon culinary talent is evident, it was his brother Scott who was instrumental in getting Darren interested in the culinary field. Darren, who attended Winthrop University, first met Cyndi, a graduate of the College of Charleston, while he was working as executive chef of Shem Creek Bar & Grill, One Eyed Parrot, and Banana Cabana. The couple moved to Cyndi’s hometown of Conway in 1994 where, at the age of 25, the two opened the Rivertown Bistro. For over a decade the restaurant grew in reputation and size. In December 2005 the family also grew with the addition of Sophia Claire Smith, who was adopted from Guatemala. This was the first time both of the Smiths were away from the restaurant during its busiest season. In 2008 a fire devastated the Bistro, but the Smiths decided to rebuild. It speaks to the quality and closeness of the staff that of the 21 employees before the fire, 19 returned. Darren’s sous chef of 10 years and great friend Billy Greene was one of the employees that did not return. Greene passed away in July of 2008 at the age of 37. He was a big part of the Rivertown Bistro and still is.

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Photograph by Penny Aligood

Born the daughter of farmers, I spent my early childhood summers in Tennessee doing farm kid stuff. So, on the off chance we were able to enjoy a summer vacation, it was a splurge. In fact, on the bed of Daddy’s pick-up truck in a tin can of a camper is how I first experienced “The Beach.”

Upon arriving at our destination, he would take me and my sister to play in the water while Mamma stayed behind to cook supper in the camper’s tiny kitchenette. “The only difference between here and home is that at least I have four burners to cook on at home. This is not my idea of a vacation,” she declared one evening. That very night we checked into a Holiday Inn, as Daddy knew which side of his bread was buttered. And the baskets of fried seafood we devoured at a nearby all-you-caneat buffet? That’s what Southern coastal cuisine consisted of in my mind. It still does for many tourists.

Much more than a bag of chips.

Written by Melissa Corbin / Photography Visit Myrtle Beach

So, among the more than 2,000 restaurants along the sixty miles of coastal South Carolina known as The Grand Strand, I found plenty of hot spots featuring such browned-to-golden perfection this summer. These kinds of joints stay packed for a reason – fried seafood is delicious, but Myrtle Beach and its surrounding communities also boast an array of local fare to broaden even the most devoted Calabash palate. And I was there for it!

Take Hook and Barrel on North King’s Highway just beyond Myrtle Beach’s main drag, for example. Chef Heidi Vukov opened her sustainable, eco-friendly approach to coastal cuisine in 2017 where everything, including the bar made from pine sourced onsite, is about showcasing South Carolina’s north coastal ingredients.

( fish and chips that is )

WINNA’S KITCHEN

Just as Sagun cares for her community so deeply today, the historic Charlie’s Place once hosted Black entertainers as part of the South’s “chitlin circuit” from the 1930s - 1960s and is well within earshot of Winna’s. It’s where the Shag (a Southern swing dance) originated. Today, the space serves as an incubator for aspiring-entrepreneurs.

Iwas seated near the steam galley bar and watched the preparation of Oysters Ala Heidi and She Crab Soup made-to-order which Vukov calls “eater-tainment.” From the fresh catch to the Shrimp Ceviche caught by a shrimper that goes to the same beach as Vukov, she said “With Murrells Inlet right down the road, sourcing seafood is a no-brainer,” emphasizing how important sustainable efforts are to Hook and Barrel’s concept.

When it comes to produce, Vukov touts a special relationship with Microledon Farm located in nearby Conway which along with a bounty of microgreens is also growing an heirloom variety of tomatoes just for her.

Oscar Chaves of Microledon Farm is in his fourth season of farming and admits that agriculture is a pure gamble – a fact that Daddy made sure I respected growing up. But Chavez told me that he also thinks of his work as the ultimate in creative expression,” I love to see the color and textures and how it will look on a plate. But really, it’s about working with the chefs.” Time and again, I found that Microledon Farm was somewhat of an agrarian tipping point while exploring Myrtle Beach. Sourcing to more than 25 independently owned restaurants Chavez added, “We’re not just in fine dining, we actually are in a couple of breakfast places also.”

Like most beach towns, stacks and stacks of pancakes can be found here. And, while pancakes show up on the menu at Blueberry’s Grill, I also found Chavez’s work front and center adding color to make dishes pop. If you go, get the blueberry hush puppies no matter what.

Heading back into town, I also dipped in at Johnny D’s Waffles before the daily breakfast rush where the Red Velvet Waffle is an award-winning must. Made from flour milled at nearby Adluh Milling Company, the Myrtle Beach Chef-owner Jamie Daskalis said that when she partnered with the milling company, “It really opened my eyes to what’s available in South Carolina.”

Like Chavez, Daskalis considers textures and colors in her dishes an essential part of her process. Her personal favorite dish on the menu is the Chipotle Bacon Skillet because, “The scrambled eggs hold it all together. But then you have the crispy bacon, chewy mushrooms, and the jalapenos are crispy but still have a bite to them, then served with the chipotle sauce and guacamole which adds that creaminess and freshness.”

Freshness is also a key component at Winna’s Kitchen in downtown Myrtle Beach where chef-owner Jess Sagun said that she enjoys, “Completing the circle with farmers,” and considers the good energy of the farmers that she works with such as Chavez, “it’s his energy and his hussle.”

Still, with seasonal favorites ranging from Corn and Tomato Pie to her multicoursed elevated Prix Fixe dinners, Sagun insisted that care is actually her key ingredient.

WINNAS KITCHEN ‘

GRAND STRAND BREWING COMPANY

To witness her care in action, I ordered “The Number One” along with my Green Goddess Caesar topped with freshly caught shrimp for lunch. For a brief period in her life, Sagun was homeless and explained, “It’s a humiliating feeling to stand at a back door for a free place to stay and eat. I have a heart for those people. I am those people.” She said that she serves 12-15 homeless people with the grace and dignity that they deserve daily thanks to this very special order, “Food is my love language.”

Needing a palate cleanser, I headed over to Downtown Myrtle Beach’s favorite watering hole at Grand Strand Brewing Company within the same downtown block where Winna’s is located. If you’re a craft beer lover like I am, the newly launched Myrtle Beach Beer Trail is the best way to sip your way through the area’s ten-and-counting breweries.

In the same vein as considering Chavez as a Malcolm Gladwell dream for the Myrtle Beach food scene, so is Dylan Foster of Two Sons Seafood. He met up with me to talk all things seafood at Neptune Bistro and Raw Bar in Murrells Inlet – a small waterfront fishing village on the National Register

On your way to Pawleys Island, explore Brookgreen Gardens which is home to America’s largest outdoor museum of sculpture and is designated a National Historic Landmark. During America’s Antebellum period, this property consisted of four rice plantations spanning 9000+-acres and is where more than 1,000 enslaved people called home. It’s here that slaves discovered Carolina Gold big rice finding the delicacy much different than the other varieties they were raising — the very rice that so many low-country dishes feature today.

of Historic Places just 13 miles South of downtown Myrtle Beach. Known as the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina,” you can’t sling a fish and not hit a top-notch water-front restaurant such as Neptune’s for fresh-off-theboat catches.

“The fishing industry here on the coast is such a family organization. To see that family business meld so seamlessly in so many ways with the family of restaurants here is part of what makes this place so special, ” Foster explained. Even as the pandemic threatened the fishing community, Foster’s work with local fishermen assured that the region’s family of restaurants were serving seafood harvested just hours prior. These days, you can learn how to prepare a catch-of-the-day like the pros do with Foster’s series of cooking classes held at Prodigy Kitchens and Baths showroom in Pawleys Island.

HOOK

Rivertown Bistro Pimento

Cheese Grits Cake

(Courtesy of chef Darren Smith of Rivertown Bistro)

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup Coastal Grinds grits (or any good local grit)

Pinch of salt

Pinch a black pepper

½ cup minced pickled jalapeño

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs beaten with 1 cup milk for egg wash

1 cup flour for dredging

Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Bring chicken broth to boil, slowly stir in grits and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to simmer, and cook till grits are completely cooked (about an hour). Taste for seasoning. Stir in jalapeño, cream, and cheese. Pour onto a sheet tray. Cover and chill in a refrigerator for at least three hours to firm up.

Cut into desired shape. Bring oil to 350°. Dredge grit cake in flour, egg wash, and flour again. Fry to golden.

These are used in Smith’s shrimp and grits, but they are great on their own.

Just twenty-minutes south of Murrells Inlet, it’s a much slower pace in Pawleys Island. In fact, the four-mile stretch of shoreline renowned for its surf enforces a 25-mph speed zone while in town. It’s where Anne Hardee and chef Adam Kirby of Bistro 217 have partnered for their newest dining concept – Rustic Table. While there are plenty of seafood options to choose from, as Kirby supports many of the local fishermen, this Tennessee girl was hankering some good old fried chicken. For the sides, I opted for celery root slaw, mashed potatoes, and lima beans. I could almost hear Mamma licking her lips.

While I don’t think there’s such a thing as growing tired of the beach, I also wanted to check out the Waccamaw River town of Conway where the infamous Microledon Farm is located. Fourteen miles inland from Myrtle Beach, Conway is one of those towns you swear you’ve seen in a Hallmark movie. As a matter of fact, it’s been the setting for several because of its historic downtown charm.

Since 1994, Rivertown Bistro has been a cornerstone of Conway’s food scene where chef-owner Darren Smith said, “We’re deeply rooted here. We’ve always had a good reputation for making fresh food in a celebratory manner.” Smith consistently features local farms on his menu. And, when field peas are in season, Katy bar the door. Well, maybe not that dramatic, but he says he’s a fanatic for them and the farmers know he’ll buy every last one, “It’s the best thing that comes out of the dirt.”

Still, one bite of his riff on shrimp and grits – a bed of local shrimp, corn, asparagus and hard charred okra sauteed in a white wine barbecue butter topped with pimento cheese grit cakes – and I knew Smith has shaken his fair share of farmers’ hands.

Smith also creates seasonal specials such as his take on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The Rivertown Bistro PB and J Crostini starts with hummus made from boiled peanuts topped with pickled blueberries and fried boiled peanuts all atop locally baked focaccia from Léve.

CROOKED OAK TAVERN

We’ve always had a good reputation for making fresh food in a celebratory manner.” Smith consistently features local farms on his menu. And, when field peas are in season, Katy bar the door. Well, maybe not that dramatic, but he says he’s a fanatic for them and the farmers know he’ll buy every last one, “It’s the best thing that comes out of the dirt.”

Still, one bite of his riff on shrimp and grits – a bed of local shrimp, corn, asparagus and hard charred okra sauteed in a white wine barbecue butter topped with pimento cheese grit cakes – and I knew Smith has shaken his fair share of farmers’ hands.

Smith also creates seasonal specials such as his take on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The Rivertown Bistro PB and J Crostini starts with hummus made from boiled peanuts topped with pickled blueberries and fried boiled peanuts all atop locally baked focaccia from Léve.

Just up the street, chef-owner Chris Snyder follows suit at Crooked Oak Tavern. Snyder’s steakhouse aims to “provide people with clean eating” sourcing proteins and produce from the area. “There are farms everywhere,” he said with a smile. And, as far as crabcakes go, these are the real deal too, as Snyder hails from Maryland and has been making them his entire life.

But, if necessity is the mother of all inventions, chef-owner Brandon Lynn can attest to such a notion. Upon relocating from New York City about two years ago, he struggled to find ingredients that he was used to working with at the various Michelin-starred restaurants he once was a part of in New York. So, he took that as a sign to plug into downtown Conway’s food scene by opening Carolina Cheese & Provisions. “I called this area

Food isn’t the only way you can experience local ingredients within The Grand Strand. Located in Little River just north of Myrtle Beach, Twelve 33 Distillery features local grains in their distilled spirits made entirely from South Carolina ingredients. If you visit the tasting room, there is a bevy of craft cocktails featuring Twelve 33 Distillery’s spirits, like the Summer Blues. If you’d like to add a new cocktail to your repertoire, check out twelve33distillery.com for more cocktail recipes.

Summer Blues

(Courtesy of Twelve 33 Distillery)

10-12 blueberries

¾ ounce blueberry lavender syrup

1 ½ ounce JoJo Gin

½ ounce lemon juice

½ ounce agave nectar

Muddle the blueberries before adding the syrup. Stir in the remaining ingredients, pour over ice and enjoy. As pictured, rim the glass with sugar before pouring the cocktail and garnish with blueberries for that extra special touch.

CAROLINA CHEESE & PROVISIONS

THE TRESTLE BAKERY AND CAFE

Myrtle Beach Grand Strand

Now, if you’re like me, flying to Myrtle Beach seems much more appealing than arriving on the bed of Daddy’s pick-up truck. So, near the Myrtle Beach International Airport and within The Grand Strand’s first urban village known as The Market Common, 1229 Shine is in an old hangar. If this hot spot doesn’t help you see the light beyond all things fried, I don’t know what will.

Centered around a chic bar, the seafood-heavy menus include a stellar happy hour when pilots even hang after a long day of flying, according to my bartender. With most happy hour menu items listing under $6, you can sip and savor freely.

Finally, when it comes to accommodations, of course there are several Holiday Inn options along the Myrtle Beach shoreline that Mamma would have gladly rested her weary head those many years ago. But I happened to stay a little off the beaten path at the locally owned Island Vista Resort. As Myrtle Beach’s only beachfront hotel with a mile on either side, you may not be on an actual island, but you sure will feel as though you are.

Where the Chefs Eat

CHEF HEIDI VUKOV:

•La Poblanita, 311 Highway 15 Ste B Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

•Sea Captain’s House, 3002 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

CHEF JAIMIE DASKALIS:

•Burky’s Grill, 4001 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

•Sol Cocina Mexicana, 12036 Ocean Hwy, Pawleys Island, SC 29585

CHEF JESS SAGUN:

•Big Mike’s Soul Food, 504 16th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC

•Sagun said that after every dinner shift, she heads to Cookout for a walking taco.

CHEF CHRIS SNYDER:

•Stella’s Homemade Ice Cream, 1101 4th Ave, Conway, SC 29526

CHEF DARREN SMITH:

•Taqueria Antojitos Guanajuato, 1705 Park View Rd, Conway, SC 29526

•Mr. Fish Seafood Restaurant, 6401 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572

When I travel, I make it a practice to ask chefs about their favorite local eats. Myrtle Beach chefs did not disappoint. Add their local favorites to your dining list for your visit.

SEA CAPTAIN’S HOUSE

CHAPTER 3

STORIES

THE SHACK

Written by Eric J. Wallace / Photography Sera Peters

Chef Ian Boden's Passion Project in Staunton, Virginia

Farro verde with salsa verde, sour cherries and marinated lima beans.

IT’S NONDESCRIPT, EASY TO MISS — YET IT’S HOME TO THE SHACK, ONE OF THE SOUTH’S MOST UP-AND-COMING CULINARY DESTINATIONS.

The squat brick building is painted midcentury red, has rustic wooden shutters, and is slightly bigger than a one-car garage. It sits on the outskirts of the quiet Shenandoah Valley town of Staunton, Virginia, neighbored by the headquarters of a local utility company and flanked by the bays of an old cinderblock service station.

It’s nondescript, easy to miss — yet it’s home to The Shack, one of the South’s most up-and-coming culinary destinations.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights find the 26-seat restaurant booked out with diners traveling from across the state and beyond. They come to experience twotime James Beard Foundation Best Chef semifinalist, Ian Boden, dish out lavish, prefixe Appalachian fusion tasting menus that change weekly — and often daily — and feature some of the rarest and most interesting seasonal ingredients the region has to offer.

Here, you might get an opening course of soft-fried heirloom apples with juicy slivers of pink grapefruit and a crown of miner’s lettuce drizzled with buttermilk tamari. Maybe it’s followed by Bay scallop and squid ink tortellini served in a pool of ham dashi miso, and topped with fried Autumn Olive Farms ham chips, wild chanterelle mushrooms, house-made gochujang, and a garnish of scallions. Next comes Piedmontese ribeye with purple cape peas, smoked scallops, scallion kimchi, and harissa béarnaise.

The food is so delectable, so unique, diners may find themselves astonished to be enjoying it in a dining room that features polished concrete floors, a hodgepodge of salvaged tables and chairs, walls hung with cheaply framed old family photos, and a restroom located just outside Boden’s 125-square-foot open kitchen.

The mind rebels: How can this be possible?

“For food writers, few ideas are as enduring or attractive as that of ‘the incredible restaurant in the middle-of-nowhere that nobody knows about,’” wrote late Esquire food critic Josh Ozersky shortly after The Shack opened in 2014. “Well, I’ve found that restaurant. … Like the town, [it’s] tiny and remote, and the food is absolutely brilliant. The dishes I had there were the best I’ve had all year, and what’s more, they

were the most interesting.”

For critics like Ozersky — and epicures from culinary hubs like Washington D.C. and New York — The Shack offers both a thrilling oddity and perplexing question. With the restaurant approaching its tenth anniversary, why would a chef of Boden’s rarified talents choose a life of seemingly purposeful obscurity in rural Appalachia?

“For me, what I care about — all I care about — is the food,” says Boden, 44.

On one hand, he calls Virginia and the greater Southeast one of the most incredible food producing regions in the world. There are shellfish from the Chesapeake Bay; catfish from inland lakes; wild mountain trout; world-class highland cattle and sheep; heritage hog farms; internationally acclaimed cheesemakers; heirloom grain producers; award-winning craft wine, beer, and spirits; 100-plus varieties of edible wild mushrooms; and the list goes on.

Meanwhile, operating out of a restaurant like The Shack lets Boden keep overheads low, weather unexpected events like staffing shortages or economic downturns, and pursue a culinary trajectory that is 100 percent his own.

“What I’ve been trying to do is to create a style of cooking that reflects both my personal heritage and the culinary heritage of this region and does so by showcasing the amazing community of farmers, foragers, and producers that we have,” says Boden. “In terms of finding my voice, I feel like I’m only just now hitting my stride. And I feel confident that’s not something that would’ve happened in a traditional, hundred-seat, fine-dining restaurant.”

While Boden is thrilled about his accomplishments and accolades — he says they ensure he can pay staffers well and continue to support great regional producers — he’s quick to recall a time when success was far from sure.

“I remember cringing when the Esquire article came out,” Boden says. “I was like, ‘Here it comes, the whole overnight sensation crap.’ When, in reality, I’d been working toward this for almost 25 years and gotten the shit kicked out of me along the way.”

Indeed, Boden’s interest in food blossomed as a preteen. Though his mom and dad worked long hours in the booming Northern Virginia real estate market and rarely cooked, they’d go all-out for dinner parties with friends and family.

Opposite: Absorbed in his kitchen Boden’s vision comes to life. “For me, what I care about — all I care about — is the food.”

This Page: Operating out of a barebones restaurant allows Boden to keep his overhead low, weather unexpected events and pursue his own culinary vision.

Top Left: Chef Boden’s perspective on a Southern cullinary treat, Chicken and Waffles. Center Left: Shortly after it’s opening, late food critic Josh Ozersky wrote that “the food is absolutely brilliant. The dishes I had there were the best I’ve had all year, and what’s more, they were the most interesting.”

Bottom Left: Seafood features promintely on the menu at The Shack like this flounder Matsutake Uni.

WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS TO CREATE A STYLE OF COOKING THAT REFLECTS BOTH MY PERSONAL HERITAGE AND THE CULINARY HERITAGE OF THIS REGION BY SHOWCASING THE AMAZING COMMUNITY OF FARMERS, FORAGERS, AND PRODUCERS THAT WE HAVE.

“My family is a Jewish family, and Jewish families tend to show their love through their stomachs,” laughs Boden. He watched matriarchs come together to craft traditional dishes like chicken matzo ball soup, potato latke, chopped liver, juicy brisket, and more. “They’d let me join in and my hands would be in everything.” Boden’s enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed.

“My parents were big into ‘finding your path in life’ and went out of their way to support their kids’ interests,” he says. That led Boden’s mom to arrange for him to observe a dinner service at Chez Marc’s 28 Café.

Boden remembers being 13, watching in awe from a barstool as Marc Fusillier, a member of the Association de Maître Cuisiniers France, dished out two-hour-long, traditional French meals.

“It was a tiny place with maybe a dozen seats,” says Boden. Fusillier cooked and his wife waited tables. There was no pretense; the food took front-and-center. “As cliché as it sounds, it felt like our family dinners, the way you could see great food literally bringing people together. I was hooked.”

Boden’s attentiveness impressed Fusillier, and the chef invited him back. After a few visits, Boden was given small tasks like prepping vegetables or kneading bread. His performance led to a full-fledged apprenticeship and assignments with other chefs — including a stint making pastries for a five-diamond D.C. hotel.

“For whatever reason, Chef Marc took me under his wing, and to this day I’m so grateful to him for that,” says Boden. “He wanted to broaden my experience as much as possible, and he called in favors with friends to make it happen.”

When Boden graduated high school at 17, Fusillier insisted he attend the New England Culinary Institute. That brought an internship with star master French chef, Alain Lecompte, at Virginia’s Prince Michel Restaurant.

Coming from a simpler French country background “it was funny, because that was the fussiest, most intricate food I’ve seen anywhere before or since,” says Boden. All the vegetables were tournéed, there were one sprig garnishes, croutons went under everything. “The experience forced me to broaden my range and think more about what

my own approach to food should be.”

It also helped prepare Boden for a decade-long run at New York eateries like Payard Patisserie, Home Restaurant, and Judson Grill, where he cooked under Bill Telepan.

“It was insane and probably a little unhealthy to be that young and doing all that,” says Boden. “But it let me cram a ton of learning into a short amount of time. So, I loved it, even when I hated it.”

Then the mid-2000s brought a shift in culinary ethos. Reality TV shows glamorized chefs and increasingly left up-and-comers jockeying with peers for a shot at mega-stardom.

“You could see it becoming less about the food and community, more about meme-me,” says Boden. “And the dining experiences suffered because of that.”

Boden found a way out in his parents’ adopted hometown of Staunton. The moun-

tain community offered affordable rent and was becoming a popular tourist destination. He secured investments and used his life savings to open The Staunton Grocery in 2007.

But Boden says neither he nor the town was ready.

“I thought I’d toned it down — and, compared to what I was used to, that was true,” he explains. “But it was still too high-brow, too refined, too big. And I was too full of myself to listen to the people who tried to warn me.”

Back then there was no true fine dining within 45 minutes. The farm-to-table movement was in its infancy and most area eaters preferred pork barbecue to, say, a blanquette de veau made with locally sourced ingredients. It proved impossible to educate locals and attract enough visiting guests to consistently fill the restaurant’s 60-plus seats. And after five fraught years, the Grocery closed.

Still, Boden was able to build a following among in-theknow eaters. An offer to helm an ambitious new Charlottesville restaurant followed, and he reluctantly accepted.

“It was the kind of big, pretentious thing that I’d been trying to get away from,” says Boden. But by then he’d married and started a family. And losing the restaurant had devastated their finances. “In some ways, it seemed like I was taking a step backward. But it was such a great opportunity, I felt I had to take it.”

The chef-driven Glass Haus opened in 2013 with around 100 seats. The chic, open dining room had floor-to-ceiling windows, a second story mezzanine and, with its technically dazzling menu, felt more Brooklyn than Blue Ridge. The reception was staggering.

“[Glass Haus] is in a class of its own,” wrote renowned Washington Post food critic, Tom Sietsema, in a review. Boden’s regionally inflected tail-to-nose cuisine brings “a meal that justifies the long drive.”

Reviews like Sietsema’s helped Boden land a spot on 2014’s James Beard Foundation Best Chef list. And yet, before the winners were announced, he’d stepped away. “Ultimately, it’s just not what I wanted,” he says. Owners pushed blanket media coverage and sought to turn him into a star. He often worked 80-hour weeks and, with the commute, barely saw his family.

“The more I looked at it, the less it made sense,” says Boden. “If I wanted that life, I should have stayed in New York.”

Devastated but determined, he again turned his eye to Staunton. This time, with a very different plan.

“I made a lot of mistakes and experienced terrible failures, but those taught me so much about myself and this business,” says Boden. “It was terrifying to think of starting over again, but I felt confident in our vision and decided to gamble everything.”

Boden worked closely with his wife, Leslie, to find and outfit the building. They had a shoestring budget and followed a barebones aesthetic. The goal was to minimize overhead and create a comfortable, unassuming atmosphere where nothing distracted from the food — nor deterred Boden from pursuing his culinary voice.

“We wanted to free up creativity by limiting financial pressures as much as possible,” he says. “I didn’t want to be scared to challenge myself and [my staff] to try drastically different things. I wanted all of the pressure to come from us and the shared desire to feed our guests the best food we can.”

As we know, the strategy worked. Critics like Ozersky helped put The Shack on the map, and in 2017 Boden was again named a James Beard semifinalist.

The Shack has evolved considerably since it opened its doors in 2014. Early menus featured an omnipresent burger alongside three and four course tasting menus stacked with an almost overwhelming array of options that changed daily. Licensing issues meant there was no wine, beer, or spirits. There were Sunday brunches and — due to frequent staffing problems — lots of sit-ins from guest chefs like Travis Milton, a staunch Shack supporter.

Today, the restaurant boasts a tailored selection of Boden’s favorite booze from Virginia and throughout the Southeast. It’s open for three days a week and offers two five-course dinner services each night. The majority of diners are out-of-towners, and Boden’s every-growing notoriety means he can attract kitchen talent from up and down the East Coast. He’s created a line of sauces and has a pantry next-door for pickling, drying, and freezing produce.

Still, for Boden, it’s all about the food.

“It’s insane to think about the past 10 years and the incredible relationships we’ve been able to make with so many farmers and producers,” says Boden. “I’m already looking ahead to the next 10 years and thinking about what comes next, and how far we can take this concept.”

Whatever it is, one thing is for sure: It’ll be worth the drive.

THE STAUNTON GROCERY

Pandemic shutdowns hit small restaurants particularly hard — and that includes The Shack, which chef/owner Ian Boden says lost more than $200,000 between March and July of 2020 alone.

“It was terrifying,” says Boden. “Nobody knew how long it was going to last.”

Still, he was in a better position than most independent owners. “I’d experienced the devastation of having a restaurant fail,” he says. “I knew neither I nor my family could survive another experience like that, so I’d been squirreling away every dime I could for years. I knew we were in the best position we could possibly be in, but even that felt pretty apocalyptic.”

Boden’s anxiety worsened as closures stretched on. He was hemorrhaging money. Partner farms and producers teetered on the brink of collapse. Kitchen and front-of-house staffers struggled to pay bills and stay in the area. Something had to give.

“All I’d ever done was cook,” Boden says. “All of that watching and waiting and crunching and re-crunching numbers was driving me insane.”

Boden and wife Leslie hatched a bold idea: Why not reprise the Staunton Grocery in a neighboring storage building? The new iteration would serve as a boutique meat and specialty goods market that also offered affordable takeout options. The new venture launched in September 2020 and featured inventory from Boden’s robust sourcing list of area farmers and producers.

There was heritage breed bacon and pork chops from Waynesboro’s Autumn Olive Farms. Heirloom grains and flours came from

the Farmer’s Burrow in Asheville, North Carolina. Digger Jay’s Wild Edibles provided fresh foraged ramps, morels, chantarelles, and water lettuce. Keep Well Vinegar Company offered an array of hand-crafted vinegars, miso paste, and gochujang. There was salt from West Virginia’s J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works. And the list goes on.

Meanwhile, the Grocery offered a rotating menu with items like chicken salad bagels with pickled ramps, pork Bolognese, sorghum cornbread, smash burgers, potato salad, pate banh mi subs, and more. It also hosted outdoor popup events like pig roasts or chicken-and-biscuit shootouts that directly benefitted hard-hit farmers.

“With all the restaurants and farmers’ markets closed, we wanted to find a way to help our partners as much as possible and to try to keep ourselves and our employees occupied through the pandemic,” says Boden. But he also thought it would be interesting to introduce and help community members access a curated inventory of items he routinely used in The Shack.

After three years, the Grocery is still going strong. Curious eaters can order dry goods online — like fermented kraut-chi or Boden’s sorghum hot sauce — and have them shipped to their doors. If you’re in the area, drop by and grab a tub of sausage gravy and some fresh biscuits, or take advantage of a pizza popup.

“Some people think I’m crazy for doing this,” laughs Boden. “But for us, this is just another way of celebrating great local food and the incredible community of producers that make it possible.”

where there’s SMOAK

there’s BAR-B-QUE

Written by Laura Drummond / Photography by Scott Speakes

THE TANTALIZING SMELLS OF SMOKE AND MEAT SLOWLY COOKING OVER A PIT DRAWS YOU IN.

From the outside, County Smoak in Lynchburg, Virginia may look unassuming. On the inside, however, classically trained chefs and husband-and-wife duo Ken and Jessica Hess serve award-winning barbecue and innovative, handcrafted sides.

The Hesses invested almost everything they had into this endeavor, opening the restaurant in February 2020. “If we didn’t start selling barbecue the day we opened, we weren’t going to pay the bills. It was sink or swim,” recalls Ken. Shortly thereafter, the pandemic hit, and they could have easily been sunk—but they swam.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We got a lot busier than we ever thought we were going to be very quickly,” says Jessica. “We’ve gotten a lot of recognition for our food and our service.” With that being said, these two are far from an overnight sensation.

Ken and Jessica were both classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and each has decades of experience in the restaurant business—as chefs in fine dining and catering—and now ownership. “We know what we’re doing,” says Jess.

By this time, Ken and Jessica were planning what was next for their careers and their family, and barbecue seemed to be the right avenue to pursue. Jessica had acquired years of catering experience, and “Ken already had a large degree of visibility and recognition,” says Jessica. They had lived all over the country due to the nature of their work, but they thought it might be time to put down roots. In 2016, their oldest daughter, who was only 13 at the time, got into college at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia. They chose Lynchburg for its proximity to their daughter.

THE SUMMER BEFORE RELOCATING to Virginia, Ken and Jessica packed up their three kids and dog in a camper and traveled across the country, hitting notable barbecue hot spots, like Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Kansas City. “We learned a lot. We noticed that a lot of places either had really good meats or they had really good sides, but it was tough to find places where everything was quality,” recalls Jessica.

HOW

DID

TWO EXPERIENCED CHEFS end up in the smoking-hot, competitive, finger-licking world of barbecue? That journey has been years in the making. After culinary school, Ken developed a love for barbecue because it was a departure from the classic French and American cuisines he had studied. “It was just fun,” he says.

Working as an apprentice at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, he learned about how to butcher and smoke meat from his mentor Ethan Hileman, who was the Catering Chef at the Greenbrier at the time. Ken bought his own smoker so he could hone his skills on his days off, coming up with his own techniques and rubs. In 2002, he formed a barbecue competition team, and his first contest was in Lynchburg—the future home of his restaurant.

As Ken moved up the ranks at the Greenbrier and became more well-known on the competition circuit, Ken had the opportunity to connect with and learn from barbecue experts like Steven Raichlen, who wrote The Barbecue Bible, and Dr. BBQ himself Ray Lampe.

When Ken had the opportunity to join pitmaster Chris Lilly at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, Ken jumped at the chance. There, he got to cater for NASCAR, the NFL, and the James Beard House. He was also part of the team that twice won the Memphis in May International Festival World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. “That gave me a crash course on volume and quality of a high level for barbecue,” says Ken.

They had planned on the trip preparing them for a barbecue venture they were in talks to launch with a restaurant group once they settled in Lynchburg. When that deal fell through, they decided to figure out how to build their own business without partners or investors, investing in themselves and opening County Smoak independently. “We don’t want to be beholden to someone else. We don’t want someone else to dictate what we can and cannot do menu-wise,” says Jessica. They started operating as a catering business and hosted pop-up events locally until they were able to afford their own space.

Their success has been in large part to the quality of their food, which has been their top priority from the start. They pull from years of study and experimentation, incorporating what they’ve learned from barbecue traditions in Alabama, Kansas City, North Carolina, and South Carolina into their own menu items.

One key to their success is their willingness to try new things, make mistakes, and improve—and their unwillingness to settle or to rely on shortcuts. “As chefs, we have constant drive to improve and to innovate,” says Jessica. “The hardest thing with barbecue is there are so many variables. To make it consistent, we have to not just be trying to make the best flavored food, but we have to be willing to work at figuring out how to do that every single day.”

What makes their food so good is their time-worn process—from the grade of meat they select, the butchering process, to the seasoning—everything is carefully thought out for the most flavorful, most consistent results. “Everyone’s like, what’s

Pork sandwich is served on a Brioche potato bun with County Smoak’s signature Bacon Blue Cheese ColeSlaw and Fire & Ice Pickle Relish. It comes with Qu-Tang sauce, but guests can select any of their sauces.

your trick for brisket? There’s 20 or 30 steps to our brisket process—that’s the trick,” says Ken. “By having the background in cooking, we have a different advantage than most people do.”

A lot of other barbecue restaurants they’ve encountered were launched by folks who competed in barbecue contests as hobbies or side projects, so they don’t have the expertise to also whip up delicious sides. At County Smoak, what you think of as typical barbecue sides like baked beans and coleslaw have their own delicious, well-planned recipes that utilize their sauces, leftover meat, and complement the flavors of the barbecue.

With an expansive menu, it can be hard to decide what to try first. Ken and Jessica prefer the chicken and turkey, respectively. They consider their signatures to be the pulled pork sandwich, the bacon bleu cheese

Top left: Ken and Jessica Hess sit atop a just delivered load of Hickory wood. All the meats at County Smoak are smoked using Hickory wood.

Top right: Juicy, tender Prime Brisket coated in a house rub is sliced and served with Boss’s Sauce.

Bottom left: Smoaked Mac and Cheese is County Smoak’s number one selling side. A pan of bake your own Mac and Cheese is available to take home.

Bottom right: Look for the sign above the entrance to County Smoak. Smoaked Out sign is lit when all the meat is sold out.

slaw, and the fire and ice pickle relish—but they admit their mac and cheese is also a top seller. They love trying new things, and their regulars have embraced the experimentation. “Because of the quality of the service and quality of our food, people trust us with crazy specials here,” says Ken. Their sauces and rubs have become so popular that they offer them for sale separately.

Now, customers will have even more dishes to try, as the Hesses are opening a new restaurant this fall called County Sunrise, serving up breakfast food, including made-from-scratch biscuits, chicken and dumplings, and creative spins on classic dishes.

County Sunrise is a spin-off of their original restaurant’s name, County Smoak. Ken and Jessica chose that name in recognition of two aspects of barbecue history, which they learned from Virginia Barbecue: A History,

Top left: Ken adding his signature rub to the Scoobie Snacks – smoked rib tips. They are sold by the ¼, ½, or pound and make a great snack.

Top right: Order the Pitmaster’s Pig Out and build your own smoked meat tray form a selection of beef brisket, sausage, chicken, turkey, pulled pork, or ribs. Bottom left: Hickory smoked chicken is dipped in an Alabama White BBQ sauce called “The Don.”

Bottom right: Checking the individual temps on the poultry on the smoker.

by author and award-winning barbecue cook Joseph R. Haynes.

In the book, Haynes asserts that Virginia is the birthplace of barbecue. As one piece of evidence, he cites one of the earliest documented descriptions of barbecue, in a letter from a woman visiting Virginia to her brother back in England. The spelling of smoak is a nod to the spelling in that first reference. They also learned that some counties would have one centralized smokehouse where people could bring their meat to be smoked for preservation. The idea of the community smokehouse felt appropriate, as they want to provide a sense of community within their space.

And they do. County Smoak has become an integral part of the Lynchburg food scene, providing mentorship and advice to up-andcoming food trucks and restaurants. They also partner with local bakeries to supply their desserts. In addition, County Smoak has done collaborations with other small businesses, like Outside the Cone, an award-winning ice cream shop in Lynchburg. They came up with a flavor combination that includes brisket, cornbread, smoked bacon toffee, and vanilla ice cream. “It’s the fastest selling ice cream flavor that they’ve ever had,” says Ken.

Ken teaches staff members how to smoke meats in months-long training sessions before they prepare food independently. Ken and Jessica also impart their formal training on their staff members, in terms of culinary skills and customer service. “We are a little shack, but there’s a level of professionalism and polish that we try to maintain,” says Jessica.

They also support causes that address food insecurity in their community, including the Lighthouse Community Center of Lynchburg, which serves 300 to 500 meals each day. “Our mission is hunger relief,” says Jess. In accordance with that mission, County Smoak has a no-questions-asked policy to serve meals to anyone who can’t afford them at no cost.

It started during the pandemic when Jessica noticed on a Wednesday that they had a lot of leftover smoked turkey. They put out a message that anyone in need of a meal could come get some at no cost the next day, and the Thankful Thursdays program was born. This quickly transitioned into an ongoing offering—in which anyone on any day of the week can call or come in and mention “Thankful Thursdays” for a free meal of their choosing.

“We really try to be a part of our community,” says Ken. “Our community accepted us in a really hard time and has supported us for the last three years. We’ve been gracious about returning the favor.”

countysmoak.com

Opposite: The LOVE mural gracing the side of the smokehouse is one of the Virginia Tourism “Love” installations. Painted by Jennifer Gilley and Ken Faraoni of Sundog Art Studios. The flowers are dogwoods which are the state tree and flower of Virginia.

SUCCESS HAS BEEN IN LARGE PART TO THE QUALITY OF THEIR FOOD, WHICH HAS BEEN THEIR TOP PRIORITY FROM THE START.

Photograph by Chris Drahhos

RAMPING IT UP!

In West Virginia, the arrival of ramps each year is synonymous with celebrating the local community through local festivals.

Written by Joe McSpadden / Photography by Tyler Darden

As assignments go, it doesn’t take much to get me in the mood for a road trip, especially when the destination is the mountains of West Virginia. My previous okra excursion paired me with photographer Tyler Darden, a fellow traveler with the same laid-back curiosity and love of improvisation that I possess. For four days in 2019 we made our pilgrimage down the Mountain Music Trail, interviewing and recording bluegrass and Appalachian OldTime musicians. It was a wonderful trip; Tyler and I worked well together. This time around my editor, asked if I wanted to go back to the mountain state for a ramp festival. I had no idea what a ramp festival was, but Tyler was going to photograph it. I was all in.

I told my family that I was going to a ramp festival. This elicited polite stares, some questions, and a lot of wrong guesses as to what exactly a ramp festival was. The best guess was a skateboarding event. The only one who knew was my wife, Suzanne, a Cooking Coach for Wegmans grocery stores. She is always down for a trip, especially if there is a culinary angle.

scrambled eggs and bacon. There are endless options for salads as well. This trip would be centered around a dish known as the Ramp Casserole.

A TRUE ROOTS FESTIVAL West Virginia has dozens of festivals celebrating the arrival of ramps. The odiferous vegetable is one of a very few plants that the public are permitted to forage for inside state and national parks. In a sense, celebrating the arrival of ramps is synonymous with celebrating the local community. My journey would take me to the Camp Creek State Park Ramp Feast, in Mercer county, West Virginia.

Winding our way through the mountains of West Virginia, Suzanne and I wondered what to expect. The Fest had been advertised as a combination Ramp Festival and lumberjack competition. It promised, in addition to a dish called “the ramp casserole,” that there would be burly men chopping logs and young ladies swinging axes. These ladies were referred to as lumberjills. They seemed like folks whose pronouns were firmly in place.

FORAGING FOR ANSWERS

The ramp is a unique vegetable. Ramps grow in the Appalachian mountains, from Georgia up through West Virginia, and on through to Quebec. They are a perennial and grow on the north face of the mountains.

Though they are only in season for a few weeks, harvesting them is a sign that spring has arrived. They are a West Virginia delicacy; people forage for them every year. Ramp season is greeted with excitement and enthusiasts are known to keep silent as to the location they forage.

Described as a pungent wild leek, ramps have an aroma somewhat akin to garlic on steroids. They are in the same family of plants as garlic, chives, and scallions. They appear like spring onions, although a bit leafier. Ramps are grown from rhizomes. Webster’s Dictionary defines rhizomes as “a somewhat elongated usually horizontal subterranean plant stem that… produces shoots above and roots below.” Ginger and turmeric are other examples of rhizomes.

Ramps have a wide variety of uses. Finely chopped ramps can be blended into a compound butter, mixed with pasta, or as a tasty garnish alongside

After a pleasant four-hour drive from Richmond we arrived in Princeton, just a few miles south of Camp Creek State Park. The mist was still clinging to the shoulder of the mountains, and the purple clouds promised rain later in the day. We hoped it would clear in time for the festival the next morning. We connected with Tyler and went for dinner at Dolly’s Diner. There we met some wonderful people and had some great food. Later, back at the hotel, I decided to look up the history of the area.

Princeton, West Virginia, population 5,872, took its name from Princeton, New Jersey, where General Hugh Mercer died during the Civil War battle of Princeton. Mercer had been a Revolutionary War hero and was the namesake of Mercer County. During the War Between the States the residents of Princeton burned their town to the ground rather than have it fall into the hands of the Union Army.

SATURDAY IN THE PARK Morning arrived with an overcast sky that slowly gave way to bright sunshine and a swampy warmth that dispersed any thoughts of rain. Camp Creek State Park was a beautiful location for the event. A gentle flowing creek winds its way through, and there are trails for

PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT RAMP CASSEROLE WAS THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY IT ENGENDERED. IT WAS CLEAR THAT WEST VIRGINIANS WERE PROUD OF THEIR REGIONAL DISH.

Ramp Casserole starts by browning sliced potatoes, adding spicy country sausage and covering with chopped ramps.

horseback riding, and hiking paths that take you to scenic waterfalls. The sounds of birds and a bubbling creek made for a wonderful serenade. Saturday morning started with a flea market, an assortment of garage sale items, and some folk arts and crafts on display.

At the flea market Suzanne found a teddy bear to adopt while Tyler and I made our way to the building where the ramp casserole was cooking. We were shown to the back to find two sizzling Blackstone grills and our two chefs, Pam and Nathan. They were already fast at work, browning mountains of sliced potatoes. Pam explained that the ramp casserole is a wellknown West Virginia favorite.

“First time I made the ramp casserole was at a fund raiser for the fire department years ago,” she said, flashing a wide grin. “This is the same recipe I made back then.” Although hers was a traditional recipe Pam did allow that people have some interesting variations. “The people around here love their ramp casserole.”

The next step was protein. Pam and Nathan each began to add Gunnoe’s hot country sausage. Meat and potatoes, what more could I ask for? I expected that some ramps would be added, just enough to accent the dish, like a garnish. The scent rising from the grill filled the air and raised my anticipation for the dinner to come later.

WE WANT THE FUNK I was enjoying the aroma of the meat and potatoes when Nathan said it was time to add the ramps. I imagined them sprinkling some ramp here and there when Nathan opened a blue Igloo cooler containing sealed quart Ziplock bags of chopped ramp. The funk hit me like a slap in the face with a wet, garlic-infused towel. The pungent smell of garlic and onion filled the air. I watched as Pam and Nathan proceeded to add ramps to the grill. They did not accent the dish with ramps, they smothered it. Next eggs were whisked in a bowl and added to the mixture, and then a cover was placed over the grill to allow the ramps to flavor the meat and potatoes. After a while the mixture was scooped into casserole trays and covered with cheese before being placed in the oven.

As a kid, I was always a picky eater, never the first to try something new. Being married to a chef has broadened my palette. I am more adventurous in the kitchen and at the table. But the strong odor of ramps had me wondering. They say everyone has an inner child, and mine was speaking up. You know you are going to have to eat this for the sake of journalism. This was followed by the voice of my mother. Be polite and be thankful for your dinner. Finish your plate or you won’t get any ice cream.

I’M A LUMBERJACK…AND I’M OKAY With the fate of modern journalism

Opposite clockwise L-R: Nathan works the grill. • Handful of fresh picked ramps.• Topping the ramps to the mixture.• Ramp casserole. The finished dish after coating with cheese and baking in the oven. Opposite Top Right: Competing in the standing block chop. Opposite Bottom Right: Cutting cookies with a hot saw –a custom chainsaw powered by a motorcycle engine.

clinging to me like an amorous grizzly bear, I made my way to the lumberjack competition. The crowd had been building all afternoon. Lawn chairs and blankets were spread out on the grassy floor of the park. The competition area was cordoned off and an assortment of logs were set up on stands.

The occasion was part of the Stihl Timbersports series. Stihl’s website describes it as “The Original Extreme Sport.” Based on the display of talent that Saturday, that statement is not hyperbole. Each event was timed. First up; the underhand chop.

The underhand chop involves a lumberjack with a six-pound axe standing on a log. Before the event kicks off the lumberjack chips away at either end of the log to create a flat place to stand on. Then, when the announcer says “Go!” the lumberjacks start chopping away at their logs. When they reach the halfway mark, they turn 180 degrees and chop the other side of the log until it splits in half.

The most impressive event was the Hot Saw challenge. What is a hot saw?

A hot saw is to a chain saw what a hot rod is to a car. Picture the most badass chainsaw you can imagine, powered by a motorcycle engine.

A six-inch section of a log is marked off. Each contestant revs his hot saw to warm it up and then turns it off. The saw is placed on the ground beside the log. The lumberjack then places both hands on the log. The announcer counts down to the start. Each lumberjack grabs his saw and starts it, and must cut three complete “cookies” from the log, as fast as he can without going past the six-inch mark. Going past the mark disqualifies the contestant. The speed and skill are nothing short of amazing.

Alas, only two lumberjills entered the competition, nevertheless it was fun to watch them compete right alongside the men. After the event I had the chance to speak to some of the contestants. Several of the lumberjacks had tool boxes containing six axes, each with different edges. Each axe costing between $450 to $600 apiece.

GOTTA

HAVE THAT

FUNK The line for ramp casserole was over a hundred people long for several hours. They just kept coming. To see the public turnout for this traditional dish was quite moving. It was late in the day before Suzanne and Tyler and I got our dinners but the wait was well worth it. The process of cooking the ramp had reduced the pungency of the leek and mellowed its flavor. It seasoned the casserole without overpowering it and the result was a savory, spicy combination of sausage, potato and leek that was really quite good.

Perhaps one of the best things about ramp casserole was the sense of community it engendered. It was clear that West Virginians were proud of their regional dish. We had a chance to talk to several people who shared their love of the leek. There was real passion when they spoke. Foraging and cooking ramp is passed down from generation to generation; the humble leek reminds us that food can build and strengthen a culture. If you are ever in West Virginia in the spring make sure to get a ramp dinner!

visitwv.com/event/camp-creek-lumberjack-and-ramp-festival/

DOLLY’S DINER

If your travels take you near Princeton, West Virginia make sure you stop at Dolly’s Diner. Just a few blocks from the intersection of Interstate 77 and route 460, the diner sits on a hill on Oakvale street. This classic looking diner is a treat in more ways than one. The brainchild of Leonard Lane, who named the place after his wife, Miss Dolly, it is known for its varied menu of classic American fare. What do you do when you retire? Why, you open a restaurant, of course!

Dolly’s Diner is an example of American spirit, and of finding opportunity in what appears to be disaster. The Lanes opened the diner in an existing structure that looked quite different than it does today. Business was going well when a fire caused the business to shut down. Rather than throw in the towel, Leonard saw an opportunity to remodel the building into a more classic American Diner.

Dolly’s boasts good old comfort food. How about Chicken-fried steak with white gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans? Or perhaps you would rather tend to that rumbling stomach by downing their signature cheesesteak sub with a side of fries? Of course, there is always liver and onions for the adventurous at heart. Whatever you choose make sure you save plenty of room for one of their amazing milkshakes, served in a large beer mug topped with whipped cream.

But the real secret of Dolly’s Diner is their signature dish… Miss Dolly herself! Miss Dolly, with her trademark red chef hat, is the soul and spirit of the diner, a local personality in her own right. Everyone who works at Dolly’s wears a red tee shirt bearing a cartoonist’s sketch of the diminutive hostess.

When we arrived for dinner Tyler asked Mr. Lane for permission to photograph the place. He quickly called Miss Dolly, who was at home, and she agreed to stop in. Before long there was a buzz going around the dining room that Miss Dolly had arrived. We watched as she made her rounds, stopping at tables to talk to the customers and to make sure they were enjoying their meal. Finally, she came to our table and chatted us up.

It was immediately apparent that not only was good food on the menu, so was genuine hospitality. Miss Dolly was the epitome of charm and grace, with a dose of humility thrown in for good measure. Her presence was the perfect addition to our experience at the diner. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we came back the next morning for a most excellent breakfast.

This page: The two lumberjills competing in the underhand chop

get your GOAT

Raising goats and making cheese got the attention of this family when they had to make life changes.

Written by Susan Marquez / Photography by Stephen Ironside

As schoolteachers in California, Scott and Tessa McCormick never dreamed they would one day own a goat farm in Elkins, a small community in northwestern Arkansas. Yet, that’s the path Tessa says God had for them.

“We lived in the mountains and loved our life,” says Tessa. The couple has three daughters, Amber, Caily and Emily. They each enjoyed hiking in the mountains, going to the beach, and all that California had to offer. But their idyllic life was put to the test when Tessa had a series of health events, followed by a tragic house fire. Tessa was only 35 when she suffered from heart failure and paralysis. Diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, her doctor told Tessa she would have to quit working to live. On April Fool’s Day in 2010, four days before Tessa was due to go to the Mayo Clinic, the family’s home caught on fire. “We were all home, and able to get out,” says Tessa. But the damage was extensive, and the insurance company didn’t pay the full coverage amount. “We had to take stock and decide what to do.”

The family moved from the mountaintop to a valley, and Tessa homeschooled the girls, who were nine, 12 and 15 at the time. “We didn’t want to live in a valley (city),” says Tessa. “We prayed as a family for God to lead us to the right place. He led us to visit friends in Arkansas.” Tessa’s mother was originally from Arkansas, and Tessa was about to become a third-generation dairy farmer. “I visited Arkansas as a child, but I didn’t know anything about dairy farming.” The girls loved Arkansas, and Tessa says she heard God’s voice saying, “Move here.” But she did not hear him say anything about goats.

The family moved into a friend’s farmhouse near Fayetteville and shortly afterwards took a trip to a wedding in Michigan. Scott was stressed because he needed to support his family. On the drive back to Arkansas, Scott said they should find a dairy farm they could visit. “We found one in Missouri, and the owners were happy to give us a tour. They had goats, and they told us that if we were serious about cheese making, we should go to the Vermont Institute of Artisanal Cheese. “We got an insurance check from the house in California and used it for Scott to take the basic and advanced cheese making courses.” The family returned to Vermont two more times. Tessa and the girls did an internship and learned goat health and husbandry. They went back a third time to buy a herd of goats. “Scott had a Jeep Wrangler he loved. I knew when he sold it to have money to buy a herd of goats he was serious.”

A friend of a friend helped them find some land. “Land ownership is one of the requirements to have dairy goats,” Tess explains. After working on building their home in California for ten years, the McCormicks didn’t have the energy or the time to put into another house. “We lived in a popup trailer for three months,” recalls Tessa. “On a mission trip to Mexico we lived in yurts and thought that would be the ideal thing for our family.” They found three used yurts in California, so they had them disassembled and shipped to Arkansas.

The McCormick’s started building their herd in 2011, and in 2013 they passed their final inspection. White River Creamery was in business.

SAYS SHE KNEW

WHEN SCOTT SOLD HIS TO HAVE MONEY FOR A

While they don’t sell goat milk, they do sell products made from the milk. Cheese is the main product. It takes a minimum of 48 hours to make the basic chevre cheese. After milking the goats around 6pm, Scott starts the cheese-making process at 8pm. By 8am the next morning, the cheese is ready to cut and hang.

When taking school children on tours of the farm, Tessa refers to the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme. “They have heard of curds and whey, so I explain that curds are the cheese and whey is what comes out of the cheese. The whey is a bright green, very high in vitamin B. Bodybuilders love it. Scott tried doing different things with the whey from making beer, wine, and caramel.” In addition to chevre, Scott makes gouda that is aged for eight years, marinated cheeses sold in Mason jars, and feta cheese. “Feta hangs longer,” explains Tessa. “It gets brined. A young feta takes about a week, but the more mature feta cheeses age for three years.”

The McCormick’s herd is made up of American Dairy Goat Association-registered Nigerian Dwarf goats that graze on 15 acres of pasture. The American breed was developed for small-scale dairy production. Tessa says they chose Nigerian Dwarf goats because their milk tastes the best. “It is sweet, and high in milk fat, which makes it very rich and creamy.”

Goat milk soap is another product produced on the farm. “It’s almost a shame to use the milk to make soap, because the milk is so good,” says Tessa. “But the soap is really good for the skin. We are not able to make health claims, but we have many repeat customers who swear their eczema cleared up after using our soap.” They also purchase cow’s milk to make cheese, including their popular fromage blanc, which is the cow version of chevre.

The whole family has worked on the farm over the years. With the girls grown and moved out of the house, it’s up Scott and Tessa to keep the farm running, along with a few employees. “We have had up to twenty employees at one time and we were making cheese six days a week.” The girls are 23, 26 and 28 now and all of them live in Fayetteville. “We even have our first grandbaby.” Tessa says that none of the girls are interested in goat farming or cheese-making, but she hopes that may change some day. “They are all cheese snobs,” she laughs. “When our middle daughter did mission work in Papua, New Guinea, they had no dairy at all, which of course meant no cheese. She said she knew she was in a third world country when she became ‘cheese deprived.’”

Products from White River Creamery are sold in local farmers markets and grocery stores. Many restaurants use their products as well. Some of the items can be ordered online and shipped. whiterivercreamery.com

Above: Tessa and Scott McCormick moved their family to start a new way of life for their family and Tessa’s health. They moved into three yurts they had shipped in from California. Bottom left to right: The McCormick’s herd is made up of American Dairy Goat Association-registered Nigerian Dwarf goats. The breed was specifically developed for small-scale dairy production. • Hand stretched artisan made mozarella is packed into jars to marinate along with oregano and toasted red pepper. •The herd is managed organically and guarded by their loyal Great Pyrenees dog. Their health and quality of milk is the top priority. Goats are milked twice a day.

HE WAS SERIOUS.

PRIZED JEEP WRANGLER HERD OF GOATS, TESSA

Top: While the McCormicks don’t sell goat milk, they do sell products made from the milk, like their soap. Center: Nigerian Dwarf goats were chosen for their herd because they have the highest butterfat of any dairy goat, which gives a rich and creamy milk and amazing cheese.

Bottom: Greek marinated feta made from locally sourced cow’s milk is packed in Mason jars.

The Sweetest Little Bakery

This Blue Ridge, GA bakery is dripping with 1950’s charm and baker/owner Arial Joyner hopes her treats help folks recollect precious memories.

Written by Marianne Leek / Photography by Henry Gonzalez

Opposite: Cheesecakes have become Joyner's signature dessert and this strawberry cheescake is proof. Above: Joyner with customer favorite Ding Dong chocolate cake.

I THINK EVERYONE DESERVES A SCRATCH-MADE GOODIE THAT TRULY HAD LOVE AND CONSIDERATION POURED INTO IT

Beyond feeling like you’ve stepped back into a much simpler time, the first thing you’ll likely notice is the aroma - notes of warm vanilla, chocolate, sugar, coconut, and cream - sweetly and poignantly reminiscent of the nostalgia of childhood treats. A display case of candy apples, oatmeal cream pies, peanut butter and chocolate buckeyes, apple spice cake, and Samoa cheesecake are just a few of the items on today’s menu. The Little Bakery is located in the heart of downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, a quaint, scenic small town about an hour and a half north of Atlanta for those looking to escape the heat and humidity of places farther south. But for bakery owner, Arial Joyner, this charming town in the north Georgia mountains of the Blue Ridge has always been home. Growing up, Joyner didn’t know she wanted to own a bakery. In fact, she didn’t begin baking until 2018 when she was in her mid-twenties and discovered that she not only enjoyed it but was also really good at it.

At 28 years old, this self-described “Granny at heart” and her 1950s-themed bakery reflect her love of all things vintage, and her decor is intentional. “My bakery is dripping with 50’s charm and you won't find a touch of modern style upon entering. I want folks to step back in time when they walk through my door, detach from all things modern, and perhaps think of their Memaw or Papaw when they try a dessert or see a particular antique. The bakery reflects a lot of the old-school recipes I hold near and dear to my heart along with my own personal style. Regarding my preacher's cookies, a customer once told my mom that she ‘had not had these since her grandma passed away and it was a special treat.’ Another customer remarked about the glass bottle sodas that I sell, ‘My family used to go to Maggie Valley every year for this particular drink and special buy it for vacation. Just a silly childhood memory, but so sweet.’ Little did she know it was not silly at all to me. That is what I’m after! I want my bakery to bring up precious memories from the past and make people smile.”

Joyner’s a bit of an anomaly, an old soul whose love of antiques runs deep and can be attributed to her mom who is the face of the bakery and who you’ll likely meet at checkout. “My mom, stepdad, and I all appreciate a

good antique store.” Joyner explained that each item tells a story, “These pieces have character and it’s fun to think about whose family home these were in. There is an untold story there. Was it loved as much as I’m going to love it?" The Little Bakery is wildly popular, frequented by local customers as well as those who travel from surrounding states. It is not uncommon for Joyner to have “sellout days” at the bakery and have to close early, and she has struggled to keep up with demand. With her being the only baker and everything made entirely from scratch, Joyner advises customers to check her daily menu online and come early. But Joyner’s success didn’t happen overnight, and she credits both hard work and local support, “Before the storefront, I had very humble beginnings. I started baking out of my home for fun in 2018 and had one springform pan to my name. In 2019, I began baking for a new restaurant, Misty Mountain Hops and Vinyl Pub, also located in downtown Blue Ridge. This is when my baking really took off. To my surprise, desserts would often sell out in hours, and it was a race to get a slice. This time period was a major learning phase for me - figuring out what my specialty was and constantly testing out recipes that did and didn’t work. Cheesecake became my specialty, and I was known for changing the flavor every week. Folks started asking if they could order a whole cheesecake and so began my next chapter of taking private orders. I was tickled to death taking my first private order, but again, I had no idea it would take off like it did. I began to book out months in advance for cheesecake orders and that’s all she wrote!”

In October of 2022, Joyner opened The Little Bakery, and in addition to keeping the bakery stocked, she continues to take private orders, as well as bake for Misty Mountain Hops. While the bakery is open WednesdaysSundays, Joyner rarely takes a day off, going in on Mondays and Tuesdays

Above: Nanner Pudding cheesecake (a frequent sell-out,) Strawberry cheesecake, and Coconut cake. Right Clockwise top to bottom: Peanut butter and chocolate Buckeyes.• A sign in the shop serves as a reminder to customers why some items sell out quickly. • It took Joyner three years to get her Chocolate Chip cookies just like she wanted them. Regulars say they are the best!

BAKING FROM SCRATCH IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME. ABOUT THE FEELING WHEN YOU TRULY

to do weekly prep work. “In the first few months of opening, I honestly lived at the bakery and questioned if I could keep up with demand, with most shifts being upwards of 14 hours and some nights during the holidays I almost stayed overnight.”

While most people learn to bake from a relative, Joyner is largely selftaught, her recipes a result of trial and error, “Most bakers will tell you they learned everything from their mom or grandma, but this is not necessarily true for me. I did not grow up with a passion for baking and did not know I held a hidden talent for baking until later on in my life. My mom is an excellent cook but does not bake, while my Memaw is an excellent cook and baker. Although my Memaw was a well-known wedding cake maker in her area, she never took me under her wing because I didn’t show an interest as a young girl. I was definitely too busy playing outside! Now in my late 20s, I deeply admire the old photos of her posing with her wedding cakes and plan to hang a few in the bakery.”

While she may have inherited her Memaw’s talent for baking, Joyner has no desire to follow in her footsteps and go into the wedding cake business. In fact, to date, she’s only done that once and found the entire experience so stressful she doesn’t plan to ever do it again. “A couple of summers ago, I delivered a wedding cake - it was the first and last wedding cake I ever made. First and last! The demand is out there and it’s in my blood, but it never appealed to me. I was asked by my boyfriend’s best friends. Initially, I declined, but they asked again, and I ended up saying yes. I did a practice round, which the bride approved, so I was set for the big day.

The cake came together, along with some matching cupcakes and the big day arrived! Transport was the part I dreaded most…sure I delivered cakes to the restaurant all the time, but this cake could make or ruin the entire day! I was plum terrified that cake was going to slide the whole drive there. I did not go over 45 mph the entire way to the venue. I do not recommend transporting big cakes in a Ford F150. Lord help! All in all, the cake was delivered in one piece, fresh flowers were added upon arrival, the bride and groom were happy – and so was I! Although everything worked out, I told myself I would never do another wedding anytime soon, but I have endless amounts of respect and adoration for folks who do wedding cakes for a living.”

Despite learning mostly on her own, Joyner does have a handful of family recipes including her Hello Dolly bars, preacher cookies, and chess bars, but a lot of her recipes are a result of trial and error and constant modifications. She explained, “Many folks in town claim I have the best chocolate chip cookies they have ever had. I tweaked my cookie recipe for three years until I finally got it to where I wanted it. Another popular item is my chocolate cake. I made mediocre cakes until the stars aligned, and after two years I perfected that recipe as well. It’s the most moist and flavorful chocolate cake you will ever eat!

“I really got into baking when I realized that so many desserts lacked flavor and often looked better than they tasted. I have worked hard to make sure my cake is delectable and can stand on its own while the frosting does the job of complimenting instead of carrying the whole dessert. And when

Left to Right: Joyner applies frosting touches to a cheesecake. • Peanut Butter pie, Key Lime cheesecake, Ding Dong cake, and more. • Chess bars.

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING SO REWARDING CREATE SOMETHING YOURSELF.

it comes to frosting - I’m not big on adding shortening to my buttercream. My recipe is simple. I use all butter and whip it until the cows come home! I’ve had folks come in asking to buy tubs of the vanilla buttercream, which I may offer in the future.”

The Little Bakery is known for its signature desserts - rich classic chocolate chip cookies, old-fashioned cake slices, cheesecakes, chess bars, and candy apples - but be on the lookout in the future for her melt-inyour-mouth potato candy, hard candies, a fifteen-layer cake with boiled chocolate frosting, and apple stack cake. “I have a constant list of sweets living rent-free in my mind that I think about putting into rotation at the bakery, so we constantly have some staple items, with new items added often. My recipes are all stored in my head, and I know them by heart from making them over and over again. I probably will and should write them down at some point.”

When she’s not in the kitchen, the outdoors is calling. Joyner believes growing up in Appalachia is the reason for her “love of fresh air,” and elaborated on how being a mountain girl in the South has shaped her free time, “Growing up, we did not have constant access to technology and used our imagination to have fun. My parents encouraged me and my best friend to spend time outside where we would have the most magical time wandering the woods, making mud soups, catching craw-daddies and salamanders, and finding every critter we could get our hands on. I still love the outdoors and thanks to my stepdad, I’ve really taken an interest in fishing. I’m no pro, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. Mountain trout are my

favorite to fish for. I’m also lucky because I have a very sweet fella who studied fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology, who has taken me on many fishin’ dates for the past three years now.”

Joyner is grateful for her family, customers, and community and for the local restaurant that “took a chance” on her back in 2019. While she could cut corners to save money, she is committed to quality ingredients and sourcing locally, especially fruits and berries, whenever possible. To Joyner, starting from scratch is part of a deeper creative process, “Baking from scratch is a way of life for me. I have always been interested in starting with nothing but a recipe in my mind and ingredients, versus pre-made items. I genuinely enjoy measuring out flour, sugar, baking soda, and powder, among other ingredients, and turning that into cookies, cakes, etc. We have so many wonderful customers who let us know how much they appreciate taking the extra time to deliver baked goods from scratch. I don’t ever want to sacrifice the quality of my desserts. My customers deserve the best. I am the same way in other aspects of my life. I love cooking from scratch, and in the same way, I love gardening from seed versus buying a plant that has already been started. There is just something so rewarding about the feeling when you truly create something yourself.

“I don’t ever see myself straying far from my scratch baking. It is not about making money for me - it’s about much more than that. I am baking because I want to feed people. I want people to be satisfied with my treats. I think everyone deserves a scratch-made goodie that truly had love and consideration poured into it.”

• Display case in The Little Bakery is full of her most popular items. • Joyner's Memaw, who was known for her wedding cakes. • Key Lime cheesecake.

CHAPTER 4

SOUTHERN SNAPSHOTS

Mater Man The

This

Written by Trudy Haywood Saunders / Photography by Jeff Smith

Photograph by ozgurdonmaz

What does it take to raise 3,000 tomato plants? If you ask Johnny Mabry from Mount Gilead, North Carolina, “a whole lot of craziness and about an acre,” he says with a laugh that makes you feel like an old friend. What began as something to piddle with after retiring from a career as a farm manager, has turned into an all-consuming family-endeavor, beginning with planting seeds in his homemade incubator in late February, and ending with the last of the late-bloomers plucked from the vines in August. “If you’ve got a reasonable price and a good product, there ain’t no trouble to get rid of it,” Mabry says. “I’ll throw something in the woods before I’d sell somebody something that wasn’t good. Before I hoodoo anybody on the price of tomatoes, I’d give them to them.”

Sold entirely from his homemade stand in front of his garden, Mabry’s Big Beef tomatoes have traveled all over the Southeast and even as far as Oklahoma. So, what are the secrets to mouth-watering tomatoes that have people lining up to buy them by the bucket? Mabry is more than happy to share what he’s picked up since he started planting his patch. “I’m about seventy-four and I’ve learned you never quit learning,” Mabry says. “I’ve spent fifteen years trying to figure this out. It might save somebody a few

For the early plants, he uses a frost guard that protects up to about 30 degrees to keep them from getting frost-bitten. Once tomatoes start ripening, the season will run from about late May through August, then it starts to slow down as fall approaches.

There has been a lot of talk about heirloom tomatoes in recent years, but Mabry isn’t jumping on the bandwagon. “I have found after several years of people talking about wanting to grow some heirloom tomatoes — Cherokee purple and stuff — that they are real hard to grow. It’s not a profitable tomato at all. You ‘bout can’t get enough to eat.” He has planted different varieties in the past, but he’s found that the Big Beef, the one variety that he plants now, is in his opinion, the better-tasting, old-timey tomato that isn’t high in acid. “It’s just a good all-around tomato, and that’s what people want to buy,” he says. “I don’t have any trouble getting rid of all that I grow, and as long as it’s selling, I’ll be planting them.”

Mabry plans out his tomato patch each year with the precision of a battlefield commander, but it’s not much trouble if you ask him. First, the location is chosen, rotated each year to prevent blights and diseases in the crops. Steel posts with a wire running across the top are put in the ground every fif-

minutes,” he says with a twinkle in his eye.

Like many of his generation in rural Montgomery County, Mabry has been around farming his entire life. “I wouldn’t live five minutes without my tractor,” he says. “My daddy done it; grandpa done it. We go way back with farming.”

But why tomatoes? Why not corn, beans, squash, or some other vegetables? If you ask Mabry, it’s just watching them grow, but the way he describes them — six tomatoes on a bloom set, all pollinated good hanging there, going from little tomatoes, like the end of your finger, on to something that weighs a pound and a half — you can tell that his admiration for the fruit is deeper. It’s his passion.

One thing Mabry has learned from all of those tomatoes is to work smarter, not harder. “You find something easier to do each year,” he says. Instead of planting as many rows as possible in a patch, he plants two rows, then leaves a drive through row for the golf cart or tractor to drive through. He fertilizes early in the year to prepare the soil for planting.

Tomatoes are known as a summer crop, but the work starts long before the first ones ripen in late May. Each February he starts a few seeds early in his greenhouse. He puts up to 1,500 seeds to start in an incubator with a heater and plastic on top, keeping the temperature at about 85 degrees. It’s easier to set out a small plant than a leggy one, Mabry has found, so he takes them out of the greenhouse to plant so that they will grow uniformly.

teen feet, with ten plants in between, spaced eighteen inches apart. When it’s time to add wooden stakes, he ties them to the wire. But it’s when the suckers, small shoots that branch off from the stem and branches of the plant, start that the real work begins. Left unchecked, the suckers can take away nourishment from the plants, making them less productive. Mabry and his helpers spend a lot of time keeping the suckers pulled, plants tied so they won’t fall, and weeds chopped. “All of us together can chop them out in a day or so,” he explains. Most people get tired just thinking about that. But Mabry insists that by tying the plants properly and keeping the suckers removed, he can grow five or six tomatoes on a single bloom set. Still, Mabry insists that growing tomatoes isn’t that hard. His number one tip? “Pelletized lime; no nitrogen for fertilizer. If the PH isn’t right in the soil, the plants can’t grow.”

Mabry is the mastermind behind his tomato business, but he’s quick to tell you that he couldn’t begin to do it alone. Family, and farm helpers that have become like family, is the glue that keeps the operation running like a welloiled tractor. Mabry’s wife, Kathy, a retired educator handles everything in the kitchen. Once buckets of tomatoes come in from the field, there is a lot

“I’LL THROW SOMETHING IN THE WOODS BEFORE I’D SELL SOMEBODY SOMETHING THAT WASN’T GOOD.”

Clockwise from top left: Mabry takes the small plants out of the greenhouse to plant so they grow uniformly. • Once tomatoes start ripening, the season runs from late May through August. • In February Mabry starts seeds early in his greenhouse. • The work starts long before the first tomatoes ripen in late May.

of washing to do just to get them ready to sell. They only use water and mild dish soap, turning them gently by hand; never spray with harsh chemicals, to keep the tomatoes as natural and healthy as possible and making sure they look their best for the customers. Mabry’s daughter, Marsha, helps out whenever she’s not teaching at the community college. His other daughter, Megan helps with harvesting the tomatoes and promoting the farm business. It was Megan who came up with the idea to put the tomatoes on social media. “Megan put it on Facebook, and it went wild,” Mabry laughs.

Juicy tomato sandwiches in the summer are great, but what can you do with that many tomatoes? According to Mabry, plenty. Kathy cans a lot of them. Their homemade canned tomatoes are less acidic than store-bought varieties. They make a lot of homemade vegetable soup and spaghetti sauce. Sometimes they can just the tomato juice alone to drink when it’s good and cold. They even make red slaw, the kind served best with Carolina barbecue. If it can be made with tomatoes, they’ve probably tried it. Mabry loves it all, but a classic tomato sandwich with Duke’s mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper or a cucumber and tomato salad with Vidalia onions and zesty Italian dressing are his favorites.

People look for Mabry’s produce at farmer’s markets, but they won’t find it. He would rather sell them from his home stand where he can set the price without stepping on other farmers’ toes. He picks the tomatoes right from the garden and people line up to buy them. Even at his home stand, people ask why he doesn’t go up on his prices, but he says he’s satisfied. “I don’t like to overcharge people; that’s just the way that I am,” he says. “I’m not in it to make a big pile of money.” As long as he makes enough to buy his fertilizer and seed, and pay his help, he’s happy.

Even without venturing to the farmer’s market, Mabry has sold his tomatoes “a little bit of everywhere.” People have come to Mabry’s stand from across the state, but also Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia. One lady comes three times each year from South Carolina. A lot of people stop by on the way to the beach. Tomato sandwiches are a lot cheaper than eating out, after all. “I like to stand around and talk when I get started,” Mabry says. “I think a few of the people that come just want to stand around and talk with me. I think I’ve made a lot of friends with this tomato patch over the years, and it makes me feel good.”

The furthest he knows that his tomatoes have traveled is Tishomingo, Oklahoma, where Megan has gently bubble-wrapped and shipped tomatoes, for Lisa Matheson Dameron, a former Mount Gilead resident, who doesn’t let a summer go by without getting her Mabry tomato fix. Most summers she gets two deliveries of about twenty tomatoes each, that she and her husband can eat from for about two weeks. For these special deliveries,

Mabry picks the tomatoes when they are just starting to turn red, so by the time they arrive two to three days later, they’re ready to eat.

“It’s the perfect tomato,” Dameron says. “It’s everything a tomato should be. That’s why I’m so devoted to them.” She’s found people that grow similar varieties at her local farmer’s market, but according to Dameron, they’re mealier, and lack the juicy, robust flavor of Mabry’s.

When Dameron moved to Oklahoma several years ago, she took Mabry tomatoes on the plane. When her brother made a visit to Oklahoma City one summer, he brought her some. Before her mom passed away, she would send her some for her birthday each year, and used to tell her that she was going to send her a dump truck load of North Carolina dirt so she could grow her own. Dameron believes the soil attributes to the difference in flavor. Nearly a century after the Dust Bowl, where a lot of topsoil was lost, the Oklahoma soil has recovered, but still isn’t like where she grew up.

“If I share at all, it’s maybe one with a really close friend,” Dameron says. “I let my husband have some, but mostly they’re for me. They’re too valuable.” Her favorite way to eat them is on a tomato sandwich, with salt and pepper and Duke’s mayonnaise. Soft bread is important, and Dameron prefers white whole wheat. Sometimes she makes a cucumber, onion, and tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, but whatever she does with them, they never seem to last as long as she’d like. “If you know of anyone coming this way, send them with some tomatoes,” she says. “I get them anyway I can.”

Mabry may sound like a one trick pony, not venturing into any other produce varieties, but that’s not entirely true. In the winter, when the tomatoes aren’t growing, he raises greens. Mabry said that he realized that a lot of older people didn’t have the means of having a salad patch anymore and it would cost them more than it would be worth to them to try to grow their own. “I found enjoyment out of old people having a place to come to pick salad,” he says. He sells the greens by whatever the customers can put in a bag, at a reasonable price. “They tell me they appreciate it,” he says. Helping older people is something he enjoys with the tomatoes as well. He sometimes gives away buckets of cull tomatoes, irregular ones that are still good, but may not look as pretty as those he puts out for sale. “It tickles them to death to have something to can,” he says. “Any time you feel like you’re helping an older person, it makes you feel good.”

As far as future plans, Mabry doesn’t know how long he’ll be in the tomato business. After suffering a heart attack earlier this year, he’s decided to scale back his operation a bit this season. Also, the Mabrys have a camper across from the airport in Southport, North Carolina, where he likes to flounder fish. “It would tickle Kathy to death if I told her that I wasn’t going to grow tomatoes anymore and we’ll go down and stay at the coast,” Mabry laughs. By the time tomato season is over, flounder season is about over as well, so he doesn’t get to do as much of it as he would like. But don’t expect him to give up tomatoes anytime soon. “As long as I’m able, I’ll do it,” he says, and as long as he keeps growing tomatoes, the people will come.

Clockwise from top left: Each year the planting area is rotated to prevent blights and diseases in the crops. • Posts with a wire running across the top are put in the ground every fifteen feet, with ten plants in between, spaced eighteen inches apart. • Mabry loves watching the tomatoes grow from six tomatoes on a bloom set, all pollinated good hanging there, going from little tomatoes, the size of your finger, to something that weighs a pound and a half.

lay of the

Photo submitted by Jefferson Ross, For Sale, Savannah, Georgia

land

WHAT DOES THE SOUTH MEAN TO YOU? OUR READERS SHARE PHOTOS OF THEIR SOUTH.

Opposite: Photo submitted Suzanne Alverson, generations in the sheep barn, Talladega County, AL

Top: Photo submitted Phil Thompson, farm Truck, Fort Payne, AL

Bottom: Photo submitted Donald Maginnis, feeding time, Gainesville, AL

Above: Photo submitted Donald Maginnis, Husser’s Quick Stop, Husser, LA

Bottom Left: Photo submitted by Mare Camody, Miss Coco, Laurel Park, NC Bottom Right: Photo submitted by Jenny Hagar, exploring the farm with a new friend, Crossways Farm, Blakey, GA Opposite: Photo submitted by Donald Maginnis, Creole Tomatoes, Belle Chasse, LA

ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Written by Trudy Haywood Saunders

Photography Courtesy Discover Uwharrie Montgomery County, NC Tourism & Development Authority

wanderer

IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY BIGFOOT WOULD WANT TO LIVE HERE–WILD, UNTAMED, ALMOST MYSTICAL IN NATURE.

As the fog lifts from the pine and hardwood trees, the Uwharrie Mountains (pronounced you-WAHR-ee) seem more like an enchanted forest from a fairy tale than a place in the real world. Among the oldest mountain ranges in North America, once towering at over 20,000 feet, now worn down over time to mere ripples in the Carolina topography, the beauty of the Uwharries is undiminished by their peaks of less than 1,200 feet. It is exactly how Fred T. Morgan, author and native of the region describes in Ghost Tales of the Uwharries — “Unending forests cloak the Uwharries, taming the river gorges and smoothing the stark precipices and gashy ravines.”

Established in 1961, the Uwharrie National Forest is a conglomeration of various land parcels pieced together like a patchwork quilt blanketing just over 50,000 acres and nearly 80 square miles in central North Carolina. About an hour east of Charlotte, primarily located in sparsely populated Montgomery County, city-dwellers make their pilgrimage lured by dozens of continuously evolving hiking, horseback riding, and OHV trails, like the prospectors following the country’s first gold rush in 1799 just west of the forest. Instead of the gold, visitors now find a different kind of treasure–an adventurous kind. Kayaking along the Uwharrie, Yadkin, and Pee Dee Rivers that meander through the region is immensely popular. Off-road vehicle enthusiasts come to play in the muddy, rocky landscape in the annual Jeep Jamboree. “It’s one place that brings people together. That’s what I love about it,” Tracy Davis, Director of the Discover Uwharrie Welcome Center and owner of River Daisy Outdoor Co. says about the forest. “The granolas and the rednecks–all kinds of people come to the Uwharries.”

Still, some of the more traditional outdoor activities–hunting, fishing, hiking continue to be what keeps visitors coming back. The Uwharrie Trail, mostly maintained by the all-volunteer group, the Uwharrie Trailblazers is probably the most well-known hiking trail in the forest. Scoutmaster Joe Moffitt started

the trail in 1972 as part of a scout project, with access to many parts made by hand-shake only agreements. For years the trail has been officially 20 miles, but Three Rivers Land Trust, a local conservation group, has been diligently working to expand the trail to its original 50-mile length.

But don’t think for a minute that you have to be an Eagle Scout to enjoy the Uwharries. A popular trail for those looking for easy access and parking is the 3-mile Denson’s Creek Trail, arguably the most under-rated trail. The 5 ½ mile Badin Lake Trail arguably provides the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, following the relatively flat terrain along the lakefront.

If you’re just looking to have a little fun, you can try to earn your Discover Uwharries Medallion. You can’t buy it; you have to earn it by visiting ten designated locations–(everything from a coffee shop to a Native American historic site) throughout the forest and taking selfies. (Be prepared to spend at least two days completing this scavenger-like adventure!) If water activities are more of what you have in mind, rent a boat and cruise around Lake Tillery or go on a kayak tour to one of the surrounding reservoirs.

Whitetail deer, wild turkey, and native gray fox sightings are still as common as the striped bass in Lake Tillery. Rumors and occasional glimpses of black bear and cougars are the subject of whispered conversations at the Eldorado Outpost, popular jumping off spot for many wilderness adventures just north of Troy. Mountain lions’ haunting cries are eerily like human screams in the night. Even Bigfoot hunting is serious business here. (Sasquatch enthusiasts from all over the country make their way to the forest in hopes of making a confirmed sighting.)

But what exactly makes the Uwharries so special? According to Davis, there’s just a little bit of everything that brings people together. “Some people love the mountains, and some people love the beach, but everybody loves the Uwharries.”

Above: Within the Uwharrie National forest you’ll find the scenic Uwharrie, Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers, as well as the Uwharrie Mountains. Opposite Top: Various outdoor activities are permitted in the forest, including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, camping and water activities, as well as areas devoted to off-road vehicles and ATV trails. Opposite Bottom: Small-town Troy’s historical downtown acts as a center of activity in the Uwharrie region.

Photo by ventdusud

WHERE TO GET STARTED

Discover Uwharrie Welcome Center

This new welcome center has information on all activities in the Uwharrie region, including maps and hiking suggestions. Stop by here to get started on the quest for the Discover Uwharries Medallion, a medal earned for visiting ten designated locations in the region. facebook.com/DiscoverUwharrieWelcomeCenter/

Uwharrie National Forest District Ranger Office

With 51,546 acres in Montgomery, Randolph & Davidson Counties, the Uwharrie National Forest covers a vast area and the forest rangers are the experts. Stop by here to get the latest information on the trails, hunting, and permit requirements. fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934

Eldorado Outpost

Get loaded up on supplies before venturing out and catch up on the latest Bigfoot gossip at this community hub in the Eldorado community about ten miles north of Troy on NC Hwy. 109. Stop in to purchase some outdoor gear and hiking attire, and grab a sandwich before heading out. eldoradooutpost.com/

Uwharrie Trails General Store

Looking for some snacks from an old-timey general store? This is the place. They have a little bit of everything, including hand-dipped ice cream and OHV and shooting passes. facebook.com/uwharrietrailsgeneralstore/

Kayak Tours

Tracy Davis and her crew at River Daisy Outdoor Company are adventure planners for kayak tours along several local rivers and reservoirs with tours averaging four hours. Seeing the Uwharries by water is a great way to explore the forest from a different perspective. riverdaisy.com/

Three Rivers Land Trust

This NC central piedmont and Sandhills conservation group’s mission is to conserve land, rural landscapes, and historic places. The organization sponsors an annual Fall Thru Hike as well as a Sportsman Access Program, allowing pass members to access Three Rivers Land Trust properties. threeriverslandtrust.org/

WHERE TO EAT

The historic Uwharrie Mercantile located in downtown Troy is the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee before hitting the trail, or recharge after a hike with a fresh lunch. Located in the 1909 former Hotel Troy building, locals and visitors alike stop in for hot sandwiches, fresh salads, and friendly conversation.

WHERE TO STAY

In the Uwharries reservations are not required! Visitors can choose to set up their own camp anywhere in the forest for free as long as they follow the forest rules. (Check with the ranger station or Discover Uwharrie Welcome Center for more details.)

Campgrounds

Want to camp out, but still have a few amenaties? Here are some campsites sure to fit the bill.

Arrowhead Campground recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233910

Badin Lake Campground recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233911

Uwharrie Cabins

Let’s face it. Not everyone is cut out to be a contestant on a survival show. If you want a more cozy experience after a day out in nature, you can rent your own cabin at Uwharrie Cabins or checking into the historic 1913 Badin Inn may be just what you’re looking for. Whether or not you find Bigfoot, a visit to the Uwharries never disappoints. Follow the trails to adventure and discover your own treasure.

Above: The historic 1913 Baden Inn is just a short walk to Badin Lake. Enjoy the amenities of home while you take in the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding area. Below: Legend has it that when the streets of Troy were being paved, fill dirt was brought in from the gold mines north of town and local citizens, during that time, found gold nuggets in the streets of the city. Opposite: Badin Lake Recreation Area is a hub for outdoor activities in Uwharrie National Forest.

HUNTING, FISHING, AND HIKING CONTINUE TO BE WHAT KEEP VISITORS COMING BACK TIME AND AGAIN.

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WHERE W E WENT”

GOLD MUSEUM : MONTGOMERY COUNTY, NC

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When it comes to gold, Montgomery County is nothing to sneeze at,” seventy-eight-year-old amateur archeologist and real-life gold prospector, Harvey Younts, says. “I’ve got the gold fever.” Even if you’re looking for it, Younts’ small wooden sign on a tree advertising mine tours for a small fee is easy to miss, but the stop is one not easily forgotten. With the agility of a much younger man, Younts led my daughter, father, and myself around his property, the site of the former Coggins Mine just north of Troy, accompanied by his two guard dogs. Well, guard dogs may be a bit of a stretch, but the two rescues, Ranger, who has his own chair in the museum, and Miss Jackie, who Younts claims saved him from being bitten by rattlesnakes more than once, are no doubt worth their weight in gold. Since purchasing the property, Younts has dedicated years to researching gold mining in Montgomery County. Housed inside a wooden outbuilding on his property, he has created a museum chronicling the nearly forgotten history of gold in the Uwharrie Mountains of Montgomery County. The walls are lined with black and white photographs of miners and old newspaper clippings about the mines, but the death certificates of the four miners that lost their lives in the mine, one supposedly murdered, are what make my daughter’s eyes widen with interest. The gold fever, or at least the spark of interest in the mines, is extremely contagious. After taking in the sights of the museum–broken shards of American Indian pottery, and a mold used for making gold bars, Younts shows us around the property that once employed nearly one hundred workers during its heyday. At a time when medical care was hard to come by, two doctors worked at the mine, treating frequent losses of fingers, toes, and arms. “See if you can find the gold,” he says, pointing to a concrete slab dating back to at least the turn of the last century. After we give up, he points out a tiny, gleaming fleck almost imperceptible by the naked eye. “They missed that one,” he says with a sly smile. According to Younts, that wasn’t the only gold they left behind. “They buried a lot of it. You’re not going to get rich panning for gold here,” Younts says, pulling a small vial from his pocket with a few gold flakes. “It’s just a hobby.” Yes, there is likely gold still in the ancient hills of the Uwharries. How much is anyone’s guess. But the real treasure is the stories of mystery surrounding the mines, stories that Yountz is more than happy to share with anyone that will listen.

by Trudy Haywood Saunders / Photography Courtesy Discover Uwharrie Montgomery County, NC Tourism & Development Authority