Must Love Herbs

A love for gardening and good food mixed with an admiration for Eastern Kentucky leads to one remarkable alum who plants seeds of inspiration for many – Pikeville native, garden and food blogger Lauren May ’14.

As a small child, May’s mother shared stories of beautiful fall days at the university while spending many hours reading chapters from textbooks to her. Conscientiously following her mother’s footsteps, she enrolled at UPIKE to seek her accounting and business management degree.

“When I think of my college years, I have nothing but wonderful memories. My professors became like family,” said May. “I was a part of the first class to utilize the Coleman College of Business and was honored to be a part of such a beautiful piece of our town’s history.”

Leaving a lifelong influence on May was her mentor, Professor of Accounting Lois White, M.S.

“Sometimes my best accounting students end up doing something entirely different,” said White. “Laurenʼs attention to detail is evident in everything she does. Despite her detour from a career in accounting, I am willing to bet she still does her own taxes. She has been doing them since she was a student.”

Upon graduation, she decided to follow her passion for gardening, foraging and cooking.

“I come from a long line of gardeners. My great paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather were both avid gardeners,” said May. “Gardening and cooking are therapeutic outlets for me. They help me be in touch with my ancestors, but they also help me be more in tune with myself. Each time I bring in something from my garden, I feel compelled to create something beautiful. That is where cooking comes to play.”

May tends to an approximately 1,500-square-foot garden where she grows vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, corn, radishes, beets, peppers, peas, beans, carrots, chard and everything in between.

“I do a spring, summer and fall garden,” said May. “We also grow many herbs as well as medicinal perennials that double as a pollinator garden. This helps keep the bees busy pollinating our veggies.”

She earned the nickname “Herbs” from her friends since she added herbs to every dish she made, even her desserts.

In 2019, she created the cooking blog Must Love Herbs, a celebration of Appalachian heritage and traditions showcasing recipes with a modern twist that aims to combat stereotypical portrayals of Appalachia.

“The Appalachian region often gets a lot of publicity that isn’t very favorable. Those stories, movies and books do not paint an accurate depiction of who we are as an area,” said May. “It is my goal to create a legacy through my work that will honor the generation of Appalachian gardeners and cooks who came before me.”

Emerging in her blog are her many talents including gardening, foraging adventures, cooking, writing, recipe development and food photography. At an initial glimpse, Must Love Herbs displays the beauty of May’s creations upon the moment she enters the kitchen and shares her experiences.

May works with many companies including Burpee, Gurneys, Ale-8, Buffalo Trace, Vidalia, Victoria Distillery, Pampered Chef, Jones Soda and Otherland to develop recipes, as well as share gardening tips and photograph products.

She says she has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember, but started doing it professionally in 2019.

“I take all the photos on my page with the exception of a few taken of me,” said May. “Those are done by my husband. I get the shot set up for him and he does an awesome job at following directions while adding his own flare!”

Larry, May’s husband of 13 years, is one of her biggest supporters. Together, they have five dogs – Jack, Aggie, Winnie, Monte and Teddy. May currently works as a preschool teacher at Little Blessings Preschool in Pikeville, where she has been for the last five years. Between being a dog mom and a teacher, she uses her spare time to spark ideas for her many creations.

“Often an idea comes to me while I’m drinking my coffee in the morning. I’ll write it down and then proceed to make it happen,” said May. “I am very influenced by what is growing in the garden and in the woods around me. I try my best to use what I have that is in season.”

All of May’s hard work and dedication have led her to an impressive list of recognition.

Martha Stewart’s social media showcased May’s fried apple pie and Appalachian molasses pumpkin pie, with a handpainted mountain range for decoration, in the fall of 2019.

The Christmas 2020 issue of Folk Magazine featured her chocolate peppermint bark, cranberry, rosemary and orange bundt cake, fudge and almond pinecones, as well as an article about her and her Appalachian heritage.

Her forager’s focaccia recipe along with an article on her baking, gardening and foraging was featured in the fall 2020 issue of Faerie Magazine. Additionally, a detailed article on her garden was featured in the summer 2021 issue, which also shares her quick pickles recipe.

In July, May was named one of the Top 10 People in Southern Food by Taste of the South where her entire blog was highlighted.

Farmers’ Almanac shared her bourbon peach ice cream, apple butter cheesecake and leather britches on their website and social media feed. Together, they recently did a giveaway to launch the 2022 issue.

“I am always amazed when people enjoy my work enough to share it,” said May. “It feels reassuring knowing that I am doing something others find enriching!”

Throughout the years, May has carried the values and principles that UPIKE instilled in her and uses them to pave the way for her future endeavors. She credits her accounting degree for helping immensely with the business portion of Must Love Herbs. She is confidently able to interact with large corporations on photography and recipe development as well as keeping her books updated and taxes filed.

In addition to all of her accomplishments, she aspires to publish a cookbook that includes all the things that bring her joy and highlights her expertise.

“UPIKE taught me that if you are pursuing your passion, work will rarely feel like work. Figure out who you are and what brings you joy,” advised May. “Life has a way of showing you your path one way or another.”

By Katie Ray and Stacey Walters