Western North Carolina’s farmers and chefs are out to prove that lettuce can be a lofty vegetable. Farmers grow dozens of colorful, flavorful types and varieties—from Bibb to Romaine and Black Seeded Simpson to Lolla Rosa. Chefs embrace these offerings, even lesser-known heirlooms, and elevate them in all types of dishes. Farmers and chefs are joining with our May Get Local initiative to encourage showing lettuces love.
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Thursday May 3rd, 2012 17:04 Lettuce Get Local!
Friday April 27th, 2012 15:24 It’s Strawberry Season!
And communications intern Daniel is excited about it. He has enjoyed documenting our area’s winter tailgate markets but been itching to get out in the sun and talk about (and sample!) spring’s fruits and veggies. He did just that earlier this week when he headed out to the French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market. Keep reading for his special strawberry report…
Tuesday April 24th, 2012 14:07 Ramps Roundup!
Sunday, April 22, was all about local ramps (April’s Get Local featured food) at Early Girl Eatery! They made their way into biscuits, sticky rice, jam, you name it thanks to the talents of James Beard Award-winning chefs Andrea Reusing of the Lantern in Chapel Hill and Robert Stehling of the Hominy Grill in Charleston and Early Girl staff.
The ASAP benefit dinner, officially titled In Celebration of Ramps, featured four fantastic courses and delicious wines; BIG thanks to the farmers who provided local products—from additional produce to meat, fish, and cheese—and Sour Grapes Wine. And, of course, thanks to the chefs, Early Girl, and everyone who attended! Find a photo album from the event HERE, and keep reading for a ramps recipe from Chef Reusing.
Friday April 13th, 2012 13:56 Early Girl Eatery Shares a Recipe!
“I think they’re best paired with wild mushrooms and goat feta cheese over a protein, freshly picked and cooked over an open fire in a cast iron skillet with a big chunk of bacon and a few potatoes, or in a cornbread stuffing.”
What’s John Stehling—who owns Appalachian Grown™ partner restaurant Early Girl Eatery with his wife, Julie—talking about? Ramps, of course! (Keep reading for one of their favorite ramp recipes!)
Wednesday April 4th, 2012 16:46 April 3 Chefs Challenge: Savoring Spring
ASAP was excited to be asked to attend and blog about last night’s Asheville Wine & Food Festival Chefs Challenge. (We’re also extremely excited and thankful that our Growing Minds Farm to School Program is a festival beneficiary.) Fittingly, the night’s secret ingredient was locally sourced AND coincided with the featured food for April in our Get Local initiative! Keep reading for our recap…
Tuesday April 3rd, 2012 15:09 CSA Web Exclusive!
Wow…what a great Asheville CSA Fair this year! Thanks to everyone who attended, farmers and farm share shoppers alike. (CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture; click here and select ‘What’s this’ by CSAs for more information.)
We had a great time chatting with many of the exhibiting farmers before the event for our two-part CSA series in Mountain Xpress; click the link to find both articles. The farmers shared with us how providing CSAs has changed and enriched their farms and even friendships. In fact, they had so much to share and so many stories to tell, we couldn’t include all of our favorite quotes in just two articles. Keep reading for more in this web exclusive…
Sunday April 1st, 2012 14:01 Ramping up for Ramps!
April is the only time of year for local ramps, members of the onion family found growing wild in forests and cultivated on forestland. So naturally, we’ll shine the light on the region’s beloved early-spring vegetable this month. Ramps are one of two new local forest products highlighted this year—mushrooms will be featured in June.
Tuesday March 20th, 2012 15:22 A Spring Smoothie!
Looking for a refreshing treat to beat this heat + a way to use local spinach from market at the same time? Look no further than our Greens and Berries Smoothie! It’s perfect for adults and kids alike. In fact, children at Cullowhee Valley School in Jackson County have been preparing the smoothies through our Growing Minds Farm to School Program. The verdict? Delicious!
Wednesday February 29th, 2012 08:23 March: The Big Cheese in Get Local!
Western North Carolina is home to dozens of farmstead cheese operations that produce every type of cheese imaginable: aged cheddar, Gouda, Brie, chevre (goat cheese), the list goes on and on. In fact, WNC may soon be home to a cheese trail, modeled after Vermont’s popular tourist attraction. So, it’s no surprise that we’ve given farmstead cheese its own month in our Get Local initiative!
Friday February 24th, 2012 16:32 Find From Here Over There (CarolinaEpicurean.com)!
ASAP is excited to announce a partnership and regular column with the WNC-based food blog Carolina Epicurean! The blog’s tagline is “Seasonal Food, Regional Focus.” Great fit, right?!
The column will help connect Carolina Epicurean readers with the content you regularly see on FromHere.org, and hopefully the partnership will help you connect with the fantastic food content regularly updated for Carolina Epicurean readers.