'tis the season for wine events

The two-foot snow is making gift shopping harder than ever this year. Which is why things like tickets to the Virginia Wine Showcase are really a great solution for any oenophile on your list.

Order here by tomorrow, and get tickets in time for Christmas—with $10 off. The event takes place February 6 and 7 at the Dulles Expo Center, just west of D.C. Your loved one can taste 300 artisan wines, meet the winemakers, and even attend culinary seminars with experts on wine, chocolate, and even kitchen design.

Some wines of note from our area you'll see there (click on any of the following to find out more info): Cross Keys Vineyards, DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, Kluge Estate Winery, Rockbridge Vineyard, Horton Vineyards, Burnley Vineyards, Sugarleaf Vineyards, and Veritas Vineyards.

vote for local food heroes!

Each year Edible Blue Ridge will honor the best of our food community with a Local Hero award. We're looking for what you think of as the best farm/farmer, best chef/restaurant, best food artisan, best beverage artisan, best nonprofit, and best food shop.

Be sure to vote here.

Winners will be announced in the spring issue of Edible Blue Ridge.

direct from VA farmer to VA student

Last week was Farm-to-School Week across Virginia. Area cafeterias served up everything from local apples and pears to cauliflower, beef, and eggs.

Some schools even had farmers come visit or hosted apple tastings for the students. "It was interesting to see the creativity and volunteer efforts that emerged to bring fresh local foods to the students across the Commonwealth," saysLeanne DuBois of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which worked with the Department of Education to bring Farm-to-School to many area classrooms.

A big part of the effort in the Charlottesville area was the Local Food Hub, which supplied 15 area schools, both public and private, with local produce, meats, and cheeses from area farms. "In addition to helping our kids understand where their food comes from, Farm-to-School Week is an opportunity to support our local farms," says Kate Collier, director of the Local Food Hub and owner of Feast. "Virginia schools spend more than $6 million annually on fresh produce. That gives us an opportunity to keep those dollars in our state."

Beyond helping the local economy for that one week, DuBois says that even just making students (and their parents) aware of all that is grown in Virginia has created a momentum to do so in the future. "And that, I would call a success," she says.

marvelous local meal at Maya

This past Monday night at Maya in Charlottesville was a locavore's dream dinner. As each of the five courses was brought out, the person whose produce or meats or wines we were enjoying spoke to us about what went into the production of each ingredient. A wonderful way to become better acquainted with the farmers and artisans who make our food.

People like Peter Hatch from Monticello Gardens, renowned winemaker Gabrielle Rausse, Rob and Megan Weary from Roundabout Farm, Richard Bean from Double H Farm, Tom Silliman from Sweet Dog Farm. Everything but three minor ingredients were sourced locally (Maya owner Peter Castiglione joked the local ingredients were so flavorful, chef Christian Kelly didn't even need salt and pepper).

Needless to say, the menu was amazing: creamy, smoky white bean soup with andouille, chicken, kale, and broccoli (paired with Gabrielle Rausse's Bianco). The second course was a salad of autumn lettuce with local smoked trout (from Rag Mountain Trout) and pecans in a sherry vinaigrette (served with Rausse's pinot grigio). Next, a to-die-for braised pork shoulder with gnocchi (merlot). Then a chicken breast rolled with smoked ham, served over an Appalachian cheese sauce (cabernet sauvignon). As a fellow diner commented, the flavor combination of the chicken, ham, and cheese was reminiscent of a perfectly prepared croque madame.

And for dessert? A local apple tart tatin—so flaky, and spiced like any perfect autumn pie should be. (Served with Rausse's dessert wine Collage.)

The best part is knowing Maya will do a local meal like this all over again in January. Or if you can't wait for that, try its $40 Thanksgiving menu. It promises to be just as stunning—and just as local.

great wine deal for the holidays!

You can now enjoy wine tastings for free at three area wineries by spending $10 on what's called a Holiday Passport. With it, you are able to visit Jefferson Vineyards, Kluge Estate Winery, and Keswick Vineyards as many times as you like during November and December—with complimentary tastings. You also get a 15 percent discount on the purchase of designated wines, such as the Kluge SP Blanc de Blanc (pictured).

We love the idea that while we're going "shopping" for bottles of local wines as holiday gifts, we're able to sample all of the possibilities. Hey, even Santa finds time to treat himself every now and again.

You can buy a Holiday Passport at any of the three wineries mentioned above. See you there!

our thoughts are with two local farming families

You probably already heard about the tragic car accident that took the life of Majesty Farm owner Kathryn Russell. You can show Kathryn's family your love and support with a donation to Open Hands, a nonprofit that remits the funds to the family (and it is tax deductible for you). Send checks to Open Hands, 523 Lexington Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Make a note on the memo line of the check that it's for the Kathryn Russell fund. If you have questions, contact Julie Curry at 823-1537 or curryjuliea@gmail.com.

And you probably know him by face, since he's been at the Charlottesville City Market (and is one of the founders) since the beginning. Jack Cason was injured in a car accident on his way to the Saturday morning market in mid October. He is suffering 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-degree burns and at last report is still at UVA Hospital. Many of the vendors at the Charlottesville farmers' market are taking donations for the rest of the season for Jack and his family. Look for donation cans around the market if you'd like to help.

edible blue ridge on tv!

Watch Edible Blue Ridge publisher Steve Russell talk apples with anchor Beth Duffy on CBS 19's evening news (go to the Newsplex website to see the video).

Catch Steve next time on CBS 19's evening news on November 4th at around 6:40 p.m. promoting even more of Central Virginia's great local foods.

renowned chef comes to zynodoa

It's big news in the Central Virginia food world (and you're hearing it here first): Michael Lund is now executive chef at Staunton's Zynodoa Restaurant after having spent six years at the five-star Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA.

He tells us he's smitten with charming Staunton, where there's a burgeoning local-foods scene—with foodie hotspots like Staunton Grocery and soon-to-open Mockingbird. And not too far away are a number of Valley farmers and artisans, with whom he says he's excited to work.

Of course, along with some fierce cooking skills, he brings a passion for incorporating local ingredients into his menu. That commitment stems from a belief that it's the right thing to do—and because it simply tastes better. "We need to take back our food sources before there's nothing left to take back," he says.

So what was it like to work at the Inn at Little Washington, a restaurant that has won numerous awards, including being named the world's best by Travel & Leisure magazine? Lund says it was a great learning experience. “I developed an eye for extreme detail, detail far beyond that of a normal human," he says. "In chef Patrick O’Connell’s words, ‘If it were easy, Mikey, everybody would do it.’” We can't wait to see (and taste) all that he will bring to Zynodoa's table.

art for farming

A Harrisonburg artist named Soula Pefkaros has a great documentary photography exhibit at Clementine Cafe through the month of September, featuring small, ecologically conscious farms and farmers. Included are several growers from the region: Mark Jones from Sharondale Farm in Keswick, Dave and Lee O'Neill from Radical Roots in Keezletown, and Tom Benevento from Muddy Bike Garden in Harrisonburg.

You can find out more here:
website: http://web.me.com/soulapefkaros
photoblog: http://soula.smugmug.com

blue ribbon...and beer

A dispatch from Steve:

Those of you who’ve read the latest issue of Edible Blue Ridge know that while I’m growing several varieties of tomatoes in our family garden this year, I only drool over the candy-sweet, bite-size, neon-orange Sun Golds (“Vine-Ripened Memories,” page 10, EBR Summer 2009). Well, they’ve returned my affection. Believe it or not, my little Sun Golds earned a blue ribbon in the cherry tomato competition at the Albemarle County Fair! Okay, there wasn’t exactly a crush of entrants in that category, but there were enough that I feel dang proud to have brought home the blue. Official judging was based on uniformity in size, quality, freedom from injury, and attractive appearance—which means the judges didn’t even pop the warm Sun Golds into their mouths and discover their best trait. In accepting this award, I’d like to thank the sun, the rain, the dirt, and all the little bugs who left my ’maters alone. I plan to enter again next year—and so should you!

You’d think that would be the biggest thrill I could have at the fair. But I was also tapped to judge the homebrew beer competition. (It was a choice between that and insect collections, which really isn’t a choice at all.) Unlike with tomatoes, I pretty much like all beer—lagers, ales, pale, dark, bitter, nutty, hoppy, malty—so it was tough to choose. Luckily, my pal Matt selflessly volunteered to help out (by the way, he scored second place for his blackberry jam entry). So we sat in a tent one sweaty evening, munching pretzels and sipping the chilled efforts of local homebrewers. Not surprisingly, all the entrants were ales, since that style ferments at room temperature and doesn’t require a lot of extra equipment. The competition was close, forcing us to open a second bottle of a few beers…just to make sure we were being fair. In the end, the standouts were a perfectly hoppy IPA and a crisp winter lager, both of which earned blue ribbons. Cheers to you, local homebrewers, for making this year’s fair a thrill even before I strapped myself into the Tilt-A-Whirl.

meat the farmer

A dispatch from Steve:

Thanks to area farmers, artisans, and chefs, I recently enjoyed two wonderfully different local food dinners. On June 10, about a hundred foodies hid from a pounding rainstorm in the best possible shelter—Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Vineyards—for a “Meet the Farmer” gourmet dinner organized by the fine folks at Buy Fresh Buy Local
(http://www.pecva.org/anx/index.cfm/1,329,0,0,html/Buy-Fresh-Buy-Local).

Palladio chef Melissa Close and guest chef Jonathan Hayward (I can’t wait to check out his new gig at Gordonsville Deli) created a four-course feast that included good stuff from Caromont Farm, Evorona Dairy, Green Fence Farm, Perfect Flavor, Planet Earth Diversified, Roundabout Farm, and Spring Lake Farm. As befits the event’s name, several of the farmers and artisans were in attendance.

When the courses started arriving, I’m not sure anyone even noticed the tempest raging outside any longer. Special mmm-outs go to the Barboursville vintage rosé 2007, roasted beet salad, rabbit with wild mushroom ragu, and vanilla ice cream with honey-marinated cherries. (A little birdie at Perfect Flavor— www.perfectflavor.com—tells me that chefs always request vanilla.) Luckily, the deluge subsided around the time the dessert plates were being licked clean. But, hey, I’d swim through heck and high water both ways for that meal again.

Dinner the next night was a little more down home, but no less satisfying. Inspired by a recipe handed to me by Collins Huff at Gryffon’s Aerie (it also appeared in a recent issue of In the Kitchen), I cooked up a heaping helping of chicken fried steak. (I love that in the South we have fried chicken AND we can chicken-fry just about anything else.)

Wow, did that hit the spot! I’d like to give the credit to my trusty black-iron skillet, but the truth is that the Gryffon’s Aerie (www.gryffonsaerie.com) cube steak is no ordinary lesser cut. Not only is the Devon beef grass fed, but it’s tender enough that no pounding is necessary. I also was lucky to have saved some Gryffon’s Aerie bacon grease as my frying medium. It lent a great golden color and a hint of bacon flavor—never a bad thing.

I’m also a big fan of Collins’ pan gravy recipe. Too often, making gravy is more complicated than making the main dish it’s supposed to smother. Collins’ version is quick, simple, and very good. Hmm, I wonder how it would taste on ice cream? Okay, just kidding..sorta.

COLLINS’ CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

3 pounds Gryffon’s Aerie cub steak
2 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
4 whole eggs, beaten
1/3 cup bacon grease (vegetable oil may be substituted)
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2/3 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat over to 230 degrees F.

Season each steak on both sides with salt (light) and pepper. Place flour into a shallow pan. Place eggs into another shallow pan. Dredge meat in flour, followed by egg, then flour again. Repeat with each piece and put meat on a plate for 5 or more minutes.

Put enough bacon grease to fill the bottom of a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once grease is hot, add meat, but don’t overcrowd skillet. Cook until golden brown and flip, then repeat. Put cooked steaks on a sheet pan in the warm oven.

For gravy:
Put 2 tablespoons of grease in skillet. Whisk in 4 tablespoons flour. Pour in chicken broth and deglaze skillet. Keep stirring and bring gravy to a boil. Keep stirring as gravy thickens. Pour in milk; keep stirring until gravy is thick, approximately 8 minutes. Season to taste with thyme and pepper. Apply gravy generously to steaks.

wine festival this weekend

This weekend (June 27 and 28) is the first annual Virginia Wineworks Wine Festival. The cool thing about this particular festival is that Virginia Wineworks is a "custom crush" winery—meaning they work with various clients (grape growers, winemakers, regular joes) to create wines tailored to their specifications. So at the festival, you get to sample it all. Time: 12 to 6 p.m. Cost: $14. Location: Virginia Wineworks (for directions, go to www.virginiawineworks.com/contact.html).

See you there!

power to the people

How amazing that we can all make a big difference—and participate in the local foods movement—by simply asking restaurants and stores that we patronize to carry local foods. We (and our dollars) have the power!

That was just part of the discussion at Rapture on Tuesday June 2. Kate Collier of Feast! and Melissa Wiley of the Piedmont Environmental Council and Buy Fresh Buy Local spoke about the importance of small farms here in Central Virginia. The event was hosted by Left of Center Charlottesville (www.leftofcentercville.org), a Democratic organization. And the locally produced food that fed the local bellies in attendance was great too (but of course).

Kate talked in detail about the Local Food Hub, which will bring local produce to big local institutions (hospitals, schools). It's an amazing concept, and we have a lot to be excited about. For more info, go to http://chofoodhub.blogspot.com.

For more about buying local, go to www.buylocalvirginia.org.

nominate your farmers' market...to win!

Hey, all of you farmers' market fanatics in Central Virginia--this is a chance to celebrate your local market and let the rest of the country know how great our markets are here in our corner of the world. Nominate the farmers' market in your town to become America's Favorite Farmers Market as decided by American Farmland Trust (the people who bring you the super cool bumper stickers "No Farms No Food").

As of today (June 1), you can vote at www.farmland.org/vote; simply type in your zip code and select from there.

You can't vote for your market unless your market manager has enrolled it in the contest. So if your farmers' market isn't enrolled, let the market manager know she or he should register now by going to http://bit.ly/rgvQW.

The three winning markets (one small, one medium, and one large) will win bragging rights and a free No Farms No Food tote bag giveaway for their market customers. Can never have too many tote bags, can we?

berry, berry good

I like to avoid the trite phrase "nothing's better than...," but, I gotta say, few things are better than a strawberry that goes straight from plant to mouth. There's something really satisfying about spotting the bright red berry under the canopy of leaves, plucking it off the stem, and popping it into your mouth...er, box.

They look like dazzling little jewels--and with a flavor as (if not more) alluring. Especially if you go for the ones in direct sun, warm to the touch--they taste like jam. A little bite-size piece of jam. No knife, no toast necessary. It's amazing. Warm and full of sweet, sweet strawberry-ness.

We went to Chiles in Crozet this week to pick strawberries, and we had a blast. I wanted to pick another whole flat, but Steve was the voice of reason and reminded me we couldn't go through them quickly enough. Sure, we could turn them into a strawberry sauce or jam and put it in the freezer, but it almost seems a shame to not enjoy them in the moment, when the flavor shines brightest. Instead, we got home and made several rounds of the macerated strawberries that were featured in the spring issue of Edible Blue Ridge (see below). We made a bowlful each night--sometimes eaten with ice cream, sometimes just by itself.

In my defense, the whole flat we picked was gone in about 3 days. So we may have been able to go through two flats after all. When you have a 2-year-old berry addict, anything's possible. Of course, once any kid starts eating strawberries, he's going to have a trail of juice leading from lips to chin. And we couldn't resist snapping this shot. It's like he's saying, "Guilty as charged. I heart strawberries."

Anyway, here's the super-easy recipe, in case (for some crazy reason) you threw out your copy of Edible Blue Ridge:

Balsamic Macerated Strawberries

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
5 basil leaves, cut into strips

Stir ingredients together in a small bowl. Let sit out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Serve by itself, or atop vanilla ice cream or pound cake, making sure to drizzle some syrup over the top.