Saluda Tailgare Market Open Rain or Shine Every Friday

The Saluda Tailgate Market will be open rain or shine every Friday May through October 4:30-6:30 in historic downtown Saluda NC. EBT acceptance and credit and debit card transactions are now available The market does not allow room for dogs or cars in the lot. Please leave your dogs at home or plan to otherwise secure them while you shop. West Main Street is one way going down during market hours. In at the top and out at the bottom with parking on the right next to our new sidewalk. Or even better, park in the church lots on Carolina and follow the new sidewalk down.

Last week the Market had corn, peaches and tomatoes, in addition to all the veggies of the season. The mountain apples are now coming in. There will be summer squashes in all colors, shapes and sizes, collards, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, green beans, beef, chicken, pork, trout, eggs, plants, and more. You will also find delicious baked goods, flowers, jellies, jams,herbal remedies, and flavored oils. Make your list and shop the market first from these regular Vendors:

• Bee Log Honey, Carl McGraw bringing sweet Saluda honey
• Bradley Farms, Aaron and Nicole Bradley have Saluda grown beef, pork, chicken and eggs
• Buttercup Cottage and Dan's Garden: seasonal veggies, homemade sauces, sauerkraut and jellies
• Charlene's garden, Charlene Searcy, beautiful tomatoes, sausage, and seasonal veggies
• Charles Street Garden, Walter Hoovers beautiful lettuce, kale, and plants
• Deepwoods Mushrooms, Greg Carter. Shiitakes and other early mushrooms
• Drake Farm, Mark Drake. Peaches, corn, cabbage, cherries, plums, squash
• Flatlanders Peak Flower Farm, Luann Rossow, A colorful assortment of lilies for your garden
• Frank Ward, Saluda grown native plants for your garden and fruits and veggies
• Good Things Grow Here, Richard Kouyoumijian, seasonal veggies
• Growater Farm, RL Bruner with lettuce, onions, and broccoli 
• Hartwood Farms, Kelli and Charles Wood, beautiful veggies
• High Valley Farm, Richard Wesley, robust healthy starter plants for your garden, eggs and trout
• Lark's Table, Lark Lindsey, vegetable strudel, tomato strudel, blueberry strudel - Delicious sweet and savory strudels
• Little Sisters Lemonade, on the porch with a sweet and beautiful display and lemonade to welcome you
• Living Herbs, Al Balson, every kind of herb you might want to plant for your kitchen garden
• Piece O' Cake, Kerry Austin, with us from our beginning in 2010 Kerry has cultivated regular fans for her yummy pieces of cake
• Posey Hollow Farm, Jeff has many veggies
• Rock Ridge Farm, Cheryl McGraw with what ever fruit is in season
• Rose Cottage, Mimi Mehlmauer, brings all kinds of beautiful flowering plants for your home and garden
• Rose's Best, jams, jellies, delectable spreads and quiches
• Sacred Mountain Herbals, Natural soaps, chemical free, herbal personal and home care products, safer for the whole family
• Walk in the Park, Kristen Hackos, new this year, herb infused cooking oils and pastes to enhance your culinary endeavors
• Wildflour Bakery, our very own wonderful organic wholegrain bakery - Breads, sweet treats, and savory pockets for a quick dinner

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Hosts Argentinian Asado Dinner

September 15, 2015 from 6 PM to - 9 PM at the Big Barn at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Road in Fairview NC ( suburb of Asheville): Argentinian Asado Dinner. Enjoy a culinary adventure. This night will feature an artfully crafted dinner and exquisite Bodega Gratia wines. Guests will dine on four different HNG meats prepared in authentic Argentine style, along with traditional sides, salads, and empanadas. $80 per person(plus tax & gratuity).

Saluda Talegate Market Offers More Fruits and Vegetables for June

Saluda Tailgate Market open Friday from 4:30 - 6:30 PM

 

As June rolls in, expect to begin to see more fruit and summer vegetables. Cheryl McGraw from Rock Ridge farm will be bringing cherries. Peas, lettuces, kale, and onions are still plentiful of course. Last week brought the first free range chickens from Bradley Farms along with their usual beef and pork cuts. Richard Wells had frozen trout and his usual splendid array of plants for your garden. Dan and Marti had sweet strawberries. And, this week should see the return of the mushroom man Greg Carter and herb grower Al Balson. So make your list and come prepared to support these wonderful vendors.

• Bee Log Honey, Carl McGraw bringing sweet Saluda honey.
• Bradley Farms, Aaron and Nicole Bradley have Saluda grown beef, pork and eggs.
• Buttercup Cottage and Dan's Garden: jams, jellies, marinara, kraut, early veggies and fruit.
• Charlene's garden, Charlene Searcy, beautiful early onions and other spring veggies, pork sausage.
• Charle's Street Garden, Walter Hoovers beautiful lettuce, kale, and plants.
• Deepwoods Mushrooms, Greg Carter. Shiitakes and other early mushrooms.
• Flatlanders Peak Flower Farm, Luann Rossow, A colorful assortment of irises for your garden.
• Frank Ward, Saluda grown native plants for your garden.
• Good Things Grow Here, Richard Kouyoumijian, early veggies, peas, lettuce, greens, onions.
• Growater Farm, RL Bruner with lettuce, onions, and broccoli
• Happy Hens, Laura Price, eggs eggs eggs.
• High Valley Farm, Richard Wesley, robust healthy starter plants for your garden.
• Little Sisters Lemonade, on the porch with a sweet and beautiful display and lemonade to welcome you.
• Living Herbs, Al Balson, every kind of herb you might want to plant for your kitchen garden.
• Piece O' Cake, Kerry Austin, with us from our beginning in 2010 Kerry has cultivated regular fans for her yummy pieces of cake.
• Posey Hollow Farm, Jeff has early spring veggies.
• Rock Ridge Farm, Cheryl McGraw with what ever fruit is in season.
• Rose Cottage, Mimi Mehlmauer, brings all kinds of beautiful flowering plants for your home and garden
• Rose's Best, jams, jellies, delectable spreads and quiches.
• Sacred Mountain Herbals, Natural soaps, chemical free, herbal personal and home care products, safer for the whole family
• Walk in the Park, Kristen Hackos, new this year, herb infused cook8ing oils and pastes to enhance your culinary endeavors.
• Wildflour Bakery, our very own wonderful organic wholegrain bakery. Breads, sweet treats, and savory pockets for a quick dinner.
  
  
  

The Saluda Tailgate Market is Located in Saluda’s public parking lot on West Main Street in historic Downtown Saluda NC.  (Directions:  follow Main Street to the bridge and bear right at the bridge.) The Market is open every Friday from May through October and is sponsored by the City of Saluda, Saluda Business Association, Polk County Agriculture Economic Development.

Cooking Clases from Knife and Fork's Award-Winning Chef

Cooking Classes this Winter at The Knife and Fork

In addition to the Series of Culinary Adventures at the Knife and Fork, the second winter of cooking classes has begun and there are still a few spots available.

What better place to wait out the cold winter then in a kitchen filled with warmth. These cooking classes offer the chance to gather together with other home cooks for a meal, a glass of wine, and lessons in how to cook and why to cook with care and love for technique and ingredients. 

The content of each class will be student driven and meals will be choosen to prepare each week that reflect your interests. Classes meet every Tuesday from 5 - 8 PM as well as Saturday, January 17th ; Saturday, January 31st from 11 AM - 2 PM. You can sign up for just one class or to all of the classes.

Class size is limited and eservations are required. Each class (includes meal and wine) is $50. For the full winter series schedule visit The Knife and Fork Website or call 828.765.151.

Knife and Fork is located at 61 Locust Street (lower) in Spruce Pine NC.  The restaurant is owned and operated by award-winning chef Nathan Allen and dedicated to using local ingredients and supplies for area growers and businesses. Menus include seasonal and sustainable dishes that reflect the traditions of the North Carolina mountains. 

Slow Food Asheville Presents a Night of Fatback in Film

April 24 - It's hog time at the Isis on Haywood Road.  Slow Food Asheville presents an evening of film, followed by live music.  You can get to know some of the local farmers, including Allan Benton of Benton's Bacon, in “Preserve,” a film by Blind Pig. Then follow the process of butchering a hog from start to finish in Susannah Patty's film, “Community of a Hog.” 

The programming wraps up with a short film chronicling FEAST, including the program's history and stories from its free cooking classes for children that focus on fresh, affordable local ingredients.  After the hour of film there will be plenty of time to dine, discuss, and groove with your new food-minded friends.  The first screening will begin at promptly at 6:30 PM, so plan to arrive early.

The event will be held at The Isis Restaurant and Music Hall, 734 Haywood Road in Asheville NC

Farm to Fork Supper Benefits Local Polk County Farm Fresh Foods

October 13, 5:30 - 9:30 PM - Farm to Fork Supper and Open House, a benefit for the Mill Spring Agricultural Development Center. The Open House is 5:30 - 6:30 PM with Dinner from 6:30 - 8 PM.  Live entertainment, a Silent Auction and 50/50 Raffle follows from 8 - 9:30 PM.

Celebrate an evening of local, farm-fresh food at the 3rd Annual Farm to Fork Dinner. Enjoy artisanal beverages grown and made in and around Polk County. Join local farmers, area chefs, bakers, caterers, winemakers and “foodies” as they prepare a gourmet, buffet style community Feast using local, seasonal ingredients.

Dine by candlelight outdoors under a giant, century old magnolia tree. Listen to live music and shop the Silent Auction.  Relax with friends and neighbors and Support the  Mill Spring Agricultural Center while experiencing a true sense of community and the deep agricultural roots of the area.

Admission for the event is $25 for adults, $15 for children 13 and under.  Purchase tickets ONLINE HERE.

Help even more:  bring your own patterned, cloth napkin and a pint size Ball jar and leave it behind for future events.

The Mill Spring Agricultural Development Center, locally known as the "Ag Center",  is  156 School Rd., Mill Spring, NC. Learn more about Polk County Farms and fresh food events HERE.

High Country Farm Tour this Weekend

August 4-5  High Country Farm Tour Tour local, sustainable farms and discover the delicious meat, dairy, fruits, fish, and veggies produced in the High Country. The tour is self-guided and farms are located throughout Watauga, Ashe, and Caldwell counties. Get a map and tour the farms in any order.

Favorite NC Tailgate Markets: Saluda Tailgate Market

Saluda Tailgate Market on July 6, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM, located in Saluda’s public parking lot on West Main Street. Grab your basket, put on your hat, and join the friendly folks in downtown Saluda NC to support the local growers and get the best local products in the area.

Plan your menus around summer fruits and veggies, eggs, chicken, beef, lamb and the incredible goodies from the  Wildflour Bakery. You'll also find locally grown plants to enhance your own garden. Eat fresh, support local, and enjoy the community atmosphere.Featured producer:   Rose's Best Jams, Jellies and More

Rose has been making jams and jellies for family and friends for over thirty years. Her recipes come from many different sources. Some she creates herself while others are passed along from friends she has made over the years. Rose's husband John has been a member of a worldwide travel organization for over thirty years and she and John have attended World Congresses in many places around the world during those years. As a result, Rose has an international group of friends who provide her with recipes unique to their part of the world. For example, her Chili Cherry Tomato Jam is a New Zealand recipe and her Red Onion Jelly is a French Canadian recipe.

Two things are inherent to Rose's success. First, every jam and jelly is packed with an abundance of fruit or vegetables, far more than you will find in a commercially produced product. Second, every jam and jelly is infused with an enthusiasm for and a love of what she does. These truly are Rose's Best.

This year, Rose has expanded her product line with the addition of quiches. These have proven to be very popular and she is now receiving orders for quiches from regular customers. She takes a few to each market and usually sells out quickly.

Market NEWS:
Blueberries made their first appearance in two booths last week, Red Rooster Farm and new vendor J P Ruth. Randy Case rolled in with the season's first truck load of corn. Only an abundance of ripe tomatoes could make it more perfect. At this time of year you can shop for the entire week, every meal, at the market. 

• Piece O'Cake - yummy pound cakes, dark chocolate brownies and sugar-free apple buns. Call Kerry and John for special orders 828-817-4900
• Organic greens, long cucumbers, and crazy summer squashes from Lee Mink of Leap Farm
• Rainbow Trout, Saluda raised Lamb and Poulon Rouge Chicken from Tom DeKay, Camp Creek Farm 
• Wylie's lemonade
• Pork sausage, zucchini, and yellow squash from Charlene's garden
• Deerwood Farms is always there with chicken, pork, and summer veggies
• Lisa Laughter from Shepherd's Flock Farm had peaches last week and sometimes she has goat cheese from Pyrwood Farm as well- ask 
• Bee Log honey is harvesting lavender and sour wood honeys
• Dan and Marti Wells have Saluda grown peaches, plums, and a variety of veggies
• Decatur has purple potaotes, squash, and sunflowers
• Randy Case has corn, cabbage, potatoes, and onions
• Wells Sheely promises to show up with Three Arrows Farm beef
• Wildflour bakery has pizza crust, granola, pockets and treats.  
• Claire's beautiful zinnia bouquets 
• And eggs, eggs, eggs.

Saluda Tailfate Market favorite Recipe:

Anticipating the season's first green beans and tomatoes--

a salad recipe from Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Cooking

1/2 pound green beans

cook until tender in salted boiling water, drain, and spread on sheet pan to cool

stem and cut in half 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes

stir together in a large bowl:

1 small shallot, diced fine

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and fresh-ground black pepper, let sit, taste and  

whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

toss it all together and add 6 basil leaves cut into chiffonade

The Grove Arcade Hosts ASAP's CSA Fair

March 29 form 3 PM to 6 PM - Find Your Farmer at ASAP’s CSA Fair at the Grove Arcade. CSA subscribers receive a weekly box of fresh, locally-grown, great-tasting produce or meats throughout the growing season. ASAP’s CSA Fair is an opportunity for community members to meet farmers face-to-face and learn more about their CSA programs and products. This is a free event and open to the public.

The first CSA Fair was held in 2011 with 18 farm exhibitors and drew 400-500 visitors. The CSA Fair is sponsored by USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Grove Arcade. Attendees can sign up to learn more from farmers, or bring your checkbook if you are ready to subscribe. Groups from workplaces and congregations are encouraged to attend, as many farms will deliver directly to groups if numbers allow.

All participating CSA providers have pick up locations in Asheville. Those slated to participate are:
Aardvark Farm (Burnsville)
Bee Tree Farm (Marshall)
Blue Meadow Farms (Hendersonville)
Cane Creek Asparagus & Company (Fairview)
Cane Creek Valley Farm (Fletcher)
Firefly Farm (Burnsville)
Full Sun Farm (Leicester)
Gaining Ground Farm (Leicester)
Gladheart Farm (Asheville)
Harvest Table Farm (Old Fort)
Hominy Valley Farms (Candler)
Ivy Creek Family Farm (Barnardsville)
Jake’s Farm (Candler)
Long Valley Farm (Marshall)
Paper Crane Farm (Marshall)
Ten Mile Farm (Asheville)
A Way of Life Farm (Bostic)
Whispersholler Farms (Arden)
Wildwood Herbal Farm (Weaverville)
Winter Sun Farms (Candler)

Learn more about the Appalachaian Sustainable Agriculture Project. The Grove Arcade
One Page Ave, Suite 270 in Asheville, NC

Membership Drive for Asheville Slow Food

Get  involved and connected with the Slow Food movement in the Asheville community. One of the easiest and most powerful ways to do that is through membership. Join Slow Food USA during the September campaign, when your donation -- in any amount -- will make you a member. Your membership helps benefit  on-going programs in the community.  Click here to join now.

There are a variety of membership benefits, but the best part is knowing your contribution plays a critical role in bringing the community together to support local farmers and local food traditions, teaching the next generation about good food, and transforming laws to make a healthy meal as affordable as a Happy Meal.


This September 17, you're invited to help take back the 'value meal' by getting together with family, friends and neighbors for a slow food meal that costs no more than $5 per person. Host a dinner or have a potluck, and then post it on the Asheville Slow Food facebook page along with your recipe if you wish.

Recently, Slow Food Asheville members got together with the Farmer's Film Project and had a $5 Challenge dinner....look for the video on the website soon!

To learn more about the $5 challenge and what you can do to get involved, visit the Asheville Slow Food website

WNC Magazine Asheville Wine & Food Festival this weekend

August 12 - 13   WNC Magazine Asheville Wine & Food Festival    The largest celebration of wines and local delicacies that the Asheville area has ever seen. This year, the festival weekend kicks off with Sweet, a culinary adventure in to the decadent world of desserts, champagnes, dessert wines, specialty cocktails, and spirits. Sweet will be held at the historic Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville.

The Asheville Wine and Food Festival is a celebration of the culinary experiences found in Ahseville as well as a showcase of the area’s chefs, wineries, farmers, and food producers. In addition to the excellent food the  region’s wealth of wineries have made viticulture a contributing industry in North Carolina's economy.

A portion of the proceeds of the Festival benefit local area nonprofits that support and promote sustainable and ecologically-sound food production and education.

Slow Food - the Best Idea Since Sliced Bread

Submitted by Tia Maria Bednar, Asheville Chapter Leader

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment….food that is good for those who eat it, for the planet, and for the people that grow it.

Here in Asheville, our local Slow Food Convivium is blessed with an abundance of tailgate markets, organic growers, food artisans, and incredible restaurants. We use tastings, field trips, and various kinds of food-centered celebrations to explore authentic flavors… and to slow down and enjoy a world of good food and good company.

Slow Food Asheville is a local chapter, or “convivium,” of the international Slow Food movement. The local groups are called “convivia” because they bring together, in a convivial and enjoyable way, people who love food and traditions. Our convivium was founded in March, 2003.

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ASHEVILLE AREA TAILGATE MARKETS

Asheville City Market Sat 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, April 18 - December 19 Public Works Building lot - S. Charlotte St.  Asheville, NC

Big Ivy Tailgate Market Sat 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, May 5 - October 24 At the Old Fire Station, center of town  Barnardsville, NC

Black Mountain Tailgate Market Sat 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, May 9 - October 31 First Baptist Church, 130 Montreat Rd  Black Mountain, NC

French Broad Food Coop Sat 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM- April 12 - October 25 76 Biltmore Ave.   Asheville, NC

Greenlife Tailgate Market Sun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM- May 3 - October 25 At Greenlife Grocery, N. Merrimon Ave.   Asheville, NC

North Asheville Tailgate Market Sat 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM- April 18 - December 20 UNCA, take Weaver Blvd., follow signs    Asheville, NC

Riceville Tailgate Market Sat 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM- May 23 - September 19 parking lot of the Riceville Community Center  Asheville NC

Weaverville Tailgate Market Wed 2:30 PM - 6:30 PM, April 29 - late October Behind the community center at Lake Louise   Weaverville, NC

Wed PM Downtown Tailgate Market Wed 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM- April 29 - December 23 76 Biltmore Avenue, in the parking lot next to the French Broad Food Coop  Asheville, NC

West Asheville Tailgate Market Wed 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM - April 15 - October 28 grassy area at rear of parking lot for West End Bakery and Haywood Road Market.  Asheville, NC

Black Mountain Filmmakers focus on Local Farms

Local farms will be the subject for Black Mountain filmmakers, Cinnamon and John Kennedy June 30th in Asheville at the Highland Brewery and at Black Mountain Ale House on July 7th. The Kennedys, who have produced video for The New York Times, The Washington Post, USAToday, The Gates Foundation and the United Nations Millennium Campaign, have been filming local farms affiliated with the Black Mountain NC tailgate market.

“I was filming entrepreneurs during the time of the economic crash,” Cinnamon Kennedy explained. “I was collecting video stories of people who were creating their lives, or re-inventing their lives, working for 60, 70, 80 hours a week, with no safety net to catch them. From this material I was drawn to stories about area farmers.”

John and Cinnamon Kennedy, of the production company Purple States LLC, are working in partnership with Meredith McKissick,  a farmer at Foothills Family Farms in Old Fort and director of the Organic Growers School . The Organic Growers School hopes the film series will draw more attention toward supporting the small independent farms of Western North Carolina .

The Kennedys and McKissick will use four area farmers, train them to use handheld HD cameras and direct them in the filming of this harvest season. The Kennedys plan to find a state or national platform for the project. A three-minute trailer has been filmed showing the struggles and passions of today's small farmers.

The June 30th and July 7th events are being cosponsored by the Organic Grower’s School. Other organizations involved in the project are the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) and Slow Food Asheville. Both events will be held at 7pm, and will be used as an outreach an awareness of local food, organic food, and the choices made by all of us about what we eat. The trailer for the series will be aired, and the event will be used as a fundraiser to buy the cameras, microphones, stands and to launch the filming.


The trailer for the series can been seen at the website www.farmersfilm.com. Some of the farmers involved in the project can be met at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market, which is open from 9am to noon, every Saturday during the Summer and Fall, behind the Black Mountain Baptist Church , off of Montreat Road .

Appalachian Vintner holds Slow Food Fundraiser

April 16th 4PM-7PM Appalachian Vintner holds a Farm to Table Tasting benefit for Slow Food Asheville. The event will showcase the wealth of amazing talent in the local Asheville area food community. There is a $20 donation at the door with all proceeds to benefit Slow Food Asheville.

Participants in the event include  Simple Bread, Sour Grapes, Victor Chiarizia Cheese, Take the Cake, Looking Glass Creamery, Colin's Creatures, Jack's Nut Butters, Farm & Sparrow, Chuck Blethen Viticulture.

Appalachian Vintner is located at 2-B Huntsman Place in Asheville NC. (828) 505-7500