Fall 2016

Well Done: a look at local beef, from pasture to plate.
Plus, the Miso Masters of WNC and Appalachian travels with Ronni Lundy.

Casey McKissick of Foothills Local Meats

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Grass Versus Grain

Once upon a time a trip to the butcher case meant a choice between sirloin or strip streak, chuck roast or round. Today it’s not so simple.

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Saluda

Sitting under the whirling fans of the Purple Onion, on Main Street in Saluda, the late summer and early fall are just about as pleasant as can be.

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Bitter Gamble

There currently aren’t enough hops produced in Western North Carolina to brew more than a few batches of beer. Hop farming is risky, labor intensive, and requires a large capital outlay.

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The Poinsett Bridge

The Poinsett Bridge looms in the forest like something medieval. You half expect to find a troll lurking under its gothic arch. 

Anne Grier harvesting beets at Gaining Ground Farm in Leicester, North Carolina.

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After planting variety of beet seeds, Anne and Aaron Grier of Gaining Ground in Leicester watch and wait, both patiently and anxiously, for the Golden Grex, Chioggia, Early Wonder Tall Tops, and Robin seeds to germinate.

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Beet & Root Vegetable Chips

Roasted, steamed, pickled, chopped into relish, or—as she is sharing here—rendered into crispy chips, Ashley English takes beets any way she can get them.

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Root-Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables

With root beer and sorghum, the tastes of sassafras and Appalachia's favorite homegrown syrup blend to create a perfect combo for fall.

Cows at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview, North Carolina

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Next Generation

Agriculture is a multigenerational affair at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, which has been in the family for a century. Jamie and Amy Ager have transformed a modest family business into one of the region’s largest suppliers of pasture-raised meat.

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Kale-Peanut Pesto Rolled Flank Steak

This recipe is a variation of one created by chef Nate Sloan of Hickory Nut Gap Farm for Farmer and Chef Asheville.

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The Miso Masters

Rutherfordton, North Carolina, population 4,222, is home to a business you wouldn’t expect to find in a small Appalachian town: American Miso Company, the world’s largest producer of organic miso.

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Buttermilk Cornbread Soup

You can sometimes find this life-changing soup on the menu at Fleer’s latest restaurant, Rhubarb, in Asheville, North Carolina. Or you can make it at home with his recipe, graciously shared here.

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Magic in the Making

“I have a primal love of these mountains,” Ronni Lundy tells me. In her new book she has written a love letter—perhaps a tough-love letter—to the region and its food.  