Tag Archive for: Garden & Gun Magazine

Lowcountry Local First Field Feast- Food is Good

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We went to the 4th annual Lowcountry Local First Field Feast on Sunday, and it was as expected- AMAZING!! The setting was spectacular out at Rosebank Farm on Wadmalaw Island.  The tent  was set up by the river, we enjoyed cocktails on the lawn with Long Miles played, and then we moseyed down to the dock for a cool breeze and a raw bar.  I had gone over the menu when we arrived, and by the time we sat down, I almost couldn’t contain my excitement for the meal.   Fire charred bread was served with pumpkin seed condiment and a yogurt dip.  We snacked on this yumminess while introductions and thank yous were given, and then we heard from the farmer about the cow named Link that we were about to enjoy.  Okra soup followed, and then we were onto the meat.  Plate after plate of the best meat and sauces and vegetables and beans came out of the side yard where it was all prepared by Chef Mike Lata and his unbelievable staff from FIG (which stands for Food Is Good and they are so right).  I am in awe of this group.  It was a little warm on Sunday, the bugs were out, and the serving staff from FIG had been there all day on their day off no less.  While they passed around the drinks and appetizers, helped cook and serve us all dinner (and there were about 180 of us), dealt with the rain that came pouring down right after the soup course- they all smiled, were cheerful, were the best wait staff I have ever seen.  I could not be more impressed.  Now, I need to make special mention of dessert.  Because I am still dreaming about it.  On the menu, it just said Sea Island Milk Candy.  I was curious.  When dessert was served, it was cream stuffed crepes with a caramel sauce that was just special.  I don’t want to even degrade it by superfluous adjectives.  It was just special. This is by far and away my favorite event in Charleston, and if you are ever able to go, I would jump on the tickets as fast as possible, and if you can’t make it, then you should just eat at FIG because it is the next best thing.

Parasailing and Pimento Cheese (Part 1)

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Walker had his first day of school yesterday- except that it was only for one hour.  I am not really sure the point of a one-hour day, but I guess it eased him into it.  However, I had to then think of something else for us to do for the rest of the day.  Driving back over the bridge from running an errand, I saw a boat pulling para-sailors in the harbor, and just like that, I had my idea for the day.  I went home and called Tidal Wave Water Sports (www.tidalwavewatersports.com), and two hours later, Walker and I were in a boat headed out to parasail.  It was awesome and not really scary at all (but I was really happy to be back on solid ground when we were done).  I am not sure what the correlation between the two is, but something about seeing the para sailors in the harbor and then doing it myself made me think of a Garden & Gun post on Facebook I saw the other day about pimento cheese and the Lee Brothers.  The post talked about pimento cheese purists who will only use shredded cheddar cheese, Dukes, and jarred pimentos, and anything else isn’t pimento cheese.  Well, the Lee Brothers (I love them!) put a spin on this classic using Swiss cheese and banana peppers.  Highly interesting, and here is the recipe:

Pimento Cheese

10 oz. Swiss cheese, finely grated
One 12-oz. jar pickled banana peppers (hot if available) drained and minced
3 tbs. sour cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbs. chives minced (approx. 1/6 bunch)
2 tbs. capers (soaked in fresh water for 1 minute, then drained)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together with a spatula until evenly blended.  Refrigerate, if possible, for 2 hours or overnight.  Serve in a bowl with a good supply of crackers.

All of this got me thinking- well, if you can use Swiss cheese, why couldn’t you use my favorite pepper jack cheese?  And I think that you could, and then I started thinking that you could use this new mixture in the pimento cheese popovers recipe that is so phenomenal (all of this thinking and random associations between this and the para sailing occurred around 3am in a semi dream/tossing and turning state, and all of this would probably make much more sense if I had written it all down last night when it seemed really genius).  So, I am going to try it!  I am going to use Duke’s Mayonnaise Pimento Cheese recipe but substitute pepper jack cheese for cheddar, and if that all turns out to be as delicious as I think it will, I will then make the Pimento Cheese Popovers with the new pepper jack concoction.  And the creating and testing of all of that will be Part 2 (no more para sailing for a while).  If you have any suggestions or helpful hints- they would be much appreciated!!

Dreaming about Blackberry Farm

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I woke up around 3 am on Saturday morning from a dream that I can’t remember but with the idea in my head that it would be a fantastic birthday present for Corby and his best friend Hank (their birthdays are just a few days apart) to go to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.  Blackberry Farm is a luxury hotel, food mecca, garden of Eden, paradise that I have only heard about from a few friends that have been very lucky to get to go through their work.  It sounds so fabulous and delicious that it is clear why I am dreaming about it.  So, in my 3am daze, it was all planned out in my head perfectly.  Hank and his wife who live in Houston with their two adorable little girls would fly to Memphis where they have family to drop off the girls and then drive over to Blackberry Farm.  Corby and I would drive up from South Carolina, and Hank’s wife Katherine and I would cleverly devise some meeting where Corby and Hank would be so surprised that we were all there together, and we would have a phenomenal weekend with glorious food and wine.  I thought about our upcoming trip (their birthdays are not until February- maybe getting a little ahead of myself) all weekend and rushed into work this morning to google Blackberry Farm.  The website www.blackberryfarm.com promised everything I was imagining.  The scenery is breathtaking, the accommodations look heavenly, and the food, well almost too good to be true.  With a little more digging, I soon discovered that it would take a lottery win for my literal and figurative dream weekend to happen.  But still, here is another amazing thing about this farm- they have truffle dogs.  Yes, that’s right, dogs that hunt for truffles.  Apparently, most of the truffles in the world come from Spain, Italy and France, but a few years ago, they discovered that truffles grew exceptionally well in the hills of Tennessee, so of course, truffle dogs are in order.  And, they are adorable!  This is a picture from an article Garden & Gun wrote a while ago about the truffle pups, and here is the article http://gardenandgun.com/article/gold-diggers.  In addition to the truffle pups, Blackberry Farm has a wide variety of activities to make your stay even more unforgettable.  Anything from fly fishing to fox hunting to horse back riding to yoga and to cycling with on occasion George Hincapie WHAT!!  Check out their Tour de Smokies in October (dreaming dreaming dreaming)http://www.blackberryfarm.com/events-manager/tour-de-smokies.  Not only that, the resident chef is Joseph Lenn who received the title of Grand Chef by the Relais and Chateaux organization.  And, he studied and worked in Charleston with Chef Bob Carter at the Peninsula Grill and assisted Chef Sean Brock in opening the Heritage Hotel in Nashville- it is destiny that I go.  So, while I work on my lottery win, I will continue to dream about one day going to Blackberry Farm, meeting some truffle pups, being surrounded by gorgeous scenery, and salivating over the food and wine.  One day!

Feast in the Field

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Last night we went to a Feast in the Field event sponsored by Low Country Local First, FIG, and Garden and Gun Magazine. The setting was a beautiful spot on the river called Dirthugger Farm with lighted Live Oak trees, Spanish moss, and a sunset that was breathtaking.  The food was even better.  Passed hors d’oeurves were deep fried stone crab balls, chicken liver pate, and oysters (because as everybody knows, October 1st is the official day you can start harvesting local oysters here in Charleston).  The bluegrass band was fantastic, and they were giving boat rides on Scout crafts.  The whole evening was magical.  Dinner was family style and started off with Virginal Sheep’s Mil Ricotta and Oregano Grilled Sourdough bread- amazing!  I actually kept the bowl of the ricotta next to me, and continued to eat it for the whole night with everything else that was served.  At the same time, they brought out Escabeche of White Shrimp with Fall Vegetables and Fresh Ginger.  It was gone before I could get a good picture. The Porchetta Tomato Celery Heart Lemon Confit was divine as was the Butter Pea “Pasta e Fagioli”.  I could have eaten just that (and of course the ricotta) all night.  The Wood Grilled Keegan Filion Farms Chicken Al Mattone with Charred Lemon Jus and Dirthugger Bread Salad was if possible even better.

The evening was topped off with Pear Tartatin with Honey Syrup and Pistachio Creme and the Board of Lowcountry Local First gathering with Chef Mike Lata for a photograph in the live oak tree!

For good measure, here is the sunset and the river.  It was such a fun evening, and I can’t wait for next year!