Day Tripping

Day Tripping: I thought I would start this post with a little Wikapedia defining of the term. The first thing that popped up was this..."Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out".[1] Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album. "Day Tripper" topped the UK Singles Chart[2] and the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] To read on about that, click here.
Okay, but then I found this on Dictionary.com "–noun
a person who goes on a trip, esp. an excursion, lasting all or part of a day but not overnight."
Origin:
1895–1900; day trip + -er1 " Closer to what I was seeking.


So yes, my husband and I went on a day trip a couple of weekends ago, and aside from the occasional bickering caused by trying to rely solely on google maps, we had a great day. Taking off from Richmond we headed straight for Charlottesville where we ate lunch at Feast. So yummy! We both loved the sandwiches, fruit salad, and bean salads. Simple but delicious foods and lots of great treats to look over while you wait. Afterward we could of hit the Gearharts Chocolates within the same building and enjoyed some mouth watering chocolates, but we knew we had a big day full of treats ahead so we held off.


Cruising up 250 we were quickly in Crozet Virgina, about five minutes outside of Charlottesville. Our first stop, actually in the town of Ivy was The Barn Swallow, is a beautiful old barn that now holds locally made pottery, hand bags, jewelry, furniture and more. I couldn't help myself, and came away with a beautiful vase by Janice Arone.
Just about a fifteen minute drive "up the hill" is Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. Here ten nuns have been making an amazing golden Gouda cheese for twenty years in order to raise money to keep the monastery in operation. The two pound wheels of cheese are sold via mail order for $33. However if you go to the monastery each wheel is $25. I had to try some of this cheese that I have been hearing so much about. A call ahead is requested if you plan to visit. Outside of a very small , and simple chapel there is nothing to see other than the friendly face of the nun who hands you that hefty wheel of cheese. The sister helping us reminded us to use a peeler to remove the interior rind prior to "attacking the cheese."

We came prepared with a cooler in the back seat, placed the Gouda inside and took of for our next destination... Blue Mountain Brewery. Only problem, those Google maps did not mesh with the ever changing route names and we were repeatedly driving around the tiny town of White Hall in one big circle. After passing the White Hall Vineyards three times I decided to take the hint and stop in for a wine tasting. We sampled several of their varietals which I never tried before. At the same time we were able to watch the wine making staff at work through a large plate glass window near to the tasting area. My favorites from the tasting were the 2008 Petit Manseng, and the 2008 Touriga. Matt liked the 2007 Gewurztraminer. The ones I truly prefer like the Viognier, and Cabernet Franc are not available for tasting. I did however walk out with a few bottles including the 2008 Cuvee des Champs.

Refreshed, and with proper directions from the nice people at White Hall, we set out again for the Blue Mountain Brewery. Minutes later we arrived just in time to enjoy a beautiful evening on the deck overlooking the mountains, sunset included. For just five dollars you can enjoy a sampling of six different beers. The food was alright. They feature local bratwurst from Double H. Farm in Nelson Co., pulled pork BBQ from Edward's in Surry, and house pickled jalapenos. People had their dogs on leashes with them at tables further out on the lawn and children ran around in the cool grass. It was a great ending to our day.

A week after our trip we enjoyed the wine and cheese together with some good company. A nice way to share the experience of our trip with others.

Our wheel of Gouda and a Bottle of White Hall's Cuvee Des Champs

Literally translated as "blend of the fields," this Bordeaux blend also shares the owners' last name. Described as having "Bouquets of dark cherries and cinnamon" with " deep royal colors to enhance flavors of dark chocolate and rich plums that precede a well-balanced finish of vanilla and oak." The 2006 received a Platinum rating at the Virginia Wine Lovers classic.

Day trip, Part 1: Food!

Shannon and I have been talking about going on a trip to Charlottesville area wineries for over a year now, and a couple of Saturdays ago we set off to do just that. We had a wonderful day trip, and found some fun food stops as well as spectacular new favorite wines.

Our first stop was Feast!, a cafe and market on Main Street in Charlottesville. The tiny space is well used, and full of beautiful specialty foodstuffs. I walked out with a bottle of Lillet wine, (local, no- beautiful, yes) one of the tastiest vegetarian sandwiches ever (the Local- goat cheese, tapenades and artichoke hearts) a side of white bean salad and a chocolate covered, cheese stuffed fig. Pretty much my dream lunch.

Shannon says:

I loved this place. It can be a bit hectic, so it may not be the right spot for a quite restful meal, but if your up for a bit of deli-market style energy then you will be well rewarded. The amount of delicious food that surrounds you, wines and hard ciders you can't find in Richmond, the cheese counter, the olives and olive oils, candies and chocolates, and packages of prepared foods made with local eggs, chicken, dairy and greens, all give you plenty to look at while you wait for your own meal to be served. I had the Polyface chicken salad sandwich and I dare say it was the best chicken salad sandwich I have ever had. Served on Albemarle Baking Company bread the chicken was finely pulled or maybe slightly pureed for a nice texture. Smoked Gouda cheese and some kind of slightly spicy Dijon mustard topped it off. I had mine with a small salad of fresh greens. I could barely finish I was so full, but it was so good I didn't waste a bit.... delicious!

One flaw with the whole set up is the restroom issue. There is a one person bathroom in the common area connecting the various shops however, it is locked and you need to get the code in order to open the door. That worked out, we did a quick walk through of the connected kitchen wares shop and headed two doors down, straight to Gearhart's Chocolate! Well, almost "straight," as we walked past the shop entrance twice before finding the small but well appointed shop. We each got an 8 piece chocolate box as an Easter treat for family. You can pick out your own beautiful chocolates from the case or take a pre-packaged box. An eight piece box will cost you about $13 (about half the price I paid for 8 turtles at Godiva earlier this year). I picked out the Earl Grey, The Michigan, the Maya and the Mint Julep to name a few. So far not one has disappointed, which I can say because my husband has generously shared with me. The chocolate is made there for the Charlottesville shop, and now also for the new location on Libbie Ave. in Richmond.

This is the perfect fueling stop before taking on the Charlottesville wineries. It is easy to get to from 64, and in a lovely part of town. Stay tuned for Day Trip, Part 2- Wine! where we get lost and get found with some of Virginia's best wines.

A Day For Food (My Manakin Market and so much more)

Please note the "Real Housewives of Goochland Co." tank top that Lisa had made up

Okay,  so we RFC gals have a lot of days where food is the star, but this Saturday was one of the stand outs.  Erin, Casey and I took another day trip... something I highly recommend in general. We met up just about 9:30 in the morning, large coolers loaded with ice packs, and headed out to Goochland to visit the farmer's market.  The only thing is there are now two great markets in Goochland. We landed on our dear friend Lisa Dearden's 'My Manakin Market.'  This was our first trip out to this two year old market.  It's lovely.

We pull into the market surrounded by acres of open fields to see about two dozen folks standing in a huge circle learning to fly fish just to the right of the car .  It was a bit of a sight, and I swear Casey veered just a little to the left to avoid being hooked.  We parked with a long line of cars in the cool grass and wandered under the canopy of several large shade trees.  The vibe here is relaxed fun, very different from the hectic energy of my regular South of the James Market. 

I was dreaming of fresh fruit and to the rescue appeared Agriberry.  The three of us went in on a mixed flat of fruit.  Eight containers for $35 knocks about $1.60 off each, and we mixed blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries for a box full of late spring bounty.    Eggs, tomatoes, some lovely tender green beans, homemade granola, fried eggs served up by Ms. Michele Wright, new potatoes,  and squash all looked delicious.

That's me getting  some crazy hot Jalapenos ( if  only I'd known) and deliciously sweet dark cherry tomatoes

One of our finds on this morning was a vendor selling homemade mustard.  Pete's Mustard Company... The spicy horseradish mustard turned out to be too good to resist. There are different options here than at some of the biggest markets, and the atmosphere is perfect for a Saturday morning and  we all walked away having found what we were looking for as well as a couple of things we didn't even know we needed until we stumbled upon them.  This market also does  a nice job of incorporating some agricultural education... one of Lisa Deardens specialties.  Groundhog crossing signs where everywhere, a few square feet off to one side still had wool bits from a shearing demonstration and Lisa says that last week they had "Sheep Back Ridding" for the little ones!
 In the end, our Saturday involved farmer's market shopping, river walking, the opening up of a couple Bearer Farms bee hives, a perfect cafe' lunch at one of my favorite little spots, a trip to the gelato shop, and a near brush with some shootin'.  You'll hear more on that from Casey.

Arriving  home I was bushed... I think perhaps the Limoncello and Pear Brandy gelatos pushed me over the edge. Still Matt and I headed out to the grocery store for some staples, but once we returned  it was time for some real relaxing.  Dinner was going to have to be simple.  I poured a glass of wine.  Matt broke out a nice beer and we hung out between the patio, grill and open door kitchen while we tossed together dinner.  We made a quick Greek salad, and some butterflied lemon chicken on the grill, with the last of the garlic scapes and some of those whole jalapenos from the market.

Garlic scapes and jalapeno's for the grill

Matt put the jalapenos under the chicken breast and cooked the chicken that way.  The jalapenos were then cooled slightly, de-seeded and sliced, and served atop some crusty bread with goat cheese.  I love jalapenos and Matt loved them prepared this way, but to my surprise these jalapenos were hotter than many other hot peppers I've eaten... I got through two slivers and had to give it up, shoveling plain goat cheese topped bread into my mouth to try and cool the flames in vain...whoosh!!  These guys were hotter than most to start and roasting just spread the most intense oils throughout the pepper I think.  All in all a day full of fun... I can't wait to see what Casey has to say, and for our next day trip adventure!

Day Trippin' on Apples and Beer

Last week my husband and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary. We decided to stay near home for this one, leaving town just a bit for some Fall adventures. We filled a Saturday with local apple picking and local beer tasting. This is a fun day trip accessible within an hour's drive.


Before last weekend I'd not been to Carter Mountain. But, I gotta say, Rob and I certainly didn't crack the case on this one. As we traveled up the mountain road full of cars, we realized we may be the last people in VA who have not been to Carter Mountain to pick apples. If you aren't familiar with Carter Mountain Orchard it is a self-pick apple farm located just outside of Charlottesville. The place was packed with families of all ages. I have to say, I was nervous about the volume of folks up there, but it couldn't have been organized better. The parking was well managed, as was the check-out line. The orchards are large enough that it could handle many visitors at once. And, hey, it's just darn purdy.

Ahh, nice view.

Nom, Nom!

Baby apples!

For the apples, I'm looking to make some tasty treats. Right now, I'm thinking on apple and caramel - date caramel, if you please! This could be fun for Halloween as well. Check out this beautiful blog by Vanessa Rees (a NY-based photographer and my sister) on the how-to on this treat.

After we picked our apples, we went down the mountain and over to neighboring Nelson County. We drove to Blue Mountain Brewery for a beer on their beautiful patio.

We enjoyed a yummy Full Nelson IPA made with local hops available on draft (ok, we had two). I love this beer - available on draft at some RVA restaurants. This beer is in high-demand, so go for it if you see it!

Pretty IPA on a pretty porch!

My husband is an environmental engineer and he was quick to catch their cool "cover cropping" program. These folks planted soy beans over their harvested hop patch to act as a nitrogen fixer. Nitrogen is one the nutrients necessary for plant growth - so it should make for some tasty hops (and beer) next year!

See the soybeans?!

Anyway, we did this day trip and were home by 5 pm - love it! A day trip to near-by mountains is great fun for the fall. It is fun, tasty, and local. Enjoy!

Foode in Fredricksburg!

Foode (pronounced Foodie) is an amazingly good new spot in Fredricksburg, Va.  Okay, so it's not so new, but fairly new.. and it's only been within the last month or so that they were able to add the outdoor seating (nearly doubling their tables) that makes this a really fun dining experience beyond the food.

The Pin n' Fig - one of my friend Jody's favorites at Foode

This past Tuesday I took a day trip to Fredericksburg with some friends/ volunteers that help me out at the garden.  Our day trip started out with a tour of Belmont ( Gari Melchers home and studio) and its gardens since one of my volunteers moonlights as a volunteer for Belmont.  The art work is worth the visit in itself, the grounds and home were lovely and I felt like I made a new friend with the head gardener there.  

Tour done, and we were famished (or so it felt) so we headed straight to Historic Downtown Fredericksburg for lunch.  

Once heavy on tourist type fair this area is gaining some great food spots.   Our original intention was to check out The Gazebo at Fredericksburg .. a sort of "pop up" restaurant ... only it's not the location that changes but whether they will actually be there or not. In our case it said it was... but it was not.  You can check out their facebook page for times.   Our host- a Fredericksburgian-.assured us that if the Gazebo was not open she had a fantastic place to eat that we would love.  She was right.

 Linda went with the Black Bean Burger- house made.. it was delicious, as is the potato salad. I have had so many poor potato salads of late I don't order it anymore.  This was delicious.  Also.. a nod to the presentation here. 

Roasted Beet Salad


I ,of course,  went with two plates instead of just one. The roasted beet salad was really interesting and completely delicious with smoked pistachios, arugula micro greens, Rustica lemon cheese, and pickled red onion tossed in a light vinaigrette. Foode's menu changes frequently so this exact beet salad was not to be found on their lunch menu just a week later.  That said, everything we tried was tasty, and I'd like to go back soon just so sample whats new.

Beverages served in canning jars, and signage made from pallets add to the charm.

The chicken salad sandwich included a golden rasion aioli  and was so good I insisted on a to go box for my left overs despite being stuffed to the gills and hours away from refrigeration.  Plus, I knew I would have to carry this box around with me for the rest of the day.  No matter- it was not going to go to waste! We walked the shops along Caroline St. in Old Town Frederiksburg, checking out the wine shop, The Griffin coffee house and book store, a build your own cupcake shop, antique shops, and on and a on..It was totally worth the save-  Just as this little day trip is totally worth the drive. 

Day Trip for Dairy ( and Wine, and Granola, and...)

 

Nothing makes a Monday better than taking the day off work and heading out for a day trip with friends. We started our road trip in the proper fashion with me locking my keys and every single item of importance in my car. I did this while trying to call Erin to check on her progress and so by accident Erin was left with a rather surprising message involving a good deal of pounding noises and some repeated curses. Leaving behind my car... and my  I.D., wallet, camera, food, water...well you get the idea...we were on our way. Our first stop was Everona Dairy in Rapidan, Virginia.  

From there we stopped for Ice Cream at the Moo Thru in Remington Virginia. Moo Thru is the brain child of a fourth generation Virginia dairy farm family that wanted to find a way to do more than sell their milk in bulk.  A roadside stop off a busy four lane road the Moo Thru has a drive thru window, a walk up window and outdoor tables under a pavilion.  We left Erin here to enjoy a lunch of grilled cheese and Ice cream with the owner while we zipped down the road to theRed Truck Bakery in Old Town Warrenton.
This Red Truck Bakery is a perfect small town meeting place.  The chef's old red pickup sits just outside of the converted gas station.  A bakery counter in the front room leads to a singular communal table surrounded by the floor to ceiling windows of the converted car bay and the noise of the open kitchen. This company has been featured on Road Food.com with a score of "Legendary- worth driving  from anyplace."
 I had to try a bottle of their own root beer.  It was delicious, along with a fantastic chicken salad sandwich, some cold curried sweet potato and carrot soup, and a bit of crumb cake. I dined with my friends Montana and Linda and sweet woman from the area who had ecstatic praise for every dessert in the place.  For ten dollars I  bought ( or ah... Linda bought) a bag of their house made granola.  This stuff gets a lot of press and it was good. A bit too sticky sweet for my taste  even with plain yogurt.  I did enjoy it  drenched in whole milk. Don't take my word for it though.  There are obviously a whole slew of devoted Red Truck Granola Fans.
We wound around stumbling onto Hume Vineyards.  The barn they use in their photos sets the right feel.  We pulled up driving past the man in the riding mower cutting down acres of grass only to get to glass front door of a large barn like structure with a sign that told us to go on in, the man mowing the lawn would be with us in a minute.  I turned around to be greeted by a hearty wave and big smile from the owner riding his mower back up the hill to meet us.  Not skipping a beat he was behind the counter and pouring my first taste... the 2011 Seyval Blanc.  I waked out with a bottle of this, and my friend took a bottle of their Viognier.  A rather different approach from a young vineyard.

After checking out some pottery spots we found our much anticipated and last destination... Second Wind Farm in Sperryville.  A fabulous spot owned and operated by a dedicated family who care for animals ranging from lama  to duck. They make some fabulous fermented  foods, and cheese just for themselves, spin wool from their sheep, and basically make a beautiful life out of their piece of the earth.   If you live near the area look into buying a goat share.
After a relaxing visit at Second Wind we ended our day with a giant soft serve ice-cream for dinner... All and all a pretty nice Monday.
Next up... Fredricksburg....

RFC Visits Merroir at Rappahannock River Oysters

                                    
A few of the RFC ladies enjoyed a lovely afternoon at Rappahannock River Oysters tasting room this past weekend. Not hard to find but beautifully hidden, it sits at the end of an unassuming road that looks out over the Rappahannock River. This is a fabulous day trip from Richmond.
We were not at all sure what we'd find on the menu.  They admit to a decidedly low internet presence- you can find only the basics on their facebook page.  Now, I grew up watching my family put away raw oysters by the dozen, but I am a somewhat recent convert to these briny, slimy little guys myself. But it seems you either love them or hate them. To be honest, I was a little nervous to be leading my non-oyster loving friends down a country road that leading to our local oyster mecca. I promptly ordered some raw "Olde Salts" (my personal favorite) and set to work. I think the "when in Rome" mentality started to set in, and after some mild coaxing, a bit of taunting and some old fashioned bravery I may have converted at least one of us that day.

View of the river from Merrior

The company is a legacy dating back to 1899.  Today it is owned and run by Travis and Ryan Croxton, grandsons of the original owners. They have successfully revived the family business and have succeeded in making Bay oysters known not just locally, but with a large, much acclaimed following on the national culinary scene.

Beautiful plate of fresh raw oysters"Olde Salts" 

RRO proudly cultivates and serves only Crassostrea virginica, an oyster native to the Chesapeake Bay. The tasting room offers oysters raw and roasted, as well as fresh steamed shrimp and clams. A lovely sampling of local (and non local) beer and wine, the Rose we ordered paired beautifully with the oysters. And the small plates menu offered seafood along with local meats and produce. We were pleasantly surprised and impressed with their offerings.

Grilling done outside on the patio...nearly table- side.

The RRO primarily produces three types of oysters. 
The original is the Rappahannok River Oyster described as, "Deep cupped and mineral rich, with an understated saltiness that lets the oyster's natural flavor come though, our Rappahannocks offer up a sweet, buttery, full-bodied taste with a refreshingly clean, crisp finish. It's the very same oyster we started growing in 1899."
Second is the Stingray Oyster, "Drawn from the pristine waters of Mobjack Bay, Stingrays are the quintessential Chesapeake Bay oyster: sweet and mildly briny with a clean, crisp finish. Named after the Bay oyster's chief predator, these Stingrays bite back!"
And last, my personal favorite, the Olde Salts, "The truest taste of the ocean, our Olde Salt oyster brings together a bold sea-side brininess with a smooth, clean follow-through. Grown off the coast of Chincoteague (think Misty), our Olde Salt oyster is more than a classic, it’s a legend."

So whether or not I managed to convert the oyster skeptics among us, I think RRO and Merroir make a fabulous day trip. And if you just can't make it to the river you can order online here, or look for them in a local grocery near you! We have also learned that there will be a new Merroir tasting room coming to RVA in September!  Read all about this development here.

Cheers!

Day trip, Part 2-Wine!

The Charlottesville area has so many wineries- we could not simply look at a map to choose which ones to visit on our day trip, so we just started driving up Route 20, we soon saw a sign for Jefferson Vineyards, and thought we'd stop in.

The bar was crowded, but our hostess was very helpful, and did not make us feel like she was too busy to answer any questions we had about the wine. I bought a bottle of the 2009 Monticello Pinot Gris.

Shannon aays: The Jefferson Winery was our first of what turned out to be four very different wine tasting experiences. The Jefferson is a popular winery for the large body of people who are just out to drink wine and hang out on a nice day. Our first sight was of a stretch limousine parked right outside the deck seating. A bridal shower group all in brightly colored dresses, shoes on, and off were bouncing about between the deck and the limo. We sought refuge indoors at the long tasting bar only to find it packed. After waiting politely for a few moments I gave up and had to pull a Saturday night bar scene shimmy, squeezing in sideways to get one shoulder into the bar space right at the sliding bar space used for loading in cases and allowing the staff entrance in and out. The man working behind the tasting bar ignored us completely, but we were quickly rescued by a really great woman who managed to make the whole rest of our experience a real pleasure despite the couple with their 4 small and understandably bored children who came up along side of us for a tasting. For a cost of $5 we each were given a decent size pour (when talking tasting) of 10 different wines. The tasting covered everything from dry whites and reds to dessert wine. Since I am part of the large body of people who just want to enjoy some wine and a nice day and Erin was driving, I drank every bit. The family quickly disembarked and our host had only us to tend to. She spent a good deal of time explaining (mostly to me since Erin actually knows some stuff) the differences in their wines, stainless steal vs. oak barrels etc. She pointed out the 2008 Petit Verdot should peak in 2011 (two years after it's release). This lead to a discussion in which she stated that virtually all American wines are made for instant gratification, meaning they don't age well so buy and drink up! We liked the 08 Petit Verdot, the '07 Mertiage, and Erin liked Pinot Gris. Our "free" wine glasses in hand we headed out.
We continued down (up?) Route 20, and found ourselves at First Colony Winery. To get here take a turn off of 20 and onto a small residential street that winds around past a good number of small country homes. Just as you think you really may have taken a wrong turn a sign appears pointing onward. Here we found only two other cars in the lot, and a charming landscape. The farily large main room has a small tasting bar towards the back where we found two couples finishing up their tasting. Erin and I quickly found ourselves completely along with the whole of winery and it's two staff members. Erin cut out early on this one saving her taste buds for greater things down the road. I, however stayed on for the 3 dry whites and the 4 reds, that included the 2006 Tannat. To the Tannat I actually had to say... Whoa! The Tannat is apparently a grape with very thick skins and there for a very high level of tannins. In Virginia this grape is usually blended with other red grapes like the Cabernet Franc to give it a fuller body. I skipped most of their semi-sweet and sweet wines I believe the tasting cost $8 and 12 wines were offered for tasting. If you buy three bottles the cost of the tasting is waved. I did just that and walked out with the '07 Rose, the 07 Cab. Franc, and the 07 Cab. Sauvignon. This last one has a fruity rich flavor that ends with a chocolaty finish. It tasted quite good to me who knows close to nothing about wine.

Just a bit up a hidden dirt road in the back of First Colony is Virginia Wineworks- home of Micheal Shaps wines, and wines sold under the Virginia Wineworks label. The Virginia Wineworks seems to be a hidden gem of a spot. Micheal Shaps actually makes the wine for a number of other wineries in the area. The Virginia Wineworks label is his sort of "everyday" label. Those carrying the 'Micheal Shaps' label are his higher end wines and they will run you between $32 to $50 a bottle. Our third winery was another varied experience. We arrived at the back of warehouse loading dock area. Harvesting crates stacked high next to us, a large metal rolling door was three quarters of the way up revealing shining steal machinery. We must of looked uncertain and the lone woman standing outside gave us a wide, friendly wave to let us know we were indeed in the right spot.

Erin says: We walked into the warehouse, resting wine in barrels to our left, harvest and bottling machinery to our left, and had the best time with some fantastic wines and our very knowlegable and generous hostess. I was so struck by their use of native yeast in the initial fermentation and the complexity of the single varietals that I bought two bottles of wine that cost over $35. I am now the proud owner of a Michael Shaps Viognier and 2007 Cabernet Franc. (What now?) Michael Shaps consults with many wineries in the area, and his expertise is evident in his wines. I also bought two of the Virginia Wineworks label wines, a Rose and the VA Wineworks Red,which are made with purchased grapes, and sell for under $20. This winery is really fun if you want to learn more about how great wine is made.

We had to leave eventually, so we headed back to highway 20 toward the Kluge Estate. All of the surrounding land to this winery is breathtakingly gorgeous.
At Kluge, you can either sit outside in a peaceful grove with your flight of six wines, which always includes their amazing sparkling wine, or at the bar inside. We elected to stay inside, (ostensibly to learn something from the woman pouring our wine, but it was pretty late in the day for anything resembling education) and our bar quickly filled up with fellow travelers on the wine road. We learned a lot about the Kluges, (did you know the estate is for sale?) laughed a lot and enjoyed some very fine wines. The Albemarle flight is $15, which is refunded if you join the wine club. I swear, this sounded like a really good idea at the time...

We had a blast checking out the gorgeous Charlottesville countryside, and found some amazing VA wines to boot. Let us know if you have any VA wineries you recommend- we'd love to go again!

Apple Abundance

October is Nearly upon us and that surely means an abundance of apples. Apple varieties like Gala started popping up at the markets in mid to late august and more and more varieties have become available as the weeks have gone by. One of my favorites the Honey Crisp started showing up a few weeks ago right along side the Asian pears. Don't let all this deliciousness pass you buy. Shop the markets or make a day of it and plan a day trip to one of the areas pick your own apple orchards. Look for apples that feel firm and heavy for their size with a rich color.
Today at the market I discovered a new variety of apple that Thistledown was carrying. It's called Piney River Gold and was created and grown by Saunders Brothers Orchard in Nelson county Virginia. Click the link above to check out the chart of all the peach and apple varieties they grow. It's interesting information, but I believe they only supply wholesale and do not allow u-pick. However, they do sell their own apples at their on site market.
Here are links to a few local apple picking sites

Graves Mountain

Carters Mountain (one of the closer orchards Carters Apple Harvest Festival is held over the next two weekends Oct 3,4 and Oct 10, 11. This by no means indicates their apple picking season.)

Dickie Brothers

If you are at all interested in apples you should check out the Vintage Virgina Apple Farm. They specialize in preserving vintage varieties of apples for the Virginia area and have their own large festival on November 7. Here you can taste fun old varieties like the Abemarle pippin. They grow over 200 varieties of apples and offer a range of educational programs from to aid those interested in growing their own apple trees or preserving older trees to making apple products like cider.
Check out these apple recipes Natalie offered up after last years apple picking excursion.
Here is our post from last years apple picking at Carter Mountain.

Here is my Apple Crisp recipe from last year. It is so very easy. If you used it last year you may notice a couple of changes. First I made a point of saying that the apple mixture should be slightly tart. Also, this year I have been adding a 1/4 tsp ginger to the apple mixture, and 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts to the topping.

In searching for more information about National Apple Month (It's actually a three month long industry designated period comprising September, October, and November stretched from the original 1904 designation of a national apple week.)I found this interesting website
called Months of Edible Celebrations. Apparently today, September 26, is Johnny Appleseed Day. The day is set to mark the birth of Johnny Appleseed, although I don't think anyone actually knows when he was born. None-the-less, the Months of Edible Celebrations blog did a great job of putting together a chart of different apple varieties. Each variety listed has a corresponding recipe to match it's best culinary use. Very nice.

The RFC Blog : Five Years Brings Changes for You and The RFC

                                                            
The RFC was started with a short "We Love Food" post in January of  2008.  Back then we were a gang of three and totally new to the Richmond local food scene. The Richmond Area Food Systems Council (RAFSC) of which we became members was not yet established. Erin bemoaned the lack of a Richmond Slow Food Chapter . (The nearest Slow Food chapter would be Charlottesville for a couple more years.) Tricycle Gardens was gaining momentum. The Mayors Food Policy Council where Erin would eventually serve was just pie in the sky, and the wonderful William Byrd House Market was the only RVA area farmers market outside of the old 17th st. market.

We felt a bit like pioneers when we launched this blog, and it definitely has taken us into new territory.  Erin wrote for Edible Chesapeake as did Natalie.  In the summer of 2008 we hosted our first RFC event, an outdoor film viewing and tomato tasting that brought out 75 people.  Some wonderful people who we met for the first time that night quickly became our very close friends. We did the RVA mash up, (Please don't look this one up.) and were contacted by countless job seekers, farmers, producers, reporters, and interested readers who wanted to know where they might find that particular ingredient, farming job or help.  We were awed by the response, and took the task of providing information  seriously. 

We all worked outdoors as gardeners and farmers.  None of us had smart phones or day time access to computers.  We would get off work and then get to work.  Natalie's local food writing career took off and the former math major, and organic farm worker  took off for graduate school in creative writing.  Before long Erin and I were doing live (action) T.V. spots for 'Virginia This Morning' on channel six.  I feel I can call it live action when one who has never been on live t.v. before must prepare five recipes and is told to chop apples with a chef's knife while maintaining a quick pace and sensible conversation!

Erin was there to help manage the very first year of the South of the James Market.  The next year she worked with Saint Stephen's Church to create the St. Stephen's Market, and eventually their winter Market.  We attended dinners and lectures. We read dozens of books and cookbooks, taught cooking classes, did demos at markets, worked with the fabulous new Slow Food chapter , cooked food for Tricycle Gardens and  traveled to farms, restaurants, wineries, markets, breweries, kitchens, and gardens to learn all we could about our local food system. 

RFC gals Cat Hulbert, Shannon Smith, and Erin Wright

Year by year we educated ourselves, and hopefully provided some helpful information and needed inspiration to our readers. The last  five years been a time of tremendous growth for small organic farms, sustainable meat producers, food co-ops, on-line local food ordering services, restaurants that serve some degree of  local produce, cideries, breweries, wineries, and yes farmers markets.  Five years ago there was one farmers market in town that spoke to the local/ sustainable food scene.  Today there are fourteen area markets all filled with different vendors, and we have found it more than a little difficult to keep up! The latest addition... The Cary Street Farmer's Market has yet to make it onto to our list of Local Farmer's Markets.

 RFC gals Shannon, Casey Freeman, and Erin get a private tour of Twin Oaks Tofu

The local food/ sustainable food flag has been flown by the likes of Channel 12, and the Richmond Times Dispatch.  Numbers of RVA Food Blogs, and local food blogs have appeared as well.  In the mean time we have added a few wonderfully smart and fantastically interesting writers into the mix and all have found the act of keeping up with the scope of this blog daunting.  My 'day job' as Horticulturist at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has grown and taken up a good deal more time-, and Erin.... well if you read this blog then you know she's had her hands overflowingly full with the work of starting up her own green grocery with a focus on fresh, local products and produce of course! Visit Little House Green Grocery to learn more.

This post marks our 900th.  It also marks a point in our lives where we have less time and there is so much more wonderful local food news with which to keep up.  I guess we just want to fess up and say we are changing and clearly are no-longer able to maintain a highly current/ update local food and local food events blog.
   We have had so much fun and met so many tremendously fantastic people- and we know we will continue to do so.  We still will be here to post when we can find the time to share what inspires us.  The blog and all of it's 900 post will still be here if you need that perfect roll or cookie recipe from Alma, or idea for a Day Trip. You can still read our most visited post ever...  My Love Affair with October Beans.  We certainly don't feel that there's not more work to do, only we need to figure out the best ways for each of us to get it done.  Here's to new adventures, new friends and our loyal readers.  We love you all even more than we love food-

 Cat, Casey, Erin, Shannon, and Rachel- at our first "photo shoot".

Organic Asian Pear Orchard

I had a friend telling me just the other day about this amazing Asian pear orchard near the Natural Bridge in western Virginia. They swore the pears pick from this orchard were the best they had ever tasted. Although they couldn't remember the name of the place a quick online search came up with the Virginia Gold Orchard. Apparently they were just featured in Southern Living Magazine. Now I am not suggesting that Richmonders need to drive all the way past Lexington to find good Asian Pears, but perhaps if your looking for a nice day trip or a weekend get away in the area this would be a great place to check out. Also I hear the bridge is nice.

Field Trip! Eden Farms and Grayhaven Winery

Last weekend, Natalie and I went out to Gum Spring to visit our friends at Eden Farms. It was so fun to see a startup farm, with vegetable beds, fruit trees and animals. (Baby chickens? Like I wasn't plotting a way to take some of THOSE home. But, for a lack of preparedness, I did not. Sigh.) The operation, the brainchild of five brothers and sisters, sells everything from handmade soap and lip balm to gorgeous planters made out of granite leftover from kitchen remodels, to handmade rabbit and ferret toys as well as the aforementioned baby animals. Eden Farm is open Saturdays starting at 10am. For more information and directions, contact the Agnews at 556-3377.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Eden farms is the cheerful Grayhaven Winery. We spent quite a while at the tasting bar, sampling eight different varietals and some house sangria. Whoo- whee! All of the wines were fantastic, ready to drink with no residual sugar. We bought some Moonlight white and an amish made cheddar that was reported to have been made without the convienience of electricity! Regardless, it was so creamy and wonderful, we tore right into it and plum lost the label, so I can't tell you the brand. The winery offers many locally made products, including Eden farms soap and my favorite goat cheese from Goats 'R us. Visiting Grayhaven is a fun day trip anytime, but we are especially excited about their South African food and wine festival in mid July!


Have some fun exploring in your own backyard!

RFC Throwback: April

Lots happens in April- we start gardening in earnest, we hunt for open markets, and we come out of hibernation and start traveling!  Searching for posts to highlight for the April throwback was so fun- it was hard to choose which ones to highlight!  Here are some great memories from Aprils past.

Spring veggie garden

Here is a veggie garden update from 2008 (which still holds true today...)

I am so in love with the podcasts we used to do!  In 2009, we did recorded several dinner parties with featured seasonal ingredients.  This one is all about fennel- one of our all time favorite veggies!  Listen in for Virginia wine notes, and three dishes using fennel (soup salad, and shortbread!)

Feast for the eyes and the belly

In 2010, Shannon and I took a day trip to Charlottesville to visit Feast! and several wineries.  What a fun time!  In the first post about this trip (on Feast!) Shannon says:

I loved this place. It can be a bit hectic, so it may not be the right spot for a quite restful meal, but if your up for a bit of deli-market style energy then you will be well rewarded. The amount of delicious food that surrounds you, wines and hard ciders you can't find in Richmond, the cheese counter, the olives and olive oils, candies and chocolates, and packages of prepared foods made with local eggs, chicken, dairy and greens, all give you plenty to look at while you wait for your own meal to be served. 

And, in April of 2011, Casey wrote her first post for the RFC on a visit to the Homestead Creamery.  We are so glad she joined us!!

Delivery truck

The kids were able to bottle feed a young calf just recently weaned from his mother, and Donnie described the workings of the farm.

100 cows are raised on grass. In the winter months their diet is supplemented with corn and wheat raised on the farm. As we toured the milking building my son was disappointed we couldnt see the cows being milked... until we realized the first milking is at 4am! Donnie walked us through the milking process and the simple but impressively labor intensive process they repeat twice daily.

 Happy, happy April all!!

RFC visits: Edible Landscaping

Last week, some of the family gardeners came into town and wanted to check out the Edible Landscaping nursery in Nelson County.  Edible landscaping is such an appealing idea in general that we were all excited to see which fruits we could introduce into our gardens at home.

Blackberries

Fat blueberries

Everyone was so helpful and so nice at the nursery, including owner Michael McConkey who walked us around, bursting into song every once in a while and joyfully exclaiming over fruiting plants as though he was just discovering them himself.  He even brought me this giant mulberry that was one of the sweetest I have ever tasted!

Michael and his giant (and super sweet) mulberry

Figs

Gorgeous pomegranate flowers

Swallowtail feasting

 We had such fun exploring the idea of introducing more food plants into our gardens.  My uncle Alan and aunt Paula wound up with several plants- including an asian pear tree and a goumi berry (which is a nitrogen fixer in addition to having tasty berries).  Alan had to sit with the shrub on his lap on the ride home, but it was a most lovely drive.

Uncle Alan and his Goumi berry

I didn't bring anything back because I had not done sufficient research on what to plant, but there is always mail order...  It is a fun day trip though, so head on out sometime, and bring some fruits home!