Posts Tagged ‘virginia’
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Meet Yer Eats will be a great way to reconnect with what grounds you.
There’s so much to do in Central Virginia (and online) this September! Looking at just the first half of the month, here are some options for you, your family and friends to endeavor in before fall is officially here:
Monday, September 6th (10:00am-4:00pm): MEET YER EATS!
This 2010 Farm Tour, hosted by Market Central and largely sponsored by Whole Foods Market, will take those who want to be introduced to the farmers (and farms, of course) behind their food to a series of self-selected locations in the state. Tickets are available here. Or, save a bit and gain some experience by volunteering for the event instead. More information is available through Market Central online.
Thursday, September 9th (2:00pm): Building a Business in Specialty Foods Webinar Series
This day marks the beginning of a webinar series (three-months in all) that focuses upon businesses that centered on the production and sales of specialty foods. Participation is gratis; you can simply follow this link immediately before each session to sign in. Join in as a guest, type in your name, and “walk” into the “room.” That’s it! Listen, learn, speak, and enjoy!
Friday, September 10th (7:00pm): “Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the Economic Crisis: Why You Should Think About Them (Though We’d All Rather Not)”
Bring your children, if you have one or some, to this talk at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church. Childcare will be available, so way not take advantage of the opportunity to hear more about the issue from Sharon Astyk, author of three published works? Read more about her here.
Saturday, September 11th (10:00am-4:00pm): HERITAGE HARVEST FESTIVAL
The website welcoming interested individuals to this year’s Heritage Harvest Festival starts off strong. “Experience the genius of Thomas Jefferson while celebrating one of his great passions – the garden. Join us for the annual Heritage Harvest Festival, a celebration of gardening, sustainable agriculture and local food, held at Monticello, the mountaintop home of our third president,” it says. And, with an enticing description like that, which Virginian wouldn’t want to attend?? Don’t forget to stop by the Blue Ridge Network Permaculture table while you’re there. The team is truly dedicated (and very, very knowledgeable) on the subject of sustainable gardening! This event is pre-fall must, if I may say so myself.
-Serena
Tags: agriculture, buy local, eat local, Economy, Environment, food, gardening, local foods, sustainability, virginia
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Sunday, August 29th, 2010
On Sunday, August 22, the Slow Food chapter for the Albemarle and Piedmont regions of Virginia was launched with late-summer success. From mid-afternoon until well into the sunset, a gathering of growers, promoters, and enjoyers celebrated with local eats and very good brew. The mission of this new sect to, “Provide a gathering space and platform to inspire and grow knowledge and awareness of community and food initiatives,” was clearly well taken by all in attendance. A group whose purpose is to converse while conjunctively consuming? Yes, please. No wonder the kick-off was met with such fervor. And perhaps, the potluck attracted even more young families, old pairs, and general friends by having been held on the grounds of Tufton Farm in Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson’s Center for Historic Plants is based. The greenhouse was a wonder and the property well worth the drive over to take in. With hope, the chapter’s organizing committee will plan a series of follow-up meetings for interested folks to dive into; after all, there’s never a better moment to live better and to give back to our regional societies than now.
-Serena
An official banner and sign-in area greeted attendees to the new Slow Food chapter.
Dozens of interested folks gathered for the potluck-style event.
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eat local, slow foods, virginia
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Monday, August 16th, 2010
‘Tis the season to devour colorful, fresh fruits! Every once in awhile, what you want is the same as what you need; at this time of year, the healthful sweets are exactly that. And, lucky you: here in Virginia (and elsewhere, of course), there are many ways to go about slicing that (extremely local) banana.
This past Saturday, many headed to Monticello in Charlottesville for a Summer Fruit Tasting upon Mr. Jefferson’s hallowed garden grounds. Attendees received a short history, updated education, and mouthfuls of several of the species grown atop this famous hill.
Or, take the casual way out by making your way over to Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet. The location is beautiful AND unusually flat for this region, making picking your own in the heat of the day much more bearable for both you and your family. Then, head on into the shop for some relief and local food fun. I ended up taking home two-dozen peach cider donuts and a block of peanut butter walnut fudge. (Silly me, I forgot the peaches!)
If somehow you dislike fruit altogether, then you can still acquire a taste of the summer goodness with a glass of Chateau Morrisette Winery’s Sweet Mountain Laurel. Believe it or not, this wine from the Floyd location tastes almost exactly like Concord grape juice— with a kick.
-Serena
Fruit! Eat, Drink, and Experience it This Summer
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eat local, fruit, local foods, locavore, summer, virginia, wine
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Saturday, July 31st, 2010
…is growing to be a summer time favorite. I, of course, decided to try my first Pantheon Pop on one of the coolest Saturday morning’s we’ve had in months, but that didn’t stop my experience from being any more delicious. I have to admit that popsicles become a dietary staple for me in the summer, and I buy the all-natural 100% juice ones. However, local popsicles are a whole new game. We’ve recently added some local popsicle companies from across the country (like Atlanta’s King of Pops) to our database, but Charlottesville was yet to have its own – until this summer. Pantheon Popsicles prove that once again, everything tastes better local. The small, unassuming cart at Saturday mornings’ City Market has a long list of flavors, many made with local ingredients such as the watermelon (which I chose) and cantaloupe. If you want something a little more exotic, they have flavors like strawberry hibiscus,orange-mint, or some with coconut in it. Super frozen and all-natural, these pops are a healthy and insanely refreshing alternative to the joke-on-the-stick variety.
Pantheon's position at the City Market
The subtle color but amazing, refreshing taste of Pantheon's watermelon popsicle
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, desserts, eat local, farmers market, local foods, locavore, summer, virginia
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Monday, July 26th, 2010
It’s been pretty clear to me since a young age that environments are powerful. I remember feeling like a whole new person every time I left my hometown of Los Angeles; especially when I’d vacation to a more greenly hued location. Stepping out of the car and into the natural world was always—quite literally—a breath of fresh air. I’d feel alive! Healthy People, Healthy Places is hosting a webinar on a topic that begins with that basic concept of environment helping along health on Tuesday, July 27th. The key in this upcoming situation is to realize how directly atmosphere affects one’s wellbeing and to ignite positive changes through environmental policy. If you’re interested, give the discussion a go. Call lasts from 2:00-3:00pm, Eastern Standard Time.
-Serena
Grey Los Angeles was never a good environment for me.
Charlottesville, with all its greenery, is a celebration of health and the natural world.
Tags: buy local, california, Environment, virginia
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Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Although it’s nowhere comparable to that of Perfect Flavor, Moo Thru’s ice cream is a definite move in the right direction for dairy. This new creamery is prominently posed highway-side upon Route 29 in Remington, Virginia; its upsized, farm stand design is unmistakeable, as is its fun and spirited sign. When driving by—or making the trip over just for the frozen deliciousness itself—try any in-house made flavor to taste the local lactose that the ice cream is based off of. (Key factoid: the owner of the creamery is the owner of that same local dairy.) The freshness of the batches is readily apparent, no matter the type that you choose. My personal suggestion? Definitely decide to add some equally, freshly whipped cream to your scoops of choice. You won’t find anything even close to as good as this dense froth at the grocery.
-Serena
Stop by the Moo Thru for fresh ice cream, made from local dairy.
Tags: buy local, dessert, eat local, virginia
Posted in Buy Local, Eat Local | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
My boyfriend loves Béquet Gourmet Caramels. Every time that we go to our local food shop, Feast!, he half-subconsciously grabs from their designated baskets before proceeding to check-out. (If you’ve ever thought about the oh-so-convenient placement of irresistibles right by cashiers, you know exactly what I’m writing about…) In any case, at far less than a dollar apiece and just a bite-size away, the haphazard candy buying is nothing to complain about. Especially when I started trying them myself and realized just how simply and deliciously addicting they were. Made in Montana, the soft chews come in one of ten flavors and brightly wrapped papers. My favorite? The Celtic Sea Salt. The ones I most wish Feast! carried? Salt-Chocolate and Black Licorice… Mmmmm My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
-Serena
Béquet’s Chewy and Pomegranate Caramels practically fall into place.
Tags: buy local, buy locale, candy, charlottesville, eat local, locavore, virginia
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Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
For those of you Charlottesvillians that live under the weight of proverbial rock-dom, let this be your enlightening: the Blue Ridge Eco Shop has moved Downtown! That’s right. If before, you only stopped by when getting groceries at Integral Yoga or fresh pasta from Mona Lisa, now’s your chance to walk in much more often. The environmentally conscious retail store now also has a much larger selection for you to choose from, whether your interest is in clothing, house wares, furniture, or goods to give as gifts. With that vivid (ahem: suffocating) summer air upon us, it’s high time to breeze around the Downtown Mall for some higher level shopping.
-Serena
Mountaintop Shopping Has Moved On Down
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eco-friendly, shop local, virginia
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
The Charlottesville City Market—and most farmers markets, for that matter—is a magical place. Where else would be a one-stop-shop for locally made jewelry, award winning desserts, and unusual types of well raised meat? In thinking over my past few trips to the Saturday morning bazaar, I realized how strikingly bizarre my purchases had actually been. After one visit, I came home with a handmade necklace by Erin McDermott and some Sweet Italian lamb sausage links by Pair-a-dice Farm in Lunenburg, Virginia. A few weeks later, I was eating the “Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet,” courtesy of Free Union Produce & Gourmet Edibles. According to the pastry chef herself, said pie had won countless awards and had been deemed by many to very well be the best key lime pie ever. (To her credit, it’s true. Trust me.) Then, for dinner, I made beef liver from Poindexter Farm in Henrico County—bought that very same Saturday as the pie. Standard grocery stores may be known for their variety but in my opinion, shopping just doesn’t get any more high quality or quirky than at a small town market.
-Serena
This necklace made me picture beachy locations and tanned people…
At the lamb stand: meats and more.
Can you taste the crumbly, creamy goodness?
At the Poindexter Farm booth, a local chef was also purchasing meat.
Tags: american made, buy local, charlottesville, eat local, farmers market, handmade, jewelry, local foods, locavore, made in the USA, virginia
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Friday, April 30th, 2010
Something smells fishy… When the very last American plant for sardine production shuts down, should
that be a signal that something is wrong? It appears as if the U.S. is having some contradictory times in the world of seafood. First, news breaks that much of the seafood eaten in Florida is no longer local. Then, I continue to find state-caught catfish served all over North Carolina and read about the regional blue crabs making their comeback in the Chesapeake. Now, outside of Washington, D.C., it’s declared that sardine production has been cut to such an extent that the bay area’s biggest company is pulling out. Clearly, sardines aren’t endangered. So, what is going on?
-Serena
Tags: buy local, eat local, locavore, seafood, virginia
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