Category Archives: Food

Help RAFI help farmers with book project

RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation International), based in Pittsboro, has an impressive project in the works. Growing Innovation will document 17 years of farmer innovation in North Carolina with an online library and printed book. These will be tools for farmers … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Farmers, Food, Orange County | Leave a comment

Pepper Festival returns with more pep than ever

Somehow, regretfully, I end up being out of town every year for one of my favorite events — the Pepper Festival in Chatham County, so please go for me! This year’s fest, on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 7 … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Chatham County, Environmental, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Orange County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Flurry of farm-fresh fall festivities

Wow, there’s so much going on that I feel compelled to do a round-up. Typical fall in the Carolinas! The 8th annual and always entertaining Eastern Triangle Farm Tour is happening Sept. 21-22. Six new farms are included among the 27 … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Charlotte area, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers' markets, Food, Franklin County, Johnston County, Lincoln County, Mecklenburg County, Road travel, Stokes County, Wake County, Wine | Leave a comment

Some favorite U-pick farms for U

The U-pick season is shorter in the mountains and middle of the state. Here are a few of my favorite spots there, with their entries from my book. Check ’em out! (But of course call or check online before you … Continue reading

Posted in Ashe County, Food, Madison County, Rockingham County, U-pick farms | Leave a comment

Dig deeper with Taste Carolina food-farm events

I got to hang out with some of my favorite food purveyors last night — Farmhand Foods, which distributes local, pasture-raised meats, and April McGreger of Farmer’s Daughter Brand, sweet-and-savory queen of all that is preserved or fermented. And I … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Durham County, Environmental, Farmers, Food, Livestock, Orange County, Recipes, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fermenting food in a few easy steps

I’m bubbling over with excitement after my workshop on fermenting! OK, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it was very interesting to get a primer on the process that I’ve been reading so much about over the past … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Durham County, Food | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Vollmer Farm returns with even more fall festivities

Happy fall, y’all! … One of my favorite photos taken for my “Farm Fresh North Carolina” guidebook is this one, of a boy we spotted at Vollmer Farm carrying a load of pumpkins. It might look staged, but it’s not.  And … Continue reading

Posted in Family travel, Food, Johnston County, Road travel, U-pick farms | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Southern cooking: it’s a sides show

Lina found me crying over an ugly green plastic box the other week. I was reading through my mom’s recipes (she died in 2009), on yellowed index cards in her hand-writing. Her famous salmon cakes, always served with cole slaw … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Cooking, Food, Orange County, Wake County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do not miss this year’s TerraVITA food festival

Food and farm-fresh friends, I don’t mean to harp on this, but if you haven’t gotten your tickets to TerraVITA,  one of the state’s leading food and beverage festivals, you’d better do it soon. The three-day spectacular is in Chapel … Continue reading

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TerraVITA triples the fun (get your tix now)

Wow, in only its third year, TerraVITA has become a leading Southern food and wine event, with a focus on farm-sourcing, artisanal producers. This year’s event has expanded over several days, with activities running Nov. 1 to Nov. 3 in … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Dining, Farmers' markets, Films, Food, Orange County, Wine | Tagged , | 1 Comment

It’s maple-tree tapping time again — yes, in NC!

It’s time to get sappy! Yes, it’s maple syrup-tapping time again — even in North Carolina! Maple Creek Farm outside of Burnsville, in the mountains, will host its fourth annual Maple Tour on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, from … Continue reading

Posted in Family travel, Farmers, Food, Yancey County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Culinary/ag education in Charlotte and beyond

Thought I’d share this recent email and my answer, as it contains some good farm-fresh culinary/agricultural education resources in Charlotte and beyond. Dear Diane, My brother is an aspiring chef living in Charlotte. He is very passionate about sustainable farming and farm … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Cooking, Food, Mecklenburg County | Leave a comment

Home Grown Hand Made videos are online

Wow, a big shout-out to Axel Foley of the The Peoples Channel and Durham Community Media for making videos of all the vendors at the group’s fall fund-raiser, Home Grown Hand Made, at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham. The one for Farm Fresh North … Continue reading

Posted in Durham County, Farm Fresh book events, Food | Leave a comment

Farm Fresh NC on UNC-TV’s ‘Bookwatch’

D.G. Martin interviewed me in the summer for his author-focused show, “Bookwatch,” on UNC-TV. We had a wide-ranging talk about agritourism, farm-to-table restaurants, farmers markets, etc. It was a fun show, and I’m grateful for the opportunity! It first aired Sept. … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Charlotte area, Coastal Region-Sandhills, Dining, Farmers' markets, Food, Mountains, Triad, Triangle, Wine | Leave a comment

Food and race; High Country tour; learn to write, paint and cook in a day; food classes; and more!

Mark your calendars for these farm-food events in the Tiangle and the mountains:  Thursday, Aug. 4: “Eating the Other: Food, Race and You,” discussion of race as it relates to agribusiness, farmers’ markets and the slow food culture. At Southwest Regional … Continue reading

Posted in Alleghany County, Ashe County, Avery County, Bicycling, Cooking, Dining, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Road travel, Watauga County, Wilkes County | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Guidebook author’s dream come true

A guidebook writer couldn’t ask for more than this blog post   from pastry chef and local-food lover Jenni Field for SavorNC magazine.  She writes about how her husband bought her my book for their anniversary (thank you, husband!) and, more importantly, … Continue reading

Posted in Family travel, Farmers, Food, Granville County, Livestock, Meat, Road travel | 2 Comments

Bee there, freshest fish, food tours and more

It’s time again for Quick Bites, a harvest of Farm Fresh news. How sweet it is: TONIGHT, July 27, at 6 pm (movie at 9:15), Market Restaurant in Raleigh will host a music and movie night in its parking lot, featuring … Continue reading

Posted in Bees, Books, Dining, Durham County, Environmental, Food, Food policy, Forsyth County, Guilford County, Orange County, Wake County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Farm Fresh NC and Fickle Creek share video spotlight

What a great gift for Fickle Creek Farm, my book “Farm Fresh North Carolina,” and the Piedmont Farm Tour. The state’s former (as of June) tourism marketing agency, Charlotte-based LKM, commissioned a video about agritourism in general and the book … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Fresh book events, Farmers, Food, Livestock, Lodging, Media, Orange County | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Find dining in Asheville

Wrote this little ditty below for a Boston Globe summer-fun roundup, so makes sense to share with my NC readers. With farm-to-table dining practically de rigueur, farmers are starting to share the menu with foragers. In what is billed as a … Continue reading

Posted in Buncombe County, Dining, Food, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Asheville’s Tupelo Honey Cafe puts out cookbook

Tupelo Honey Café is one of those landmark dining spots that actually deserves its popularity. Tourists and locals alike go to the Asheville restaurant for Southern comfort food with a modern twist. It’s a high-volume place (and a second location … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Books, Buncombe County, Cooking, Dining, Food, Recipes, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment