Wiegand - The new Blue Ridge cookbook: authentic recipes from Virginias highlands to North Carolinas Mountains

Elizabeth Wiegand is the author of The Outer Banks Cookbook (Globe Pequot, 2008; second edition, Globe Pequot, 2013) and a freelance writer whose articles on food, travel, and design have appeared in local and national publications. She has interviewed many of the nations top chefs, was chair of the local chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and Culinary Historians of the Piedmont, North Carolina. She maintains a blog at http://carolinafoodie.blogspot.com.

Wiegand, a farmers daughter and North Carolina native, grew up on land her family had farmed since before the Civil War, and learned Southern cooking and foodways under her grandmothers tutelage. Now the mother of three grown daughters herself, Wiegand has been cooking and exploring throughout North Carolina for decades, but she has also traveled and eaten her way through France, the Caribbean, Central America, and all over the United States. Behind every good bite of food is a good story, she believes, and thats why she enjoys talking to groups about Southern foods and teaching cooking classes. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield

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Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

Text design: Sheryl P. Kober

Wild Mushroom Rugalach is excerpted with permission from Kim Hendrickson, Tastefully Small Savory Bites , Salvia Press, 2009.

Smoked Mushroom with Creamy Polenta and Poached Egg is excerpted with permission from Seasonal School of Culinary Arts 2008 Cookbook , Asheville, North Carolina.

Chanterelles with Roasted Apricots is excerpted with permission from Seasonal School of Culinary Arts 2007 Cookbook , Asheville, North Carolina.

Vegetable Timbales is excerpted with permission from Seasonal School of Culinary Arts 2007 Cookbook , Asheville, North Carolina.

Tomato Ramekins with Goat Cheese is excerpted with permission from Seasonal School of Culinary Arts 2008 Cookbook , Asheville, North Carolina.

Pickled Vegetables in Sourwood Honey Vinegar is excerpted with permission from Seasonal School of Culinary Arts 2007 Cookbook , Asheville, North Carolina.

Photos by Elizabeth Wiegand except for images on pages 3, 14, 41 licensed by Shutterstock.com; pages 63, 115, 123, 137, 147, 181, 207 from Photos.com; page 157 from Thinkstock.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

The Library of Congress has cataloged a previous edition as follows:

Wiegand, Elizabeth (Elizabeth F.)

The new Blue Ridge cookbook : authentic recipes from Virginia's highlands to North Carolinas mountains / Elizabeth Wiegand.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7627-5547-9

1. Cookery, American. 2. CookeryBlue Ridge Mountains. I. Title.

TX715.W4657 2010

641.59755dc22

2010001412

ISBN 978-1-4930-1382-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-1383-8 (electronic)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

To my father, a farmer

How do you describe the passion that farmers have for literally tilling soil, scooping poop, and sowing seeds too tiny to see without reading glasses, all with the optimism of Gandhi that the results of their labor will be enoughenough to eat, to take to market, to sustain them through the winter, to buy enough seed for next spring, to add to the herd, to make the payment on the farm, repair the tractor, send the kids to college, much less enough to keep them and their dreams going? I am in awe of the devotion and enthusiasm of the farmers, especially, who shared their lives with me for this book. No matter their hardship, they were optimistic. They care about the land that hopefully will continue to sustain them. They care about their chosen lifestyle, one that balances self-sufficiency and interconnectedness to other farmers and loyal customers. To them, I am grateful for their stories, recipes, and the fruits of their labors.

I am most grateful to the chefs who not only shared their wonderful recipes that feature local, seasonal foods, but also for their passion to bring the best of the Blue Ridge to their tables. These chefs are on a mission, and I am grateful to have heard their preaching and partaken of their offerings. And to the talented cooks who also shared their favorite or traditional family recipes, thank you for that honor. Janet Burhoe-Jones gave me terrific leads to local farms, restaurants, and businesses in the Asheville area, and entertained me with stories of growing up in Burnsville and Lake Tahoma, where she allowed me to stay.

And to Robert Morgan and Kathryn Stripling Byer, two of North Carolinas most noted poets, thank you for sharing your hymns of praise to the most humble of Blue Ridge foods.

Growing up on the farm, I learned that there was an ebb and flow of life, with new births and new plantings, flourishing growth periods, and endings, be they happy harvests or sad deaths. While checking in with the many contributors to this book for the second edition, I found that some chefs had moved on or changed locales. And several of my farmer and chef friends had lost their battles to cancer. While sad about their passing, Im pleased that the recipes they shared will help carry on their mission of providing us with good food.

My father also died as I was completing this book. A lifelong farmer, he taught me how to work hard, stick to a task, and to love the land and farming. In many ways, he influenced this book.

My biggest debt of gratitude goes to my eldest daughter, Kate, who patiently and accurately transcribed more than 200 recipes scribbled on diner receipts or with scrambled, long lists of ingredients, as well as organized my computer, files, and permission forms. And she tested recipes, served as food stylist, and photographer. This book would not have come together in a timely fashion without her help. The supportive words of her sisters, Emily and Rebecca, were encouraging. And to Steve, thanks for always being there to taste and experience with me, and for carrying my bags and my baggage.

Elizabeth Farabow Wiegand

Blue Ridge Cuisine: Mountains of Flavor