Anne and I have celebrated some memorable 4ths. We grooved to the Good Vibrations of the Beach Boys along with 500,000 other folks on the National Mall. We watched fireworks at a party on top of the Interior Department Building. The brilliant bursts of color exploded directly above us, high in the night air. There have been concerts and backyard parties; neighborhood get-togethers and seafood at the beach. Of all the ways and all the places, few have been as much fun and relaxing as this one.

In case you haven’t noticed, there appear to be more tourists in the area this year than in the recent past. Anne and I have been playing tourist in our own backyard. Friday, we drove to Heartwood, the new Appalachian cultural center located off I-81, exit 14 near Abingdon. This is a special place, and I look forward to returning to it again and again. The Grand Opening takes place July 16 – July 23 with different activities and entertainment each day. I’ll have a more in-depth post after the 28th of this month. I’m trailing the chefs in the kitchen that day and may do a little cooking.

After Heartwood, we headed toward Damascus on Rt. 58. Damascus, Virginia, bills itself as Trail Town, USA, and well it should. Seven different trails crisscross this charming little village. We stopped for a nice lunch at the Whistle Pig Cafe. We both had the the chilled gazpacho and the fried green tomato sandwich on wheat roll with fresh sprouts. They were both unique and delicious. We split a slice of excellent key lime cheesecake for dessert. Would that the service was as good as the food.

After lunch, we took a leisurely drive on Rt. 58 toward White Top, paralleling the Virginia Creeper Trail for part of the way. The scenery this time of year is beautiful. The mountain laurel is in full bloom and the rock formations can be breath-taking. A boulder-filled stream rushes beside the road in spots. State signs alert you to the areas that have been stocked with trout. The laughter of families riding the trail on bicycles filtered through the trees at some of the places we stopped. The excited children sound like birds chirping.

With the afternoon starting to draw to a close, we drove over White Top and picked up I-81 in Chillhowie. We made it back to our place in the world in time to have a glass of wine with the neighbors.

Saturday was spent at the Farmers Market and chilling at home. Sunday I did some cooking. Anne had bought some gorgeous organic cauliflower at the Market, and I roasted part of it and did a puree with the rest. Tonight, weather allowing, we’re going to town to dance to the music of the Embers and watch the fireworks.

Happy 4th of July, y’all!

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pureed cauliflower recipe

Wash cauliflower in cold running water and separate into florets. Drop the florets into rapidly boiling, salted water. Cook for seven minutes and drain. Spread the florets out on a baking sheet and dry in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for five minutes. Transfer the florets to a blender and puree with heavy cream, butter, and grated gruyere cheese ( Two parts cream, one part butter, one parted grated cheese melted together in a small sauce pan.) Blend to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste. May be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave. Will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for a week.

The holiday season was interesting. Anne and I spent time with the Little Prince and Heir Apparent during Christmas and with my Mom the following week. We traveled a total of 1159 miles in ten days on some of the worst Interstate Highways in the USA. That amounted to more than 24 hours together in the car in horrendous traffic. Not to worry, we’re still speaking to each other, and there are no plans for divorce.

There are some really strange people on the highways these days. Religious zealots seem to be taking it to another level according to some of the things we saw. One RV we passed had a few interesting messages painted on it. Among them were, “God Kills, The Earth Will Burn,” and the end of the world will take place May 21 this year. I guess I can cancel the dental appointment I have scheduled for that week.

The weirdest church sign I’ve ever seen was posted in front of a tiny fundamentalist church near Fayetteville, NC. It stated, “God is Circumsized.” The best bumper sticker was in support of breast cancer awareness. It had the requisite pink ribbon and the admonition “Save the Ta Tas.”

The quality of food available along the Interstates continues to deteriorate. The best of the worst on I-81 is Mrs. Rowe’s at exit 222 in Staunton. The fried chicken is still good as are the vegetable sides, but a lot of the entres are just reheated food service crap. The biggest disappointment though was Ralph’s Barbecue in Weldon, NC. I’ve been going to Ralph’s for over 40 years and for the first time ever, the food was terrible. I overheard one of the local regulars refer to it as “The Trough.”

Back here on the home front, we had dinner a couple of weeks ago with Suzanne Capone and Bill Perry at their Omega Lane Farm. Thanks to Bill’s passive solar greenhouse, we were able to enjoy vine ripened tomatoes and a salad of fresh baby greens. Suzanne also makes some of the best pickled vegetables I’ve ever tasted. This year, rather than sell their produce at the Marion Farmer’s Market, they plan to custom grow starter plants for other people’s gardens. Give them a call at 276-686-5843 to place your order.

I was really disappointed to see that our esteemed Board of Supervisors shot down a proposed Property Maintenance Ordinance this month that would require property owners to clean up their trash and junked up land. Not only did they vote unanimously against the proposal, they voted against redrafting it to address some of the concerns of the Farm Bureau and others who objected to it. To call this Board a bunch of gutless wonders would be an insult to gutless wonders. The two pictures below, taken less than a mile apart on Rt. 52 near Ft. Chiswell, are examples of the problems that exist in the county. Combine this with a toothless litter law and this beautiful county continues to grow less beautiful.

Not to worry though dear hearts. I still continue to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty. With any luck at all, we’ll be able to start working outside soon prepping the garden, planting trees and doing all the things that still make this a great place to live.

Called the “Bridge of God” by the Monacan Indians and once owned by Thomas Jefferson, Natural Bridge is truly awe-inspiring, rising some 215 feet above Cedar Creek whose waters eroded the limestone which forms the 36,000 ton natural arch, estimated to be 500 million years old.

Along the way, one can view an authentic Monacan village, the entrance to the Saltpeter Mine, the Lost River, and Lace Falls. Though we didn’t go ourselves owing to time and my extreme claustrophobia, the largest underground caverns on the east coast (located 34 stories below ground) can also be explored.

The park is open year round. Admission is $18 for adults and $10 for children, which also includes the Wax Museum and Factory tour, the Toy Museum and The Drama of Creation, a light show each evening at dusk which unfolds in words and music.

cedar creek

entrance to the saltpeter mine

the lost river

lace falls

the little prince and heir apparent

Anne and I got there around 9:45 am, which was pretty good for us since Marion is almost an hour from Our Humble Little Cottage. We would have been there earlier, but it took us nearly a half hour once we got into town to find the place. We asked several people for directions. One started with, “It’s right across from Macado’s, only back a few streets…..sorta…..”  If Ken Heath, the market director reads this, I suggest you put a sign that says “TURN LEFT” at the appropriate spot for those of us coming in from exit 45 on I-81, who are unfamiliar with your charming little town, and are directionally challenged.

And it is a charming town with an excellent  market. The vendors we had a chance to talk to were very knowledgeable and informative about their products.  At 10 am there were still enough choice products left that we spent all our cash, and there were still things we wanted to buy.

Farmer’s Markets of one form or another have been around for over a thousand years in Europe and Asia. Here in the USA, they date back to Colonial Days. Contemporary markets are a growing trend in this country. In 1994, the first year that the US Department of Agriculture collected data, there were 1,755 active markets across the country. In 2009, the number had more than tripled to 5,274.

Markets allow producers to cut out the middleman and sell directly to consumers. For  many farmers, they are an important source of income since wholesale prices are often the same or less than the cost of production. Consumers have the opportunity to purchase high quality goods like organic vegetables, free-range meats, homestead cheeses, local honey and jams at reasonable prices. Markets also feature local art and crafts, home baked goods, and flowers and produce from home gardens.

Aimee Dickenson's "Koi Fish" cupcakes

Shelly Sells' handcrafted goat milk soap

The real highlight for me was the opportunity to meet two small producers of grassfed meats: Charlie Clark of Rich Valley Grazers, and Antoinette Goodrich of Laughing Water Farms. Charlie produces beef and pork, and Antoinette offers lamb and veal. I’ve already used products from both farms and can tell you their offerings are superior, some of the best I’ve had in a number of years. While I was a chef, my signature dish was Osso Bucco, an Italian preparation of braised veal shank. Saturday was the first time that I’ve seen veal shank offered in this area. That night I was inspired to fix Osso Bucco braised in white wine and chicken stock with a lemon gremolata, served with a wild mushroom ragout, and polenta garnished with fresh thyme and wild asparagus. Not to pat myself on the back, (which I do every chance I get) dinner was delicious.

Antoinette Goodrich offers a customer a taste of her garlic sprouts

For Sunday lunch, we had cheeseburgers made from Charlie’s ground beef.  Jimmy Buffett doesn’t have a clue what a real “Cheeseburger in Paradise” tastes like unless he’s had a “Charlie Burger” as I now call them.

Charlie Clark, cattle farmer and Chairman of the Smyth County Board of Supervisors

Time ran out before we had a chance visit with every vendor, so we plan to go back soon. This time we’ll get there early.  And bring more cash. The Marion Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from May thru October, 8:00 am-12:00 pm. It is located at the corner of Cherry and Iron Streets in the Town Square parking lot (across from Macado’s, only back a few streets…sorta.)

Market Shots

Aimee Dickenson of "Baby Cakes" and daughter Piper

Martha Holder (left) of Lazy Bee Farm and Shelly Sells of Country Milk "N" Gifts

Seth Taylor and Larrissa Powers

Budding Artist Eleanor Goodrich

Suzanne Capone (on the left) of Omega Lane Farm

For most of the last 6 years that I’ve been here, the Flying J Truck Stop in Ft. Chiswell has not only had the best price in the area, they’ve had one of the best prices in the whole state. But the Flying J chain has been sold to the Pilot Oil Corporation and for some reason there has been no customary price fluctuation. At both the Ft. Chiswell and the Flying J and Hess truck stops at exit 77, the price has been holding steady around $2.739 for weeks.

For any of you folks up north reading this who plan on passing thru the area, I suggest you take exit 73 off I-81 and gas up at the Go Mart. Skip the fast food joints and the national chains and head down the street to Smokey’s BBQ. As a former chef, who grew up outside Fayetteville, NC, I make the best damn cue anywhere, but his North Carolina-style chopped pork barbecue sandwich is pretty good. With cole slaw on top, of course.

Blog Roll Change

Speaking of the cheapest gas, I’ve changed the link that supplies the cheapest gas info for the Max Meadows/Ft. Chiswell area. The previous link required active participation by the suppliers, and Flying J was the only one participating. The new link gives much wider coverage. For instance, a Barren Springs independent station lists regular gas at $2.449 today. You can also check prices in Wytheville, Speedwell, and Rural Retreat. Check it out!