A u g u s t   2 0 1 9         a s a p c o n n e c t i o n s . o r g

Announcing the Local Food Experience Winners
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In the spirit of fun competition, we asked attendees of the Local Food Experience : [link removed] to vote on their favorite dishes, and the results are in! 
 

Overall Favorite Dish: Sawhorse : [link removed] and Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed]'s Pork Loin with Gribiche and Porky Tomato Sauce (Want to try it yourself? Chef Dan Silo shares the recipe below.)
Most Original Dish: Sovereign Remedies : [link removed] and New Roots Market Garden : [link removed]'s gazpacho with summer squash and tulsi basil
Best Use of Local: Buncombe County Schools Nutrition : [link removed] and Brasstown Beef : [link removed] for Tex-Mex Nachos
What farm or business are you most excited about experiencing again after the event? Sawhorse

 

Thank you to everyone who came out for the sold-out evening, especially our chef and farm partners, our host New Belgium Brewing : [link removed], and our event sponsor Katie Button Restaurants : [link removed].
 

Weren't able to make it this year? We hope to see you at a future ASAP event : [link removed]!





ASAP Releases 2018 Annual Report
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Check out ASAP's latest annual report : [link removed] to read about the impacts our community of farmers, educators, healthcare professionals, agricultural leaders, and citizens have had on building a stronger local food movement.
 

Highlights from 2018 included:
 

• 10th anniversaries of the Farm Tour : [link removed] and Asheville City Market : [link removed], as well as the 15th annual Business of Farming Conference : [link removed].
• Healthy Eating in Practice : [link removed], a new project to expand ASAP's community health efforts within the healthcare field.
• Three new reports published by the Local Food Research Center : [link removed].
 

Thank you for making this success possible by supporting ASAP. We are proud to be doing this important work with you!





Back to School Week
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Heading back to school this week? Remember to check growing-minds.org : [link removed] for all of our farm to school resources, including:
Updated bulletin board sets : [link removed] Week in the Garden newsletter templates : [link removed] plans : [link removed]
If you're in our region, stop by the office for materials like recipe cards, seeds, stickers, and a lending library.





Welcome New ASAP Staff Members
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ASAP's has welcomed several new staffers : [link removed] over the past two months, and we'd like to introduce you! From left is Eva Garza, office assistant, Kate Hanford, manager of Asheville City Market, and Amy DeCamp, events coordinator.





Thank You for Voting!
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Thank you for once again voting ASAP the best nonprofit supporting farms in the Mountain Xpress's annual Best of WNC Awards! We love the work we do helping farms thrive and building healthy communities.



PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT
 

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Our August photo of the month, by Chelsea Lane Photography : [link removed], captures the season with a tomato and burrata salad from The Montford Bar and Lounge : [link removed]. Tomatoes are fresh from Asheville City Market : [link removed] and the basil was grown in the restaurant's own rooftop garden, planted by Ivy Creek Family Farm : [link removed].
 
Have local food and farm photos you'd like to see featured here? ASAP's 2020 calendar photo contest : [link removed] is open for submissions now! We're looking for photos that depict your experiences with local food and farms, with particular emphasis on the seasons. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers, and you may submit as many photos as you like. Photos received by Friday, Sept. 20 will be given first consideration. Visit our website : [link removed] for contest rules and and submission information.

FACES OF LOCAL
Amanda Clapp
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ASAP likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month, we talk with Amanda Clapp, a middle school science teacher at the Catamount School, a learning lab school operated by Western Carolina University in partnership with Jackson County Schools.
 
Tell us about the garden at the Catamount School. How did it get started?

The garden at the Catamount School started as a rectangle of mulch. The students were excited to start all sorts of garden projects, and the sixth grade started to really develop it through a project-based learning unit. We got a Growing Minds school garden mini-grant : [link removed], and students made three raised beds and amended soil to get it ready. The first year, we grew lima beans and sunflowers.
 

The next year's students expanded the garden after visiting the community gardens run by the Jackson County health department and an organic farm in our community. They added three long mounds of amended soil after determining that they didn't need the raised beds. Over the summer, our lemon cucumbers have grown across all those mounds, and we will be sharing a huge cucumber salad at our family picnic this week. We also have more big sunflowers, carrots, kale, and beans.
 

What are you doing to get the garden ready for the new school year?

I haven't done anything to get the garden ready, because the kids can do it when they come back next week. They created a tall table out of pressure-treated lumber, and they use it as an accessible potting bench. I know they're looking forward to using it.
 

What are some of the science lesson crossovers you've used with the garden?

The garden has been a place for sixth grade to study plants, soils, and biomes. We also use it as an outdoor classroom. Our seventh grade uses the weather station and eighth grade does water cycle infiltration studies. Speaking of water, our STEM-E team worked out a rainwater collection system with gravity-fed irrigation that runs to the beds and keeps them watered during dry times.
 

Why is it important to offer farm to school experiences, particularly for middle school students?

 

Having an outdoor space right outside our windows allows students to apply what they're learning in real time. Students have built benches, started a compost pile, and hung bird feeders in the garden as they learned different concepts in class and advisory. Our middle school students benefit from bringing school concepts outdoors—they can see the connection between school and the rest of their lives and their community.

TAILGATE MARKET ROAD TRIP
King Street Market & Watauga County Farmers Market
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In this month’s installment of our Road Trip series, in which we explore farmers markets across the Appalachian Grown region, we check in on the farmers market happenings in Boone, NC.
 

Watauga County Farmers Market : [link removed] has been operating in Boone since 1974. The market takes place Saturday mornings from 8 am to noon, May to November, at the Horn in the West parking lot. Approximately 65 vendors offer local produce and plants, as well as food and crafts, regular cooking demos, live music, and a children's corner.
 

King Street Market : [link removed] is Boone’s weekday farmers market, with up to 20 vendors selling a diverse spread of local produce, ranging from tomatoes, root veggies, and greens to berries and peaches. Vendors also offer local baked goods, homemade ice cream, meats (lamb, pork, and chicken), as well as arts and crafts. The market, which is operated by Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, happens every Tuesday from 4 to 7 pm until mid October just off King Street, in front of the Watauga County Social Services building.
 

On the first Tuesday of every month, additional arts and craft vendors join in for an “artisan+farmers” market. On second Tuesdays, the market offers a Health and Wellness Day with community health organizations and businesses. Third Tuesdays boast a solar-powered concert and fourth Tuesdays have cooking demonstrations. The market also has a kids activity at every market and live music from local musicians almost every week. Next Tuesday (Aug. 27) is another special event: Root Veggie Day : [link removed], where shoppers can celebrate root vegetables with games, recipes, samples, kids activities, a raffle, nutritional education, and more.
 

Planning a road trip this winter? The Boone Winter’s Farmers Market : [link removed], also operated by Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, takes place from December through April on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9 am to noon at the Watauga Co. Agricultural Conference Center.

 

Find more farmers markets to visit year round at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Pork Loin with Gribiche & Porky Tomato Sauce
This dish from Sawhorse : [link removed], featuring pork loin and eggs from Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed], was voted favorite of the night by Local Food Experience attendees. Sawhorse chef and owner Dan Silo generously shared the recipe, which he notes is a play on an Italian tonnato sauce, but with pork instead of tuna.
 
For the pork loin:
5 pound pork loin1 cup brown sugar1/2 cup white sugar1 cup salt2 quarts water12 black peppercorns6 cloves4 bay leaves6 juniper berries1/2 cinnamon stickCombine all ingredients except pork and bring to simmer in a large pot. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and cool completely. Submerge pork loin fully in the brine, weighting it down as necessary. Brine, refrigerated, for 5 days. Remove pork from the brine and allow to air dry in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the pork thoroughly with a mix of:2T ground fennel seed2T ground coriander seed2T ground black peppercornRoast for about 45 minutes, until the outside of the pork is well browned. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and roast another 45 minutes, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, or feels firm and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature at least 20 minutes before slicing. For the gribiche:6 large eggs1 large bunch of basil, picked1 medium bunch of mint, picked2 bunches parsley, picked1 clove garlic1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper1 teaspoon salt1 cup olive oilPlace the eggs in a small pot over medium high heat with enough salted cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil slowly. As soon as water hits a low boil, remove from heat and set a timer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, plunge the eggs in an ice bath and let cool completely before peeling. Chop. Meanwhile, heat another medium pot of salted water and allow to come to a full rolling boil over high heat. Blanch all the herbs in boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately plunge in an ice bath. Place herbs, garlic, and red pepper, and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped eggs to the mixture and stir to combine. For the sauce:2 pounds leftover pork roast (any cooked meat would work), diced1 medium can of San Marzano tomatoes, diced or peeled1 onion, sliced4 cloves garlic, sliced2 tablespoons + 2 cups olive oil (divided)1 cup dry red wine2 tablespoons red wine vinegar1 tablespoons fennel seed, ground1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground2 bay leavesIn a large sauce pan over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sweat the onion and garlic slowly. Add the fennel, coriander, cinnamon, and bay leaves and continue to sweat slowly. When the onions and garlic are fully soft and the spices are aromatic, add the diced pork. Sweat together for 20 minutes, without getting much color. Add the red wine and red wine vinegar, stir, and allow to reduce slightly. Add the canned tomato and simmer slowly for 2 hours, until the pork is totally soft and falling apart. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 2 cups olive oil. To finish the dish: Spoon the tomato sauce on the bottom of the plate. Add sliced pork loin. Top with a dollop of gribiche. Garnish with toasted and chopped hazelnuts.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

ASAP in the News
Asheville City Market was part of the discussion about a potential new hotel project, covered by the Asheville Citizen-Times : [link removed], WLOS : [link removed], Mountain Xpress : [link removed], and Ashvegas : [link removed]. 

 

ASAP's Double SNAP program was featured in the Asheville Citizen-Times : [link removed].



ASAP on the Air
: [link removed]’s Growing Local audio series runs on WNCW : [link removed] on Monday mornings during Morning Edition at 8:45 am. Here are a few recent episodes:


50 Years of U-Pick Apples : [link removed]
I Want to Share my Food with Everyone : [link removed]
New Roots Market Garden Finds Its Niche : [link removed]
Meet Your Farmers: The Moreno Family : [link removed] the Dots with Mountain Food Products : [link removed] can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud : [link removed], iTunes : [link removed], or on ASAP's website : [link removed].



CONNECT WITH US
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asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing-minds.org : [link removed]
appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | fromhere.org : [link removed]
 
Donate to support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities today! : [link removed]
 
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.



ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) - 306 W. Haywood Street - Asheville - NC - 28801

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