|
|
|
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
|
|
 |
ASAP Releases 2018 Annual Report
|
Check out ASAP's latest annual report 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 and Asheville City Market, as well as the 15th annual Business of Farming Conference.
• Healthy Eating in Practice, a new project to expand ASAP's community health efforts within the healthcare field.
• Three new reports published by the Local Food Research Center.
Thank you for making this success possible by supporting ASAP. We are proud to be doing this important work with you!
|
|
|
Heading back to school this week? Remember to check growing-minds.org for all of our farm to school resources, including:
If you're in our region, stop by the office for materials like recipe cards, seeds, stickers, and a lending library.
|
|
|
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 |
|
Our August photo of the month, by Chelsea Lane Photography, captures the season with a tomato and burrata salad from The Montford Bar and Lounge. Tomatoes are fresh from Asheville City Market and the basil was grown in the restaurant's own rooftop garden, planted by Ivy Creek Family Farm.
Have local food and farm photos you'd like to see featured here? ASAP's 2020 calendar photo contest 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 for contest rules and and submission information.
|
|
|
|
 FACES OF LOCAL |
| |
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, 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
|
|
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 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 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, 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, 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.
|
|
|
|
 RECIPE OF THE MONTH |
| Pork Loin with Gribiche & Porky Tomato Sauce
|
| This dish from Sawhorse, featuring pork loin and eggs from Dry Ridge Farm, 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 loin
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup salt
- 2 quarts water
- 12 black peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- 4 bay leaves
- 6 juniper berries
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
Combine 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 seed
- 2T ground coriander seed
- 2T ground black peppercorn
Roast 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 eggs
- 1 large bunch of basil, picked
- 1 medium bunch of mint, picked
- 2 bunches parsley, picked
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
Place 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), diced
- 1 medium can of San Marzano tomatoes, diced or peeled
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoons + 2 cups olive oil (divided)
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons fennel seed, ground
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 2 bay leaves
In 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’s Growing Local audio series runs on WNCW on Monday mornings during Morning Edition at 8:45 am. Here are a few recent episodes:
You can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud, iTunes, or on ASAP's website.
|
|
|
|
| | |
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
