I smelled them before I saw them. I was shin-deep in a creek, just off the main road, pushing through briars and humidity. I’d studied maps and looked for the right mix of shade and wet soil, bu...
In the Appalachian Highlands, “putting up” or canning isn’t just a chore or a challenge; it is the boundary between the abundance of summer and the lean gray of winter. For many gene...
In the pages of Smoky Mountain Magic—that beloved culinary bible compiled by the Junior Service League of Johnson City in 1960—there sits a recipe that feels less like instructions for dinner and more...
In August, the Appalachian Highlands are drowning in corn. Silver Queen, Peaches and Cream, Hickory King—it comes in by the bushel. The challenge hasn’t changed in 200 years: How do we keep this...
In the Appalachian Highlands, we are conditioned to view the first hard freeze as an ending. It’s the signal to drain the hoses, close up the high tunnels, and say goodbye to the peppers and tom...
A Serendipitous Discovery in Bristol, VA Every so often in life, while wandering along some unknown road and exploring, you come across something so interesting that you have to stop and examine it cl...
It’s not often I can genuinely blame a restaurant for limiting my culinary choices, but Saturday, July 5, 2025, was one of those rare opportunities. My wife, Kathy, and I had just wrapped up cov...
This recipe was prepared by Chef John Maxwell on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program. Maxwell, a certified executive chef, culinary educator and member of the American...
This recipe was prepared by Chef John Maxwell on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program. Maxwell, a certified executive chef, culinary educator and member of the American...
