About

I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging on the subject of food since January 2010, often dwelling on my love for foods produced in my garden or on local farms here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A background in sustainable agriculture and working in professional kitchens on and off throughout the years is the true backbone of my joy for eating. As a teen, I began working on Long Lane Farm in the mountains of Pennsylvania, where I gratefully became enlightened to the endless pleasures of real, earth-rich food. I had grown up greatly disliking tomatoes until the day we came in from the fields and I was served thick slices of Brandywine smothered in fruity golden olive oil, fresh basil and local feta made right down the road. Those skeptical first bites of sun warmed tomato changed my understanding of food. There was no substitute for that type of flavor. It was then I realized the true difference between food grown and prepared with care, and the kind shipped to mega groceries from distant lands.

Photographing food has been part of a significant learning curve.  Not everything served is photo worthy. At least five to ten shots of each dish are taken before scrutinizing and selecting the one which finally appears on the site. Most of my daily cooking is far less picturesque.

After graduating from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in the summer of 09', I have since enjoyed teaching, writing and working with individuals around the topic of healing with real food. This blog became part of my passionate expression for eating for joy and long-term health.

In addition to personal cheffing and working in the garden, I enjoy writing for several companies and publications on the topic of food, including The Asheville Citizen Times, Plant Healer Magazine and Asheville Grit. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.  May your kitchen be a merry place!

~All photos and recipes on this site are original unless otherwise noted.~