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Showing posts from October, 2017

Organic farmers - how do they grow

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Growing Organically Wiebe Farmin' began in 2003 as a mixed organic vegetable farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina. After a few years of growing a wide variety of crops, Ryan Wiebe increased his farm to 6 acres. Then in 2008 the farm earned the designation of “certified organic”. Wiebe decided to increase their organic garlic production and eventually settled on one outstanding variety: German Extra Hardy.  This  type has a large bulb with large easy to peel cloves with excellent flavor.  Wiebe did not grow up farming in his native Florida, but after coming to NC and finding a place he loved, he then found a passion for farming. With a lot of hard work, he has turned this passion into a successful organic farm. He says he gained a great deal of his knowledge from the reading and asking questions – much of it thanks to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. In 2014, Ryan was named North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year by the Cooperative Extension.

Meet your baker - Annabelle of Michael's English Muffins

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Michael's English Muffins is a new artisan we've been working with this year and we're excited to introduce you to Annabelle and tell you all about her! Where did the name come from?  "Michael’s" is a dedication to Annabelle's late father, Michael J Comisar, a successful restauranteur. His sense of hospitality combined with hard work was instilled in her from the start. He left behind the legacy of the legendary Maisonette, an award winning, 41-consecutive five star French restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio. How did Michael's get its start in NC?  Annabelle started here using her sommelier training in a position with Sour Grapes. Establishing new relationships through wine distribution to local restaurants, she fell in love with this new city. Annabelle also credits Blue Oven Bakery with training and guiding her as a chef. They are the most sought after bread company in Cincinnati and she now brings their secret recipe and their vision to work in he

2 simple ways to make your next meal AMAZING!

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Welcome Chef Alyssa to TPB We are thrilled to have Chef Alyssa’s products in our TPB lineup! We have the Champagne Tomato Jam and Mustard Spread. Chef Alyssa is a chef in the Charlotte area. She and her husband joined their skills together to create Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen to provide a relaxed space for people to enjoy learning new cooking skills. Chef Alyssa has had great success with the cooking school. She has received several Best of Cooking Class awards in Charlotte and she also appeared on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay. In May 2016 she and her husband launched Chef Alyssa’s Spreads. The mustard and tomato jam can be used for spreads, marinades and dressings. Best of all they are made from all-natural ingredients and preservative free. The Champagne Tomato Jam is sweet and spicy. It is made from tomatoes, champagne vinegar, and other spices. Try it as a spread on top of a brie cheese, crackers, roasted veggies or even on your next burger! The Smoked Chili &

A Fall salad from Chef Jason at 18 Seaboard restaurant

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We recently carried an Adventurous Chef's Box built by local Triangle Chef and Restaurateur Jason Smith of 18 Seaboard! Chef Jason Smith and his wife Lauren dreamed of owning a special restaurant. In 2006 they opened the doors to 18 Seaboard. Chef Smith leads a culinary group committed to serving contemporary Southern inspired dishes with over 60% of ingredients sourced from North Carolina farms, ranches, fishmongers and dairies. His love of NC and comfort food is evident in all of his food and drinks. Here's a Fall salad recipe he shared with us: Seaboard Bibb Salad Ingredients: · 1 bunch Bibb lettuce · 3 Asian pears · ½ cup butter beans · 1 teaspoon butter · 1 tablespoon blackening seasoning · ½ butternut squash · 4 Cherokee purple tomatoes · ½ cup extra virgin olive oil · ½ cup apple cider vinegar · 2 tablespoons honey · 1 tablespoon fresh thyme · Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cut pears

Drink the Sunshine

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We're excited to introduce you to Sunshine Energy drinks - on our menu for the first time! Sunshine is unlike other energy drinks and we're so excited to have it on our menu for the first time for purchase this weekend. It refuels your body through electrolytes, vitamins and just enough caffeine. Born in Winston-Salem, it has the perfect balance of taste and function to keep you well-hydrated at the gym, running errands and even when you’re home sick. The founders of Sunshine, Keith Vest and Joe Parrish, wanted to create an alternative to the "Big Box" energy drinks that were already on the market. They wanted to "create a product that had more personality, was more authentic, more geared towards regular people,” Parrish said. They needed a character for their brand like Betty Crocker. This lead them to create the fictional character of Buck O’Hairen, a North Carolina moonshiner. As the legend goes Buck had one to many moonshine drink