The Harvest Table Restaurant, Meadowview, VA | Virginia | DONNE TEMPO
The Harvest Table Restaurant, Meadowview, VA
May/25/2008 03:37 PM Filed in: Virginia
By Cyndi Paxton Johnson
Lately people are calling out about the necessity to eat more local foods. Not only does this choice benefit the community farmer, it removes the staggering amount of fossil fuel necessary to move produce around the globe. On top of those excellent reasons – fresh food just tastes better!
This wave towards more responsible eating has been nudged by Barbara Kingsolver’s book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. A waterlogged, dog-eared copy of this book had been lovingly placed in my hands by another homeschooling mom two weeks prior to my Virginia trip with the whispered words, “This book will change your life!”
In the book, Barbara and her family re-locate to a farm in south-west Virginia and commit to eat only locally available foods for one year.
When friends told me about The Harvest House Restaurant in Meadowview, VA, which uses only locally available food, I immediately put the restaurant on my trip itinerary. The restaurant is part of the Meadowview Farmers’ Guild, and is a few miles north of Abingdon off of Interstate 81.
Working behind the counter in the attached General Store was Barbara Kingsolver’s daughter, Camille! Steven Hopp, her father, is one of the owner/founders of the Meadowview Farmers’ Guild, which encompasses both the general store and the restaurant. He and his partners work with sustainable, family-owned enterprises in order to support the region’s farming communities, provide jobs and protect the farmland.
Wow! An enterprise that nourishes your soul, benefits the community and neighbors AND provides a tourist attraction, thus rejuvenating an old town? Very impressive, Mr. Hopp! And that’s before I perused the store or ordered dinner!
The General Store is jam-packed with local goods and merchandise including hand made soaps, textiles, baskets and gift items – and Barbara Kingsolver’s books, of course! They had a large rack of heirloom seeds - older strains of herbs and vegetables that had almost disappeared due to large farming corporations’ preference to raise fewer varieties of crops. Many of the organic, heirloom seeds produce foods that are tastier and more nutritious than their commercialized counterpart.
The
overall emotion of the farmers’ guild is
community – working with your neighbors for a
greater goal. I watched curiously as a local
supplier brought her fresh baked bread into the
store – and then realized she was familiar! I had
spent an hour with Jennifer King just that
morning when she volunteered her time to give
tours of the historic Whites Mill, which is just
down the road from her farm. Community – working
with your neighbors for a greater good – be that
a restored historic building or local produce,
lovingly prepared!
My first day in town, and I was already among friends! .
The chef, Phillip Newton, directed us to our table and bade us a warm welcome. The menu looked impressive, and offered our hungry children several kid-friendly options, as well.
We
started our local feast with Chicken Black-bean
Chili, warm wheat rolls, and an array of local
artisan cheeses such as Kentucky bleu, Peppercorn
Asiago and Cumin seeded Gouda. The chili was rich
with cumin, and the spicy flavors blended nicely
on the tongue. The five different cheeses were
intriguing and tasty and the warm rolls were –
gone. Fortunately, the local bread fairy quickly
replaced them!
Roasted
apples and local Dilly beans were served with the
cheeses. We had never tasted, nor heard of Dilly
beans – and enthusiastically tried one. Turns out
Dilly beans are just that – pickled beans!
According to chef Phillip, everyone has their own
favorite recipe and the beans are in great
demand. Maybe it’s a Southern thing – or perhaps
they just need to grow on you? We each tried a
couple of beans, and then decided we weren’t
quite ready for that local favorite!
By
this time my children were devouring their cheese
quesadillas and personal pizzas – to animated
reviews. Apparently flavorful, local cheeses make
all the difference to simple dishes!
I savored an apple and roasted pecan salad with Kentucky Bleu cheese. I was a tad nervous, I am not always impressed by bleu cheese, but I need not have feared. This cheese was rich, smoky and flavorful, and the perfect addition to apples and crunchy pecans.
My husband ordered the Roffey Beef Meatloaf served with mushroom gravy, scalloped potatoes – and more Dilly beans. Apparently it was delicious – because he ate every morsel while I was talking with chef Phillip! I’m told it was “good”, and the mushrooms tasty. Luckily the man is more talented with a camera than he is with words!
For dessert we shared the chocolate bundt cake with chipotle chocolate sauce, moist and richly flavored. I had expected the chipotle sauce to have some form of kick, but didn’t notice anything. Nor did the children – who fought over the crumbs.
It was an intensely flavorful meal – I wish we lived close enough to eat there regularly, sampling the amazing variety of fresh local foods. As chef Phillip Newton pointed out, “It’s a challenge to put together dishes from what’s outside your back door. I didn’t learn about this at culinary school!”
Phillip’s passion and commitment to eating locally is evident. “Food is more than just eating. Food is health. Food is community. Food is Life!”
photos by www.JohnsonPixels.com
Lately people are calling out about the necessity to eat more local foods. Not only does this choice benefit the community farmer, it removes the staggering amount of fossil fuel necessary to move produce around the globe. On top of those excellent reasons – fresh food just tastes better!
This wave towards more responsible eating has been nudged by Barbara Kingsolver’s book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. A waterlogged, dog-eared copy of this book had been lovingly placed in my hands by another homeschooling mom two weeks prior to my Virginia trip with the whispered words, “This book will change your life!”
In the book, Barbara and her family re-locate to a farm in south-west Virginia and commit to eat only locally available foods for one year.
When friends told me about The Harvest House Restaurant in Meadowview, VA, which uses only locally available food, I immediately put the restaurant on my trip itinerary. The restaurant is part of the Meadowview Farmers’ Guild, and is a few miles north of Abingdon off of Interstate 81.
Working behind the counter in the attached General Store was Barbara Kingsolver’s daughter, Camille! Steven Hopp, her father, is one of the owner/founders of the Meadowview Farmers’ Guild, which encompasses both the general store and the restaurant. He and his partners work with sustainable, family-owned enterprises in order to support the region’s farming communities, provide jobs and protect the farmland.
Wow! An enterprise that nourishes your soul, benefits the community and neighbors AND provides a tourist attraction, thus rejuvenating an old town? Very impressive, Mr. Hopp! And that’s before I perused the store or ordered dinner!
The General Store is jam-packed with local goods and merchandise including hand made soaps, textiles, baskets and gift items – and Barbara Kingsolver’s books, of course! They had a large rack of heirloom seeds - older strains of herbs and vegetables that had almost disappeared due to large farming corporations’ preference to raise fewer varieties of crops. Many of the organic, heirloom seeds produce foods that are tastier and more nutritious than their commercialized counterpart.
My first day in town, and I was already among friends! .
The chef, Phillip Newton, directed us to our table and bade us a warm welcome. The menu looked impressive, and offered our hungry children several kid-friendly options, as well.
I savored an apple and roasted pecan salad with Kentucky Bleu cheese. I was a tad nervous, I am not always impressed by bleu cheese, but I need not have feared. This cheese was rich, smoky and flavorful, and the perfect addition to apples and crunchy pecans.
My husband ordered the Roffey Beef Meatloaf served with mushroom gravy, scalloped potatoes – and more Dilly beans. Apparently it was delicious – because he ate every morsel while I was talking with chef Phillip! I’m told it was “good”, and the mushrooms tasty. Luckily the man is more talented with a camera than he is with words!
For dessert we shared the chocolate bundt cake with chipotle chocolate sauce, moist and richly flavored. I had expected the chipotle sauce to have some form of kick, but didn’t notice anything. Nor did the children – who fought over the crumbs.
It was an intensely flavorful meal – I wish we lived close enough to eat there regularly, sampling the amazing variety of fresh local foods. As chef Phillip Newton pointed out, “It’s a challenge to put together dishes from what’s outside your back door. I didn’t learn about this at culinary school!”
Phillip’s passion and commitment to eating locally is evident. “Food is more than just eating. Food is health. Food is community. Food is Life!”
photos by www.JohnsonPixels.com
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