The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Tag: Bellair Farm

06/28/2019

Five Finds on Friday: Diane Burns

diane

Photo by Andrea Hubbell

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Horticulturist Diane Burns, who has expanded Pippin Hill’s flower beds and added new varieties just for a Cut Flower Workshop, July 23 at Pippin Hill. After a tour of Burns’ gardens, guests will learn how to harvest, handle, and arrange flowers, using the sustainable flowers from Burns’ gardens. Next, guests will take their arrangements to the Reserve Room Veranda to enjoy a chef’s lunch featuring vegetables from Burns’ garden, with plenty of Pippin Hill wine. Each guest will take home their floral arrangement. Tickets and info here.

Burns’ picks, which include her favorite local foods from Charlottesville City Market and beyond, particularly for summertime grilling:

1) Kielbasa from Double H Farm. “I love their smoky kielbasa flavored with garlic and spices. It is fantastic with grilled peppers.”

2) Carmen and Escamillo Peppers from Bellair Farm. “There are lots of vendors that sell produce at the market, but I like visiting with Jamie, and his friendly crew of folks, for the freshest produce. I buy the Carmen and Escamillo peppers to pair with kielbasa.”

3) Ginger Jam from The Farm at Red Hill. “Wendy and Richard do a great job with dips and sauces, and their new line of ginger jam is the perfect addition when preparing grilled pork tenderloin. I first discovered The Farm at Red Hill at the Charlottesville City Market, and while the team no long participates in farmers’ markets, their goods can be found at The Great Valu in Crozet, Foods of All Nations, Whole Foods and the Barracks Road Harris Teeter.”

4) Tulip Poplar Honey from Elysium Honey Company. “We actually just added an apiary at Pippin Hill, so honey is on my mind. I love to brush the honey on thick slices of pineapple — grilling it lightly, just to show the grill marks. Yes, it really is all about the grill marks.”

5) Chocolate Pecan Pie from Family Pies & Ties. “Lynette’s Chocolate Pecan Pie is to die for. I prefer to eat it straight from the pie pan. It’s made with love and lots of chocolate. We can’t get enough of their baked goods.”

05/10/2019

Five Finds on Friday: Jamie Barrett

Barrett

CSA Farm Share season is here, and today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Jamie Barrett of Bellair Farm, which still has a few of this year’s CSA Farm Shares available. Short for “Community Supported Agriculture,” a CSA involves members paying for several months of a farm’s produce for the growing season early in the year, in shares. Once harvesting begins, each week members stuff their bags full of the farm’s current best fresh-picked produce. Bellair offers shares in two sizes, with five different pick-up locations around town. Details here. Barrett’s picks:

1) Shan City Chicken from Peter Chang’s.  “I love everything at Peter Chang’s but this dish is always part of my out-of-control take out order. Salty, spicy and perfectly crisped bits of chicken surrounded by chili peppers. I always try to taste just a little on the ride home and end up slopping the whole thing up by hand while I drive. It’s a spectacle.”

2) Cabrito Tacos Mexican Style with hot salsa from La Michoacana. “It’s so good and it’s hot enough to make me hiccup. I eat 4 of these on the ride back to the farm. See, there’s a theme.”

3) Bloody Mary at Hamiltons’. “This is my wife, Kelly’s, favorite Charlottesville restaurant. A Bloody Mary is like a whole farm season crammed into a glass with vodka and anyone who’s been through a farm season knows that a little vodka never hurt. It’s got the right amount of grit and pep without being over the top.”

4) Bellissima Pizza at Dr. Ho’s. “This is a farm crew favorite and on special occasions we’ll make the trek over there together, us and about ten pounds of Bellair dirt. We’re a motley crew but the folks at Dr.Ho’s have always treated us right.”

5) Creamed Spinach at Downtown Grille. “I’m a sucker for creamed spinach and I love the big booths at the bar here. My three girls and I like to sit in the booths and watch people walk on the mall. They love the Shirley Temples.”

dr hos