Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2014 - 53

Added about a half a cup of granulated sugar
and stirred.
Poured off most of the liquid, leaving the apples in
the pot.
Mashed the apples with a potato masher.
Meanwhile, reduced 1 cup of apple cider to a syrup
in a separate pan.
Mixed the reduced apple cider into the apples.
Added juice from one lemon, zest from one lemon,
a small amount of freshly grated ginger, and stirred.
For the cake:
I stuck to the program for the cake, using and
needing only four cups of flour.
I ended up using only two pans and cutting each
of the two cakes in half. So I produced a short stack
by Apple Stack Cake standards.
LOCAL ROOTS

Sunburst Farms Trout
Woodson mills grits, West Virginia morels, Virginia
ramps, baby pea shoots, local foraged herbs
Ingredients
Amount
*

4-5oz Sunburst Farms trout fillet, skin-on

½ cup Woodson Mills stoneground grits

½ cup distilled water

1 cup Homestead Creamery creamline milk

2 Tbl + 2 Tbl Homestead Creamery butter

dash lemon juice

dash Tabasco

to taste fine sea salt

1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

5-7 each morel mushrooms, cleaned

3-5 each ramps, cleaned

½ cup + ¼ cup pea shoots

¼ cup ramp tops, cleaned and chopped

¼ cup dandelion greens, cleaned

¼ cup Tuscan kale, cleaned, chopped

2 small sprigs thyme

1 tsp grapeseed oil

5-7 drops olive oil

2-3 Tbl Foggy Ridge Cider

small pinch Maldon sea salt

foraged herbs, cleaned (violets, marsh marigolds, watercress)

Method
Begin cooking grits by combining the distilled
water and milk in a stainless steel pot with a tight
fitting lid. Bring to a boil and add a large pinch of
sea salt to the liquid, then slowly add grits while
whisking. Turn to medium low and continue to
whisk thoroughly and then add ¼ cup butter.
Whisk to incorporate and put a lid on the pot.
Continue to cook 50-60 minutes or until the grits
are to a softness of your liking. Add a dash of
lemon juice, dash of Tabasco, 1 tsp cracked pepper, and more sea salt to taste. Keep on low until
other ingredients are ready.
Heat a large stock pot over high heat until boiling. Add a large pinch of salt so that the water
tastes salty like the sea. Quickly blanch the ½ cup
pea shoots, ¼ cup dandelion greens, ¼ cup ramp
tops, ¼ cup Tuscan kale, then shock into ice
water. Add to a blender with a few pieces of ice
and a few tablespoons cold water, just enough to
bring the mixture together. Pass the mixture
through a fine mesh strainer and season to taste
with sea salt and sugar. Reserve this spring green
emulsion in a covered container chilled until ready
to use.
Season the flesh side of the trout with approximately ½ tsp fine sea salt. Preheat a medium sized
cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add grapeseed oil and when just about smoking put the
trout in skin side down. Lightly press with your
fingers or a fish spatula so the skin stays flat. Saute
2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of the
fish. Once the flesh looks mostly cooked and the
skin is crispy lower the heat, add 1 Tblsp butter
and the thyme sprigs, and begin basting the skin
of the fish to continue the rest of the cooking.
Season the skin with the maldon sea salt and then
rest on a paper towel.

EARLY GIRL EATERY

Local Sausage and Sweet Potato
Scramble
*

2-3 strips bacon

2-3 ounces sausage

small handful shiitake mushrooms

½ cup prepared candied yams

2 eggs

1 Tbl. scallions

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon, chop and set aside fat. In a large
sautee pan, heat bacon fat on medium high.
Add sausage and cook until done.
Add shiitake mushrooms and yams.
Sautee until everything is piping hot.
Add chopped bacon, eggs and scallions.
Cook until eggs are done.
Add salt and pepper if needed.
To Make the Candied Yams:
*

15 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 lb brown sugar

1 cup lemon juice

½ cup oil

4 dashes tabasco sauce

1 tsp. nutmeg, grated

1 Tbl. salt

1 tsp. black pepper, ground

Toss sweet potatoes with other ingredients. Bake
in the oven at 400 degrees until tender.
61 MAIN ST.

The Georgian Deviled Egg

Preheat another larger cast iron pan over
medium high heat and add 1 Tbl butter. Add the
morels and ¼ tsp fine sea salt. Keep them spread
out and agitate the pan every once in a while.
Once they begin to lightly brown toss in the ramps
with another ¼ tsp fine sea salt. Cook for about
a minute then deglaze the pan with the Foggy
Ridge Cider. Rest on a paper towel.

One dozen boiled and halved farm eggs
with yolks removed

¼ cup sautéed and chopped chanterelles
or mushroom of your choice

2 Tbsp. sorghum syrup

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. chopped bacon

To Serve

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

On a nice white plate, place a large spoonful of
grits. Beside it add some of the spring green emulsion. Place the trout on the grits and then add the
morels and ramps. Garnish the top of the dish
with the remaining pea shoots, violets, marsh
marigolds, water cress, and a few drops of olive
oil. Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. chopped toasted pecans
(garnish)

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, then
fill egg whites with filling by spoon or piping
bag then garnish with chopped pecans.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 | 53

Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2014

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