A few months ago I got an email from a guy that wanted to tell me about a biscuit truck he and his wife were planning to launch. Excuse me, did you say biscuit truck??
While I’m not much on pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls, and danishes for breakfast, I do love a good biscuit. In fact, my ideal breakfast plate includes biscuits with gravy, country ham on a biscuit, scrambled eggs and a little bit of fruit on the side. Yes, I like a big breakfast. And I’m not even done yet. I’d finish up that meal by smooshing together some butter and sorghum and sopping it all up with another biscuit.
Count ‘em. That’s at least 3 biscuits in one meal.
The East Nasty: Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheddar, and Sausage Gravy on a Biscuit
So to hear that there was going to be a mobile vendor trucking around town with scratch made biscuits, well, yes, the thought of that made me smile.
And then I met Karl and Sarah Worley, the husband-wife team behind The Biscuit Love Truck. And they made me smile.
Here are two genuinely nice people that also just happen to be very talented chefs with a passion for all things Southern. As I’ve begun eating my way through their menu, I have yet to find a dish I don’t like.
The Princess: Hot Chicken, Honey, Housemade Pickles and Mustard on a Biscuit
How can you not love creations made up of fried chicken and biscuits? The East Nasty is true comfort food for me – fried chicken, sausage gravy, cheese and a fluffy biscuit- this is the kind of food that reminds me of home.
Then you’ve got The Princess, a tribute to Nashville’s hot chicken. And believe me, it is hot. Delicious, but hot. Thank goodness for those refreshing housemade pickles, as they lend your tongue a helping hand by cooling things off a bit!
Bonuts: Biscuit Donuts with Cream Cheese/Honey Filling served over Fresh Peaches
And then there are the Bonuts. Yes, I said BONUTS.
I was curious as to what prompted the creation of the bonut, so I asked Karl, and he explained that it was really just a way to use up excess product. They often found themselves throwing out extra dough, and since they use local flour and local buttermilk for the biscuit dough,”the thought of the farmers’ work being wasted killed me… thus Bonuts were born.”
My bonuts shown above with fresh peaches were absolutely delicious, but I’m really looking forward to trying the newest version, a lemon curd and mascarpone filled bonut with blueberry compote underneath. Throughout the year the fillings and dips will change, so it’ll be fun to see what combinations they come up with next.
While we’re on the subject of sweets, it’s time I introduce you to the sweetest of them all.
Named after Karl and Sarah’s daughter and made up of all of her favorite things, The Gertie blew my mind.
The Gertie: Caramelized Banana Jam, Housemade Peanut Butter with Pretzel Crunch, Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Gravy over a Biscuit
Good Golly Miss Molly. Or I guess make that Good Golly Miss Gertie!
If you don’t know it already, I’m a sucker for pretty much anything Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana? Even better. Throw in a little something crunchy and salty like this pretzel crunch and you’ve sent me over the edge.
Another shot of Gertie. Because she deserves two photos.
For the full Biscuit Love menu, visit the website, and follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter to be the first to know where they’ll be and when!
Next week I’ll be traveling to San Antonio, Texas for the first time. The trip is for work, but I should be able to squeeze in at least a couple of good meals. Since I don’t have much time to research, I’m looking to you for dining suggestions!
Have you been to San Antonio before? Any stand-out meals while you were there? Please let me know where I should go!
I can’t grow tomatoes at my house. Stupid squirrels. Thankfully, though, between my CSA and my sister, I’m currently well stocked in the juicy red fruit department.
My last two CSA shares have also contained corn, which is a wonderful thing because every summer I look forward to making one recipe in particular, this Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad.
While it might be simple, with a short list of fairly basic ingredients, it’s absolutely, positively delicious. In fact, I make this dish multiple times during July and August and never, ever tire of it. It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve never shared it with you before now!
3 cups fresh white or yellow corn kernels (cut from about 6 ears of cooked corn)
20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large serving bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, basil and parsley. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cover until ready to serve.
Anthony Bourdain, chef, television personality, and author, is coming to Nashville during his 11-city tour this fall!
Bourdain will tell candid stories of his work and travels, and will even participate in an open Q & A session with the crowd. I’m quite sure there will be some very interesting tales that evening!
What: Anthony Bourdain
When: Saturday, November 3rd, at 8 pm
Where: TPAC
Cost: Tickets range from $15 – $65 and will go on sale Friday, July 27, at 10 am CST*
Tickets will be available at www.tpac.org, by phone at (615) 782-4040, or by visiting the TPAC Box Office at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville.
*Good news! I was given a special code to share with my readers that will allow you to buy tickets early, starting at 10 am tomorrow, Tuesday, July 24th. Just click on this link and it will take you to where you need to be to get them: http://patron.tpac.org/promo/FOODIE
For those of you that might be interested in getting the VIP treatment, there will be a limited number of special tickets available that includes all of the following:
Premiere seating
Exclusive meet and greet session with Bourdain at The Nashville City Center
Hors d’oeuvres by Chef Tandy Wilson of City House, beers from Yazoo, drinks from Corsair Distillery, and Olive & Sinclair chocolates
A photo opportunity
A limited edition Anthony Bourdain tour poster
A limited edition tour VIP laminate
UPDATE: Thanks to Tom for giving me the heads up on the contest TPAC has going right now to win VIP tickets! Just visit their Facebook page to enter!
Staycation. noun: a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions. (definition courtesy of dictionary.com)
We should all think about taking a staycation every now and then. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love to travel, and for me, the research and planning that goes into a trip is exhilarating. But then there are those pesky problems – money and time.
I feel very fortunate to live in a place with a plethora of cool, reasonably priced things to do and see, all within a short drive. There’s very good reason that millions of people visit Nashville and the surrounding areas every year! I’m not just talking about the major tourist attractions that immediately pop into most people’s minds, I’m also talking about the little-known gems just waiting to be discovered.
Recently I found one of those gems in downtown Franklin. As you may have guessed, my vacations revolve around food, no matter what city I’m visiting. So when I play hometown tourist, that doesn’t change. This new discovery of mine needs to go on every food lover’s Nashville staycation to-do list (or vacation to-do list if you’re reading this from afar).
Chapman’s Pie Wagon II sits beside Landmark Booksellers at 114 E. Main Street
Margie Thessin, owner of Franklin on Foot, a company specializing in historical tours of downtown Franklin, recently added something new to her list of offerings, and I’m more than a little excited about it.
The Franklin Food Tour, a five-block walking tour, visits six eateries that serve up dishes reflecting the restaurant’s taste and the theme of the tour, Southern food. Margie says she chose Southern food for “obvious reasons, but also because Southern food is such a broad category these days. It’s come so far beyond the meat ‘n three concept — not that I don’t love good ole comfort food!– and involves foods that are not typically thought of as Southern, such as oysters. Amazingly, people have been eating oysters in the South since way before refrigeration.”
Those oysters are just one small part of the sampler plate guests get at Puckett’s Boat House, Franklin’s newest eatery. In addition, they’ll likely feast on catfish ceviche, hushpuppies, and onion rings with a side of crazy good remoulade for dipping.
Throughout the tour, Margie gives a little background and history on all of the dishes sampled. “What says South more than hush puppies? It’s just another way to prepare cornmeal, traditionally corn being the main starch grown and eaten in the South. And that delicious corn cake at Chapman’s….”
Ah yes, that delicious corn cake. I certainly won’t forget that little piece of heaven any time soon.
Chapman’s Pie Wagon II is actually the meeting point for the tour and where the eating begins. A fresh, seasonal salad is always on the menu at this first stop, easing guests into the dining experience. On the day I stopped by, I was greeted by the friendly owners, Gwen and Dan Perkins, and presented with an amazing peach, snow crab and avocado salad served on a mozzarella corn cake.
While the menu is not necessarily the same for each tour, along the way, you might encounter sweet tea and pimento cheese at Franklin Mercantile, BBQ sliders and fried green tomatoes at Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant, or authentic gumbo at Papa Boudreaux‘s.
And one thing you can count on for certain is that the tour will always end on a sweet note at Merridee’s Breadbasket. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a slice of my personal favorite, their exquisite chess pie. As you can see, no matter what shows up on that day’s menu, you are sure to leave with a full belly!
Chapman’s Pie Wagon II – Fresh Peach and Snow Crab Salad with Avocado and Peach Puree
Whether you’re truly a visitor to the Nashville area, or playing hometown tourist like I often do, this tour is the way to go. Franklin Food Tours are the third Saturday of every month, from 2-5 p.m., with the next one being this Saturday, July 21st.
The cost is $45/person and works with groups of six to 20 people. Advance reservations and payment are required. For more information, visit www.franklinonfoot.com or call 615-400-3808.
This post also appeared in The Tennessean, where I have a monthly feature in the Taste section!
Win 2 Spots on the August Franklin on Foot Food Tour
How would you like to experience all this Southern eatin’ for free?! One reader will win two food tour passes for them + a friend to be used for the August 15th tour.
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Southern food is!
That part is mandatory, but for up to 2 bonus entries, you can do the following. Note: You must leave a separate comment for each optional entry.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@betheats) and tweet “Win 2 spots for @FranklinonFoot‘s Food Tour from @betheats! http://bit.ly/NpgzeT” and then leave a comment letting me know that you have done so.
3. “Like” Franklin on Foot on Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did so.
Contest ends on Sunday, July 22nd at Noon CDT. Once the winner is chosen, I’ll contact them via email and post it here on the blog. If the winner doesn’t respond within 48 hours, I’ll be forced to choose another, so be sure to check your email!
I’ve been staring at a bag of farro in my cabinet for a year now. Seriously, a YEAR.
Up until last week, I’d never made farro before, and to be honest, I don’t know if I’d even ever eaten it. Last year, when I attended Food Blog South, I met a representative from Roland foods. We stayed in touch after the event, and she offered to send me a box of their products to try, allowing me to choose what those products were. For some reason, farro was one of them. So after a year of doing nothing with it, last week I decided it was time to give it a shot.
And boy, oh boy, I’m glad I did!
I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. With a nutty taste and slightly chewy texture, it has now become my new favorite grain!
When I mentioned my new fondness for farro on Twitter, my friend Leah chimed in saying that she just discovered it last year herself when she made this absolutely delicious-looking Cheesy Baked Farro. Once it gets a little cooler out and I’m starting to crave comfort foods, that dish will surely be one of the firsts to show up in my house!
But for now, with the heat of summer and the abundance of tomatoes and cucumbers in my CSA, I’ll stick with this simple salad. And I’ll enjoy every bite.
1 cup uncooked, semi-pearled farro
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Directions:
Add farro and 2 1/2 cups salted water to pot. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk until combined.
Add cooled farro, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint and green onions to lemon juice mixture. Toss to coat.
Drinking moonshine at noon is not something I typically do, but I certainly won’t pass up the opportunity if it presents itself. And about a month ago, that’s exactly what happened.
I was working a trade show when I noticed an interesting booth across the way. Actually, to be quite honest, I noticed some interesting people across the way. And by “interesting”, I mean that they just didn’t look like what you would expect to see at a trade show. Unless, of course, they were in costume. But that wasn’t the case.
Those older fellas in overalls and caps? I soon learned that they were real, honest to goodness, moonshiners. And the moonshine they were sampling in that booth? It was probably the best I’ve ever had. Reminder: I’m from a small town in Kentucky- I’ve had my share of moonshine!
As I’ve learned more about Short Mountain Distillery in the weeks since, the more fascinated I am with the brand and the family behind it. The owners, the Kaufman brothers, are great grandsons of Jesse Shwayder, the founder of Samsonite Luggage! And those fellas in overalls at the trade show? They are the real ex-shiners who, for many years, made moonshine illegally in the backwoods of Cannon County and have now been hired by Short Mountain to do it legally!
When you have a chance, take a minute to read the full story of the family and how the brand came to be, and watch the short video below that aired on Fox News a few months ago.
Another cool little tidbit: Great grandfather Shwayder always attributed his company’s success to the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He so strongly believed in this, that he started a tradition of handing out marbles engraved with the Golden Rule to all of his employees.
When you pick up Short Mountain Shine, be sure to closely inspect the collectible coin found on every bottle. The Kaufman brothers have honored their great grandfather by carrying on his tradition, inscribing the philosophy on those coins.
While I love the story behind the brand, we know that really, in the long run, it all comes down to taste. Even though I’m no expert on moonshine, I knew the moment I took a sip that it was different than any I’d had before.
Turns out, there’s a reason for that. Because it’s made up of 70% sugar and 30% corn, it is much smoother (and, in my opinion, better tasting) than traditional moonshines that typically have a higher corn content. But you don’t have to just take my word for it….
Head on over to the Short Mountain Still House in Cannon County for free tastings and tours of the farm every Tuesday- Saturday!
Or, maybe, just maybe, you’d like to join me for Short Mountain’s official launch happening next Tuesday night at City House?!?
With bluegrass music, cocktails by City House’s mixologist extraordinaire Stephanie Melidis, and a whole hog from Peg Leg Porker, this invitation only event is sure to be one heck of a party.
Notice I said “invitation only event”. These launch parties are usually only for industry folks, but the nice guys over at Drink Music City are letting me give away two (2) pairs of tickets to my readers!
~Contest Closed~
Congrats to the Winners!
#24 Amanda
#49 NashvilleRN
To enter, all you have to do is this:
Mandatory
1. Leave a comment telling me why you need/want to go to this party and drink some ‘shine.
For up to 2 additional entries, you can do either or both of the following. Note: You must leave a separate comment for each optional entry.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@betheats) and tweet “Win an invite to the exclusive launch party of Short Mountain Shine from @betheats! http://bit.ly/S0LfYL”, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.
Contest ends on Saturday, July 14th at Noon CDT. Once the winners are chosen, I’ll contact them via email and post it here on the blog. If they don’t respond within 48 hours, I’ll be forced to choose others, so be sure to check your email!
Hi, I’m Beth, a food and drink obsessed girl living in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting things in the culinary world, so I created this blog to share all of my adventures, discoveries, inspirations, and recipes, along with a sprinkling of just about anything else that brings a smile to my face! Follow along and I bet you'll smile too... more
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Subscribe via Email
Follow Me on Twitter
Be a Fan on Facebook
