Napa Part Deux

Napa Part I

Allow me to paraphrase my adaptation of an Avett Brothers song that played in my head during my trip… Napa, Napa take me in… are you aware the shape I’m in? …ROUND now thanks to you
Downtown St. Helena. Maybe it was the full belly and great shopping or just the lovely NoCal weather, but I truly relished my time there. Another eatery I frequented whilst in St. Helena was Cook.

Lock, Stock and Barrel

When you're from somewhere like Kathleen, Georgia, outside of Perry, Georgia, then a farm in Warthen, Georgia, outside of Sandersville, Georgia, does not seem the least bit out of place to host a wonderful event. For folks who've never heard of Kathleen, we round up to Perry as do folks in Warthen rounding up to Sandersville - it's what we do!

For their Lock, Stock and Barrel event, the fine folks of Sandersville and Warthen proper truly set the scene for a fabulous time with skeet shooting, an oyster roast, sunset cocktails, amazing food and outstanding company. The wonderful cookbook author and my dear friend as well, Gena Knox (also see her Fire and Flavor site), and yours truly were asked to present a cooking and tabletop demonstration for Lock, Stock and Barrel and a barrel of fun it was!!

From Gena's "Stuffed Vidalia Onions" to my "Strawberry Trifle" and tablescape too, we had a thrilling time presenting our recipes and ideas to this fine group of folks. And throw in a marvelous buffet of amazing Southern haute cuisine, a pie bar and terrific company, one could not ask for a better evening!

My dear friend Maggie Lunsford and my assistant Sami were amazing helpers for the event!

There's nothing like a Southern soirée to fill this Farmer's Saturday night and my friends in Sandersville and Warthen surely know how to do it jam up and jelly tight!

Napa Part I

Whilst in the Napa Valley, this Farmer gave into a deadly sin – no, not drunkenness in the wine country…gluttony! There's no beating around the bush about my love for food - I write about food, I photograph food, I travel to eat and relish in reading a cookbook like a good novel.

As the spokesman for the American Camellia Society, one of my duties was to deliver the keynote address at the conference. If I'm not talking about food, there's a good chance I'm talking about flowers. This trip to Napa gave me the opportunity for both!

Between design projects and book tours, I was able to squeeze in a few days in the Napa Valley proper after the ACS convention was adjourned. A dear friend from home said she would meet me there, and our journey through the aforementioned valley began. Without her I would not have known where all to go or have had a personal photographer either! Thank you LC! 

 

Onward Reserve – Onward and Seaward!!

With springtime fast approaching every part of Dixie, this Farmer is charmed by the sounds of mockingbirds serenading the streets of Perry outside my office. Quince and spirea are starting to bloom and forsythia has even broken bud and tantalizingly revealed some of its glorious yellow color – only to be matched by sprinkles of yellow jasmine as it climbs through the longleaf needles of our pines.

Besides the rising cacophony of a springtime garden and birdsong chorus, one of my favorite aspects about springtime is the fashion. So, as a kickoff to springtime in The South, I am thrilled once again to be a part of an Onward Reserve photoshoot! We’ll be touting everything from seersucker to gingham and even some updated black tie options with Southern-style. With the great folks at Peter Millar steering this mission in a quaint North Carolina costal town, this Farmer will surely be in high cotton company.

So onward and seaward for a springtime fashion shoot with my friends at Onward Reserve y’all! Until we finish our shoot, here are some highlights from last fall’s photoshoot in Athens. Once the robins return and the pecans are breaking bud, it’ll be safe to plant and wear white! Until then, early fall fashion will have to tide us over.

FARMER'S DOZEN: LINDSAY BIERMAN

Akin to a baker's dozen, my Farmer's Dozen is a quantity of a dozen or so questions - a series of questions with fellow designers, authors, tastemakers, friends and Southerners alike.
 

When I think Bottega in Birmingham, I think about fabulous food, amazing atmosphere and my buddy Lindsay Bierman. Whether it’s entertaining new ideas for Southern Living or just catching up, any meal shared with Lindsay Bierman, or any time for that matter, is an absolute treat. Our conversations range from food to fashion, architecture to design, down to just “how’ve you been today.” And while this Farmer can usually count on being one of the best dressed gents at any given event, Lindsay Bierman will always give me a run for my money.

It’s an honor to work with Lindsay as an Editor At Large for Southern Living, but truly the pleasure is being able to count Lindsay as my friend—he’s the perfect sounding board, mentor, and inspirational pal. Ladies and gentleman, we are happy as a duck on a june bug to have Lindsay Bierman with us for the Farmer’s Dozen.

 FARMER'S DOZEN: LINDSAY BIERMAN

1. You went to undergrad at Georgetown and grad school at UVA, two of my favorite college towns. Describe some of the similarities and differences between the mid-Atlantic South and the "deep" South. 

It’s kind of like the difference between France and Italy, which struck me on a train ride I took from Paris down to Venice. As we began to roll out of a station near the border, late at night, the groggy French passengers remained quietly seated, but the Italians jumped up and called out the windows “Partiamo! Partiamo!” to no one in particular. In the American South as in Europe, the personalities and contrasts seem to get bigger the farther South you go. Whether you’re talking about food, fashion, architecture, politics, sports, or religion, the mid-Atlantic states (if you’ll forgive my generalities) have much more reserve and restraint. Alabama’s rougher around the edges, but that’s not always a bad thing—that’s what gives it so much soul and charm.