Marsh Roots Seafood Company bridges the gap between the coast and Central VA with its just-off-the-boat selection

Photos by ASHLEE GLEN

When Oliver Russell left his family’s third-generation shipyard behind in early 2020 to move to Lynchburg, he knew parting with the life he knew along the Carolina coast would be tough.

But as the owner of the thriving Marsh Roots Seafood Company reflects 18 months later: “Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.”

Getting Hooked on LYH
Oliver’s leap of faith to the Hill City was Claire Lockman, his girlfriend, who had already moved to the area to attend Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine. After ten years running the family shipyard and doing charter fishing in Morehead City, N.C., he made the “difficult decision” to relocate.

About six weeks into his new life, Oliver got the sign he needed for his next career: The couple couldn’t find any tuna steaks to make their traditional Valentine’s Day meal at home.

“Within a week, Oliver had formulated this plan to start the company,” Claire said. “He told me, ‘I’m going to the beach to get a load of seafood to sell at the market this Saturday.’”

“I called the market and they were so excited and said, ‘We have been looking for a seafood market for forever,’” Oliver added.

Oliver networked with some of the fisherman he knew near his hometown and made the drive down to pick up his first load. That first weekend, Oliver sold everything he had brought back: 100 pounds of shrimp and 20 pounds of tuna. He sold out the next weekend, too.

Then—the pandemic. The Lynchburg Community Market closed down, and Oliver was left wondering what was next for his brand new venture.

“This is where it turns into story about how great Lynchburg was. Oliver had lived in Lynchburg all of a month, was in business for one week, before we had to take everything online with maybe 100 followers. But people were asking, ‘How can we support you guys?’” Claire said.

“The community really rallied around what we were doing very heavily,” Oliver added.

Marsh Roots Seafood Company continued to gather faithful customers at the Lynchburg Community Market throughout the year and even added an outpost location in Forest, where they sell seafood in the parking lot of T.Y. Realty every Friday.

From the Dock to the Dinner Table
As CEO and founder of Marsh Roots, Oliver puts in a good amount of windshield time to make sure he is stocked for sales in Lynchburg and Forest.

“I drive down every Wednesday and go straight to the marina or to some fish houses I know, from friends and from being in the charting industry,” he said.

Which means customers can find out from Oliver exactly where their seafood came from—and when it was caught.

“I know most of the people I do business with on a first-name basis,” he said. “They will text me and say, ‘Hey I’m going fishing tomorrow. You want anything?’”

He says shrimp, scallops and soft shell crabs are the most popular items they sell to Central Virginia customers. They also have had a lot of success with their pre-made items, such as a shrimp dip, shrimp salad, and crab cakes.

“It’s really cool to share recipes that we would make at home,” he said. “It’s cool to mass produce them so everyone can enjoy.”

Seafood Stereotypes
Aside from simply selling fresh fish, Oliver is also passionate about educating this community about seafood—and addressing some misconceptions, including:

I stay away from seafood because it doesn’t have long shelf life.
Oliver says some customers think they have to eat seafood quickly, which may deter people who buy in bulk and meal plan for the week ahead.

“Ours is so fresh it will last three or four days in the fridge. If you come on Saturday you can still eat it Wednesday,” Oliver explained, adding that while fresh seafood is best, you can always freeze fish or shrimp to enjoy later if your plans change.

My favorite seafood is probably available whenever I want it.
“There is a modern westernized American mentality. ‘Let’s go to Sam’s Club and get a tomato in the middle of winter.’ Same thing with seafood. We are going to have fish available when they are available,” Oliver said.

Offerings will change throughout the year, so customers who want fresh seafood, not farmed, have to learn to eat what’s in season. This is a good thing because it leads to customers trying new things, instead of just sticking with their “favorite” fish.

According to Oliver, our current season (July/August) is the peak time for pretty much everything in the world of seafood—from tuna to mahi to Spanish Mackerel.

Seafood is intimidating; it’s hard to cook!
“We want to make eating seafood less of a scary thing for people who didn’t grow up around it, because it’s so good for you,” said Claire.

Oliver says seafood is actually “super easy” to cook: “Just throw it into the pan and add butter and spices.”

The “hard” part may be that seafood doesn’t need to cook for very long—meaning you can’t put it in a pan and forget about it. Most fish, scallops and shrimp only cook for a few minutes on each side, he explained.

Oliver loves being able to talk to customers one-on-one about how to prepare and cook their seafood. But what he treasures even more than those conversations are the follow-up reports from local home kitchens.

“People are sending us photos all of the time of what they are making,” Claire said. “It’s so neat to know we are making average weeknight meals so much better.”

Oliver and Claire share a couple of their favorite recipes for you to try HERE!

Get Reeled In
Follow Marsh Roots on Facebook and Instagram for updates or better yet, visit their website, marshrootsseafood.com, to sign up for their newsletter to be in-the-know about the latest offerings and deals.

Locations & Hours
Inside the Lynchburg Community Market
Tuesday, Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thursday, Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Forest Outpost at T.Y. Realty Parking Lot
Friday: 3 – 6 p.m.

Fresh Catch Summer Salad with Strawberries
Enjoy summertime on a plate with this refreshing, sweet, and delicious salad!

Ingredients:
Fish
1-2 pounds fileted fish
(our favorites are black bass, speckled trout, or any of the fresh catch from Marsh Roots Seafood)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ounce Key West Blend Seasoning (available at Marsh Roots Seafood)
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon slice
Pinch of salt and pepper

Salad
1 bag of spring mix
1 bag of arugula
1 pint strawberries, sliced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup candied pecans, crushed (optional, can be found in stores)
Sunflower sprouts and your favorite microgreens (optional)

Dressing
2/3 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot finely diced
Salt and pepper as needed

Method:
Grab your favorite fish filet from your favorite local seafood market (Read: Marsh Roots Seafood Company). Rinse and pat dry—always make sure while patting dry to feel for bones along the spine of the filet and remove if necessary.

Once patted down, coat evenly with Key West seasoning and salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle with olive oil. Slice butter and lemon. Add butter directly onto the filet and then add lemon slices. Wrap in foil and cook in the oven at 350º for 20-25 minutes or on the grill. You can also pan roast in a cast iron pan on the stove top with a little olive oil to avoid the filet sticking to the pan.

While the fish is cooking, make your dressing by adding the dressing ingredients to a bowl or mason jar. (We always do this in case there is any left over, then just cap and throw it in the fridge. Ready to pour on tomorrow’s salad!) Once added, whisk together well and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assemble your salad with your bed of fresh greens, sliced strawberries, goat cheese, and crushed candied pecans. Add the fish filets and pour the dressing.

Cast Iron Seafood Pasta
This coastal twist on the traditional spaghetti night is easy and flavorful!

Ingredients:
Pantry
1 pound linguine or angel hair pasta

Seafood
1 pound shrimp peeled/deveined
Half pound, 10-20 ct. sea scallops
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
Olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper as needed

Optional
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach
Basil or parsley for garnish

Method:
Bring 1-2 quarts of water to a boil and salt heavily. Add pasta. While the pasta is cooking make your homemade pesto by adding all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blending. (If you decide to buy store-bought pesto, pour yourself a glass of wine!) Note: the ingredients should reach a smooth consistency from a slow addition of olive oil as they process, and once you see that fine grain you are good to stop blending. Set aside.

Bring your cast iron pan to low heat. Add butter and garlic, and allow butter to melt. Add shrimp and scallops, evenly spaced, wait about 2 minutes then flip each one to cook on the opposite side. Remember: Scallops should turn white and shrimp should turn pink when cooking. As you cook, make sure everything is getting a nice garlic-butter bath. If you are going to add cherry tomatoes now is the time, and allow them to begin softening.

Drain your pasta and set aside.

Once your shrimp and scallops have cooked for about 2-3 minutes on each side, add the pesto and allow to reach a simmer. If you are adding spinach, now is the time—let it begin to soften and wilt in the sauce. Add your pasta to the simmering seafood and pesto in your cast iron and coat thoroughly through the mixture. Leave on low for another 3-5 minutes covered or uncovered.

Serve with fresh basil and grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Variety with a View

COMING RIGHT UP

If you’re looking for an outdoor, family-friendly, and highly customizable dining experience, look no further than The BackYard, a new food court on Route 221 in Forest. Featuring nearly a dozen food trucks with diverse offerings, The BackYard is the perfect spot for casual outdoor dining.

The BackYard is part of Duff Development Group’s Burnbridge Crossing development. The process of breathing new life into the 12-acre development has happened in many stages, and the demolition of Carol’s Place was one of the most important—and bittersweet—of those stages.

“Carol’s Place was a landmark,” says Charles C. “Chip” Duff, Jr., founder of Duff Development Group. “We really wanted it to be there, but the building was in too bad of shape to save it, so we started looking at other ideas for that piece of property.”

After considering opening a farmers market, Duff Development ultimately decided to proceed with an outdoor food court. A highly successful grand opening event on May 1 indicated this was the right decision.

“We’re fortunate to have the right product at the right time,” Duff says. “People are anxious to get out and do things. Food courts are something you’re going to see happening more and more in the future. They allow everyone in a family or group to get what they want but still spend time together.”

The BackYard also boasts something most food courts don’t have: a spectacular view.

“The great thing about the location is that you can look across the road and see a beautiful vista and mountain,” Duff notes. “That property is in a conservation easement and will be there for a long time to come. That view will not change.”

Additionally, select Friday and Saturday nights are designated “Campfire Nights” and feature wood-burning fire pits. Plans for drive-in movies and live music are also in the works.

At the time of writing this article, ten food trucks are confirmed vendors at The BackYard: Papa O’s Dog House, The Pied Piper, Pok-E-Joe’s BBQ, Blue Ribbon Pie Shop, Tacos Al Pastor, JD’s Mobile Café, Cowlicks Homemade Ice Cream, Wings N Things, Corny Kettlers, and Rolled or Bowled. Another truck is in the process of being added to the lineup, and Duff says that there is room for one more. Food truck hours are set by each individual truck

“The group of vendors we have is fantastic,” says Duff. “They all work together to avoid stepping on each other’s toes with their menu offerings. There really is something for everyone.”

Duff also appreciates the community partners who help The BackYard thrive.

“You’ll notice that a variety of businesses have sponsored tabletops and benches to get visibility in the community,” he says.

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease and warm weather draws more and more people outside, The BackYard stands to have a flourishing summer season filled with food, family, and fun.

The BackYard
15173 Forest Rd, Forest
thebackyardforestva.com
Follow them on Facebook for upcoming events: @backyardeventsforestva

2021 marks 10 years since our very first Lynchburg Restaurant Week, marking a decade of delicious dishes and great deals at diverse eateries across the region.

Even during the height of the pandemic last year, we kept this beloved community event going strong. Now, as restrictions are slowly lifted and many are returning to in-person dining, we hope you will join us to continue supporting Lynchburg’s thriving restaurant community June 12-19, 2021.

We are thrilled to showcase 13 local restaurants this year, each with its own handcrafted menu specifically for Lynchburg Restaurant Week.

Flip through the following pages to see what’s cooking and start planning out your stops today.

Bringing a Taste of Puerto Rico to the Hill City

With new owners and a slight change in name, The Latin Place, located downtown on Jefferson Street, is the place in Lynchburg to find authentic food and hospitality straight from Stephanie Domena and Luis Rodriguez’s home island of Puerto Rico.

“Our main goal is to keep sharing our culture,” Domena said. “We were born and raised in Puerto Rico, so we are bringing the dishes we were raised with.”

Domena and Rodriguez moved to the United States from Puerto Rico 13 and eight years ago, respectively. Before coming to Lynchburg, they lived near Tampa Bay, Florida, where they met and were married, with their children Genesis, 4, and Luis Jr., 2.

The couple planned to open a Puerto Rican food truck in Florida, before Domena’s mother connected them with Harry and Josephine Rivera, the previous owners of That Latin Place in the same location.

“We came to Lynchburg to visit, and we loved it,” Domena said. “It resembles a lot of our capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

Since the restaurant’s official re-opening in mid-January, customers have flocked in to try the authentic Latin food and meet the couple.

Rodriguez loves making some of his traditional favorites, which he learned to cook from his grandmothers when he was growing up. The restaurant serves everything from tostones and empanadas, to Tripleta and “El Jibarito,” a plantain sandwich with choice of meat, lettuce, onions and drizzled with the Puerto Rican favorite mayo-ketchup.

Navigating the COVID-19 guidelines has been the primary obstacle for The Latin Place, which began serving only carry-out and recently opened a small amount of indoor seating.

“We just want to make the guests feel like family,” Rodriguez added. “In Puerto Rico, we are huggers.”

For Domena and Rodriguez, one of the joys of running the restaurant is meeting the many Hispanic customers that come in to get a taste of home.

“They come and they start [talking to us] in English, and then they say, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m Hispanic or I’m Puerto Rican,’” Domena said. “Not all of them being Puerto Ricans, but a lot of them Hispanic and wanting to try something Latin. It’s been really great.”

The Latin Place is not only for Hispanics, however. Domena and Rodriguez hope their restaurant will be a hub for anyone looking for great food and wanting to learn more about Puerto Rican culture.

“I would like to make an environment where people can feel like they are back in Puerto Rico,” Rodriguez said. “And give the opportunity to those who haven’t traveled there, to know a little bit about it.”

“Even if they haven’t been,” Domena chimed in. “When they come visit us, they can say that they know a little bit of Puerto Rico because they came to see us.”
Words & Photos by Christian Weaner

The Latin Place
901 Jefferson St., Lynchburg
(434) 616-6414
Find on Facebook: @thelatinplace

Five Tips from 2 Birds Meal Prep

For 2 Birds Meal Prep owner Ivy Olivier, food and community are inextricably linked. After working in restaurants for more than a decade, she switched to a career as a social worker before ultimately realizing that her passion lies where food and community intersect.

Shortly after launching an Instagram account showcasing her meal prep for her family, Olivier began getting an influx of requests to purchase her meals. She also read a book called Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Greg Boyle, which is about a café in Los Angeles that hires ex-gang members. These events inspired Olivier to take a leap of faith and start her own meal prep business.

“Between my love for food and my desire to give back to the community, I saw a need that could be filled with 2 Birds Meal Prep,” she says. “I enrolled in culinary school and wrote a business plan! It’s very exciting to transition from my career in social work to owning my own business. I think my background definitely helped prepare me to serve people in our community in a unique way.”

Olivier preps and sells a variety of individual and family meals, many of which are also available as vegan meals. Olivier herself is a vegan and is determined to offer delicious plant-based options. “We don’t want to make food that tastes ‘almost as good’ as the carnivorous version,” she says. “I want to present a happy medium to people—like, here’s how to eat in a way that doesn’t hurt the only earth we have, but it’s also so delicious you’d order it either way!”

After taking a short break, 2 Birds is slated to reopen by May 1st with an even greater emphasis on community outreach. “We have partnered with a local church to be able to do more ministry work and give back to the Lynchburg community in a big way,” Olivier says.

Olivier is also passionate about sharing her meal prep knowledge.

Here are five of her top tips!
1. Start Small
Although a certain amount of enthusiasm is necessary when it comes to meal prep, resist the urge to pre-prepare every meal—doing so will inevitably cause burnout. “Remember, this is something that is supposed to help you, not be a massive, overwhelming burden!” notes Olivier. “If you’re prepping for yourself, maybe start with just one family-sized meal (or double one if you have a large family) so you’ll have leftovers for lunches.”

Olivier adds that preparing single versatile items rather than full meals is also optimal. “Here’s an example: if you roast a chicken on Sunday, you could have shredded chicken to use in enchiladas, make some chicken salad to eat for lunch, and use the bones to make soup,” she says.

3. Shop Selectively
Choosing high-quality foods is an essential part of any healthy and delicious meal prep plan. Olivier recommends shopping at farmers markets when possible. “There are so many benefits to shopping farmers markets: you support local farmers, you know exactly where your food is coming from, and it gives you the opportunity to eat ‘in season,’ which can keep you from getting bored eating the same old thing week to week,” she notes.

Shopping selectively also means staying true to yourself and your preferences. “Do not prep anything for yourself that you don’t like to eat,” says Olivier. “This is a mistake I see so many people making. If you hate kale, don’t force yourself to eat it. There are literally hundreds of other veggies. Eat the ones you like!”

2. Don’t Underestimate Staples
Integrating basic foods into your meal prep plan is ideal in more ways than one. Not only do many staples lend themselves perfectly to advance prep, but they are also budget-friendly. “If you want to prep healthy on a budget, keep it simple,” notes Olivier. “Stick with the staples: apples, carrots, potatoes, a bag of salad, frozen steam veggie bags, canned tuna, pouches of salmon, peanut butter, etc.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
Beans are Olivier’s personal favorite staple. “Dry beans are my number one favorite versatile ‘cheap’ healthy food,” she says. “They go great in wraps, stews, as a stand-alone item. I make a big pot of rice and beans pretty much every week because they’re so versatile.”

4. Explore Different Cuisines
If you find yourself getting into a meal prep rut, Olivier suggests incorporating foods from other cultures or simply from outside your comfort zone. “I stay motivated by exploring new cuisines often,” she says. “For the home chef, try to make something complicated once a month to remind yourself why you love cooking. Cooking can be a form of self-care, and there is nothing better than surprising yourself with a new flavor combination you haven’t tried yet!”

5. Don’t Get Discouraged
As is the case with any venture, meal prep will have its share of hiccups. Embrace the process and try to view mistakes as opportunities rather than obstacles. “If you try something and it’s gross, don’t be discouraged!” Olivier exclaims. “Every chef will tell you that they have made some questionable concoctions before. It’s just part of the process. The only way any of us got better at this thing was through experience.”

Humans have been living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for thousands of years, yet most of the stories we know about our local heritage tend to begin in the 18th century when a teenager named John Lynch started a small ferry company, helping travelers from local colonies cross the James River.

But what did life look like before Lynchburg grew into a city?

If you were standing at the top of Lynchburg’s Monument Terrace way back then, what would you see? What would you smell? Who would be there? And, most importantly, what would you eat? This story is an imaginary culinary tour of the place we call home.

Meet the Monacans
Picture multiple rows of corn growing as far as the eye could see in the fertile ground on the banks of the James River over by Percival’s Island, almost like a wide fence. Not the large sweet corn variety we are used to today, but a smaller more grass-like ancestor called maize. Vines of beans may have been climbing up the corn stalks and squash plants were growing on the riverside, protected by the wall of corn.

The long, winding garden did not need a fence. Children armed with pebbles would keep rabbits and squirrels away, and if a hungry deer would be foolish enough to approach the crops, it may not have lived long enough to take a bite. The deadly arrow from one of our area’s first permanent inhabitants, the Monacans, would have killed it instantly.

In 1605 when British explorer Captain John Smith surveyed our region for the first map of Virginia, he identified five Monacan villages in the area between Lynchburg and Natural Bridge. As many as 25,000 members of the Monacan tribe called the area home at that time. Sadly, their numbers were decimated when the British settlers arrived, mostly from disease they brought with them. The lands of the Monacans were taken over during those years as well.

Thanks to the Monacans’ skills in making clay pots and building sophisticated woodstoves, you would be smelling a bubbling stew of squash, corn and beans if you lived in the area back then. A bone from a deer helps make a tasty stock, but the meat is from a freshly caught rabbit. The rest of the deer is hanging in the smokehouse for preservation. The stew will be served with a bread made from acorn flour mixed with a little wood ash from the fire—a natural form of baking soda.

West African Influences
Fast forward to the 1730s and the view has changed dramatically. The Monacan lands in the Lynchburg region have been taken over by European (mostly British) settlers, and there are green rows of tobacco growing as far as the eye can see. Stately plantation homes are earning a reputation for their “Southern Hospitality.”

The food you are smelling is being prepared by the plantation’s cook, typically an enslaved black woman who survived the long journey in chains from West Africa. She is literally bound to the fire as she prepares a sweet potato and peanut soup with corn bread in the plantation kitchen. Kitchens often had a dirt floor and an open-flame hearth—and housed the cook’s living quarters.

The first slaves are said to have been brought to Jamestown by the British from West Africa in 1619, although the industrial-scale slave trade came decades later to support plantation farms. We don’t know exactly when the first enslaved Africans were brought to Lynchburg, but considering there was direct access to Jamestown via the James River, they likely came early in the 17th century.

Chef and food historian Michael Twitty in his book The Cooking Gene explains that, “The American plantation wasn’t exactly the quaint village community you saw described in your history textbook. It was a labor camp system for exiled prisoners of war and victims of kidnapping.”

The African cooks brought both skill and taste to America. Black-eyed peas, okra, peanuts, and sweet potatoes were all new flavors they integrated into the fare of European favorites, essentially giving birth to what we today call Southern cooking.

Our Founding Foodie
Founding father Thomas Jefferson may have been known as the “founding foodie” because of his passion for fine foods and drink, but at his retreat home on the Poplar Forest plantation just outside of Lynchburg, the fare was surprisingly simple. When he famously stated that “Lynchburg is the most interesting place in the state,” he probably was not talking about the culinary scene.

Locally grown vegetables with a side of chicken was often served at 3 p.m. as the main meal of the day at Poplar Forest. And although the kitchen garden was the size of a football field, Jefferson complained in letters that his beloved peas didn’t grow well there and all they had was “spinach and scrubby lettuce,” as he put it.
Martha Jefferson inherited the plantation we know as Poplar Forest from her father, and Thomas himself started visiting Lynchburg after his presidential term had ended in 1809. It was much larger than the site we know today, and Jefferson added even more land over time. At one point this tobacco farm stretched all the way to today’s Jefferson Forest High School, or 5,600 acres to be exact.

Jefferson did not have an ice house at Poplar Forest, so his enslaved cook, Hannah, was not able to make his favorite treat, which was ice cream. However, archeologists have found pieces of what appears to be a serving glass for wine jelly at Poplar Forest, another favorite of Jefferson’s. What is wine jelly, you ask? Well, it’s similar in texture to what we call Jell-O today, but it’s made with fortified wine and milk.

Step back in time and taste some of our Virginia heritage recipes, adapted for our modern palates!

APPETIZER
West African Peanut & Sweet Potato Soup
This is a family-friendly yet flavorful soup that’s easy to make. For the best result, look for sweet potatoes with red flesh. The peanutty goodness comes from peanut butter and for optimal flavor, go with either fresh ground or “natural” creamy peanut butter.
SERVINGS: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
3 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt (and more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped and a few drops of olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced onion, brown sugar and salt and cook until the onion is starting to turn brown, about
5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander and cayenne and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the chicken broth, water, peanut butter and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and turn to low and let cook for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Pour the soup into a food processor and blend slowly and carefully until smooth. Return to the saucepan. Ladle into bowls and serve with cilantro and a splash of olive oil.

MAIN COURSE
Braised Rabbit with Mushrooms
In addition to being farmers, the Monacans knew how to hunt and live off the land. Deer was the most common menu item, but smaller game such as squirrel and rabbit was also common and easy to trap. If you are new to cooking rabbit, this is an easy way to get started. Much like chicken, rabbit doesn’t have a very strong flavor so the key to a good rabbit recipe is to pair it with other flavorful ingredients, in this case the mushrooms and roasted garlic.

Rabbit is available from the Forest Farmers Market (look for Rainbow’s End Farm) as well as from Fresh Market in Lynchburg. However, if you are not in the mood for rabbit, regular chicken (dark meat) works well as a substitute in this recipe.
SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 rabbit (3-4 pounds)
2 heads of garlic (don’t worry,
it will not taste garlicky!)
1 pound of mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock (or even better, rabbit stock!)
3 large shallots, diced
1 large parsnip, diced large
(sub for carrots if preferred)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2+2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut up the rabbit and season pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Be sure to use all parts of the rabbit in the stew; you can fish out ribs and spine before serving but keeping them in during braising since they add valuable flavor.

Slice the top third off the two garlic heads and drizzle with olive oil.

Wrap heads loosely with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until cloves are soft and brown. Set aside to cool.

Add the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large Dutch oven or saucepan and brown the rabbit pieces on all sides, a few at a time. Take your time to develop proper browning because this is a key step to build flavor in the dish. Remove the rabbit from the pot.

Sautee the onions until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released most of their water, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and let cook for 2 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves into the pot and stir to dissolve.

Add back the rabbit and add thyme, parsnip, water and stock to the pot and simmer for 90 minutes, or until the meat is starting to fall off the bone.

Time to thicken the sauce. Carefully fish out all of the rabbit. In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Add the flour paste to the braising liquid and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add back the rabbit.

Serve on its own or with a side of rice. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top for garnish and enjoy!

DESSERT
Thomas Jefferson’s Wine Jell-O
This is a modern adaptation of an old recipe for wine jelly, attributed to Thomas Jefferson. It’s a refreshing dessert with a pungent wine flavor and a small serving goes a long way. Keep in mind that since the fortified wine is not boiled, the alcohol is still there—so eat responsibly! Worth noting: This recipe calls for regular gelatin packets from the grocery store, but Jefferson’s cook actually used the hooves from a calf and boiled them to extract the natural gelatin for this dessert.
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 packet of gelatin
3/4 cup fortified wine (Madeira)
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
1 lemon, juiced and strained
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the gelatin in the water and let sit for 3 minutes. Add the milk to a bowl with a pouring spout, then whisk the gelatin, sugar and salt into the milk until completely dissolved. Add the lemon juice to the wine and then whisk the wine mixture into the milk mixture.
Pour into individual serving glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2-3 hours or overnight. Grate a little lemon zest on top and serve!

SPECIAL THANKS: Thank you to the following for their help with this feature: Vicky Ferguson, Sally Latimer and Jennifer Austin from the Monacan Indian Nation; the Stocker family of Rainbow’s End Farm; Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, author of Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine; and Gail Pond, manager of collections at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.

Savor local foods & drinks produced in the southern gateway to the Shenandoah Valley.

It’s easy to find local foods and drinks on menus throughout Rockbridge County, Virginia, but you can also skip the middleman and go straight to the source. Get out and visit some local producers, from modern farms to historic mills, coffee roasters to craft breweries, cheesemakers to chocolatiers, and you’ll discover award-winning, crave-inducing items so high quality they make even the most refined taste buds swoon.

Wade’s Mill is the oldest continuously-operating commercial grist mill in the Shenandoah Valley. Local grains have been stone-ground the traditional way at this site since 1750. No wonder it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. “Until steam, the mill was the most efficient energy source,” says John Siegfried, owner and miller. He grinds an average of 300 to 400 pounds of grain a day and supplies restaurants in Lexington and other cities in Virginia and Maryland. Grits, cornmeal, flour and other treats—many made of heritage grains—are available for purchase. Explore three floors of historic milling equipment and museum displays.

On Saturdays at select times from April through December, the historic 21-foot iron Fitz overshot water wheel is demonstrated. To linger at this picturesque site, check into the overnight accommodations.

Lexington Coffee Roasters has been named one of the “12 Best Coffee Roasters in the U.S.” by Forbes and “Some of America’s Best Coffee” by USA Today. Its focus is on sourcing top-quality beans from Latin America and Africa. Visit the roastery on Route 11 to see the coffee roasting process, discover innovative brewing processes and equipment, and sip coffee and espresso drinks. Take home some freshly roasted coffee beans and order online when your supply runs low.

Craft beers, wines, and ciders flow in abundance in Rockbridge County with four breweries (all stops along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail), four vineyards, and a cidery. On Route 11, Devils Backbone Outpost Tap Room & Kitchen produces more than 120 different beer recipes, all based on European brewing traditions. Enjoy a pint or sampler flight alongside hearty fare at the bar or in the outdoor beer garden.

Great Valley Farm Brewery & Winery (Photo Above: Chris Weisler) produces Belgian-style ales and Cabernet Franc, Gruner Veltliner, Lemberger and Vidal Blanc varietals using ingredients from its 27-acre farm in Natural Bridge. Sip pints or tasting flights against panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In downtown Lexington, Heliotrope Brewery produces what co-owner Erik Jones calls “wild farmhouse beers” using local ingredients. “We even foraged a wild yeast to give the beer terroir.” The beer lineup will change seasonally and cover a range of styles including IPAs, saisons, pilsners, and lagers among others. Savor a 12-ounce pour from a stemmed glass alongside a creative pizza, made to order in the brick oven.

Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery, a two-time winner of the coveted Virginia Governor’s Cup, produces small-batch wines in a range of styles. Vinifera, hybrid, and native vines grow on 17 acres. Sample through the portfolio in the tasting room then enjoy a glass of your favorite while gazing out at the breathtaking view of Shenandoah Valley. Lexington Valley Vineyard has been handcrafting red and white wines since 1999. Enjoy them by the glass or bottle while relaxing on the deck and gazing out at the 67-acre property. Jump Mountain Vineyard welcomes visitors to its 32-acre farm on Saturdays and Sundays. Enjoy tastings, wines by the glass, or stock up on several bottles of red and white varietals to savor at home.

Sip small batch cider at Halcyon Days Cider Company. This family-owned cidery boasts a stunning labyrinth orchard. Inspired by the legendary labyrinth at France’s Chartres Cathedral, 2,500 dwarf apple trees are planted in a circuit that stretches 1.7 miles from the center to outer edge. Wander through 50 different apple varieties, from heirloom American, modern American, classic Europe, and Central Asian ancestral apple trees. Step into the pavilion for stunning 360-degree views of the Alleghany and Blue Ridge Mountains. All hard ciders are made using Virginia grown apples in a range of tastes from tangy to spicy to sweet.

Labyrinth at Halcyon Days Cider Company
Photo: Steve Shires.

Cocoa Mill Chocolates has gained a national reputation for its indelible treats, all made Awards and accolades from The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Chocolatier, U.S. Air Magazine, CBS Morning News, The Washington Post, among others. The chocolatier strives for excellence each step of the process—using fair trade chocolate, choosing natural ingredients and freshly hand-crafting confections for each order. Whether you bite into a truffle, gourmet bark, dipped fruit, chocolate-covered pretzel or peppermint, or other treat, trust that it’s made with high-quality ingredients and attentive precision.

Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe is Rockbridge County’s only homemade ice cream shop. Its retro décor may spark nostalgia, but its now-antique equipment churns out treats that modern equipment can’t replicate—including homemade waffle cones. “We’ve been in business since 1982, but our waffle irons date back to the 1950s,” says owner Chris Williams. And that aroma will get your mouth watering the moment you step into the door! The best-selling cookies and cream flavor ice cream is dark brown, not the usual white, thanks to the fact that this ice cream machine can crunch and crumble a whole lot more real Oreo cookies than modern machines. Flavors like mint chocolate chip, cookie dough, banana, black raspberry, and dozens more—scooped into cones, sundaes, shakes, and other treats—lure locals and visitors alike. Grownups, don’t miss the Guinness beer-flavored ice cream.

The iconic T.C. Trotter’s has a new home for its must-have, multi-use Moose Mix

When Lonnie Hoade and Paul Webster received a call from Virginia ABC last October, the owners of T.C. Trotterʼs Moose Mix for Bloody Marys were equal parts thrilled and intimidated. “We suddenly had an order for 18,000 bottles to be delivered by the first week in December,” Lonnie explained of the very tight timeline.

But when you’ve invested so many years into a product, a little hard work doesn’t scare you off. Many who have lived in Lynchburg over the past few decades have watched the evolution of Moose Mix—from its local restaurant roots to its current location on Commerce Street, which serves as a manufacturing center and tasting room.

Lonnie and Paul’s tried-and-true Bloody Mary recipe, now recognizable across the country, was born at T.C. Trotterʼs Restaurant where Paul was the bar manager.

Casually known as “Trotterʼs,” the restaurant was located in what’s now Rivermont Pizza on Rivermont Avenue for three decades.

“[Our Bloody Mary] became very popular and was served in that glass,” Paul said, pointing to the stemmed and slightly fluted glass on the tasting room counter. “It was five dollars a glass and came with two shots of vodka. We just had cases and cases of those glasses because on weekends, we would serve so many of them.”

“When we first started to notice the demand for it [outside the restaurant], it was around 2004,” Lonnie explains. “Lynchburg College students would call us and want some so we were delivering it around the state. It wasn’t even shelf stable at that point.”

Photo by ASHLEE GLEN

Back then, everyone knew it as “Trotterʼs Bloody Mary Mix”—but eventually they decided on a name change that combined autonomy from the restaurant with a bit of personality.

“We licensed it as Moose Mix because he makes it,” Lonnie said, referring to Paul and his nickname. They started bottling it for sale in 2007.

That same year, the owner of T.C. Trotterʼs decided to close the restaurant, but Lonnie and Paul didn’t let Paul’s famed Bloody Mary mix die out. Back then, and still today, each bottle is prepared by hand, every step of the way.

“From the labor to the packaging and then we put it on pallets and deliver it ourselves,” Paul explains. Each batch of Moose Mix takes about 2.5 hours from start to finish. The bottles are capped at high heat so there are no preservatives.

Now, the demand for their product reaches as far as New York, Florida, and California, with plenty of customers in between.

What makes the mix so popular, Lonnie and Paul believe, is its homegrown taste.

“When we are at festivals, people say, ‘This tastes fresh.’ Some brands can taste manufactured,” Paul says. “It is very flavorful. It has spice as in flavorful spice, not burn-your-mouth spice.”

Lonnie also believes their mix “holds up” better than other brands, making your classic Bloody Mary taste good down to the last drop: “We don’t add any water so it doesn’t water down. The end of the your drink, it’s just as good as the beginning.”

Photo by ASHLEE GLEN

In 2016, Lonnie and Paul took what they learned from their experience at T.C. Trotter’s and opened Moose’s Café in Boonsboro. There, they continued making and selling their Moose Mix but also let it inspire some culinary creations as well—from the “Moose Island” dressing they used on their popular Reuben (a homemade Thousand Island with Moose Mix in place of ketchup) to a Gazpacho made with fresh local vegetables.

“We’ve done chili with it. We’ve done spaghetti sauce. People have told us about ribs that they have done,” Lonnie explains. “There are so many possibilities aside from the Bloody Mary.”

In fact, marketing their Moose Mix as more than just a base for a Bloody Mary has been an important step in their business model.

“At festivals, invariably, people would come to our booth and say ‘what is this’ and we would say ‘Bloody Mary mix’ and one of them would go ‘yeah!’ and the other would go, ‘ew, no.’ But we would let that person taste the shrimp we grilled in it. It would give us another avenue to reach people and find new customers,” says Paul.

In 2020, they made the decision to close Moose’s Café so they could focus even more on their Moose Mix.

Because when you are this husband-and-wife team, you like to be busy—even if it means bottling 18,000 bottles of Moose Mix by hand in less than two months. A deadline they met, by the way.

Photo by ASHLEE GLEN

Now, they are able to enjoy a much slower pace as they maintain their case count at the ABC distribution center in Richmond. They’ve also had Absolute Vodka show some interest in doing a new promotion in 2021.

So slower, but not too slow, they hope. Lonnie and Paul are looking forward to the start of spring and warmer weather that will bring increased foot traffic outside of their Commerce Street location. “That’s why we are excited to be here. We get the impression it will be like a festival once it’s warm. We want to have tasting trays outside,” Paul says.

As Lonnie and Paul can attest through their journey, it doesn’t take much to bring people together in Lynchburg.

But a good cocktail never hurts.

“People can criticize it, but I’ve lived in a lot of places and this city is so great,” says Lonnie. “There is a connection here, something wonderful.”

Need to whip up an easy, yet healthy, appetizer? This recipe is for you.

Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to your brain and skin. They are also an excellent source of vitamins C, E, K and B-6, as well as folate, magnesium and potassium. Better yet? Homemade guacamole is a winter-friendly dish. Avocados are typically available year-round, thanks to the hard work of growers in Mexico and parts of South America.

Gluten Free
Paleo | Vegan

Ingredients:
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced—dicing gives it a chunkier texture
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 large jalapeño, diced (seeds removed)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
(or garlic powder)

Directions:
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl (yep, that’s it!) and enjoy with chips or over your favorite tacos or tortilla soup—but do so quickly, because it will go fast!

April Likins lives in Forest and is an Institute for Integrative Nutrition- and Duke Integrative Medicine-trained health coach. Learn more at aprillikins.com.