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Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show Review
Our day at the Incredible Food Show was quite enjoyable. We spent several hours on Saturday looking at exhibits and tasting Kentucky products. There was something for everyone’s tastes from sauces, to meats, to cheeses, to sweets. Though not all the choices were to our liking, it was easy to see that everyone was finding something they enjoyed. We were happy to find some of our favorites from previous years, as well as finding a few that we’ll want to try again and again.
We have been fans of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese for many years. Kenny Mattingly makes a variety of cheeses at his farm in Western Kentucky. Whether you’re a fan of cheddar, Swiss, or one of his more creative choices, Kenny’s cheeses are excellent. While our favorite is his Swiss, we tried a new one this year, Tomato Basil Cheddar and are looking forward to trying it again soon. Check our their website at www.kennysfarmhouse.cheese.com, to view their products.
Browning’s Country Ham has been a long time favorite as well. Whether you enjoy ham, bacon, or sausage, find those and more at Browning’s. Their products are on display at www.BrowningsCountryHam.com.
A couple other products we discovered a few years ago were there as well. Since we love cheese, we also enjoyed tasting and buying from the Boone Creek Creamery. If you have ever tasted a homemade ketchup and miss that special flavor, you will want to try Grandma Carolyn’s Ketchup, made from an old family recipe; it is one of our favorites.
One of our favorite booths was new to us this year. Kandies of Kentucky is making candy using Bourbon, Wine, and Spirits. We tried some candies and they were amazing. My favorite was the Noire Berry, made with Blackberry Wine from Forest Edge Winery. We spent some time talking with both Barry and Barbara Summer and enjoyed meeting them and talking about their products. Look for them at www.kyagr.com/KDAPage.aspx?id=10013. After tasting, we of course had to buy some candy.
Of course, we also visited the winery aisle and did a few tastings before we left. Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery was pouring tastes of their newly bottled Chambourcin. We tried a couple of Nortons, one from Rose Hill Farm Winery and one from Rising Son’s Winery and enjoyed them. Forest Edge Winery and Purple Toad Winery were also pouring some of their excellent wines and we enjoyed visiting with them.
The entire experience certainly made for a pleasant fun day.
by adminKentucky Proud Incredible Food Show
Don’t forget. The Incredible Food Show is tomorrow at the Lexington Center at Rupp Arena, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Visitors can watch some culinary seminars or enjoy demonstrations at the Kentucky Heritage Kitchen Stage, try out a variety of Kentucky food products from over 100 exhibitors in the Marketplace, or taste some local craft beer and Kentucky wines. Tickets are available at the door for $20.
We’ve enjoyed the food show for the last few years and are looking forward to the day. Some of our favorites are Browning’s Country Ham, Grandma Carolyn’s Ketchup, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, and Rattlesnake Hill Farm, as well as some great wineries, such as, Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery, Forest Edge Winery, and Rose Hill Farm Winery.
I recommend it to anyone interested in food, wine, or Kentucky.
by adminNorthern Kentucky Wine Festival 2014
The wait is over, Northern Kentucky’s Wine Festival will be at MainStrasse Village near the Goose Girl Fountain on October 18, 2014, from 3 PM to 10 PM. Admission is $10, and includes a souvenir glass and 4 tasting tickets. Additional tickets for tasting or a glass of wine may be purchased. Wine is also being sold by the wineries by the bottle or the case.
The following Northern Kentucky wineries will be there pouring tastes: Atwood Hill Winery, Morning View; Baker-Bird Winery, Foster; Elk Creek Vineyards, Owenton; Generation Hill Winery, Inc., Alexandria; Rose Hill Farm Winery, Falmouth; Seven Wells Vineyard & Winery, LLC, California; Serendipity Winery, Florence; StoneBrook Winery, Melbourne; and Verona Vineyards, Verona.
Horseshoe Bend Vineyards, Willisburg; Lovers Leap Vineyards & Winery, Lawrenceburg; Old 502Winery, Louisville; Purple Toad Winery, Paducah; and Smith-Berry Vineyard & Winery, New Castle will also be visiting Northern Kentucky for the festival.
There will also be booths with wine related artisan products. I will be there signing copies of A Wine Lover’s Odyssey Across Kentucky. I’d love to meet you and chat about Kentucky wine. Hope to see you there. It is a great festival.
by admin
Stuffed Florentine Shells
After a purchase of mixed wheat, tomato, and spinach shells, I decided to experiment with creating my own recipe for the stuffing and the sauce. Hope you enjoy the results. We did!
Stuffed Florentine Shells
Pre-cook a pound of crumbled sweet Italian sausage.
Cook the shells as directed on the package. Set aside while you are mixing the filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Filling
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 12 ounces grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 T. chopped parsley
- 3 ounces chopped fresh baby spinach
- 1 t. sea salt
- 1 t. coarse ground pepper
Sauce
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes, with sauce
- 3/4 cup pinot grigio wine
- 2 T. Basil
- 2 T. Oregano
- 2 t. Garlic Granules
- 1 t. sea salt
Combine ingredients for the sauce in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Fill the cooked shells with the stuffing and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with sauce. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
by admin
Barboursville Vineyards’ Octagon Wine
Readers will know that Barboursville Vineyards remains my favorite winery and generally I choose one of their wines to celebrate special occasions. We recently celebrated a birthday and opened a bottle of Octagon that we were saving for a special day. This was the 2005 vintage.
Octagon is the premier red blend created by Luca Pascina, the winemaker at Barboursville. Vintages of Octagon have been served to Queen Elizabeth and at events in Washington, D. C. Wine competitions and wine ratings have consistently given this wine the recognition it deserves.
The 2005 vintage was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The complexity of this wine allowed for each of the specific flavors to be tasted, but it was the blend that was noticeable on the finish. The wine was definitely worth waiting for and my only regret is that it is no longer available at the winery.
by adminA Kentucky Winery Tour
A few weeks ago, an old friend of mine told me she wanted to visit the winery that made the wine that tasted like walnuts. This led to a day trip and an exceptionally fun outing. We spent the day visiting not only that winery but several others that were nearby.
Our trip included three of the Bullitt County wineries. We first visited Forest Edge Winery. Their offerings of a dry Riesling and a Cabernet Sauvignon were the most appealing to me. The winery is located near Kentucky’s Bernheim Forest, and is easily accessible just off I-65. We enjoyed the wine and our visit with Allison, who was pouring our tastes.
Our next stop was Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery in Shepherdsville. We had a nice visit with Sandy Wight and tasted some excellent wine. It was a beautiful day and the vineyard was lovely, even with the netting covering the grapes to protect them from the birds. My favorite there is always the Norton.
Then we went to MillaNova Winery in Mt. Washington. Finally, we had arrived at the winery with the walnut flavored wine. John Miller, the owner and winemaker, was pouring our tastes. We enjoyed tasting a couple of the dry wines prior to trying out the Walnut Ridge wine. Walnut Ridge has a sweet taste but makes an excellent dessert wine, or for me a part of my Memories Blackberry Jam Cake. My friend was pleased with the wine.
On our way home, we made a slight detour off I-71 and visited Smith-Berry Vineyards and Winery in New Castle. We enjoyed our tasting with Chrissy, and found many wines to our liking. My favorite there is the Burley, though any of the wines offered are excellent.
It was a great day. The weather, the wine, and the company made it an enjoyable day trip.
Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show
For the sixth year, Kentucky will show off its products in Heritage Hall, at the Lexington Center in downtown Lexington. On October 11, 2014, from 9 to 5, visitors will be treated to tastings of Kentucky’s specialty food companies, Kentucky wineries, and demonstrations from local and regional chefs.
This year’s celebrity chef is Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman.
If you enjoy food, wine, cooking, and trying new products, this show is for you. Mark your calendars. Check back for more information when more details about those attending becomes available.
by admin
The Kentucky Wineries Association’s 3rd Annual Fest
Sixteen Kentucky wineries will be offering tastings of their wines to visitors at the Bullitt County Fairgrounds, on September 26 and 27. On Friday evening, from 4 to 10, and from noon to 10 on Saturday, visitors can enjoy tasting or purchasing wine by the glass or the bottle while enjoying the entertainment.
This region of Kentucky is home to some of state’s most popular wineries. This sounds like an excellent festival. I think you would enjoy it.
by adminNorthern Kentucky Wine Festival
Wine lovers will want to mark your calendars. The MainStrasse Association, in Covington, will host the Northern Kentucky Wine Festival, on October 18, 2014. The festival, one of Kentucky’s best, will feature Kentucky wines and wineries. This year’s event will be from 3 to 10 PM, on MainStrasse near the Goose Girl Fountain.
Look back later for more information on who will be there.
by adminKenton County Farm Harvest Tour 2014
Kenton County farms will welcome visitors on September 20, 2014, from 9 to 5. The tour is self-guided with fourteen stops along the way. The Northern Kentucky Horse Network at Kenton County Fair Grounds, Honey Locust Farms, the Kenton County Library Durr Branch, the Independence Farmers’ Market, the Kenton County Cooperative Extension Outdoor Education Center, Bluegrass Shrimp Farm, Redman’s Farm and Winery, Poverty Hollow Farm, Funke’s Hickory Ridge Farm, Triple J Farms, Rising Phoenix Farm, Atwood Hill Winery, The Pumpkin Patch, and Ed-Mar Dairy Farm are stops along the tour.
Wine lovers will find the stops at the two wineries quite enjoyable. Atwood Hill Winery offers a wide selection of drys, sweets, and fruit wines. Visitor can taste the wine or relax on the patio for a while with a glass of wine of their choice. Redman’s Farm and Winery’s wines are fruit, such as Strawberry, Blackberry, and Apple. They also use Concord, a Native American grape.
This is the fourth year of the Harvest Tour in Kenton County and visitors have enjoyed their chance to explore the agricultural areas of the county. A printable map and a descriptive list of the farms are available at the Kenton County Cooperative Extension website.
by admin