BBQ & Bluegrass Recap
Barbecue and bluegrass, two of life’s greatest pleasures. On Sunday, June 5th, Cavalier Produce invited its dedicated team and loyal culinary clients to their property in Louisa for a good ole’ fashioned outdoor cookout. The event marked the return of their annual Barbecue & Bluegrass celebration which aims to showcase and highlight the food businesses the 20-plus-year-old company partners with.
Led by pitmaster and Culinary Institute of America graduate Craig Hartman, Barbecue Exchange enticed pulled-pork lovers with its full pig and spread of sides from cake-like cornbread to creamy mac and cheese during the daytime party. The Gordonsville eatery channels the true spirit of Virginia Barbecue by focusing on slow-cooked wood-fired meats, adopting old world techniques, along with celebrating, and sourcing, local.
Featured vendors included Phantom Hill Farm, which provides forest-grown mushrooms and naturally grown produce; AR’s Hot Southern Honey with its collection of bottled sweet heat; Natalie's gave out refreshing sips of their fresh-pressed juices; and the father and son duo behind microbakery Two and a Half Irishman, serving everything from zucchini bread to blackberry scones.
More cheese, please? It’s a motto I love to live by and there were a number of options to taste and peruse during the event. Meadow Creek Dairy showcased selections such as their newly released Grayson, which boasts sweet, buttery and tangy notes; Lexington’s Razzbourne Farms introduced their ripened and aged goat cheese including the Kick Ash, while Old Chatham Creamery sampled everything from its sheep’s milk Kinderhook Creek to the delightful three-milk marinated cheese — all perfect accouterments to a future charcuterie board.
Fearless leader Steve Yetzer, co-owner of Cavalier Produce along with wife Denise Yetzer, led a group through the Cavalier Produce facility which is stocked from floor-to-roof with fresh produce, meats and even home to a dedicated cheese room. The joke was made that this is where to hide out if the zombie apocalypse were to occur. Richmond-based The Whiskey Rebellion helmed the stage, covering everything from original tunes to classics from The Grateful Dead.
The event also featured a tender farewell to longtime and dearly missed employee, James Backes, who has now entered retirement. Thanks for coming out to enjoy the Sunday Funday, and we look forward to next year!
Eileen Mellon - Guest Blogger
