Little Rock – Arkansas Women Bloggers

Welcome to Foodie Friday at ARWB. You came expecting food, right? Well have a little patience because I will be sharing some deliciousness with you; it just might not be what you expected. I want to share a few thoughts on @MegaphoneSummit held in Fayetteville in early August.

First, all of TWB community owes a HUGE thanks to Stephanie Buckley and Allyson Twiggs-Dyer for the hours they put into the planning, preparation and implementation of this two-day event. Compared to all they have to produce, my planning for the Foodie Friday portion is minimal. And before this year’s summit was even over, the thinking had started for 2018.

Second, thanks to all of you who attended and supported the presenters, both national and regional. I’m sure there were things we took away from each one who shared. Having Rebekah Radice and Peg Fitzpatrick in the same room is a feat, much less having them share their incredible wealth of knowledge.

In looking back over the past several years of programming, how many times has our friend P.Allen Smith joined us to share his expertise? Aren’t we lucky in Arkansas to have such a phenomenally talented expert at our fingertips?

Weren’t we fortunate as well to learn from our local foodie celebrities turned cookbook authors, Liz Bray and Amy Hannon? We learned that it’s not so much about the food but about the community we create around our tables that really matters.

Also, look at how we’ve grown. My first AWB (Arkansas Women Bloggers) meeting was in Mountain View at the Ozark Folk Center which was actually the 2nd meeting. Oh my! We easily fit into one relatively small auditorium. But even then, you were willing to share your talents with everyone.

There were cowboy boots and proposals. Just ask Gina K.

Remember the Iron Chef competition? You guys rocked it. I’m sorry we can’t do that any more.

That’s called community. And that sense of community still exists today even though we’ve grown from one state to many and from just women to our dudes as well. From “mommy bloggers” to “social media influencers. From amateurs to professionals.

We choose the path we walk. We learn along the way. From one another…from those with more knowledge and experience. But we choose to also realize that we are unique. We don’t compare because we know it steals us of our uniqueness and the beauty of being just who we are.

We camped out together at Ferncliff and the spiders and who knows what else. It was lovely. And we grew into a body cohesive. And we changed our name. Again. AWBU. Arkansas Women Bloggers University was born.

Plus, we ate hot dogs and had a picnic feast. We shared stories and more stories and realized we were blossoming into something new. And scary…and exciting.

The caterpillar was emerging and the butterfly was born.

Somewhere along the way we were “discovered.” ARWB became more than just Arkansas Women Bloggers. Suddenly, there was Texas. And Kansas and Alabama. And Georgia. And Missouri. and OMG Mississippi, And, of course, Oklahoma. We can’t forget Oklahoma, y’all. We just have to work on their southern accent.

Rogers. Hot Springs, Fayetteville. They’ve all been home to our coming togethers. Few of us realize what that entails. They are all lovely locations, but not all can support what we now know our members desire.

And we became Megaphone Summit ’cause we had lots to say and share. Don’t we always?

Y’all are the best and you deserve the best.

That’s why in 2018 we are returning to Fayetteville and @ExpFayetteville on August 3-4 for Megaphone Summit 2018. You’ll be there, won’t you?

Plan now to attend. Here’s how (Thanks @TaylorBradford for the infographic.)

And you just know there’ll be jam, right? Like my favorite Peach Habanero with Ginger. Or, maybe your favorite. Which one would you choose?

By Kristie Jones of Love On Main Street

Popping the most delicious grape tomatoes in my mouth made a warm, sunny Sunday in July even sunnier at The Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market. Situated on the corner of 14th and Main streets in downtown Little Rock, it’s a welcomed oasis for those in search of locally produced fruits, vegetables, wildflowers, honey, coffee, and more. My dear friend, Kelly Brant, accompanied me on a journey to discover the wonder of the market. The vibrant colors, aromatic herbs and juicy flavors far surpass anything found in the produce section at your local commercial grocery. Meeting the farmers would serve to add another dimension to an already personal experience of hand picking locally grown food.

Robert of Willow Springs Market Garden provided a sampling of peppers and humor in his handwritten signs describing defiant tomatoes and cosmetically challenged garlic. He provided a lemon drop pepper for the recipe that began to unfold with a visit to each booth. This little pepper is known for its citrus flavor and packs a bit of heat that ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville Scale.

bernice garden 3

Kelly Carney of the certified organic North Pulaski Farms enticed us with heirloom grape tomatoes of a somewhat addictive quality and unmatched sweetness. Carney has been a fixture at this market since the first Sunday it began back in 2012. In addition to the tomatoes, there were overflowing pints of blackberries capable of inducing dreams of grandma’s homemade cobblers. With charming humor, Carney described his exclusive use of organic tools as more expensive and less effective.

tomatoes from Bernice Garden

Flat leaf parsley was the gem found by meeting Kevin Haggerty and Lauren Tyner of the North Little Rock Community Farm. All of their lovely vegetables and herbs were harvested from the student farm of Lakewood Middle School’s freshman campus. From seed to market, I thought of the work and pride that they poured into their colorful array from the garden. With corn on the cob from Barnhill Orchards and peaches from Val of the Russian Farmer, items from practically every vendor combined to make a sweet yet savory salsa idea. Small purple onions from Sara Fulton-Koerbling and Ryan Boswell of The Victory Garden and a touch of Sun Harvest Honey from Pat Cullivan’s apiary in North Little Rock were the final ingredients needed.

blackberries bernice garden

The Bee in my Bonnet booth was by far the most charmed as it was adorned with hand-tied bouquets of wildflowers. Katie, the farmer, allowed me to take her photo holding a bouquet and although we chose the lemon drop pepper over a jalapeño, her peppers were the prettiest. One of the fresh bunches of flowers had to come along for the journey and made a lovely display on Kelly’s dining room table.

bernice garden 4

From seed to plant, harvest to table, this adventure to create a recipe from The Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market was a rewarding experience with a great payoff. Here’s the recipe for a perfect summer salsa to keep you cool and refreshed.

bernice garden arkansas

Arkansas Peach and Tomato Salsa {Bernice Garden}

2014-07-14 19:33:53

Yields 3

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

1 ear of fresh corn, in husk
2 small ripe peaches
½ pint grape tomatoes
1 to 1 ½ tablespoons minced purple onion (see tip)
½ to 1 small lemon drop pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, minced PLUS 1 sprig for garnish
¼ teaspoon red wine vinegar or to taste
1 light pinch coarse salt or to taste
1 teaspoon honey or to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast corn for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the peaches and quarter the tomatoes.
Shuck corn and using a sharp knife, carefully cut kernels from cob. Discard cob (or freeze for another use such as making corn chowder).
In a mixing bowl, combine the diced peaches, tomatoes, corn, onion, lemon drop pepper and parsley and mix well.
Add the vinegar, salt and honey and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar and honey, if needed.
Garnish with a sprig of the flat leaf parsley. Serve with tortilla chips or atop chicken breast or fish. Makes about 3 cups

Notes

Tip: To tame the bite of raw onion, soak it in cold water for 5 minutes; drain well and proceed with recipe.

By Kristie Jones {Love On Main Street}

Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

arkansas peach and tomato salsa

headshot kristie love on main street

I love carbs and men who lie.
I’m nostalgic at heart and a lover of all things vintage.
Writing and photography have been passions since childhood, and I’m constantly amazed at the beauty found in what others may see as ordinary.
I think there’s a bit of love in everything if you’re willing to see and feel it. My journey is to find love in the places, people, food, communities and stuff of life.
Adventure awaits!

Blog: loveonmainstreet.wordpress.com

Instagram: loveonmainst

Tag: Little Rock

Debbie Arnold: Thoughts on Megaphone Summit’s Foodie Friday and More

Kristie Jones: Arkansas Peach and Tomato Salsa via Bernice Garden