by Kaylin of Enticing Healthy Eating

Kind Kitchen is a mobile food truck and catering service from Northwest Arkansas.  It is owned by Jennifer and Tommy Rollins and their goal is to use as much locally grown and organic food as possible for their menu—which truly offers something for everyone whether you are gluten-free, vegan, or just love to eat. 

While reading more into the details about this food truck I had frequently seen at our Bentonville Farmer’s Market, but not yet visited, I just knew I had to be missing out on something.  The perfect excuse to finally visit Kind Kitchen was presented to me when I found out I would be writing an article for the Arkansas Women Bloggers featuring the theme of “local flavor”. 

Kind Kitchen’s story really began with Jennifer and her husband, Tommy, and their traveling adventures.  While traveling, Jennifer would often times struggle to find places to eat that catered to either vegan and/or gluten-free customers.  Jennifer and I both agreed that when they started Kind Kitchen 3 years ago, they really were hitting the market just about at the right time.  This year was their biggest year yet, as they are quickly being discovered by those in Northwest Arkansas looking for gluten-free and/or vegan options for restaurants.

While they have a more permanent residence now at THE HUB on SW A St. in Bentonville offering lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11am-2pm, just down from the square, my past experiences of seeing Kind Kitchen has been at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.  Every Saturday, Jennifer and her team source their ingredients for menu items from about five farms.  Since they do locally source from farmer’s their menu does not stay the same the entire year but rather rotates with fresh foods according to the season.

And it’s no wonder they have stayed popular!  With a menu selection featuring everything from fried pickles and sweet potato fries to vegan and meat indian tacos and burritos. Don’t forget about their gluten-free baked goodies and fresh juices too! And they are the only place to get fresh-squeezed juices in Benton County.  When I asked Jennifer what her favorite menu item from her Kitchen was, she quickly replied it was the fresh juices.  Jennifer has become very knowledgeable in fresh-squeezed juices and juice cleanses. Not having ever tried a fresh-squeezed juice, I knew I was in the right place and couldn’t resist when she offered to make me one herself.  The fresh-squeezed juice and carrot cake, coconut muffin were fabulous.  I will be going back for more tasty treats.  Kind Kitchen has gained another loyal customer and fan.

Upon leaving my first visit to Kind Kitchen and saying goodbye to Jennier, I even remember saying “Can we be friends?”.  Jennifer just smiled, laughed, and replied “Of course!”  That’s what makes the Kind Kitchen not only a fantastic restaurant offering some of the best local ingredients around, but also a place that gives you great hospitality and feel-good vibes, even from the window of a food truck.

Kind Kitchen is a must-see, one of a kind restaurant that adds the perfect touch of local flavor to Northwest Arkansas.  You can follow them on their Facebook,  Twitter and Instagram.

Kaylin is a health coach and nutrition consultant and author of the healthy living and food blog Enticing Healthy Eating .  She hopes to inspire others to create more foods using wholesome and fresh ingredients and teaches people how to live a healthier and happier lifestyle through her health coaching business, Kaylin’s Keys to Health. Being born and raised in Bentonville, AR she is proud to still call Northwest Arkansas her current home and treasure trove for finding more tasty treats and eats.  You can also follow Kaylin’s food and cooking adventures on her instagram.

By Christie Ison of arfoodjobs.com

While traveling for work in Jonesboro last summer, I noticed a new, rather large open-air building for a farmers’ market right across the street from the Arkansas State University campus. Signage further elaborated that it was part of the university’s agriculture program, which I hadn’t really heard much about as a journalism student there some years ago.

The market was open. I had a few minutes, and I’m kind of a sucker for farmers’ markets. I dropped in for a look, camera (ahem, smartphone) and notebook in hand. I wasn’t especially in the market for produce, since I was traveling. I was, however, definitely in the market for a good story or two.

I walked slowly down the center aisle, like a bride looking for an appropriate tale to wed. I chatted a bit with a woman selling lovely candles in tiny jars. Locally made, well packaged; just not the story I wanted that day. A gentleman further down had lovely bouquets of flowers along with his seasonal squash and such. Beautiful and photogenic. Was this my story?

Rounding the other side of the wide aisle, I saw Tony Atchley. His stall was a little different from the rest, not as fancy or designed. A simple, hand-scrawled sign was duct-taped to the market table, listing prices for his wares. Mr. Atchley was bit older than the other vendors, 90 at the time. He leaned back in his folding chair, feeling the slight summer breeze while customers came by.

His produce was in lightweight, round wooden baskets like the ones my grandfather used to use while tending his own immense backyard garden, into which I would often help him harvest mustard greens or okra.

I asked Mr. Atchley about his stand, and I got pretty standard answers: Here we have some squash, some melons and cucumbers, and over here I’ve got some okra. Yes, he grew everything himself; it was good exercise and he enjoyed it. He lives in Lake City, about 30 miles due east of Jonesboro. He still drives and does most things for himself.

Prodded a bit further, he paused, and a different side seemed to open up. He told me about “when Momma and Daddy were alive,” helping them on their own large home garden. Growing was part of his history, his family. These fruits and vegetables were more than the fruit of his labor; they were his own past brought into the present.

I ended up taking a cantaloupe home. I also took with me some renewed memories of my own grandfather, who gardened until the day he passed at the age of 98. I was also reminded that just because I have a black thumb doesn’t mean I can’t dig around in the rich soil of people’s lives and learn a thing or two…and a bonus cantaloupe doesn’t hurt.

Christie Ison has been an intermittent food writer at her blog, Fancy Pants Foodie, since 2009. More recently, Ison launched arfoodjobs.com, an online job board and digital community for the state’s hospitality industry. She also teaches cooking classes and is on the advisory board of Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, of which she is a graduate.

by Amanda of Our Homemade Life

If you garden in Arkansas, there is usually always something that tends to never have a shortage, tomatoes!

I am not sure if it is the rich soil, the humid air or the nutrient rich rain, you can’t find tomatoes as good as those grown in Arkansas. The world knows it, we even have tomatoes named after our state, the Arkansas Traveler and the Ozark.

After spending some time in a friend’s garden last week, I couldn’t deny the fact that the weather this year has been especially good for the tomatoes. It is almost time to preserve the abundance for the fall/winter seasons.

There is nothing like being able to enjoy your bounty long after the growing season is gone. One of my favorite ways to use tomatoes is to make fresh salsa. It never lasts long in my house, but I am okay with that as it is full of fresh, wholesome ingredients for the family to enjoy.

If you find yourself with an abundance of fresh tomatoes this year, why not try making this super simple, yet totally delectable salsa!

Simple Homemade Salsa

6 Tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Onion, diced
1/2 Jalapeño pepper, pitted and diced
4 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Garlic Cloves, diced
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

The great thing about salsa, you can customize it to your preference. Depending on my mood, I may want more or less of some ingredients as well as desired consistency. I prefer my salsa to be smoother, less chunky, so I use my food processor. If you prefer your salsa on the chunky side, you can dice it all by hand.

Add all the ingredients but the tomatoes and salt into a food processor and pulse until diced finely. If you want a smoother texture, add your diced tomatoes and pulse a few times. Sprinkle with salt and mix to combine.

If you wish to have a chunky texture, instead of adding your tomatoes to the food processor, simple dice them by hand and add them to your mixture of the other ingredients.

If you are using exceptionally juicy tomatoes, drain some of the liquid off before serving, otherwise just mix well before serving.

Bonus Tips:
Remember you can always add more of something, but not take it away. Go easy on the salt and heat and if you want to turn it up a notch, you can always add more!

Want a new creamy texture? Add in 2-3 tablespoons of sour cream or cream cheese to transform your salsa into a creamy treat!

What is your favorite way to enjoy fresh tomatoes?

Written by Laurie Marshall

When we moved to Springdale eight years ago we did so primarily because we were able to get a lot of house for our money compared to surrounding cities. Our two-year-old son was still sleeping in a crib in the master bedroom, and I knew the odds of my pre-teen daughters agreeing to sharing a room again were not much higher than my being asked to star on Broadway. Before that time, I was a Fayetteville girl and Springdale was a town I drove through on my way to somewhere else, never a destination. But I soon learned that of all the cities in Northwest Arkansas, it is most definitely the one with the most local color.

Over the years, the strong manufacturing and agriculture history of Springdale’s business community has made Springdale a mecca for individuals who have come here from outside the United States to work in those industries. Many Central and South American countries and most of the states in Mexico are represented here. Springdale is also home to the largest population of Marshallese people citizens of the actual Marshall Islands themselves.

Now, I like to eat good food. And I like to post images on Instagram of the good food I eat. Living in a diverse community, it has been a treat to have access to markets full of products I can’t pronounce and am not sure how to cook with, and to restaurants that serve foods that I don’t know how to cook. There are at least a dozen different taquerias in Springdale, and two bakeries that I know of. El Progresso Bakery is just down the street from me, and they’re one of my favorite stops for a baked treat.

I do love a slice of New York style cheesecake, but in terms of donuts and cakes, I prefer Mexican pastries to American-made ones because they are less sweet. They tend to be more dense as well, and are so lovely to look at! Our fancy cupcakes don’t have anything on their giant pastries.

When you enter El Progresso, the first thing to do is grab a tray and a pair of tongs. I wander around looking at all of the items in their glass-front cases before choosing. (TIP: There is plenty of Instagram fodder !!) There are muffins, slices of cake, giant cookies with colored sprinkles, a number of different turnovers full of gooey stuff, and – apparently, a pastry that pays homage to Star Trek by being shaped like the Star Fleet patch. Well, maybe not… but I like to think so. I might be a nerd.

El Progresso also sell whole cakes, sandwiches, drinks and occasionally some produce – I picked up a huge bag of jalapeños when I stopped in this morning. I also love to bring home a dozen of their homemade tamales when they have them available. They are huge, and I am happy to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their refrigerated cases are full of cakes that I believe are traditional flans decorated with whipped cream icing and fresh fruit. I need to come up with a reason to buy one. Or maybe I don’t need a reason.

Things are changing in Springdale, and some old ideas about the kind of community that it should be are starting to slip into the past. I am proud to be a part of what looks like a bright – and very colorful – future in my town.

Laurie is a writer and junque-hunter living in Springdale, Arkansas with her husband, son and three goofy cats. She raises kids and chickens and makes messes in her craft room. She loves to create good food, pretty gardens, and happy kids. But when that doesn’t happen as planned, she simply reads about them on Pinterest. You can follow Laurie at See Laurie Write.