G A T H E R I N G S | Farm to Table

The teacher/chef for this evening's Farm to Table Gatherings was long-time friend and sister-in-Christ, Lisa Rooks. The first time I met Lisa was at my wedding almost 32 years ago. She rode to Corinth with her then "new boyfriend/now husband", Joe Rooks, to his college friend's wedding (that would be my hubby, Mike). Lisa and I immediately struck up a friendship from the moment we met. We always love telling each other we are the kind of friends that might not see each other for several years, but we know we are each just a phone call away. And on this afternoon, we picked up right where we left off from the moment she walked in the front door with an arm full of fresh produce from her good friends at Two Dog Farms in Flora, Mississippi.

Lisa is owner of Hardware for Her. She had dreamed for years of opening a housewares store inside one of her families hardware stores. And this past year, her dream came true. She found herself with time to devote to her dream after their youngest of three sons went to college. Hardware for Her is located inside the Revell Ace Hardware in DeVille Plaza, and carries products such as KitchenAid mixers, All Clad cookware, Cuisinart food processors, Breville coffee makers, Caspari paper products, Messermeister cutlery, the original Mosser Glass, Lodge cast iron and Vitamix blenders. Hardware for Her is stocked with cookware, cutlery and other kitchen products and housewares as well as cookbooks, premium coffee and specialty foods.

Also on the long list of items carried by Lisa's store was a couple of tonight's specialties that she brought for us to sample. These included cheese straws, pretzels, and candied ginger pecans. But the real treat was the fresh produce supplied by Two Dog Farms, a friendship made with Hardware for Her through their CSA distribution location. Not only did Two Dog Farms supply fresh veggies, but they brightened our evening with these beautiful fresh flowers, which are known as Celosia.

What a wonderful evening sitting around the kitchen island visiting with friends and watching Lisa cook up a true "farm to table" dinner. We enjoyed Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Arugula Salad with Turmeric-Infused Honey Dressing, her mother's cornbread recipe, and a batch of Skillet Apple Crisp. Everything was so fresh and delicious. Lisa really outdid herself on this Thursday evening. If you were not fortunate enough to be at tonight's event, don't fret, Lisa demonstrates basic cooking techniques, products, and samplings of food on Saturdays @ 1:00 p.m. in her store, Hardware for Her, located in DeVille Plaza. Just drop-in and make yourself at home!

Now, for the real stars of the show from tonight's Farm To Table:

The look of excitement shown by Beth Dean as she realized she guessed the correct number "7" and won a box full of fresh veggies from Two Dog Farms.

Friends of Gatherings are the best friends to have ...

Two Dog Farms of Flora, Mississippi, is a small family farm using sustainable and natural growing methods to ensure the healthiest produce available. And tonight, they really showed up at this Gatherings ... with a pocket full of posies and a heart full of love (and maybe a little farm-friendly green caterpillar crawling up their box). Owner and operator, Dorothy Killen, graced us with her presence, and educated us as she explained her seasonal grown specialty produce. She and her husband, Van, have a weekly CSA program (Community-Supported Agriculture Arrangement) which can be picked up at various locations. See their website www.twodogfarms.org for details concerning their seasonal CSA program. Two Dog Farms supplies fresh produce to over 20 restaurants in the metro-Jackson area and around 30 in the New Orleans area. I would say they are getting pretty "big time", wouldn't you? Many thanks to Two Dog Farms for helping make this a true "Farm-to-Table" experience! You are definitely a friend to Gatherings.

And how cute is Dorothy's face when she realized she won the door price from Hardware for Her!

Village Boutique has done it again with dressing me in another gorgeous blouse - and this one is a fabulous color! Are you ladies remembering to tell Dana Canoy to give you the "Gatherings Discount" when you stop by to see her at 1888 Main Street in Madison? Don't be shy. She loves to bless others with her generosity. Not to mention she loves to help you pick out the most perfect outfit for whatever the occasion. Make sure you follow @VillageBoutiqueMs on Instagram and watch daily posts of all the unique fresh designs and the fun new game-day outfits. And make sure you play along with us as we have a blast posting our #carselfies in our favorite Village Boutique outfit. Village Boutique is a friend to Gatherings and wants to be your friend, too!

When telling Scott at Colony Wine Market that I needed something to serve at my Farm to Table Gatherings event for this evening, he immediately handed me this Lantransa Prosecco. And I believe he hit the nail on the head per the census from the ladies at this Gatherings. Lantransa is a light, dry sparkling wine produced in the Veneto region of Italy. It shows notes of pear, lemon and toasted almonds. It pairs nicely with light hors d'oeuvres, delicate fish and pastries with fresh fruit and cheese. Scott is all about helping you make your decision easy when planning for a special dinner. Make sure you tell him that Gatherings is your friend and he will oblige you a special discount.