Bella Bean Organics Purchased by Coon Rock Farm

Durham has the good fortune to be something of a food mecca in the US.  There are dozens of chef's and restaurants that have received recognition nationally and internationally who work at fine dining properties and food trucks alike.  The connection to great product and educated consumer is strong.  Perhaps such a state of affairs is foreshadowing for a business deal that was signed today.

Farmers and food entrepreneurs Richard Holcomb and Jamie DeMent, announced that they have purchased Durham company Bella Bean Organics. Holcomb and DeMent are part of the founding team behind other successful area food businesses including Coon Rock Farm in Hillsborough, Zely & Ritz Restaurant in Raleigh and Piedmont Restaurant in Durham.  Some may remember the duo from the media flurry surrounding Eno, the restaurant they hoped to open at Rogers Alley in the old fire station opposite Dos Perros along Mangum Street.

Bella Bean Organics, founded in Durham by Sara Houghton, is an online farmer’s market and home delivery service specializing in locally grown, sustainable and organic produce, meats, eggs and artisan specialty foods.

“Purchasing Bella Bean was a natural step for us. Bella Bean has been carrying our produce, meats, and eggs for over three years so we know them well and the fastest growing part of Coon Rock Farm’s business is our own recently introduced home delivery service. By purchasing Bella Bean we are able to take advantage of all the expertise they have developed in home delivery of food rather than reinvent the process on our own," Holcomb said.

He and DeMent plan to expand the geographic delivery footprint for Bella Bean and expand its product offerings. DeMent said, “As local sustainable farmers, we strive to grow as much as possible on the farm for ourselves and for our customers.  But we can’t grow everything, so many products like dairy, spices, fish, coffee, and grains we purchase from other local vendors.  We have invested years in finding sustainable sources that we trust and we plan to make these same trusted items available through Bella Bean so that health and food conscious consumers in the Triangle-area can have a complete selection of sustainable, organic food delivered fresh to their door.”

Looks like Durham might now say that it is where great things happen - right on their doorstep.

Durham's Magnolia Grill is Tops

People around the country and the world are aware that Durham is a dining hot spot.  Bon Appetit called Durham the Foodiest Small Town in America in 2008 and last year Durham was named on the New York Time's list of the "Top 41 Places in the World to Visit" citing it's food as a primary reason.  That NYT article was one of several on the matter that appeared in the publication.

Among Durham's best known restaurants is the Magnolia Grill. Just passing the 25 year mark in November, the restaurant holds two James Beard Awards (think Oscars, but for food) and more accolades than is reasonable to mention, though being number11 on Gourmet Magazine's list of Best Restaurants in the country bears repeating.

Today it was named by the News and Observer's restaurant critic, Greg Cox, as Restaurant of the Year. Magnolia Grill is a venerable mainstay that continues to push the envelope of discovery in the creation of new flavor and preparation within the contemporary Southern sphere. Alumni from the restaurant have opened restaurants both locally and far afield, as well as gone on to positions in some of the world's most notable operations.

Durham's food scene is in large part due to the continued, tireless efforts of the Magnolia Grill's proprietors, Karen and Ben Barker. Collectively, they provide culinary direction that wows guests nightly and provides a bar which many chefs in Durham aspire to reach and best. As the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.  In Durham, the Barker's have raised the knife and set a standard upon which those who live and visit can count for the quality of food and service.

Congratulations to the Magnolia Grill family for this achievement.  Congratulations also go to:

• Nana's for their Gold Medal 
• Fairview, Four Square, Revolution and Watts Grocery for their Silver Medals
• Blu Seafood and Bar, Dos Perros, Los Comales, and Vin Rouge for their Best in Class rankings
• G2B and Happy China for being among the Best New Restaurants

For a searchable list of all dining in Durham, see Durham's official visitor website dining section.

Fall Finds at Durham Farmers' Market

Market Finds
This week Durham Farmers' Market-goers will begin seeing the season's first fresh ginger!  Fresh ginger looks a little different than ginger you see in the grocery store.  It has a very thin, edible skin and has little pink nubs on it.  Fresh ginger is less fibrous than other ginger and it has a somewhat milder taste.

Shoppers will also find locally grown peanuts and the first popcorn of the season. Popping corn is a different variety of corn from the type that you eat on the cob, in fact, it is a very ancient type of corn.  The varieties of corn that are good for popping have strong hulls that are impervious to water.  The kernels contain a certain amount of moisture and oils that make it good for popping.

Results from The 2011 Chef Challenge
In case you missed it last week, the Chef Challenge was very exciting.  And the secret ingredient, according to all of the chefs, was a real challenge... Okra! All the chefs put together amazing dishes that featured okra.  For an in depth coverage of the Challenge, read Bryan Christopher's (one of the judges) post on his blog Searching for Sicily. 

Chef Billy Cotter of TOAST defended his 2010 Chef Challenge Champ title and became the 2011 Champ! Thanks to Chefs Andy Magowan of Geer Street Garden and Josh DeCarolis from Dos Perros for competing.  Also, a big thank you to the judges, Johanna Kramer, Bryan Christopher, Heather Greer Klein and Ross Grady.  Thanks for Frank Stasio for serving as our emcee, Tom Dawson for creating the trophy and WXDU for the use of their sound system.


Fresh this Week
Fruit:  Apples, Pears, Scuppernong Grapes, Watermelon, Peaches 
Vegetables:  Peanuts, Ginger, Popcorn, Asian Greens, Arugula, Beans, Longbeans, Beets, Butterbeans, Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, Collards,  Cucumbers,  Dandelion Greens, Eggplant, Garlic, Gourds, Herbs,  Mustard Greens, Kale, Lambs Quarter,  Lettuce,  Okra, Onions, Pea Shoots, Peppers, Potatoes, Purple Hull Peas, Pumpkins, Salad Mix, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard,  Summer Squash,   Tomatoes,  Winter Squash, Zucchini
Flowers:   Asiatic Lillies, Celosia, Dahlia, Gomphrena, Gladiolus, Lisianthus, Sunflowers, Tuber Rose, Zinnia
Meats: Beef, Bison, Chicken, Duck, Goat/Chevon, Lamb, Rabbit, Pork
And: Fall Vegetable Seedlings, Honey, Chicken and Duck Eggs, Flour, Yellow & White Cornmeal, Grits, Pecans, Wines, Fresh and Aged Goats and Cows Milk Cheeses, Baked Goods, Pasta, Beer, Wine, Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Preserves, Wool, Landscaping Plants
Crafts: Hand-dyed Clothes, Jewelery, Baskets, Pottery, Stained Glass Art, Woodwork, Photographs, Soaps