Our Great Leader in Birmingham

I almost forgot about our great leader in Birmingham...Vickie Ashford

Birmingham Culinary Tour Continues

Off to Pepper Place Saturday Market I found the origin of the grits used in Clayton Sherrod's cooking and Highland's Bar & Grill chef, Frank Stit. Company is called McEwen & Sons who own a grist mill. Frank and Helen handles the milling while their sons, Frank Jr. and Luke raise chickens and sells their cage free eggs. Aside from the Grits appetizer served at Highland's, here is a photo of their seafood appetizer. Best thing was the Apalachicola oysters. Worst was the shrimp cocktail that had that "not so fresh" tast. Chef never came in to greet the 13 writers and I heard that he was at his other place located about four blocks away.

More on Birmingham culinary tour

We went to three wineries. At Ozan Vineyard and Cellars I am sipping their peach wine. Morgan Creek Vineyards located in Harpersville, focuses on Muscadine grapes. Although I did a full tasting, none of the wines appealed to me. That's not to say that the wines aren't good. The best was Vizzini Farms Winery where they create a Choclate Raspbery Merlot. The nose gets the chocolate. Sipping it you get the fruitiness of the Merlot and then it finishes in the back of the throat with chocolate.

Birmingham preview

Here are some photos taken on my culinary tour of Birmingham. Food products include: Golden Flake Potato Chips, Bud's Best Cookies, The Peanut Depot peanuts and Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale. Shrimp and Grits was the focus at Jones Valley Urban Farms where we had breakfast and lesson from Chef Clayton Sherrod. Jones Valley Urban Farms is 5 acres of property in downtown Birmingham where the community takes a plot of land and grows organic fruits, vegetable and flowers. Photo is one of the breafast items of Brie with a peach sauce. Let's watch Chef Clayton prepare the Shrimp and Grits.