Rolls on the River is one of my favorite FestivALL events. 



One: It is a pepperoni roll festival. But two: I was here when it first got started.



Big Brothers Big Sisters started the festival years ago and got me involved because of my book. I then became involved with the board and was there when we passed off the festival to the Montessori School.



And now I've made my return as a judge, along with Steven Keith, Jeff Shirley and Don Wilson, and I had such a great time. 



There were 9 rolls:

• Mea Cuppa had a round, fluffy roll full of pepperoni.
• Sweet Mamas had a large roll that pepperoni on the top - a bit greasy - but ultimately took home the judge's choice.
• Mardi Gras had a half roll that had some herbs but the cheese consistency was a bit off. 
• Legacy Foods took home people's choice with their very traditional large roll with sliced pepperoni.
• Gritt's Farm had one of my favorites - it was cut in half with plenty of pepperoni and cheese and a crisper crust.
• The Governor's Mansion was my personal favorite with a small, sweet dough, a nice hunk of mozzarella and ample sliced pepperoni.
• DP Dough had mini pepperoni buns that were just on the dry side, but I like the construction
• Mountain Juice had a good rendition of a vegan roll that had a few differences in texture and consistency. They did have a dipping sauce, though, which I always enjoy.
• Finally, another favorite was the Pitch - a giant deep-fried ball with plenty of cheese and pepperoni. This was also a people's favorite runner up. 
  

Have you been? Which pepperoni roll was your favorite?

It's ramp season in West Virginia.



And, there are a number of ways to celebrate: foraging, enjoying ramperoni rolls or attending The Wild Ramp's Stinkfest. 



"One of The Wild Ramp’s signature annual events, Stinkfest is a celebration of the market’s namesake, Allium tricoccum, commonly known as a ramp or wild leek. This day-long festival will feature ramp dishes from The Wild Ramp Harvest Kitchen as well as other local food businesses. There will also be artisan and produce vendors, music and kid’s activities. Admission is free."



B Sweet Cookie Creations - I grabbed a cookie from this little stand!



A beautiful little flower that was tasty, too. 



Midnight Cookie Society - I had never heard of them, but when I saw a s'mores cookie, I knew I had to have it.
  

I love that these cookies are huge and soft - I even didn't mind the chocolate inside because it was milk chocolate and not bitter.



Stringtown Farm - These folks had crafts and candies. 
  

On the craft side, I went for a ramp keychain. On the candy side, I got this milk chocolate covered peanut bark that I devoured. 



We B Fryin Snacks -  These are like pork rinds but healthier. I actually don't love pork rinds, but I enjoyed the flavor of these. 



They also have cinnamon snacks, and they had ramp snacks - but I had already purchased my bbq ones before I saw those. 



Finally, Cabin Cakes & Candies - this little mini cake. I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Did you find any new snacks or finds at the festival? 

The 12th Ramps & Rails Festival in Elkins was held yesterday, and I made a special trip to check it out because I had never experienced it before. 



The Elkins-Randolph Co. area is no stranger to ramps. According to their website, "Ramp Definition: Ramps are wild leeks, foraged from shaded, woody areas. They are one of the first signs of spring, and one of the first edible green things to hit markets. Their flavor is a combination of garlicky, oniony, and pungent. You can use them anywhere you would use scallions or spring onions."


  
As soon as I got closer to town, I started to see folks on the side of the road selling ramps. Some with signs, some just displayed them on the hood of their truck. That got me even more excited to make it to the festival, which was located at the train depot. 



The festival features short train rides, lots of ramp dishes and other vendors selling their goods. 



Let's start with El Gran Sabor, a local Elkins restaurant serving up Venezuelan food, which is one of my favorites in the whole state. 



They were serving ramp cachapas! You could get them with pork, chicken, or just cheese. I went with a pork one and added on the ramp green sauce. If you've never had a cachapa, it's like a fresh corn cake fried golden brown with a nice crisp outside and tender inside. 



This was unbelievable. As I was tearing into it walking around the festival, everyone kept asking what it was because they wanted one, too. The slight crisp on the outside is a little sweet, and the inside had tender pork and just a bit of ramps. The flavor was perfection, and the sauce just took it to the next level. If you have the chance to get one of these before they're out of season, go, immediately.



I also stopped by Jimmy’z Food Truck, which has a few different options. They had samples out front so you could see what you're getting. Love that. 



We went with the deep-fried pepperoni rolls, because I feel like it's my duty to check those out. But we also ordered a ramp burger.



First, I didn't realize the pepperoni roll would have ramps inside, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The outside was very deep-fried and crispy, which gave way to a light, fluffy interior with small chunks of pepperoni and a few ramp bits. For me, the ramps really make it. They add another level of flavor that I think helps round out the whole profile.



The burger also surprised me - not because I wasn't aware of the ramps - but because I didn't realize they'd be in the ground beef itself. I was thinking there would be a ramp sauce of some sort. But I loved the seasoning and flavor the ramps gave the ground beef. It was tasty - and the bun, for me, was perfect. It was the perfect combo of soft and chew. I was able to adda as much or as little mayo and ketchup as I wanted, so it ended up perfect. 



And then, I made one more purchase on this day. 



Larry's Awesome Sauce, based out of Fairmont, had a beautiful ombre orange display of sauces. They have Honey Mustard, Zesty Honey Mustard, Sriracha Honey Mustard, Insane Heat Honey Mustard, and Ramp-Infused Zesty Honey Mustard. 



I tried a sample and really liked both the honey mustard and zesty honey mustard, so I took home one of the former to see what I can use it for. 



Did you make it this year? Or have you gone before?

The Capitol Market held its inaugural Flowers After Hours event today. And, it was such a lovely evening that I'm hoping it's a yearly event. 



This time of year is perfect at the market - the plants are out, the sun is out (maybe a bit too much today), and people are ready to shake off winter. 



Flowers After Hours featured wines from The Wine & Cheese Shop, personal pizzas and sangria from Lola's, and other snacks like sushi from Sushi Garden.



Each ticket holder also received a sweet little burlap gift bag with chocolates from Holl's - and a wine cup if you purchased the alcohol ticket. 



The RedLine Band played a fun set all evening. 



And, if that wasn't enough - Gritt's Midway was giving away adorable little succulents! 

Two longtime chili cookoffs came together today - and I was lucky enough to be able to help judge once again.



Wagging Tails and Nitro Ales is an official ICS chili cookoff for Dog Bless, a dog rescue group in WV. And Smoke on the Water is usually held in the summer during FestivALL and raises money for HospiceCare.



Today was the first really chilly day that I've spent outside this season, but that's perfect for chili.



The event had both hot chili and cold beer, as well as a nod to Cassie Johnson, the Charleston Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty last December.



I was tasked with helping to judge the homestyle category. So while waiting for that round to start, I purchased some sample tickets to try some of the other versions.



For example, I checked out some of the verde chilis. Usually these are not my favorite, but the ones I had today were delish! They had great balanced flavors but didn't feel super heavy.



I also didn't get judge the traditional red this year, which is much more standard in terms of ingredients and flavors.



So, my favorite is always homestyle. I think it gives the cooks more leeway to explore their creativity. 



I love getting a chili that has some heat, but also some sweetness and a perfect medium consistency with a variety of ingredients like meat, beans, etc. 



How do you take your chili?