The First Baptist Church of Charleston has a commercial kitchen and has been cooking up some delicious dishes on specialty days each week - like Wing Wednesdays. I finally was able to try their Fish Friday, which has been around prior to Lent. And, they are not playing around when it comes to fish. On this particular day, they were offering whiting, red snapper, catfish and perch. Plus shrimp and alligator. You can get an entire dinner with fish, two sides and a drink for $15. I went with whiting, macaroni and cheese, and Creole potato salad. That macaroni and cheese was so cheesy and had just a hint of sweetness – my favorite. The creole potato salad had some nice mustard seed flavor kick. The whiting did not have the thick, golden, deep-fried batter I was hoping for. But, I have learned that fish in the south is more commonly crusted with a sort of cornmeal coating. So, it's a bit more crunchy than it is crisp. It was flaky, white fish with a great flavor. They thought of all the accompaniments as well; I had tartar sauce, hot sauce, and a tangy sort of barbecue sauce. Super tasty.

Last weekend, I excitedly attended the Winter Blues Farmers Market here in Charleston.



This market brings together tons of producers from around the state into one space for the best of local shopping. Here are some of my highlights:

Bakery



BAKED - I had to try a cookies & cream cookie from here, and it did not disappoint.



Goldilocks Grazing





Handmade WV Market - I so want to try these pepperoni rolls and unique jellies
Kristi Ann’s Bakery
Legacy Foods
Lisa’s Jar of Love
Mama Faye's Fudge & Confections
Mrs. Mels
Nanas Kitchen



RF Sweet Shop - I want to get my hands on some of this fudge in the future.
Rise Appalachia Donuts and Sourdough



Small Business and Sundry LLC - A cookie from here went home with me, too.
Sunrise Sweets and Treats LLC





Sycamore Farm and Primatives - I had never had a strawberry cheesecake bread before this place, and wow!
The Wild Ramp
Tibbenham Chocolates
Walnut Hollow Farm



Whimpsey and Willows Market LLC
Wildee Made
Willow Brook Farm



The Sourdough Effect


Coffee
Aroma of the Andes
Coal River Coffee Company
Mountain Table
The Black Dog Coffee Company


Goods, Snacks & More
Dark Hollow Foods
Cerealsly Delicious
Perk Farm Organic Dairy
Putnam Farmers Market
Riverbend Farm and Gardens
Angie’s What’s Poppin Shoppe
Arbaugh Farms
DARN Enterprises



Eldridge Alchemy - Finally had a chance to check this place out; their drinks are interesting
G & G Heritage Farm
Grassy Creek Farm
J.Q. Dickinson Salt
Mama Maes Apple Butter and Freeze Dried Candy
Moonraker Alpaca Farm
Mountain Juice
Mud and Woods
Novak Farms
Sassy Gals
St. Albans Farmer’s Market
Tower Garden





Tracy Sugar Shack - I had to try some freeze-dried Starburst
Twelvepole Trading Post
Villa DiTrapano
We B Fryin Snacks
Blue Acre Aquaponics
High Priestess Goods


Meat
Angelo’s Italian Sausage
Circle S Farmers Market and More
Custard Stand Chili
Lost River Butcher Block Overholt Homestead LLC
Pig Man
Quicken Farms
Red Tool House Farm
Taylor Family Farms and Custom Meat
Twisted Chicken Farm
Wilfong Farms


Mushrooms/Produce







Glascock’s Produce
Green Thumb Botanicals
Hernshaw Farms
Mon Valley Mushrooms
Spring Valley Farm and Orchard
Oh My Greens
Harvest Trails


Plants
Native Florals
Terra Fate Exotics
Ellison Mountain Heritage Nursery
Gritt’s Farm


Pet
Mary’s K9 Bakery


Bath & Body & Candles
Appalachian Botanical
Appalachian Lavender
Blessed Full Farms
Brookestone Soaps
Good Horse Scents
Grassy Meadows Goat Milk Soap
Hill and Holler Herbal Company
Sachet Lavender
Soaps by Sid
T.L. Soaps



Tarts in Heart - A blueberry pancake candle went home with me because it was just absolutely too cute
On the Go Soaps
Rustic Root Soap LLC


Canned Goods, Jams & Jellies
Clara’s Gourmet
Honey Do Produce
Jar Head Farms



LeJa Produce - I know they're closer to the Morgantown area and have been wanting to check them out.
Owl Mountain Farm LLC
Sloping Acres
Williams River Farms



Mals Produce - another Morgantown stop I want to check out when the weather warms up
Smoke Camp Crafts
Sunset Berry Farm
T.L. Fruit and Vegetables
Uncle Frankies
Tarbilly’s BBQ
Tipsy Roos
Uncle Bunks LLC


Hemp
Almost Heaven Hemp
Dovetail Ridge Farm
Genesis Mountain Farm


Maple & Honey
Fruits De La Rose and Oldham Sugarworks
Ronk Family Maple Farm
Treats from Trees
Twelvepole Trading Post
Howe Sweet It Is
Carry Apiaries
R+A Honey Bees LLC
Rimfire Apiary
Schamberger Honey
Sugar Bottom Farm

'Tis the season for lenten fish fries.



"According to Christian teaching, Jesus died on a Friday, fasting on Fridays became a way to honor his sacrifice. However, this type of fasting didn’t mean not eating anything (unlike trendy modern-day fasts). It simply meant abstaining from eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals—since the thinking goes, Jesus was a warm-blooded animal. Fish, though, which are cold blooded were considered okay to eat on fasting days. Hence, Fish on Fridays and “Fish Friday” (among many other religious holidays) was born," according to the website The Better Fish.



St. Francis of Assisi in St. Albans is one of a few churches in the area hosting a fish fry.



For $15, you get baked fish, fried fish, fried shrimp, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls, baked potato, coleslaw, hush puppies, a homemade dessert, plus tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, butter, sour cream, and a drink.



Yum! Who in the area has your favorite fish fry?

Walking into this Carmel, Indiana, restaurant felt as though I was Alice walking into Wonderland.



The Cake Bake Shop is a whimsical, fairy tale-esque restaurant draped in Swarovski crystal chandeliers, grand French doors, and fiber optic glowing mushrooms planted outside.



There is a restaurant space, a bar and a bakery area, which serves several different flavors of Cake Bake's towering, signature layer cakes, plus pies, macarons and other desserts.



Kayla and I came to check out the sweets. And, there is certainly no shortage of them. They list over a dozen beautifully layered cakes, so I had to get a slice of one.



RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE CAKE: Three layers of fluffy vanilla cake brushed with a French champagne simple syrup, filled with our Raspberry Pixie Jam and fresh raspberries. Frosted with our champagne vanilla buttercream and topped with fresh raspberries.



Talk about decadence. This was indulgence stacked on indulgence topped with indulgence. But it was done so well - just a slight sourness from the raspberries kept the sweetness in check.



Then, there was the Magic Bar.



"Bring back a childhood memory with our Magic Bars. Our European all-butter graham cracker crust is topped with sweetened condensed milk, walnuts, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and fresh coconut."



Even though chocolate chips and coconut are not necessarily in my wheelhouse, I can appreciate these flavors and textures together. Truly, a delightful experience that made me want to learn more about the owner.



"GWENDOLYN'S STORY - How The Cake Bake Shop Came To Life: Gwendolyn Rogers at 57, has had a passion for baking and cooking her entire life. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1965 she had a tough childhood. Coming from a torn family, and growing up in a dysfunctional home, she was forced to raise herself. She grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho from elementary school through high school graduation. Her first job was at 13 cleaning the movie theatre. All through school she had multiple restaurant jobs as a prep cook, busser, dishwasher, cook, waitress and hostess. She would get herself to her job before and after school on her bike even when it was snowing."



"Gwendolyn wanted to be a photograher so when she graduated she moved to San Francisco to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. She put herself through school waiting tables. She worked double shifts to pay for school but she fell so far behind in her studies and with the overwhelming costs of tuition she could not keep up. She had no choice but to leave the college program. Gwendolyn then moved to Seattle, Washington where she got a job at a modeling agency as a booker. There she met photograhers and booked models for all the local catalogs and department stores. Then with the loss of her brother and the loss of her distant Father, the only place where she found happiness, solitude and peace, was in the kitchen. In 1987 she moved to Los Angeles where she got a job at a male modeling agency working as an agent and casting director. She met her huband in 1990 and they were married in 1995."



"They moved back to Sun Valley, Idaho, (where she lived from the age of 6-18), and had three boys, all the while cooking for her family and friends. They decided to move to Indianapolis after the passing of her Father-in-Law, and the horrible event of 9/11. She was in her late 40's when they started over, moving to a new city with three little boys. She didn't know anyone, didn't want to make new friends and that is when she decided to bake full time. After baking out of their rental house for over eight years she knew it was time to find a place to bake, she had outgrown her tiny kitchen. With no money to invest into opening a retail shop, she went from bank to bank being turned down for a loan. After two years of trying to find investors, with everyone telling her no, one bank finally decided to give her the chance. They granted her a loan for $300,000 that she would have to pay back within three years. She was hoping this cake shop idea would be strong enough to keep her family from going bankrupt. She knew she did not want to have a shop in a strip mall, she wanted the homey feeling that a house would give, so she went looking for the perfect spot. She found an old dilapidated house on Carrollton Avenue around the corner from where they lived. The owner of the building agreed to let her turn it into a bakery."



"Two years later, after designing, remodeling and building, she opened her first Cake Bake Shop. She started with herself and one employee. Gwendolyn was baking all the cakes, cookies and pies, running the cash register, delivering food, washing dishes. It was a huge success from the day the doors opened. She immediately had to hire more employees. She never advertised, doing all of her own social media to announce what she was making that day which then created a line out the door. She brought all of her pillows, holiday decorations and candles from her house to create a welcoming feeling to her guests. That was such a huge sucess she continued to decorate for the seasons. In the Spring she has flowers everywhere with a full size cherry tree in the main dining room. For Christmas she has beautifully lit Christmas trees and thousands of twinkle lights. Her first shop was so busy and she had to turn guests away due to the small size of the cottage. The kitchen had 300 square feet and the restaurant could only seat 30."



"After five years and a lot of work she decided it was time to open a second location so she could accommodate more guests. Her bakery was also exploding in popularity across the country from O, The Oprah Magazine to Williams-Sonoma. Gwendolyn spent two years designing the second location, over 4,500 square feet, seats over 150, has a 2,000 square foot production kitchen just below the restaurant so everything on her menu is made on site from scratch. Her second location has a full service restaurant with a full bar. It is located in Carmel City Center in Carmel, Indiana and is booked 3-6 months in advance. She paid off her first bank loan within the first year of opening her Broad Ripple Village shop."



Grade: A

Traders Point Creamery is a picturesque farm-based restaurant and creamery in Indiana that offers a true local foods experience.



"Our Farm is located on the northwest side of Indianapolis and consists of 180 acres. Here we rotational graze our herd and produce hay for the winter. We strongly believe that cows raised on a 100% grass-fed diet and are free to roam in the pasture, produce one of the most healthful, nutritionally complete foods known to man: milk. Our Brown Swiss breed produces milk that is ideally suited in protein and fat levels for the dairy products we produce. Our animals never receive any grain or corn, our herd’s diet consists entirely of pasture grasses designed specifically for maximum health and sustainability. The milk from these grass-fed cows is rich in nutrients, good fats and flavor. Our soils are well-nourished and rich from years of rotational grazing, no chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers are allowed under our organic certification, and our animals are not allowed to receive hormones or antibiotics. We embrace a holistic view of farming, and work hard to maintain an integrated, self-supporting system that connects our animals, their waste products, and the soil," reads the website.



The restaurant has a barn loft motif with an incredible view of giant, illuminated cheese wheels from the creamery.



"At the Loft Restaurant, we believe that food has a story. As a farm-to-table restaurant with organic and sustainable sourcing, we follow our food from the pasture to the plate. Our Chefs featured dishes rotate with seasonal changes, bringing diversity and a unique sense of place to the menus. The seasonal menus can be paired with our selection of wines, beers, and cocktails. When you enjoy our dinner, lunch, or brunch, you also become part of the journey from our farm to your table," according to the website.



The restaurant utilizes products from the farm and creamery in their menu - from cheeses and milk to ice cream and eggnog.



I opted for their cheese board, which consisted of Traders Point Creamery Cheeses / fig jam / mustard / Wildflower Ridge honey / and bread.



This was delicious. They make a number of cheeses, and we were able to sample several - from hard and salty to creamy and funky. I like both and everything inbetween. The spreads and crackers allowed us to mix and match to our hearts' content. A little sweet, a little funk. A lot delicious.



Here are some of those cheeses:



FLEUR DE LA TERRE
Our award-winning Fleur de la Terre is our take on a classic, natural rind Gouda. The gentle aging of this raw cheese results in a creamy yet firm texture that carries hints of the sweet herbs and grasses that grow on the rich bottomland where our herd grazes. Mild and buttery with a sweet, clean finish. Crafted April to June. Aged 4-6 months.

BRICK STREET TOMME
Our full-fat version of tomme, a classic, semi-firm French raw cheese with a natural felted rind. Delightfully rustic with a semi hard texture and mottled rind, a buttery and delicate floral profile that will please any taste.Crafted from October to November. Aged 4-6 months.



RIVERBEND BLUE
An American style blue with notes of butter and pepper. This is a creamy and mild blue that any taste bud can enjoy. Crafted year round.

GENEVA
A raw, alpine-style cheese with a polished rind and well-balanced texture. Hints of hazelnut and floral notes accent its savory earthiness. Crafted from July to September. Aged 4-6 months.



SHEET'S CREET CHEDDAR
A raw, aged cheddar that is made with the traditional clothbound method dating back to the Middle Ages. Our unique process involves wrapping the wheels in cloth and rubbing them with organic lard. This method results in a more complex, sophisticated flavor with broad appeal and a textured rind once the cloth is removed. Crafted from November to March. Aged 6 months.

HILLSIDE BLOOM
A soft, mold-ripened cheese with a smooth and elegant texture that softens with age, blended notes of butter and mushrooms. 8 oz. wheel is perfect for sharing. Aged 2-6 weeks.



RED BARN
A pleasant stinker, but don’t let the aroma dissuade you because beneath the washed rind is a creamy paste with floral flavors that reflect the current season. Developing savory intensity as it reaches maturity. Aged 2-6 weeks.

FROMAGE
A soft, creamy French-Style cheese used for spreading, or as a dip, or a base for a variety of dishes. A favorite by many, available in plain, herb and spicy.



COTTAGE CHEESE
This is old school cottage cheese, as in the kind that was made in cottages hundreds of years ago. We are keeping that tradition alive to give you cottage cheese as it was meant to be: tart cultured curds that are cut by hand and smothered in rich, creamy dressing.



And, I couldn't go without some of their award-winning ice cream.



"Made with our organic, 100% grass-fed cream and simple, organic ingredients. This ice cream is the most nutritious and delicious version of your favorite frozen sweet treat. Enjoy on the farm at our Dairy Bar, or at home with a pint (or more) from our Farm Store. We craft classic Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry, as well as rotating seasonal flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip, Coffee Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel, and more!" reads the website.



The toffee crumble sundae had vanilla ice cream / Litterally Divine almond toffee crumbles / chocolate sauce / and caramel sauce. It tasted as good as it sounds.



Grade: A