Featured
Namesakes —
the who, what, where of our favorite dishes & places
Three Sisters Succotash
In honor of Jim Embry’s work on sustainability, we coaxed a recipe for Three Sisters Succotash out of Honeywood Chef Cody DeRosett. We took a few liberties with Chef Cody’s recipe but you can enjoy his version at Honeywood during Lexington Restaurant Week.
Stalks & Vines
Our beanstalks aren’t quite as tall as Jack’s yet but they’re getting close! Learn why heirloom beans reach for the sky and other gardening lore from our DirtWorks gardener and seed saver Ian Feeback.
Farmers Market Panzanella
Our panzanella recipe was inspired by Marcella Hazan’s “Bread and Vegetable Salad with Anchovies” from The Classic Italian Cookbook, first published in 1973.
Holly Hill Inn Corn Sticks
We’re exploring the Peytonia Cook Book, written in 1906 by Atholene Peyton, a domestic science teacher at Louisville’s Central Colored High School during the first half of the twentieth century. Try our Holly Hill corn sticks, based on her 100+ year-old corn muffin recipe.
Hewing to Heritage
Tobacco sticks once transported burley leaves from field to barn and barn to market. A few of them now support shelves sawn from salvaged wood, and frame delicate watercolors on the walls of our Holly Hill Cooking Studio.
Kentucky Spring Rolls
Cool, crispy, crunchy, fun to make and fun to eat, our Kentucky Spring Rolls can be filled with all kinds of farmers market veggies. Pick up a package of rice paper sheets and one of rice noodles and turn the production into a tasty project. Chef Tyler McNabb says these spring rolls are great just as they are, but feel free to add proteins like tofu, shredded cooked chicken, beef or pork; or poached shrimp or mussels.
Bonus! no cooking required except for boiling water to soften the noodles.
Growing Minds, Growing Bodies
Sharon Stone retired from teaching and turned her hand to growing food for the families of the kids who used to sit in her classroom. The Seedleaf garden she tends on Lexington’s E. 4th St. is a textbook example of all the ways in which citizens come together to nourish our community.
Sweet & Sour Southern Cherries
We stumbled across a cherry tree in Sharon Stone’s urban garden. Her husband had just picked most of the ripe ones but we tracked down more at a Frankfort friend’s house and made this quick pickle with bay leaves from our soon-to-be-open Cooking Studio. They’ll be perfect for your summer charcuterie board.
Bread & Butter Pickled Poke
Pokeweed is a foodstuff that people turned to when little else was available. In spite of its natural toxicity, it was and still is valued as a reputed spring tonic. If you’re feeling adventurous (and in good health), here’s a recipe from Chef Ouita Michel’s great-grandmother Myrtle Molly Zimmerman.
Peytonia Picnic Punch
It’s picnic season! Mix up a pitcher of this fruity, bourbon-spiked wine punch, adapted from the Peytonia Cook Book, written in 1906 by Atholene Peyton, Kentucky’s first Black cookbook author.
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
It’s rhubarb season! And it doesn’t last long, so take advantage of it by making this cardamom-scented upside-down cake, with its slight crunch of cornmeal.

Roger Solt - the hidden figure of Holly Hill Inn
He’s been a man of mystery for many years. Meet Chris and Ouita’s business partner and Ouita’s long ago college debate coach.
Soufflé Tips & Tricks
Soufflés are fun to make and so much easier than you think! Here are some tips to smooth the way and ideas for using your extra lemon confit.
Spoonbread Soufflé
This is our gourmet take on an old Kentucky favorite — spoonbread. In this version we top it with slow cooked lemons, fresh goat cheese and some nuts. This is a great first course in 4-ounce buttered ramekins or, if you’d like, use a 2-quart baking dish, either glass or ceramic, and serve it family-style as a side dish.

It’s Four O’Clock Somewhere
We’re celebrating Honeywood, the restaurant's birthday this May with a tribute to Honeywood Parrish Rouse — the woman who inspired it all — written by her grandson.
The Four O’Clock Snack Platter
It’s been on the menu at Honeywood since day one. The components might change a little over time but the concept remains the same — take time to unwind with a platter full of tasty snacks to share.
Bibb Lettuce Dressings, Three Ways –
We offer three different ways to dress your Bibb lettuce with one piece of advice — do so lightly and its delicacy will be your reward.
A Lettuce by Any Other Name
Discover the origin of Bibb lettuce and learn a little bit about the Bibb family of Kentucky and their complicated history.
Women of FEAST
FEAST 2023 is in the works with more women chefs than ever before! Meet Abra Berens, one of several who have participated in FoodChain’s signature event from the beginning and learn about her latest cookbook – pulp: a practical guide to cooking with fruit.

beet carpaccio
Chef Abra Berens shares the recipe for this vibrant salad just as local beets and strawberries are on the way! Unsprayed violets, redbud blooms or pansies would all make great garnishes and her candied fennel seeds are the secret ingredient we never knew we needed until now.