Featured
Berries & Cheese —
sweet roasted strawberries with tangy goat cheese spread
Pawpaw Picking & More
The Pawpaw Pickers, known for their bluegrass jams, used to be a regular fixture at our Windy Corner Market. Follow our tips to be a different kind of pawpaw picker and sample this tropical, yet native, Kentucky fruit.
Escalopes au Champagne
This recipe was originally printed in the Stanley Demos Cookbook, first published in 1961, and was prepared with veal scallopini. As often happened at the time, champagne was replaced with sherry, and the sauce was thickened three ways – with flour, heavy cream and egg yolks – for an especially rich dish. We prepared it with boneless pork chops; for a fully faithful version, we recommend Berry rose veal, available online from Our Homeplace Meat
A Visit to Rough Draft
We'd never been to a place like Rough Draft Farmstead, sandwiched between neighboring houses in a rural hamlet, bordered by railroad tracks and punctuated by the piercing whistles of passing trains.
Buttermilk Biscuits
When Chef Ouita was in Bahrain for the US State Department, she taught this recipe to her Youth City class. Once they got over their distaste at handling the dough, they learned to love hot biscuits slathered with date syrup in place of our Kentucky sorghum. As our recipe tester says – Very quick. Very easy. Just don’t be afraid to get your hands messy making these biscuits. They’re worth the flying flour!
Pam’s Eggplant Caviar
Chef Ouita's mother Pam Sexton was famous for her nutritious and delicious meals. Pam's Eggplant Caviar was a frequent summertime fixture on the family table while Ouita was growing up in downtown Lexington. We made our batch with sun-ripe veggies from our backyard garden at Holly Hill Inn.
Three Summer Salsas
Farmers markets and backyard gardens are bursting with ripe tomatoes, peppers, melons and chiles right now and these fresh salsas are a great way to use them up without turning on the stove. Plus making them is good practice for honing your knife skills.
Having a Field Day at Happy Jack’s
We joined hundreds of other Farm/City Field Day fans on a tour of our friends Richard and Lee Ann's family farm. Along the way we learned how they made the transition from tobacco to produce and what it means to make friends with a farmer.
Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese
Holly Hill Culinary Director and Executive Chef Tyler shared this pepper jelly recipe with us, along with the story of how his Nan always set out an appetizer spread on crystal plates for her family. Pick a pepper or two from your local farmers market and create your own party spread.
Squash Blossom Fritters
We used to plant a dedicated squash patch at Holly Hill just for harvesting blossoms. After a brief hiatus, they're back and more prolific than ever. Enjoy this recipe from Jacques Pepin, adapted by Chef Ouita, and feel free to substitute any edible blooms from your own garden.
An Appetite for Flowers
Fresh flowers have long graced our Holly Hill dining rooms and we consider creating beautiful arrangements a form of "floral therapy." We invite you to indulge in a little "floral therapy" of your own. Flowers are easy on the eyes and good for the soul. Some are even tasty on the table!
Aunt Margaret Highball
One of Chef Newman's favorite cocktails from Mr. Tubs, the Bardstown bar he owns and operates with his wife and brother, is named for his Aunt Margaret. Stir up a couple of these highballs and settle in for a long summer spell.
Drinking or Thinking
The Bardstown chef known as @bourbonandham shares some culinary wisdom and life experience as we brainstorm his upcoming events with us. Read how Chef Newman defines his philosophy of "Drinking or Thinking" and get ready for good times ahead!
David’s French Lessons
Over the last four years, staff farmer David Wagoner has transformed the landscape of Holly Hill Inn. As his garden designs take shape outside, the result has been a burst of culinary inspiration inside. He recently returned to France after a long hiatus to meet up with his old friend Fred and bring home new lessons from the French way of gardening.
Mrs. Josephine Carr, Formerly of Huntertown
We met Mrs. Carr in the driveway of her childhood home in Huntertown, where she reminisced about growing up with her grandmother. Today the hamlet of Huntertown is an interpretive park, part of the Woodford County Parks and Recreation system.
Juneteenth Strawberry Hibiscus Punch
Rosy-hued beverages, sometimes called red drink, are traditional for Juneteenth celebrations. We like this sweet/tart beauty, made with hibiscus, also known as sorrel or Jamaica flower.
Bourbon on the Brain
Chef Ouita embarked on her own bourbon odyssey a long time ago when she first moved back from NYC to her native Kentucky. Enjoy our little mashup of bourbon background, along with a look at Chef Ouita's journey and how you can join the exploration, too.
Home Grown & Brewed
Meet Keegan McGee, the man who brews the beer, and learn why Turtleback Ridge has found a place in our hearts.
Roll Callllll
We raised our voices, we raised our hands, we raised the roof at FEAST 2024. And Chef Ouita Michel kicked it all off with a kick-ass roll call of the badass women who made the magic happen.
Babz’s Bacon Salad
Chef Babz's grandmother, whom she called Nan-Nan, tricked her into eating salads by smothering spring vegetables and lettuces in bacon dressing. There's really not a lot of bacon in this recipe, but Babz says its sweet and tangy flavors tasted delicious to her eight-year-old self. And to us, too.
Food for Body and Soul
From her Maysville hometown to the Himalayas and back, Chef Babz shares tales of her travels and her take on food, family and the meaning of community.