Featured
Summer Veggies —
no heat required!
“Bricks” or Buttermilk Oaten Bread
Enjoy quickly while warm, they get dense and rough to eat when cold (hence earning the name “Bricks”). My mother enjoyed them with a slice of cheddar cheese and whole grain mustard!
Holly Hill Women and their Moms
Inspired by Ouita and Pam's remarkable impact, we asked the women of Holly Hill to share a story or memory about their own mothers and got some amazing responses, along with a recipe or two.
A Highbridge Story
We ventured 130 feet underground to meet Linda Griffin and see how Highbridge Springs gets water from the source to you. Spoiler alert: they're so far underground that the spring is actually overhead! And hearing the Highbridge origin story from Linda was a bonus.
Mother Land
Not all farms grow just food. Some grow flowers too, and we traveled to a flower farm to meet a mother whose daughters are carrying on the family business, each in her own way.
Southern Heirloom Coconut Cake
Katherine McCutchen’s recipe originally appeared in the Heritage Cookbook, first published in 1998 by the African American Heritage Center of Simpson County, Ky. According to an article at the time of her death, the South Union matriarch was “an influential and driving force behind the creation and preservation of the African American Heritage Center.”
We present Mrs. McCutchen’s recipe almost exactly as she wrote it – in her usual meticulous way, according to her son Keith. It would be perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, Derby or graduation. Really for any spring celebration.
Punch Notes from Donna
We’re happy to report that punch is making a comeback. Our latest favorite is based on a recipe we came up with for our Smorgasbord class, inspired by a punch Ouita made with Vishwesh Bhatt. We made a spiced brown sugar syrup and, with the addition of pineapple juice, orange Curaçao, and sparkling wine, had ourselves quite a merry little punch bowl, now you can 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.
A Passion for Ephemera
Spring Beauties grace our lawn at Holly Hill Inn every spring. They're such a fleeting pleasure that we never fail to celebrate their return. Spring Beauties are easy on the eyes and tasty, too!
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.
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.
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.
Two Takes on Ham Salad
If you don’t end up with extra Easter ham, maybe you didn’t buy enough to begin with. Because just like Thanksgiving turkey, the leftovers are the best part.
Holly Hill and Co. Executive Chef Tyler McNabb and staff writer Donna Hecker share two recipes for ham salad, one of which (surprisingly) doesn’t have to be made with ham. In case you under-purchased.
Pam’s Stuffed Mushrooms
A holiday tradition at Chef Ouita’s house, based on a recipe from her mom, Pam Sexton. Make them your new tradition — so easy and so good!
Thermopolis Greek Salad
Thermopolis (from the Greek words for hot water) was named for the mineral hot springs nearby but it was also home to a large Greek-American population. All the veggies in our salad (except for the artichokes and olives) grew prolifically in Grandpa Zim’s garden, which Chef Ouita said was “truly a sight to behold.” If your green thumb isn’t as green as Grandpa Zim’s, check your local farmers market for seasonal goodies!
Ouita’s Great-Grandpa Zim
Aaron Rufus Zimmerman was Chef Ouita Michel’s great-grandpa on her mother’s side. He lived in Thermopolis, Wy. where he grew a vegetable garden big enough to feed his family and neighbors, and loved to entertain his great-grandchildren with tall tales and silly rhymes like the one about a possum eating pawpaws.
Thanksgiving Favorites
From our table to yours: Thanksgiving favorites from our Holly Hill Family.
A Kinship in Corn
Back in 1825, United States Chief Justice John Marshall wrote this little ditty “in the Bluegrass region/a paradox was born/the corn was full of kernels/and the colonels full of corn.” And therein immortalized the bond between two of Kentucky’s most iconic agricultural products- corn and bourbon.