Chef Valerie Erwin holding a plate of her food (photo courtesy of Geechee Girl)
The menu at Mount Airy’s sunny BYOB Geechee Girl Rice Café is predominantly inspired by the rice-heavy cuisine of the enslaved West African peoples who inhabited the coastal areas of the Carolinas, Georgia and Northern Florida. But chef Valerie Erwin is a keen supporter of the bounty in her own foodshed: She sources the lions’ share of her ingredients, like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens and lettuces, from the nearby Weaver’s Way Farm.
Erwin also uses locally produced sustainable dairy products, meats and eggs, and maintains her own backyard garden for additional vegetables and herbs. An active member of her community, she also recognizes that being truly local-minded goes beyond ingredients.
