Southern Living September 2021

WHEN I MOVED to Birmingham late in the summer of 2011, one of the more remarkable discoveries I made was a sizable working farm on the edge of downtown. It’s called Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF), and I could see rows of collard greens, kale, okra, eggplants, turnips, peppers, and sunflowers growing on about 3 acres right off the highway. They didn’t have a lot of infrastructure, just a ramshackle trailer with a hand-painted sign, a shed or two, and a gravel driveway, but it was clear from the neat lines of produce that there were people who loved the place. I later learned that the organization’s purpose was even more impressive than their prodigious harvest—to teach young people about the power of growing their own food. JVTF was founded by…

Grace Haynes ASSOCIATE HOMES EDITOR Based in Birmingham, Grace Haynes covered a wide variety of topics for the September issue, from pets (“Southern Tails,” page 46) and unforgettable autumn road trips (“Falling for Virginia,” page 51) to a cozy renovated mountain home in Highlands, North Carolina (“Hidden Gem,” page 70). Robbie Caponetto PHOTOGRAPHER In his 14 years as a Southern Living photographer, Robbie Caponetto has logged millions of miles on airplanes and thousands more on boats, bikes, trains, and his own two feet. For this issue, he captured the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley (“Falling for Virginia,” page 51), and he encourages all to make the trip. TOP: ALISON MIKSCH; BOTTOM: FREDERICK HARDY II…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING Rustic Charm Liven up a monochromatic wreath with pops of texture and warm golden tones What You’ll Need Bleached and dried oak leaves, 18-inch grapevine wreath, bleached and dried ruscus, dried pampas grass, two tones of bleached and preserved gypsophilas, brown and gold wired ribbons, spear-shaped mini dried palms, dried poppy pods, dried burgundy coneflowers without petals, dried yellow Billy buttons, dried bunny tails, and foraged wispy grass How To Make It Moving in a clockwise direction, insert oak leaves into grapevine wreath to create shape. Fill in with ruscus. Add stems of pampas grass and gypsophilas for depth. For the badge: Tie two pieces of wired ribbon in a knot around bottom right section of wreath. Insert palms into badge. Tuck poppy pods and coneflowers in the center. Finish…

Skillet-Roasted Carrots Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 lb. small rainbow carrots, trimmed and cut on a bias (halved, if large). Sprinkle with ½ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Cook, stir-ring occasionally, until carrots are browned in spots and tender-crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and 2 Tbsp. honey to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until liquid is syrupy and carrots are evenly coated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately. ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN. SERVES 4 RECIPE: JASMINE SMITH; FOOD STYLING: RISHON HANNERS; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINA DALEY…

TRISHA YEARWOOD has become as famous for her cooking as she is for her music, and that’s saying something. Over the past three decades, she’s racked up around 60 award nominations for songs like “How Do I Live” and “Walkaway Joe,” but she’s also produced an Emmy-winning television show on the Food Network, Trisha’s Southern Kitchen, and has a string of best-selling cookbooks. Her latest one, Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family, comes out this month. Like the others, it was written with her sister Beth, drawing on recipes and traditions they learned from their mother. We caught up with the Monticello, Georgia, native, who talked about making a mess in the kitchen, what being a Southerner means to her, and how she and her husband, Garth…

GLOW RECIPE AND EVER SERUMS: ROBBIE CAPONETTO; STYLING: MARY BETH WETZEL; ALL OTHER PRODUCTS: COURTESY VENDORS…