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ice bath, referred to as hydro-cooling, which dissipates any residual heat from the sun. Packed up with the rest of the farm's produce, they are ready to go to market. We head off to Mulberry Market in Tattnall Square Park, one of a few meeting places set up around the city where farmers and other small purveyors can skip the industrial supply lines and meet directly with their customers. Markets allow customers, like Brad Stevens, executive chef of farm- to-table restaurant Dovetail, a chance to meet and form relationships with local growers. Stevens has been purchasing directly from these farms long enough that they drop his orders directly to the restaurant. "I see a healthy market as a sign of a healthy community. To me, the ability to put a face to a producer immediately doubles the value of the product," Stevens says. "When you are able to tell the story of how the collards go from seed to plate, that's invaluable to people. That's why our focus at Dovetail is to use as many ingredients cultivated or produced in the region as possible." We take our collards and a few other odds and ends to Dovetail, where Stevens is making buttermilk fried chicken with collard green and olive pesto, served over a roasted red pepper hoe cake. It appears Southern at first glance, but is thoughtfully packed with Mediterranean flavors. To make the collard pesto, he starts by removing the stems from the greens and then quickly dunks them in boiling salt water followed by an ice bath. The greens are then squeezed out through a towel to remove excess water, concentrating the color and flavors. They're added to a blender along with parmesan cheese, salt, lemon zest and olives. Georgia-made olive oil is added slowly as the blender spins, until it nears the consistency of a rough paste. The end product is a pesto that hits all the earthier low notes you expect from collard greens and olives, while still managing to be light and fresh. It is served alongside buttermilk fried chicken and a hoe cake with a tahini drizzle. "I particularly like working with Alabama Blues. The milder flavor and touch of sweetness allows for preparing them with a wider range of techniques, from stewing them down to serving raw as a garnish," Stevens says. Although you could leave the cultivation to the professionals and go pick up some Alabama Blue collards at your local market, if you want to grow your own, check out the website southernexposure.com. The seeds for sale there were grown just outside of Macon, under the watchful eye of Skillet. Asherman recommends direct sun and a neutral soil acidity with plenty of organic matter. MULBERRY MARKET The Mulberry Market has been in operation since 2009 as a year-round, producer-only market. In addition to the fresh produce grown by Rag & Frass and other farmers, its vendors include those selling grass-fed beef, raw goat's milk, eggs and baked goods both sweet and savory. In addition to supporting local agriculture, the market offers the Georgia Fresh for Less program, which doubles SNAP dollars up to $50 every week for eligible shoppers. This ensures that all members of the community can not only enjoy locally-grown food, but support the farmers who work so hard to bring it to them. ABOVE: ADRIAN BRYANT'S AUNT BUNCH RIGHT: BRAD STEVENS OF DOVETAIL FAR RIGHT: RAG & FRASS FARM 72 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2021