Trial to Table - Sept 27

Casey Ruiz & Camille Cogswell live together in Marshall, NC, in a house 25 feet away from Camille’s wood-fired bakery. Casey, originally from San Antonio, TX, has explored jobs in everything from welding, design & fabrication, candle-making, hand modeling, & quality control of a business building chicken coops. But through it all, his interest in cooking was the thread that eventually led him to dedicate his career to it full-time. Camille grew up in Asheville, but left to attend culinary school, then followed her passion for pastry to jobs in New York and Philadelphia. During that time she was recognized with a James Beard Award for “Rising Star Chef of the Year” and was named one of Food and Wine’s “Best New Chefs,” among other accolades. Camille returned to WNC in 2021, meeting Casey a couple years later when he arrived in Appalachia. Having both found community in Marshall, they’ll soon soon be welcoming the public to Walnut Family Bakery, where Camille will offer wood-fired baked goods and classes, and where you can regularly catch Casey slingin’ his Tex-ish style BBQ.

Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni are the husband and wife team behind Old North Farm, a small scale regenerative farm located in the foothills of Western North Carolina. Old North Farm sits squarely at the intersection of the agricultural and culinary. Jamie is a former chef turned farmer and Keia is food writer turned baker. Together, the two cultivate community, togetherness and good food from their rural corner of Cleveland County. Jamie works with a small team of women to grow an abundant mix of diverse crops to supply communities, restaurants, and food hubs from Charlotte to Asheville. Keia runs the cottage bakery Milk Glass Pie from the farm and the two host culinary events and community gatherings throughout the season. During Hurricane Helene, Old North Farm transformed into a mutual aid hub to serve beloved mountain communities. Jamie and Keia abide by a mantra "to care for land and people in equal measure."  Not surprisingly, it usually involves delicious food. 

F&N is a private dining company and pop-up committed to creating specialty events featuring seasonal, locally sourced dishes prepared with skill & care. Chef owned & operated, were constantly inspired by the incredible product of the region and the tight-knit farming community. We consider our responsibility as chefs as stewards and mouthpieces for promoting a vibrant, resilient local food system.

Matt and Erica are the husband-wife owners of Red Fiddle Vittles, an Appalachian market and catering company located in South Asheville. Red Fiddle Vittles features ingredients and retail products from more than 100 local farmers, foragers, fisheries, and food producers. 

Matt and Erica have a combined 45+ years in the restaurant, event, and hospitality industry. They share a love of bringing people together around food and a dream to use the power of local food and creativity to build community.