Savor

Erin Dahl is owner of Salty Goats Farms in the Rogue Valley, which she started with no farm experience. (Courtesy of Erin Dahl )

Erin Dahl had never worked with livestock when she took a job at a local goat dairy. It didn’t take long to feel at home.

“Within minutes, I knew that this was it,” Dahl said.

Today, she and her partner run The Salty Goat in Southern Oregon, raising more than 100 goats and milking 31 each day. They use the milk to make fresh chèvre, feta and a brie-style cheese.

Dahl said caring for the herd is at the center of the work.

“It really does feel like they are the stars of this show,” she said.

That care extends to how the milk moves through the creamery. Dahl said the milking area, cooling tank and pasteurizer are all within 20 feet of one another. She credits fresh milk and careful handling with producing cheese that challenges expectations of a strong goat cheese flavor.

The Salty Goat’s brie-style cheese earned a bronze medal at the World Cheese Awards. Dahl said its sea salt feta also received a third-place award at the American Cheese Society competition.

“It really validates the work,” she said.

The creamery sells its cheeses at regional farmers markets and supplies local restaurants. Its offerings include chevre rolled in harissa.

For Dahl, those connections are another reward.

“It's so exciting to share it ... and have these working relationships with people in the community,” she said.

Erin Dahl, owner, The Salty Goat

Rellik Winery dining area. (Rellik Winery )

A decade ago, the property that became Rellik Winery was home to established Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Since buying the land near Jacksonville, owner Delando Pegan has expanded the vineyard to nine estate-grown grape varieties and added food, lodging, live music and alpacas.

“The main reason I even bought the property is because of the location,” Pegan said.

The winery has also earned recognition for its wines.

"In the last four years, we have not entered a wine into a competition that has not medaled, which is pretty extraordinary," Pegan said.

But wine is only part of the experience Pegan wants to create. Culinary director Skye Elder oversees a food program that includes Sunday brunches and artisan pizzas, with menus that change throughout the year.

The kitchen uses fruit and honey produced on the property, although Elder said Rellik doesn’t make those ingredients a major part of its marketing.

“We don’t talk about it too much,” he said. “But we sure do a lot of it.”

Elder said the goal is to serve food that complements the quality of the wine without becoming overly formal.

“We try and keep the food commensurate to that,” he said. “And we cook really regionally and really seasonally.”

That combination of local wine, food and collaboration will also be featured at the Jacksonville Wine and Dine Festival on Sept. 19. Pegan helped organize the fundraiser, which brings together chefs and winemakers from around the Rogue Valley.

Guests

• Skye Elder, culinary director, Rellik Winery
• Delando Pegan, owner, Rellik Winery

Chef Jacob Harth harvesting seafood.(David Alvarado)

Ashland native Jacob Harth is bringing his next restaurant to the Oregon coast after earning acclaim for former Portland seafood restaurant Erizo.

Bayocean Oyster House is expected to open in spring 2027 at the former Tillamook Bay Oyster Company processing facility. Harth said the project will include a restaurant and seafood market while showcasing Oregon seafood and supporting local fishermen and food producers.

Harth's connection to the coast stretches back to childhood. Born in Ashland to a family of loggers and restaurateurs, he split his early years between Southern Oregon and the Oregon coast.

"I was essentially raised in a restaurant, grew up around all the operations, and it was an integral part of my life," Harth said.

The project is designed to be more than a restaurant. Plans include a market selling local seafood and other products, along with upstairs housing for employees to help address the area's shortage of workforce housing.

"I think it's an expression of Oregon coast seafood," Harth said.

Harth said the historic waterfront property helped shape his vision for the project.

"We couldn't have found a better property to embody the spirit ... this idea of the restaurant," he said.

While Bayocean Oyster House is under construction, Harth is offering a preview through a summer residency at Local Ocean in Newport.

"Local Ocean has been extremely gracious and welcoming and invited me to come and do a residency at the restaurant to kind of give a brief preview of the type of menu we might be giving at the Bayocean Oyster House," Harth said.

The residency gives diners an early look at Harth's cooking while he prepares to open Bayocean Oyster House in 2027.

Guest

• Jacob Harth, chef and restaurateur

Alicia Dawn, left, owner of Happy Luncheonette in Medford, and Erica Idso-Weisz of Itty Bitty Acres recently launched Butter Babes, a catering business built around locally grown ingredients and seasonal cooking.( Courtesy of Butter Babes)

Erica Idso-Weisz and Alicia Dawn each built businesses around food long before they decided to build one together.

Idso-Weisz runs Itty Bitty Acres Farm, growing produce, raising chickens and supplying ingredients to local restaurants. Dawn owns Happy Luncheonette in downtown Medford, where local produce has long been central to the menu.

They met after Dawn opened the restaurant in the historic Woolworth Building, where Idso-Weisz also works. A shared philosophy about food and community quickly led to a partnership.

Now they're operating Butter Babes Catering, combining Dawn's commercial kitchen with ingredients from Idso-Weisz's organic farm.

"We both love food and good food," Dawn said. "I feature local organic comfort food that was right up her alley."

A salad prepared by Butter Babes Catering features heirloom tomatoes, watermelon radishes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and edible flowers. The Medford catering business emphasizes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
( Courtesy of Butter Babes)

The partnership grew naturally after both women participated in the chef collective at Side Yard Farm & Kitchen in Phoenix, where local chefs collaborate on dinners and special events.

For Idso-Weisz, the business is about more than serving meals.

"I truly believe in kismet," she said. "When you absolutely zing with folks, it's really incredibly powerful."

Their connection extends beyond business.

Both credit their grandmothers with shaping how they think about cooking and hospitality, even if the recipes themselves have changed. Dawn still thinks of her grandfather whenever she cooks bacon, while Idso-Weisz recalls her grandmother feeding large groups with freshly fried chicken and homemade chocolate cake.

For both women, food remains the excuse. Community is the point.

Guests

• Alicia Dawn
• Erica Idso-Weisz

The "Definitely Not a McRib" from Slow Burn BBQ in Ashland features smoked meat on a bun topped with barbecue sauce and pickles. O
( Courtesy of Slow Burn BBQ)

As a child growing up in Virginia, Reid Levin remembers passing roadside smokers on family road trips.

"There were always smokers on the side of the road," he said.

Later, while attending college in South Carolina, Levin developed a taste for mustard-based barbecue that stayed with him through moves across the country.

"It all started from a place of nostalgia," he said. "You move around a lot, and you want things that are comforting."

That nostalgia eventually led Levin to launch Slow Burn BBQ in Ashland.

Before opening the business, Levin worked in media and the surfing industry in California.

When he moved to Southern Oregon, he found himself missing the barbecue flavors he grew up with. He bought his first cabinet smoker and began teaching himself barbecue techniques.

Unable to find sauces that matched what he was looking for, Levin started experimenting in his own kitchen.

Levin began dissecting sauces he liked, measuring ingredients and testing batches until he could recreate those flavors. Over time, he developed recipes built around vinegar and mustard rather than the sweeter, sugar-heavy styles common on supermarket shelves.

"It really was born out of just not being able to find anything here that I really liked," he said.

Slow Burn BBQ sauces in Ashland, Oregon. (Slow Burn BBQ )

He quickly learned that barbecue requires constant adjustment. Over the winter, Levin often arrived before sunrise to start cooking. Some mornings were dark, windy and just above freezing. Rain and occasional snow added another challenge to managing a fire and maintaining temperatures.

"There's so much playfulness in barbecue," he said.

He said one of the things he appreciates most about the food scene in the Rogue Valley is its collaborative spirit. Through partnerships with local chefs, bakers and food producers, Levin said he has found a community that regularly shares ideas, supports fellow entrepreneurs and works together on events.

"When each of us do well, we all do well," Levin said.

Guest

• Reid Levin, owner, Slow Burn BBQ

A colorful dish topped with leafy greens and crispy garnish is served at Side Yard Farm & Kitchen in Phoenix, Oregon. Chef Stacey Givens recently expanded the Portland-based farm-to-table concept into Southern Oregon.( Courtesy of Side Yard)

Chef and urban farmer Stacey Givens is bringing her community-centered approach to food from Portland to Southern Oregon with a new venture in Phoenix inspired by family, farming and shared meals.

Givens, founder of Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, expanded her longtime Portland operation into a smaller, 26-seat space in Phoenix. The project blends communal dining, local agriculture and collaborations with Southern Oregon chefs and bakers.

“I wanted it to feel like home,” Givens said.

Givens said her upbringing in a large Greek family in Southern California shaped both her relationship to food and her philosophy around hospitality. She described growing up surrounded by backyard gardens, citrus trees and large family meals centered around fresh ingredients.

“Every Sunday, no matter what, at mom’s house, huge dinners,” she said. “It was this big party at mom’s all the time.”

Side Yard began in Portland in 2009 when Givens started knocking on doors in the Cully neighborhood, asking residents if she could farm their unused side yards. The operation eventually expanded beyond farming into pop-up dinners, catering, workshops and community events.

Today, the Portland farm hosts everything from yoga classes and grief support dinners to brunches and movie nights. Givens said the Phoenix location will continue that collaborative spirit through a collective featuring local culinary talent.

“There’s so many talented people here in the valley,” she said. “I’m just pumped up.”

The Phoenix space opened in November and will host rotating dinners and pop-ups throughout the summer, while Givens continues to operate her larger Portland farm and catering business.

Birria ramen from Beat Farm Co-op in Ashland combines rich, slow-cooked broth and tender meat with ramen noodles, topped with soft-boiled eggs, jalapeño and cilantro.
(Courtesy of Beat Farm Co-op / Instagram)

An Ashland chef is drawing on her Maui roots and years in high-end kitchens to create a space centered on food, music and community.

Kelly Fertado, an 11th-generation Maui native, said her family lost their home and business in the Lahaina fires. She said she has remained focused on rebuilding through her latest venture, Beat Farm Co-op.

“The intention is to bring community together through food, music, art and creation so that we can all come together and have something in common,” she said.

Fertado grew up in a family of butchers and restaurateurs and said she spent much of her childhood in steakhouses.

“The restaurant raised me,” she said.

She initially pursued fashion design, hoping to avoid the demands of restaurant work, but later returned to food. She built a career as a private chef, seeking a model that differed from the traditional restaurant structure she experienced growing up.

While working in Los Angeles, Fertado developed a business serving office lunches that combined elements of bento boxes and made-to-order meals.

“It was like taking a bento box and a sandwich girl and smooshing them together,” she said.

Her menus included dishes such as filet mignon and Asian-influenced meals. She said her client list included companies such as Mandalay Pictures and individuals, including Oprah Winfrey.

Fertado and her husband, musician Jeremiah Matthews, opened Beat Farm Co-op as a multipurpose gathering space. The venue hosts events ranging from yoga classes to live music and family activities.

The menu reflects Fertado’s background, with items such as birria ramen and kalua pork tacos. Many dishes are priced at about $5, a decision she said is intended to keep the space accessible.

Fertado said the project is rooted in the sense of community she experienced growing up in Maui.

Guest

• Kelly Fertado, chef and co-founder of Beat Farm Co-op
  

Blueberry muffins served at Hom Kitchen in Ashland.(Hom Kitchen )

A new Ashland restaurant is putting a health-focused spin on familiar comfort foods. Hom Kitchen, owned by artist and baker Eden Senft, features dishes made from scratch.

Senft, who has a background in nutritional counseling, said the restaurant reflects both her culinary interests and her work as an artist, including ceramics and glassblowing.

Her menu draws on Pennsylvania Dutch traditions and memories of childhood travel in Europe. Many dishes are designed to accommodate different dietary needs, including grain-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

Senft said the goal is to create food that feels nourishing without sacrificing flavor.

Signature items include a grain-free chicken pot pie and a soup made with wildcrafted nettles. The restaurant also offers take-and-bake meals, including shepherd’s pie topped with cauliflower mash.

Senft said the restaurant blends the precision of baking with the creativity of global flavors, creating a space meant to encourage people to eat well.

Guests

• Eden Senft, owner, Hom Kitchen

Phoenix Dripp Cafe dining room inside the Oregon Cheese Cave.( Valerie Schank)

Phoenix Dripp Cafe in downtown Phoenix, Oregon, offers a fully plant-based menu. Owner Valerie Schank, who moved to Oregon from Brooklyn in 2015, opened the cafe on Valentine’s Day 2025 inside the Oregon Cheese Cave.

Schank emphasizes whole foods, using items such as chickpeas and kelp granules to create a plant-based “tuna” salad. The menu features Griffin Creek Coffee, artisanal sandwiches and fresh-baked goods.

“I don’t serve anything that I can’t eat, but it absolutely has to be stuff that I want to eat,” Schank said.

Several sandwiches are priced under $10, reflecting Schank’s goal of keeping the cafe accessible.

As the business approaches its first anniversary, she continues to focus on simple, fresh foods, including brownies and a Buffalo tempeh sandwich.

Schank also participates in Phoenix’s Second Friday art and food walk, a monthly event that highlights local artists and businesses.

Guest

• Valerie Schank, owner of Phoenix Dripp Cafe

Host Will Smith is joined in-studio by Ashland High School's Culinary Director, Maryetta Jacques, and two of her students, Riya Madrone and Cameron Kukuk.

Students from the Ashland High School Culinary Program preparing food in the school kitchen(William Smith)

The popular arts culinary program teaches students real-world kitchen techniques and provides a solid foundation in transferable skills that will serve them in any career they choose. Beyond food safety, preparation, knife skills, and kitchen organization, they also learn about teamwork, creativity, and adaptability in a cooperative environment.

Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 large egg yolks
  
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp)
  
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste
  
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
  

Traditional Preparation:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Store the egg whites in an airtight container in the fridge for another recipe.

2. Add the egg yolks to a heat proof bowl and whisk vigorously over a Bain Marie.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan (just to the point of melted, don't overheat) and add them to the egg mixture slowly.

4. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken, then immediately remove from heat. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the Dijon, lemon juice, cayenne, and salt.

5. Serve right away (with eggs benedict) or cover to keep warm. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up.

Alternative: Blender Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stovetop.

2. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, dijon, salt and cayenne pepper into a high powered blender and blend for 5 seconds until o til combined.

3. With the blender running on medium high, slowly stream in the hot butter into the mixture until it's emulsified.

Eggs Benedict prepared by students from the Ashland High School Culinary Program(William Smith)