Story
Meet the Mountain Team: Jeff Ross
Before joining the Blackberry team, Blackberry Mountain Foodways Educator Jeff Ross was a garden designer. Jeff started at Blackberry Farm in 2006 and transitioned to the Mountain in 2019. You may have seen him in the Garden at the Farm or instructing a cooking demonstration in the Classroom at the Mountain. Jeff loves to be out on property or engaging with guests at a demo - he's always ready to share a great recipe!
Question & Answer
What brought you to Blackberry Mountain?
What brought me to Blackberry Mountain was the opportunity to teach guests to incorporate wild ingredients into their diet in a healthy way and to share knowledge of history and botany.
What is one thing that guests wouldn't know about you?
Guests might not know that I never attended culinary school.
How do you start your morning and end your day?
At the Mountain, I start my day by gathering ingredients and mise en place, and I end it by sending recipes from the meal.
At home, I start with lots of coffee in the morning, and I end it with a dram of amaro at night.
What is your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
Indoor activity: Reading non-fiction books
Outdoor activity: Gardening
What is your favorite Blackberry moment?
A couple was visiting from Scotland, and they weren’t accustomed to rich food. So, I made them a Southern version of colcannon (a traditional Scottish dish) with collard greens and sweet potatoes. Later on, they sent me a letter from Glasgow saying they began to crave collards and wishing they could find those ingredients at home!
This or That
Firetower or Three Sisters
Firetower
Lunch or Dinner
Lunch
Sunrise or Sunset
Sunrise
Cocktail or Mocktail
Cocktail!
Hike or Bike
Bike, no, hike, no, bike… I can’t decide!
Taking in the Views or Experiencing the Journey
Experiencing the Journey
Group Cooking Demo or Private Cooking Demo
Private Cooking Demo…I’m biased