Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
[caption id="attachment_191417" align="alignright" width="300"] Nicole and Aaron Bradley.[/caption] Surrounded by flat farmland and the rolling hills beyond, 4-year-old Henson Bradley has donned his cowboy hat and bundled up in his
[caption id="attachment_191417" align="alignright" width="300"] Nicole and Aaron Bradley.[/caption] Surrounded by flat farmland and the rolling hills beyond, 4-year-old Henson Bradley has donned his cowboy hat and bundled up in his
On pastures in the Foothills, a young couple and their tiny helpers tend cattle at Colfax Creek Farm. Come Christmastime, their steaks and short ribs, rib eyes and roasts anchor many seasonal spreads.
Nicole and Aaron Bradley. Photography courtesy of Colfax Creek Farm
Surrounded by flat farmland and the rolling hills beyond, 4-year-old Henson Bradley has donned his cowboy hat and bundled up in his great-grandma’s patchwork quilt to ride with his dad, Aaron, in an orange Kubota. Together, they check on livestock and lay bales of hay across their 74-acre property in Rutherford County. The whole family pitches in toward the end of the year, a busy time as many look to the Bradleys’ farm, Colfax Creek, for their Christmas centerpiece. “During the holidays, we offer cuts to our customers that we normally don’t, such as our standing rib roast,” says Nicole, Aaron’s wife.
When Aaron and Nicole bought the farm in 2018, it had been sitting idle for a decade. Aaron grew up in Saluda, where his family had an apple orchard and raised cattle. Nicole’s family, also farmers, moved to western North Carolina from Texas when she was 9. Aaron worked at big cattle operations in the area before the couple bought their farm in Bostic.
Every Saturday, the Bradley family, including their 1-year-old daughter, Kennedy, travels to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, where they greet holiday hosts. “People enjoy having a story behind their food for the holidays,” Nicole says. Home chefs browse their offerings — French loin rack, whole beef tenderloin, hickory-smoked ham, and the seasonal roast — and decide which will complement their family’s favorite dishes when they gather to celebrate.
All aboard! This magic-filled train ride through a Montgomery County wonderland includes seasonal sweets, plenty of cheer, and a few extra-special passengers.
The thrill of the hunt takes on new fervor during the holidays. Seek and find in Randolph County, where the bounty of antiques can tempt a picker to abandon her list.