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In 1998 Glenn Roberts, a Charleston-based historic restoration consultant and thirty-year veteran of restaurant and hotel concept design, bought 4 native granite mills and 40 chest freezers. Anson Mills, located in Columbia, South Carolina is the closest grain mill to us in the Charlotte area. He intended to grow, harvest and mill near-extinct varieties of heirloom corn, rice, and wheat organically, and re-create ingredients that were in the Southern larder before the Civil War. Grits, cornmeal, Carolina Gold rice, graham and biscuit flour, milled fresh for the table daily, had helped create a celebrated regional cuisine--America's first cuisine, the Carolina Rice Kitchen. By 2000 Glenn had ten varieties of Southern dent heirlooms in the ground and was milling grits for chefs in Georgia and the Carolinas. Word got around. A handful of ingredient-conscious chefs across the country--Thomas Keller in Calfornia, Charlie Trotter in Chicago, Tom Colicchio in Manhattan, Ann Cashon in Washington DC, and Jodi Adams in Boston--began to use Anson Mills products and promote them vigorously to their colleagues. In 2001, sustained by the success of Anson Mills' early efforts, Glenn took on production of certified organic Carolina Gold rice and a "Thirteen Colony" wheat called Red May. Both are currently in full production. In addition to its collection of native heirloom grains Anson Mills grows Japanese buckwheat, French oats and Italian farro. Each produces products of exquisite flavor and texture. To date Anson Mills has provided grants to resuscitate roughly a dozen types of threatened antebellum mill corn, and has offered its research growers heirloom seed, seed selection expertise and management advice. Glenn works with thirty organic growers in six states. Read more and find Anson Mills grains specific recipes here |
