FARMERS FILM FUNDRAISER

Farmers’ Film is the story of four small independent farmers in the Southern Appalachians who are filming their harvest season. The question each farmer asks is: how can I make farming work? Working with the Organic Growers School, and with support from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and Slow Food Asheville, these video stories support the local food movement of Western North Carolina. Meet Meghan, a first year farmer, Jeanette and Frank, as they turn their 3-generation tobacco farm in Candler to producing organic vegetables and meat, to Sue and Nick, who have raised sheep for 37 years, to Jen and Andy, as they attempt to grow their cheese business from a local to a regional and a national success. These stories will be show on USAToday and WLOS this November. To see the season’s webisodes and to learn more about the filming visit www.farmersfilm.com

EGGPLANT PARMESAN PIZZA

RED SAUCE, SHREDDED WHOLE MILK MOZZARELLA, FRIED EGGPLANT FROM HARVEST TABLE FARM TOPPED WITH FRESH BASIL $12.95

CHEESE BURGER PIZZA

RED SAUCE, SHREDDED WHOLE MILK MOZZARELLA, CHEDDAR CHEESE, FRESH ORGANIC GROUND BEEF AND TOMATOS FROM HOMINY VALLEY FARMS LAND AND CATTLE TOPPED WITH DICED PICKLES AND ROMAINE LETTUCE $12.95

25% OF ALL PROCEEDS TODAY GO TO THE FARMERS FILM! 

FRESH’s Head Chef Mark Tomczak and his wife, Courtney Smith have always enjoyed entertaining guests with great food and music.  So it was no surprise that FRESH’s One Year Anniversary Celebration was a big hit for hungry regulars and first time customers alike.  

 “The celebration was a weekend of customer appreciation,” says Mark.  “We wouldn’t have made it through our first year successfully unless people kept coming back. We’ve had a great first year and it’s because of local folks who are spreading the word, and visitors who leave and send friends our way.”

 Throughout the weekend, 50 names were drawn for free t-shirts and FRESH mugs. There was also a drawing contest for kids. “Pizza maker CJ Minton drew a fantastic Halloween-ish Pizza Delivery character and we selected a grand prize winner and four runners up,” says Courtney.  The winners will all receive a free t-shirt and our Grand Prize winner will have his photo on our webpage and get a t-shirt and a free pizza:
Grand Prize Winner: Cayden Bemis, age 10; Black Mountain Elementary

Runners Up:

Rachel Hutchins, 9 years old; Pleasant Gardens Elementary School (McDowell Co.)

Catherine MacNichol

Emma Turner, age 9; ArtSpace Charter School (McDowell Co.)

Riley B.

 Also featured was a design-your-own pizza contest. “The competition was fierce,” says Mark. “The kitchen crew narrowed our 40+ entries down to 10 and from those we picked four winners.”  Each winner receives a pizza and a t-shirt from FRESH and each pizza will be featured for a week as a special in October and November.

The pizza contest winners are:

The Harvest Moon                          Submitted by:            Marsha Crites, Jackson County

White pizza with butternut squash, caramelized onions, goat cheese and rosemary.

The Pear-A-Sciutt(o)                      Submitted by:            Mary Jo Hogan and Ed Manning, Buncombe County

White pizza with virgin olive oil, goat cheese, prosciutto, roasted garlic and pears.

The Chicken Coup                          Submitted by:            Marrion Ward, Swannanoa

Pesto base with chicken, bacon, spinach and mushrooms

Pommes de Terre                           Submitted by:            Trent Smith and Tiffany Anderson, from Black Mountain

Pesto base with onions, gorgonzola, potatoes, ricotta and basil

 The weekend celebration started on Thursday with the new menu. New features include the already popular, “Sicilian” pizza featuring capicola (a thin-sliced ham). The Amore sandwich at lunch will become a family favorite with house-made meaty sandwich dipped in an egg batter and pan-fried. We have also expanded our gluten-free options to include bread for sandwiches.

 Friday night, Old Fort bluegrass band “Free Range Chicken” played to a packed house.  Courtney jumped in to play a fiddle tune or two in between seating customers and drawings for free t-shirts and mugs.  Bass player Elise Fuller said, “We’ve got a tailgate party going on out here,” in reference to a family who brought their elderly German matriarch and patriarch’s down to listen and have pizza in the back of their pick-up truck since inside seating was packed.

 “We plan to have a customer appreciation weekend annually,” says Mark. “It’s a great way to give back to the customers who have supported us so loyally throughout the year.”

 If you have a favorite pizza or salad or just love coming to FRESH, sign up for our weekly newsletter on our website, www.freshwoodfiredpizza.com. We’d love for you to share your experience about FRESH on our website, Facebook page or on Urban Spoon.

Congratulations to all our winners!

And thank you to all of our patrons.

FRESH’s Head Chef Mark Tomczak and his wife, Courtney Smith have always enjoyed entertaining guests with great food and music.  So it was no surprise that FRESH’s One Year Anniversary Celebration was a big hit for hungry regulars and first time customers alike.  

 “The celebration was a weekend of customer appreciation,” says Mark.  “We wouldn’t have made it through our first year successfully unless people kept coming back. We’ve had a great first year and it’s because of local folks who are spreading the word, and visitors who leave and send friends our way.”

 Throughout the weekend, 50 names were drawn for free t-shirts and FRESH mugs. There was also a drawing contest for kids. “Pizza maker CJ Minton drew a fantastic Halloween-ish Pizza Delivery character and we selected a grand prize winner and four runners up,” says Courtney.  The winners will all receive a free t-shirt and our Grand Prize winner will have his photo on our webpage and get a t-shirt and a free pizza:
Grand Prize Winner: Cayden Bemis, age 10; Black Mountain Elementary

Runners Up:

Rachel Hutchins, 9 years old; Pleasant Gardens Elementary School (McDowell Co.)

Catherine MacNicho

Emma Turner, age 9; ArtSpace Charter School (McDowell Co.)

Riley B.

 Also featured was a design-your-own pizza contest. “The competition was fierce,” says Mark. “The kitchen crew narrowed our 40+ entries down to 10 and from those we picked four winners.”  Each winner receives a pizza and a t-shirt from FRESH and each pizza will be featured for a week as a special in October and November.

The pizza contest winners are:

The Harvest Moon                          Submitted by:            Marsha Crites, Jackson County

White pizza with butternut squash, caramelized onions, goat cheese and rosemary.

The Pear-A-Sciutt(o)                      Submitted by:            Mary Jo Hogan and Ed Manning, Buncombe County

White pizza with virgin olive oil, goat cheese, prosciutto, roasted garlic and pears.

The Chicken Coup                          Submitted by:            Marrion Ward, Swannanoa

Pesto base with chicken, bacon, spinach and mushrooms

Pommes de Terre                           Submitted by:            Trent Smith and Tiffany Anderson, from Black Mountain

Pesto base with onions, gorgonzola, potatoes, ricotta and basil

 The weekend celebration started on Thursday with the new menu. New features include the already popular, “Sicilian” pizza featuring capicola (a thin-sliced ham). The Amore sandwich at lunch will become a family favorite with house-made meaty sandwich dipped in an egg batter and pan-fried. We have also expanded our gluten-free options to include bread for sandwiches.

 Friday night, Old Fort bluegrass band “Free Range Chicken” played to a packed house.  Courtney jumped in to play a fiddle tune or two in between seating customers and drawings for free t-shirts and mugs.  Bass player Elise Fuller said, “We’ve got a tailgate party going on out here,” in reference to a family who brought their elderly German matriarch and patriarch’s down to listen and have pizza in the back of their pick-up truck since inside seating was packed.

 “We plan to have a customer appreciation weekend annually,” says Mark. “It’s a great way to give back to the customers who have supported us so loyally throughout the year.”

 If you have a favorite pizza or salad or just love coming to FRESH, sign up for our weekly newsletter on our website, www.freshwoodfiredpizza.com. We’d love for you to share your experience about FRESH on our website, Facebook page or on Urban Spoon.

Congratulations to all our winners!

And thank you to all of our patrons.

The Laurel of Asheville features FRESH in October Issue   (Click link above or read full article below )

Skipping classes is something with which most of us can relate -- and while many skip school to hang out with friends, chef Mark Tomczak had a higher purpose. He spent his afternoons helping his mother prepare food for his 13-member family. Chopping onions beside Rose, with the sweet smell of garlic sizzling on the stove helped Mark understand the difference between feeding people and nourishing them.

As chef and co-owner of Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta in Black Mountain with his wife Courtney Smith, Mark’s culinary creativity is driven by his desire to nourish, both body and soul. “It’s the quality of our food that sustains us,” Courtney says.

As a professionally trained ceramic artist (his ceramic pieces are displayed at the restaurant) with a master of fine arts degree, he approaches cooking much as he does creating pots. “It’s the alchemy of transformation—similar to the kiln. He loves the discovery of the unknown,” she says.

A large imported Italian wood fired oven dominates the dining area, which turns out power house pizzas (including a perfected gluten-free crust) with toppings that include fresh arugula, Kalamata olives, wild mushrooms, local goat cheese, fresh basil, and smoked salmon (not all on the same pie mind you). Pizzas are offered in 12-inch rounds. “You don’t need huge portions when the ingredients are so nutrient rich,” Mark says.

The Chica Bella, a FRESH favorite, is a very agreeable combination of pesto, ricotta, mozzarella topped with arugula and walnuts. A protein-packed option is the Scarface featuring savory Italian sausage, pepperoni, and spicy salami with mozzarella and red sauce. Vegan and gluten free options are available. The Veggie Delight brings pungent freshness with spinach, Kalamata olives, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, roasted garlic, mozzarella, and red sauce.

The starters and salads are equally appealing. The Tuscan offers a blend of spring greens, arugula, local goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and toasted pecans served with a light lemon-parsley vinaigrette. Soups are made fresh daily and starters, such as the Three-dip Crustini served with olive tapenade, creamy artichoke hearts, and roasted red pepper hummus, will help stave off hunger pangs.

Baker, E.C. Cleary makes European-style fresh bread in the wood oven every morning including Rustic Italian, baguettes, Sourdough and Cranberry Walnut. The desserts are all handmade—Tiramisu, German Chocolate Cake, Kiwi Strawberry Tart with a silky custard filling are three options we tried that are worthy of a special trip. There is also a gluten-free Decadent Chocolate Torte on the menu.

Mark moves in and out of the kitchen bringing savory and sweet dishes to sample, he adds, “I use fresh produce, locally-sourced from farmers and creameries in the area when available because I think my customers have discriminating tastes and want to eat food that’s good for their family.”  His goal is to help people see and taste the difference that naturally grown foods can make on one’s health and well-being. “It is also about supporting the local economy and not contributing to the decline of the planet,” says Courtney.    “We want people to taste the difference of food that is locally grown, artfully prepared, adapted to accommodate their dietary needs and served by people who care,” says Courtney.

Visit 100 South Ridgeway Avenue in Black Mountain and online at freshwoodfiredpizza.com. The restaurant can be reached at 669.6999.