While Vera Stewart doesn’t need an introduction, this weekly column does.
I’m going to write the column that focuses on Vera and her weekly TV show. It will be filled with photos that she has graciously provided, and it will provide links to her recipes and tidbits about her show. All of that will come from her.
In a previous journalistic life, I’d interviewed Vera about her show. I went on set and had a lot of fun watching from behind the cameras. When I heard that she was celebrating her 10th season this year, I thought it would make a great story.
But I got more than I bargained for when I sat down to talk with her Oct. 29.
It started off like any other interview – pleasantries and then she asked about the focus of the article. I told her I wanted to talk about her show, which not only is celebrating its 10th season this year but will air its 300th episode in the spring. I told her I could do another story then.
That’s when the whirlwind of Vera’s infectious excitement hit.
She immediately told me that we could do a weekly spotlight on her show with the photos and recipes I’ve already mentioned.
As features editor, I’ve tried to infuse a variety of “quality of life” stories–arts and entertainment, faith, food, fashion and fun. Debbie van Tuyll has added several food features since we kicked off, but we haven’t had consistent food content. And let’s face it, people like food, food stories and food shows.
This will fill that void, and I can’t be more excited that Vera Stewart is the one providing the bulk of the content. I mean, this woman is a powerhouse, and her carrot cake (the recipe for which is on her website) beat Bobby Flay on Food Network 10 years ago.
I left Vera’s company a few minutes after the whirlwind wondering what had just happened. I still wasn’t quite sure, but I knew whatever it was was a good thing. When I got back to my computer, I already had multiple emails with links, photos and a spreadsheet for the rest of the season’s shows. The sheet goes through July 2022. I’m not that organized.
Soup, Salad and Sandwich, Season 10, Episode 7, airs at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 4 on WJBF Channel 6.
People who miss Vera’s Café on Washington Road will want to tune in for this one as she prepares to divulge the recipes of two café favorites, plus she’ll share one more that is featured in her next cookbook.
Roasted Tomato Basil soup is like “Campbell’s on Steroids,” according to Vera. It features a great tomato flavor combined with sautéed onions and fresh basil blended with cream. It was always a hit at the café.
To go along with the soup, she’s offering sandwich and salad recipes. And she’ll walk you through the process to make them.
Follow these links to the recipes. Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, Tomato Vinaigrette, Sophisticated Ham Sandwich
The show will also highlight some of her recent escapades. She was filming in Macon last week and reminiscing about her hometown. Check it out to discover some reasons why you might want to make a trip into Macon.
One of the new things Vera told me about for this season is something she calls “VERAfied.”
If you create one of her recipes and post it to social media, she’ll check it out and give it her stamp of approval; she’ll VERAfy it.
So, while I’m not a cook, I may be trying my hand at some of her recipes and sharing my results here. Maybe they’ll get Vera’s stamp of approval. Wish me luck, and welcome Vera!
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
