Best Fall Recipe - Farmers' Market Fall Favorite - 2011 WNC Chef Challenge Winner - Nate Allen (Guest Author)

Now at the local markets there is a prolific amount of hearty winter squash. My favorite mixture of local fall ingredients has been roasted delicata squash with caramelized shallots, chestnuts, parsley and toasted squash seeds.

2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cleaned

2 tblsp olive oil

salt and pepper

4 sprigs fresh thyme

6 chestnuts, scored and roasted and removed from shells

1 tblsp butter, unsalted

6 shallots peeled

Place the four halves of delicata, cut side up, on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, drizzle with one tblsp of olive oil and place one sprig of fresh thyme in each. Roast at 400 degrees for thirty minutes. Meanwhile place the other tblsp of oil in a saute pan and toast the seeds with a little salt and pepper until they are golden. Remove and allow to cool on a plate. Use the same pan to caramelize whole shallots and chestnuts together on medium heat in the butter until they have softened and have browned a bit. Mix the shallots and chestnuts with the toasted seeds and divide into the four squash cavities and return to the oven to get everything uniformly hot and serve. A little bit of fresh herb such as basil or parsley is great on top just before you serve. Enjoy.

Another Chef Award for Nate - Another Great Recipe of his - Cooking Light

Enjoy the award-winning Knife and Fork - compliments of the owners - when you visit THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN...one of our favorite hometown hangouts. Call 866-378-4769 for an appointment.

The Cove at Celo Mountain is a private gated community secluded in the breathtaking Toe River Valley of the storied Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina - just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Live the Mountains...Breathe the Dream...

The Cove at Celo Mountain - Why We Chose This Western North Carolina Community (Guest Author)

Allen and Bevo on a mission trip to Guatemala with other Burnsville residents

Twenty two years ago we moved from Charlotte to Burnsville, N.C. Neither of us grew up in Yancey County. We just liked it because of the genuine people, plentiful National Forests and streams, and rural life-style. When we needed a “city fix,” we went to New York or Chicago. But day to day, Burnsville suited us well. We raised four children here, living just outside of town on the Cane River. Today, our children have opted for a permanent “city fix,” living in Atlanta and Greensboro. They return often enough and speak fondly of their childhood here. All six of us agree that moving to Yancey County was one of our best life decisions.

Newly retired, we are free to live anywhere. We have chosen to remain in Yancey County for the same reasons that she initially attracted us. Beautiful scenery, a quaint town, moderate but healthy growth, and an influx of new people continue to make this an encouraging place to live. Deciding first that we did not need the large, unique home that once housed six of us and pets, we put our house on the market and began looking for a place to build.

We wanted a gated community, near Burnsville, with low-key amenities and a natural approach to maintaining the character of Yancey County. We spend a great deal of time on the North Carolina coast, and traveling. So, we wanted a secure, beautiful, small setting as our “home base.”

About a year ago, we “discovered” The Cove at Celo Mountain, having seen and heard good news about it from many. We visited The Cove several times, as well as many other resort communities. From the start, we were attracted as much to those who developed and manage The Cove as we were to the property itself. Having once been a practicing lawyer, I wanted to be certain that we were investing in a viable development, created by honest, genuine people. We heard very candid answers to every question posed, with no pressure to buy unless the property was a perfect match for us. It was.

Today, we own a fabulous lot near the top of the development, and are excited about building a home there soon.

Living in The Cove will allow us to travel frequently, without worrying about security when we are gone. We are often in Guatemala, having logged over twenty trips there in the last decade. We are not “missionaries,” but like many of you we feel blessed to live in America with an excess of “comfort” and that the blessing requires a commitment to others. So, we often go to rural, poor villages in Guatemala to build houses or churches, play with children, provide minimal medical and health care, and provide Christian education. Like most who do part-time mission work, we have discovered that for every blessing we offer, we receive ten in return.

The Cove will soon be a vibrant community of people from all over the country, living together part-time in a small, beautiful park; and sharing their varied life experiences. We look forward to meeting those who choose to live in our community. We are blessed to be part of it.

Allen and Bevo Peterson

For More information:

2 1/2 - minute movie clip of THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN

The Cove at Celo Mountain Website with Site Plan and Offerings

Civil War Roots - Beautiful Burnsville and Stunning Spruce Pine - our Historic Hometowns

THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN is surrounded by historic sites and cities. We are smack-dab in the middle of two cities that represent the beauty and heartbreak of the Civil War era. Just 10 minutes to the west is beautiful Burnsville, southern sympathizers in the War Between the States. To the east 10 minutes is stunning Spruce Pine, staunch Unionists. Loyalties to "the cause" still run deep in many of the generational families here. Tradition holds, the breathtaking beauty remains, and the difficult history has carved out unique niches and deep souls for these historic communities. The following is how the researchers of the Asheville Guidebook of WNC Cities describe our beloved hometowns.


"Located about halfway between Asheville and Boone, Burnsville is nestled among 19 of the highest mountains in the east. Nearby Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, and it is accompanied by 18 other peaks over 6,300 feet. The county seat of Yancey County, Burnsville was established in 1833, and has as many artisans and crafts persons per capita as any town in the United States, with nearly 400 full-time and 200 part-time residing in Yancey County. One of the wonderful traditions of the county is the work being done by quilters, basket makers, and other traditional crafts persons and artists. Burnsville is also home to the Yancey County Farmers' Market - one of the oldest and largest tailgate markets in western North Carolina, held on Saturday mornings behind the Burnsville Town Center.

The major festival is the Mount Mitchell Craft Fair, held every August on the beautiful town square of Burnsville. This great arts and crafts festival is one of the longest running in the mountains and has been held for over 50 years. Burnsville is also home to the historic and legendary Nu Wray Inn, also located on the town square", the Parkway Playhouse - NC's award-winning oldest continuously operating summer theater, the new state-of-the-art Yancey County Library, the founders of the world-wide Empty Bowl Project that has raised millions for hunger locally and internationally, the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina (the owners of The Cove at Celo Mountain are the underwriters), the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival, and home of the Riddle Fest, honoring Leslie Riddle - musical genius behind the Carter/Cash family of Country/Western music fame. Burnsville is recognized as a progressive, diverse mountain town of unparalleled geographic beauty and a "salt-of-the-earth" populace comprised of multi-generational families and those who have retired or moved here for a simpler way of life.

Located in Mitchell County on the banks of the Toe River and just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 331, Spruce Pine is a vibrant mountain town with a past rich in gem mining history and lore. In the early 1900s, Spruce Pine was a booming mining town and the Clinchfield Railroad operated to bring materials and supplies to and from the growing community. Chartered in 1913, Spruce Pine was built around the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railroad Depot. The railroad is still going strong, and train enthusiasts continue today to come from far and wide to Spruce Pine to enjoy watching the frequent passage of CSX trains through the downtown area. Over 30 trains a day pass by, often blowing their horns in greeting.
Historically, the White House Christmas tree has come from the Spruce Pine region and with so many Christmas tree farms in the area, the town has appropriately become known as the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, a title it shares along with "The Mineral City". Located in a region of the mountains that is known for gem mines, Spruce Pine is famous for the world-class rubies and emeralds that have been found in local mines. The surrounding mountains have a more concentrated wealth of feldspar than any other area on earth, supplying 60% of the United States production of the mineral. Additionally, almost 100% of the United States and the world supply of ultra-pure quartz, which is used in the production of semi-conductors, comes from the Spruce Pine region.
Spruce Pine has the distinction of having two Main Streets, Upper Street (Oak Avenue) and Lower Street (Locust Street), with nicknames given because of respective altitudes. Spruce Pine’s also has two municipal parks -Riverside Park on Tappan Street with a wonderful walking path and access to the Toe River, and Brad Ragan Park on Laurel Creek Court." The chef of one of Spruce Pine's restaurants, Knife and Fork, just won the 2011 WNC Chef Challenge.

Fall in the Blue Ridge is not to be missed. Come study our history, explore our beauty, and admire the vision that has evolved from both. Call 866-378-4769 for a private appointment and special fall visit package to these hometowns and the sanctuary setting of THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN. The mountains are beckoning...

For more Asheville Guidebook information on Burnsville
For more Asheville Guidebook information on Spruce Pine

Dog-Friendly, Award-Winning Historic Hometowns in the Blue Ridge of Western North Carolina

Yancey County Humane Society and Pumpkin's Park - 962 Cane River School Road - Burnsville, NC - 828-682-9510

We not only have breathtaking views for you, but for your dog as well. Northwest of Burnsville, NC, is our Humane Shelter and Pumpkin's Park dog park - situated on a lush 4-acre campus by the Cane River. Picnic tables and shelter, a gazebo, one-of-a-kind art pieces and a water feature are included, along with separate areas for large and small dogs to run and play. If you don't have a dog or cat, adopt one here. If this is not in your current plans, then support the upcoming gigantic Fall Flea that will be held near THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN in Micaville on Sept. 30, and Oct. 1-2. All proceeds go to this worthy organization.

Do bring your pet along when you visit with us at THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN. The Richmond Inn Bed-and-Breakfast (which has been featured in Southern Living) allows dogs. Most restaurants in the area with outdoor seating allow leashed, well-behaved dogs. And, definitely, take Fido hiking. Mt. Mitchell State Park (1,855 acres), about 15 minutes from us, allows dogs on all trails and throughout the park (except inside buildings). The 250-acre Crabtree Falls and Meadow Park, also about 15 minutes from us, allows leashed, well-behaved dogs on the trails.

There are also pet-sitting services and veterinarian clinics available in our hometowns. Ask us for personal references for those not listed on these sites.

Spruce Pine Named One of the South's Next Great Mountain Towns

(12 minutes from THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN)

Read the Blue Ridge Outdoors article about Spruce Pine