Pet-Friendly Fine Dining in the Shenandoah Valley

Aaron Gardner is Indigo’s first and foremost private chef, specializing in local ingredients with international spices. Explore dishes with meats raised humanely and sustainably and the freshest seasonal ingredients plucked from the ground, either from a local farm or his own farmstead. See below for some sample menus.

SPRING

Artichoke salad – farro, cabbage, spring onion, pancetta, fresh herbs, lemon

Fresh pasta – asparagus, cream, white wine, parmesan

Ribeye – creamy polenta, roasted carrots, pan sauce, chimichurri

Sponge cake – cherry bourbon compote, crème anglaise

SUMMER

Summer salad – cucumber, grilled corn, peach, scallion, roasted pumpkin seeds, citrus vinaigrette, sumac

Quinoa Tabouli – cherry tomato, cucumber, red onion, fresh herbs, feta, lemon

Roasted chicken – romesco sauce, blistered eggplant, braised kale

Peach upside down cake – cardamom ice cream, peach gastrique

FALL

Roasted root veggies – carrots, beets, apricots, pistachios, whipped ricotta

Fresh spaghetti – Swiss Chard, walnuts, grana padano, currants, fresno chili

Braised short rib – parsnip puree, roasted kabocha squash, salsa verde, brown butter, jus

Brown butter apple crumble – cinnamon ice cream, caramel sauce

Rachael is an esteemed chef, Navy veteran, dog fanatic, and an open book. The only thing she won’t talk about is how good her food is. Instead of bragging about her guest chef spot at the reputable Veritas Winery or her loyal customer base, she’ll undersell her food as “just a nice meal.” For Rachael, food is about connecting – to your roots, to your farms, to the seasons, and to each other.

With dinner from Rachael, you’ll get a taste of Appalachia. It’s a mix of fresh ingredients and comfort food – inventive combinations of classic dishes with details that make the dish jump off the plate. Dessert sweetens your evening without putting you on a sugar high. Here are some sample menus:

SPRING

Amuse – petite ham biscuits with seasonal jam and whipped butter

First – pickled shrimp salad with seasonal veggies and citrus

Second – Seared scallops, freekeh, charred corn, and Anaheim pepper

Third – Dr.Pepper brined seared ribeye with grilled veggies

Fourth – olive oil cornmeal cake, seasonal fruit, whipped cream

SUMMER

Amuse – local cheeses with pickled summer veggies

First – shaved zucchini, golden raisins, sunflowers seeds, cab franc vinegar

Second – roasted whole Virginia trout, sticky rice, creamed greens

Third – smoked chipotle chicken, oyster mushrooms, charred lemon, crispy fingerling potatoes

Fourth – black cardamom pavlova, grilled peach, Pop Rocks, rosewater whip

Claudia’s cooked in just about every environment in her 25+ years of experience. She’s a beloved member of the local Nelson County community. When she’s not cooking for her friends and family, you may find her teaching cooking classes at our community center or a flower farm. She’s worked in Martha’s Vineyard as a personal chef and ran a meal delivery business. Besides being known for making gluten-free and vegan food delicious, her cooking is inventive, healthy, sustainable, and presents beautifully. Here are some sample menus. Each can be made dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan.

ASIAN FUSION

Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls with peanut sauce

Local organic garden salad with sesame ginger vinaigrette

Vegetable curry – local organic vegetables and spicy coconut curry sauce served over basmati rice and with condiments like homemade peach chutney, peanuts, coconut, chopped apples

Cardamom rolls

Dessert: Assorted cookie plate

ITALIAN

Cream of mushroom soup

Local organic garden salad

Eggplant parmesan – breaded with nuts& seeds

Sourdough boule

Dessert: Tiramisu