“I find that all my closest friends share a similar generosity of spirit—one that’s warm, seeks pleasure, and tends toward abundance,” says Connie Matisse, cofounder of beloved ceramics company East Fork Pottery, of the dynamic group she drew together on a balmy night last summer. The occasion: a potluck-style dinner in the lush hills of Asheville, North Carolina, at Evan Chender’s farm, where edible flowers, Mara des Bois strawberries, and 14 varieties of radicchio—among many other types of candy-colored produce—flourish. (The high-quality ingredients are grown specially for select restaurants in the area.)
“There’s a culinary culture here in Asheville that’s very intentional. People are building spaces for the community, not just the tourists,” explains Connie, who—along with her husband and East Fork cofounder, Alex—often collaborates with people in the food…
