Chloe Powlas
August brings the Plateau’s late‑summer abundance into full view. Stone fruits are ripening, heirloom tomatoes are at their peak, and early apples are beginning to appear. Freestone peaches are in their final, juicy days. Melons, berries, sweet corn, and mushrooms remain weekly favorites, with fall roots and pumpkins only a few weeks away. It’s the moment to savor summer’s last gifts, all waiting at the Plateau’s farmers markets.
One of the season’s most anticipated attractions is Chloe Powlas of Hill Top Pantry, whose farm‑to‑table meals have become a highlight for market regulars. Having spent her younger years in Highlands before training at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Chloe blends professional technique with mountain sensibility. Her business, Hill Top Pantry, is built on a simple promise: meals that taste as good as they look, made with ingredients from nearby farms and homesteads.
Hill Top Pantry’s late‑summer lineup is a feast of comfort and craft. The Chicken and Vegetable Soup is pure nourishment – slow‑simmered chicken bone broth layered with cabbage, fennel, celery, and carrot, each spoonful bright and restorative. The Brisket Stew is rich and deeply flavored, combining tender beef brisket with cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and gochujang miso for a subtle, savory heat. And her Mushroom Enchiladas bring a vegetarian twist, filled with earthy mushrooms, creamy Chihuahua cheese, and a touch of lime zest for balance.
Each dish is packaged with care, ready to defrost and reheat – a thoughtful blend of convenience and craftsmanship. Chloe’s ingredients come from trusted partners: 3 Barn Farms in Franklin for produce and Ole Rustic Barn Homestead for meats. Her flavors are grounded in the Plateau’s rhythm, changing with the season and shaped by what’s fresh each week.
Beyond the menu, Chloe’s mission is rooted in service. One of her lifelong dreams is to help feed her community, and she has already begun forming partnerships with local food banks. She hopes to establish a brick‑and‑mortar Hill Top Pantry in the not‑too‑distant future – a place where her culinary training, farm partnerships, and community spirit can come together under one roof.
To follow her evolving menu or learn more about Hill Top Pantry, visit hilltoppantry.com or find her on Instagram @hilltoppantry.
Both Plateau markets are in full swing. Highlands Farmers Market runs Saturdays, 8:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., at Kelsey‑Hutchinson Founders Park, and Locally Grown on the Green in Cashiers is open Wednesdays, 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., through October 28. Fresh produce, baked goods, local meats, honey, mushrooms, and other seasonal offerings round out each week’s selection.
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