Ever wondered why there are so few vampire attacks in North Georgia? It could be they avoid the area that is home to GarlicFest. Loganberry Heritage Farms celebrated its second annual festival this weekend, marking the time of year that the ten varieties of garlic planted last fall and harvested earlier this summer have cured and are ready to find good homes.

You thought there were only a couple of kinds of garlic? Say, chopped, minced and that stuff you sprinkle out of a bottle?Among the varieties that Loganberry's Organic Rose offers are Italian White, Timetheos, Asian Tempest, Shilla,German Red and Inchellium Red. Combine one or more of those with some of the farm's Heirloom tomatoes and just imagine the spectacular marinara sauce you'd have. Of course it would require fresh parsley, oregano and basil -  you can get those at Loganberry, too.

Rose, also known as Sharon Turner Mauney, is a fifth-generation descendant of Berry Turner, who settled on this little hill overlooking the Town Creek Valley in White County with his family of 21 children back in 1828. She holds Farm Market days Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings through late fall. Add your email to the mailing list and she'll let you know what will be offered each week, as well as recipes for its use.

Last year Rose introduced me to Zipper Creme peas, a variety of Crowder peas that are light green, easy to shell and have the flavor of Lady Peas, another variety that's tiny, delicious and difficult to find. This year, unfortunately, the Zipper Cremes refused to produce, even after several plantings. But I'm hooked on the farm -- it puts me so close to the source of really good food. At another market recently, I was loading up on Crowder peas and a woman asked me how to prepare them. While that seemed common place to me, I confess that I've never cooked Swiss chard. But I might try it, because I tasted it and watched it prepared at Loganberry's Farm Market.

Nadine Wardenga, of Nadine's Classic Cuisine, demonstrates the use of herbs and produce at the Farm Markets. She also offers tastes of her chicken salad, pimento cheese and raspberry pepper jelly. At the GarlicFest, Nadine's special garlic dipping sauce sold out quickly.

The festival included local pottery, baskets, art, hand-made soap and music. Chef Jason Vullo of the Vines Restaurant  was there demonstrating cooking methods and offering tastes of his scallop ceviche. The Vines is a farm-to-table restaurant located in nearby Sautee Nacoochee. Vullo gets much of the restaurant's produce from Loganberry.

"When you're using such a high quality product, you don't have to do much to it," he says. He described his ceviche as a "wonderful blend of everything coming together." Both the restaurant and the farm are located along Georgia's Wine Trail. Loganberry Heritage Farm, Sautee Nacoochee Vineyards and the Vines Restaurant have combined efforts for a  Wine Dinner September 18. Check the website for reservations.