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Nana’s Kickass Sauce
Off The Vine 45: Nana’s Kickass Sauce
By Jenn Lombari
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The art of canning and preserving has been practiced for centuries; at first out of necessity, and later as a hobby and continuation of family traditions. Warwick based, O The Vine 45, is a terrific example of how a family tradition can be so much more.
Farmer Bob, Bob Chevian, was given the name by his children because he was spending so much time in his vegetable garden. His late mother in-law, taught him how to garden and preserve. All of the recipes that he is making are hers. He originally spent thirty years as a cabinet maker and woodworker. In January of 2022, he made the decision to turn a hobby into a business. He learned a lot along the way and is still learning. “ I didn’t know so much was required to process food!” He learned about and acquired his licenses and certifications with guidance from the RI Department Of Health and learned an abundance of useful information from some very helpful folks along the way.
He just knew he had something special. “I spent many years growing my own vegetables and cooking them. Then I started giving them out to friends and family. So one day I decided to make a go at it as a business opportunity.
And that was a fantastic decision!
Nana’s Kickass Sauce makes a variety of sauces, jams, jellies, and spreads; all made in small batches to bring the customer that homemade taste. At this present time, Farmer Bob is making nine di erent products:
Apple Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Hot Sauce, Strawberry Jelly, Ghost Pepper Jelly, Carrot Cake Jam, Carrot Cake Jam (no nuts), Jalapeño Spread, and they also carry dehydrated hot pepper pods.
Why stop there!? The new year will bring several new products to the O The Vine family. Zucchini Relish, Apple Butter, Strawberry Topping, and a Spicy Chicken Coating are all in the process of being perfected and packaged for public consumption.
All of the products made are 100% natural. No chemicals or preservatives. Nothing beats local produce, so when it’s available and in season, that is Farmer Bob’s go-to ingredient. In the winter months, he is using local food suppliers.
Some favorite combos to use with Nana’s Kicks Sauce products:
Pork chops with their apple sauce.
Their hot sauce really brings out the bang in chicken wings or chicken tenders.
Strawberry jelly on an all American PB&J is always a home run!
Any of the hot jellies will compliment any cheese and cracker board.
The best seller is the carrot cake jam. It goes well on toasted mu ns and bagels,. It’s like desert in a jar. It’s by far my favorite! I enjoyed it on an asiago cheese bagel. It could also work in the middle of a two layer carrot cake. It can be purchased with or without nuts. I also enjoyed the jalapeño jelly on a chicken cutlet sub sandwich.
“Homemade tomato sauce just like your Nana makes”!
Made in small batches to bring you a true homemade taste. Home grown ripe tomatoes picked at peak avor.
Seasoned with bold herbs to enhance “old school” Italian avor. Served best over pasta, pizza, or dipping.
Chevian hopes to acquire a wholesalers license to sell to local restaurants and stores. For now, you can purchase his products through the website. He also o ers delivery anywhere in the USA. If you follow O The Vine 45 and Farmer Bob on social media, you can see where they are popping up at local markets and craft shows with a selection of items.
When asked about future plans, Chevian commented that he’s looking forward to releasing new products and he’d like to expand and go wholesale to start selling to local restaurants and stores and to have a store of his own. He added that he’d like to have his own commercial kitchen, greenhouse, wood shop, and land to expand his vegetable gardens.
Treat yourself or the food lover in your life to a local gift from O The Vine 45. Keep some on hand for your next party or create a gift basket for someone. Be sure to let them know you read about it in Shop In RI Magazine!
