You came to Vermont from the Bronx to attend UVM. What made you decide to stay, and was there a particular meal you couldn't find here that made you realize you'd have to make it yourself?

“I always say two things made me stay in Vermont. My business, Harmony's Kitchen, started when I was a junior/senior in college, and after college, I just found myself doing it. So I was able to supply myself with my own employment. And that kind of blew up and took off in ways that I wasn't expecting. That was one of the main reasons why I stayed here.

“But the second thing I always say is the mountains. The mountains are just so beautiful, and you don't see a view like this anywhere else.

“Honestly, mac and cheese was my biggest thing. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods, and especially at that time — 18, 19, 20, I think I started my business when I was 21 — I was really longing for some really good mac and cheese. And coming from the Bronx specifically, the Bronx has some of the best food in the whole world, because the Bronx is a way of kind of experiencing the world…there are just so many people from so many different places. So I had to figure out how to make my own mac and cheese.

“My friend at the time had a really good mac and cheese recipe that I was using, that was really great, but then I decided to go back and try to come up with my own mac and cheese recipe that was just perfect for the business. And so I started to make my own mac and cheese, my own fried chicken, and, honestly, all my own foods, because I was kind of a broke college student and I wanted a way to have good food. And I always knew how to cook.”

Has there been any misconception about soul food that you wish more people understood, or a customer reaction that's really shown you why you're doing this?

“The biggest misconception is that soul food doesn't exist here in Vermont. That's just not true. With Harmony's Kitchen and a growing number of other Black-owned businesses, soul food is alive and well in the Green Mountains.

“And one full circle moment I had was…when I was in college, that's when I started my business. I would often bring my food to some of the house parties I would go to, so that I could spread the word about my business and use it as an opportunity to make some extra money.

“One day I was going to a college party, I had some of my cornbread, and one of my fellow classmates ate my cornbread and he hilariously says, ‘I never knew food could taste this good.’ I thought that was so funny. It stuck with me for years.

“And about maybe two years ago, I saw him when I was tabling with my cornbread at a bridal show. He grabbed my cornbread and he's like, ‘Harmony, it's so good to see you! I haven't seen you since college. I didn't even know you catered weddings. I'm getting married.’ And so I ended up catering his wedding last year. He was there at the very inception of my business to where we're going now.

“We're trying to get more into the wedding industry and show folks that soul food can be a wedding food. So it was just really nice catering his wedding.”

Of all of the things you have going on — catering, pop-ups, your supper club, Miss Black Vermont — what's most exciting to you right now, and what comes next?

“The thing I'm most excited about right now is heading to nationals as Miss Black Vermont. I have the opportunity to compete to be Miss Black USA in early August. I'm really excited about that. Vermont hasn't been represented on that stage in nearly a decade, so to be the woman to go and do that, I'm really proud.

“And business wise, what's next for us is we're really just diving forward into the wedding industry. Last year, we only catered one wedding and this year we're catering seven. The growth is there, and we're hoping to just keep growing as a business and to set ourselves up as one of the premier catering companies here in Vermont. But we're really trying to make more of a space for us in this industry.”

Bonus Question: If you had a whole day to cook with no business responsibilities, just cooking what you love for yourself, what would you make?

“The first thing I would say is I'm going to be making goat meat, because it feels to me like it takes all day to make it. From seasoning it to steaming it over the stove so that it's nice and soft, to then baking it. That's something I really enjoy…cooking all day. My apartment smells delicious. Everything is just yummy, and then you get this wonderful benefit of eating delicious goat meat. And I think more people need to eat goat meat. It's, one, leaner than chicken. And it's delicious, and it's just so rich.”