A colonial meal in the works. (Credit: Jason Fuller)

Summertime and cookouts are inextricably tied to one another. It’s a time for family, friends and the forging of indelible memories. In Virginia, food tends to be so much more than just flavors and fulfillment. Many Virginians attend cookouts where there are hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill, but those items alone do not delve into the essence of food culture. The state that lays claim to the first colony in 1607 and produced four out of five of the country’s first presidents and has one of the oldest cooking books on record published in 1824, The Virginia House Wife by Mary Randolph, has an enriched food history and lineage. Jason Fuller reports.