Cooking on the Road - Crumb Top Apple Pie

Last week we took cooking on the road. To the Capitol City - Raleigh, North Carolina.

There is so much history as to how and why cooking happens in Raleigh that it would take a book. Dad has begun writing that book with amazing stories of the 22 years that he and Mom spent in the the NC Legislature in Raleigh. The stories are about politics, events and relationships. As usual, many of those relationships were bonded over cooking. Not just any cooking. Ruby's Cooking.

Ruby's Cooking used to be a noun and verb but it evolved into an event. There have been articles in Our State magazine and several newspaper columns over the years to describe Ruby's Cooking. The jist is that when Dad was in the legislature, he would call or maybe just run into someone somewhere and then invite them to come over to their Raleigh condo because Ruby's cooking. Over the years this included people (Dad calls them Ruby's customers) from the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government as well as reporters, family and friends from all over the place. These invitations were always last minute and it was always something people wanted to do. One reason was that after all of the required dinners that politicians attend, it was good to have real home cooking. Another reason was that everyone knew this was a family gathering so egos and agendas should be left at the front door. People knew that Ruby's Cooking would be a safe haven just like home is supposed to be. Mom and Dad have a lot of stories about various people who have come for dinner and what they liked to eat and how cute they were when they could just be themselves. I was present for a few of these events, but not all by any stretch so I'll leave those stories for others to tell. Mom and Dad can tell the stories, and also my sister, Judy can tell them. This is because Judy and Dad were both in the legislature for several years at the same time. At that time they were the only father/daughter in the NC legislature and maybe in the country. Judy served several counties in the Western North Carolina mountains and Daddy served three counties in the foothills.

Last week, we were cooking in Raleigh for a celebration of Judy's health and the doctors who helped her. Fifteen years ago, Judy had a kidney and pancreas transplant. Fifteen years later, she is very active and engaged in life. She has demonstrated huge amounts of courage and 'stick-to-it-ive-ness" (a word I learned from her). She has the intellect and the tenacity to stay up to date on health issues and to take control of her own health. She has also built strong relationships with the amazing doctors who help guide her through it all.

Judy set the menu and made the invitation calls. Mom and Dad supplied home frozen corn, home canned green beans, Mama's biscuits, Dad's special country ham, and fresh crowder peas from the garden. Dad asked me to make a Crumb Top Apple pie. I was also the driver. Being the driver to Raleigh events with Mom and Dad is always an adventure - more like a vacation than a duty. There are certain things that are rote. 1) We make sure we have diet coke with crushed ice for the trip 2) Dad likes to play the let's see if we can squeeze the entire trip out of one tank of gas game while Mom and I do not 3) There is always discussion about whether to go the old way or the new way. Mom and Dad love going the old way - highways 49 and 64 - because the pace is less hectic than I-85 and as Mom says, "the scenery is prettier". They also like to stop at a locally owned cafeteria in Siler City. Mom used to drive Dad back and forth to Raleigh for 22 years and she can tell you exactly where you are when you go the old way. She knows every tree and hill and stoplight. While Mom drove, Dad rested in the back seat of the car with his special pillow Quigley. In those days, Dad would work in his dental office from Friday thru Monday lunch. He would check on the Round Up on his way home from the dental office. Mom would pack their car for a four day stay in Raleigh and then drive the four hour trip to set up house in their Raleigh condo. It is amazing that they did this for 22 years.

So, we arrived in Raleigh last Monday evening and began preparations for Judy's celebration dinner to be held on Tuesday night. Dad fried the country ham, Mom and Dad made slaw and we all worked on other details. Judy's Raleigh condo is where Mom and Dad lived during the last years of their legislative terms. Later Judy and Hanse bought it. Hanse and I joked that we should all buy a condo in the same building so we would have kind of our own retirement building. Ironically, now Jackie has bought a condo there and Mom and Dad have bought another one. These are nice condos, but when you think of having a seated dinner party for 20 people it seems like an impossibility. At least now, we have three kitchens and all three were in use as Judy and Hanse made macaroni and cheese, Mom cooked a fresh turkey breast and the vegetables, Dad made pimiento cheese and I sliced tomatoes, onions, fruit, and made the apple pie. Mom also made 2 cakes of cornbread and cooked her special homemade biscuits. For appetizers we fried home grown squash.

Tuesday about 6 pm the guests started to arrive at Judy's condo and it really was a celebration. The doctors who are all in different locations now, were happy to reunite with each other and with Judy. I know how joyful we all are to have such a success story, but I can not really imagine being one of the doctors who were a part of pulling off this miracle. They are not only brilliant, but also such loving and caring people - real doctors as Judy says.

It was such a fun evening full of laughter and stories. The conversation was wonderful - from books, to politics, to sports, to medicine, to food, to friendship. As the guests were leaving, Dad wanted to give one of the transplant surgeons some unshelled crowder peas from the garden. The surgeon said, "can you teach me how to shell the peas". Dad said, "Well you're a surgeon, you should be able to do it." The transplant surgeon quipped, "Well I'm better at putting things in than taking things out!!" Hilarious. And thankful.

Nell's Crumb Top Apple Pie

I thought this was Mama Crowder's recipe until Mom told me she had gotten it from Nell Sperling.

Filling:

4 Cups Apples - use mostly green ones like Granny Smith and a few red ones
3/4 Cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Slice apples and cook in a small sauce pan over low heat with sugar and cinnamon until about 1/2 done. You want them to be cooked but firm, not mushy. Don't add water, there will be plenty of juice.

Crust:

Take a Pillsbury all ready pie crust and roll out into a pie pan. You can make your own crust, but these are good and they work for me.

Pour the cooked apples into the pie crust.

Topping:

1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Blend the topping ingredients until they are course crumbs. You can do this ahead of time or while the apples are cooking. Blend and scatter over pie.

Bake 35-40 mintues. Start at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 for rest of the time. Check to make sure the topping is cooked until melty and brown.

Pizza and Salad - Carol's Fantastic French Dressing

Homemade pizza was on my mind. And so was Carol's Fantastic French Dressing. Carol's French Dressing is really easy to make and everyone loves it.

The homemade pizza was easy once we decided on toppings. Jay wanted sausage and pepperoni. I wanted that plus green olives, red peppers and fresh parmesan cheese. Shelby said she liked everything. David wanted to add jalapenos. We all wanted tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese.

I made up two rectangular pans with pizza crust and then everyone fixed their side the way they wanted it. (see May 26, 2010 blog post for pizza)

For the salad, we had iceberg lettuce, onion, red and green peppers. And Carol's dressing. Carol's dressing is sweet and tangy and it really goes a long way. I toss it into the salad before serving. It is surprising how little dressing is really needed. The recipe makes about a quart and will keep in the fridge for a while.

Carol's Fantastic French Dressing

1 cup salad oil (I usually use wesson vegetable oil)
1 cup sugar (I think you can reduce this a little bit)
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar (don't use balsamic - use cider)
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp minced onion (I grate the onion and rarely measure it)
Juice of 1 lemon (I use bottled lemon juice sometimes, a splash works)

Blend together with a wire whisk. Stores well in fridge.

Breakfast - Yogurt Parfait

Recently, breakfast has been a main gathering meal. We fixed eggs, grits, bacon and toast for a crowd of hungry college boys one day last week. Saturday morning we fixed the same for Jay and his friend, Shelby, who had flown in from Michigan. Sunday morning we fixed a spur of the moment, lighter breakfast for friends visiting from Raleigh.

Saturday night we drove down to Spartanburg, SC to watch the Wofford Terriers first football scrimmage of the season. After the rainy scrimmage, we met David and teammates Devin and Martin at a mexican restaurant. We enjoyed seeing the boys and the mexican food was great. It also came in giant quantities which is always important for these guys.

The mexican restaurant was near The Fresh Market in Spartanburg so we migrated over there. We love The Fresh Market. Actually we love going to grocery stores in general. But we cannot pass any Fresh Market anywhere without going inside. No trip to The Fresh Market is complete without buying Cinnamon Hazelnut Coffee, some kind of great bread and bacon. On this trip to the Spartanburg store, we found the coffee, English Toasting bread, All Natural 8 Grain Bread, and Hickory Smoked Bacon.

Fortunately we made that Fresh Market trip, because our friends Steve and Patty were in town and we invited them last minute to come over for Sunday morning breakfast.

David made Cinnamon Hazelnut coffee and fried a ton of Hickory Smoked Fresh Market bacon. I fixed a bowl of fruit and buttered and toasted both kinds of Fresh Market bread. Then, I decided to make yogurt parfaits. I have never really liked yogurt that much, but once when we were in a hotel in Raleigh, we tried their yogurt parfait and it was really good. I asked the chef how he made it and he laughed and said it was just vanilla yogurt, fresh blueberries and granola. I love a recipe with three ingredients.

Sometimes I make these in a pretty parfait glass. Other times I have made them to go in a plastic cup. Either way they are quick, easy, healthy and good.

Yogurt Parfaits

In a glass or cup layer:

a little Granola (I use Cascadian Farms Oat and Honey)
a few fresh blueberries
Activia Vanilla Flavored Yogurt
Top with a little more granola and fresh blueberries

Blest Be the Tie That Binds - Spangler Reunion

The Spangler Family Reunion is held on the 3rd Sunday in August at Double Shoals Baptist Church in Lawndale, North Carolina. This has been going on for 103 years. Or so. The 100th anniversary of the Spangler reunion was celebrated in 2007. The reunion actually started out as a birthday party sometime in the early 1900s for Barbra Hendrick Spangler. Originally the party was held at Barbra's home. Barbra died in 1914, but the reunion of the family members continued circulating around several homes and dates. In 1947, the reunion had outgrown everyone's homes so it was moved to Double Shoals Baptist Church where is it still held every 3rd Sunday in August.

Barbra Spangler's birthday was the origin of the Spangler reunion, but the Spangler family that gathers are decendants of Spengler's who came to America from Germany in the 1700's. The spelling of the name changed somewhere along the way, but it is clear that the Cleveland County Spanglers decended from farmer Absalom Spangler. Barbra married Absalom's son, Jonathan Spangler, in 1856. Barbra and Jonathan were both 19 years old when they married and I can only imagine the hopes and dreams they had when they started off their lives together living a farm life in Lawndale. There are many stories of all the challenges that came their way over the years, but they were determined and strong people who kept their faith and family together through it all. They had five children, four boys and a girl, and the generations that followed are those who still get together every August in Lawndale.

The Spanglers were a very prolific family. At the 100th Anniversary of the reunion in 2007, there were over 400 Spangler relatives in attendance. That was a really big year. This year there were about 250 people present. It's a lot to keep up with, so the organizers developed a way to help everybody understand how they were connected. Barbra and Jonathan's five children and all those who follow were given different colored name tags. The Spanglers are very sociable people so they even have a name tag color especially for Guests. Our family name tag color is Blue since we are decendants of Barbra and Jonathan's son, Jim. It is always interesting to see people that I didn't realize were related and the tag colors really do help to figure out the connections.

The reunion begins at Noon with everyone gathering in the sanctuary of the church. There is a short business meeting and then a program. Carl Spangler presides over the meeting and Theresa Spangler Lowe brings everyone up to date on births, deaths and marriages that have occurred since the last reunion. Theresa has done an amazing amount of work on Spangler history. She has published a history of The Spanglers and a book of Spangler and other letters written during the Civil War. She has researched many court records and visited many gravesites to learn dates and other information from the tombstones. This year, she read a poem called The Dash. The theme of the poem is that what really matters in a person's life is not the birth or death date on their tombstone, but what happens during the dash.

The reunion program always ends with everyone standing and singing the hymn Blest Be The Tie That Binds. It's a great ending to that part of the reunion because alot of times you find yourself wondering why you make the effort to go to the reunion in the first place. But, when you are reminded of what your ancestors lives must have been like, and that they had hopes and dreams and fears and struggles just like we all do; standing and singing with extended family does give you a feeling of courage and strength and peace.

Next comes what everyone has been anticipating - the food. The Spanglers are good cooks. Period. The food at the Spangler reunion is always good. Traditionally, everyone brings their most special homemade dish for the Spangler reunion. My grandmother, Vada Spangler Crowder, was a really good cook. And so was her sister, Veva C. They had a little running battle about who had the best cucumber pickles or pie or whatever they had brought that year. Mama always takes ham biscuits and sometimes homemade pimiento cheese sandwiches. Mama and Daddy couldn't get there this year, but last minute Libby and I decided to go. I really mean last minute because we decided about 10:30 Sunday morning, so there wasn't alot of time to fix homemade food. I had several kinds of fruit so I cut that up to make a fruit bowl. Libby decided on fried chicken that she acquired and brought to my house. We put the fried chicken in a big cast iron chicken fryer and sprinkled a little red and black pepper over it. When we arrived at the church a little late, the reunion was already in progress. So, we slipped into the fellowship hall and put our dishes on one of the two long tables full of everyone's special recipes. We giggled because we really are both pretty good cooks and have many specialities, but this year, we had to rely on quick and doable or miss the reunion altogether.

All of the Spangler reunion food was delicious and it was fun catching up with folks. Also, it turns out people really like fruit and fried chicken. After the meal, we went to collect the fruit bowl and frying pan and both were completely empty.

It was a thought provoking day at Double Shoals Church and I am so glad that Libby and I decided spur of the moment to celebrate the tie that binds.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

I am guessing everyone knows how to cut up fruit and acquire fried chicken, so instead of a recipe - here are the words to the hymn:

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity

BBQ, Ribs and Cornhole

Cooking Lessons and gatherings continued last weekend with BBQ and Ribs. BBQ and Rib Cooking call for David III to bring out the Big Cooker. I nicknamed the Big Cooker 'Gretel', because it truly is big enough to have played a starring role in the Hansel and Gretel story. But most everybody just calls it the Big Cooker. And big it is. It is big enough to cook many pounds of pork, beef, chicken or turkey all at one time. The Big Cooker is powered with a propane gas tank which fires wood that pours smoke into a huge chamber with a rotisserie. David usually uses hickory smoke for BBQ and Ribs and the rotisserie has long shelves which slowly rotate to give the meat the best smoked flavor. Ribs take about 2 or 3 hours to cook, but BBQ shoulders or butts cook for about half a day. David likes to cook Boston Butts because they have less waste than shoulders.

So, last weekend, David IV and Jay and a few friends wanted to cook BBQ and Ribs for a last hurrah before everyone started heading back to college. David III also wanted to cook BBQ and Ribs for some nieces and nephews heading for a different gathering. This amount of cooking definitely called for the Big Cooker. Boston Butts go into the cooker early in the morning and require very little preparation. Baby Back Ribs go in later, but require a dry rub of the Rib Spice. David III teases about keeping the Rib Spice recipe a secret by giving one part of the recipe to Jay and the other part to David IV. Together, they mix up the blend of spices and rub them into the ribs before placing the ribs into the cooker. After checking on the Butts and Ribs throughout the day, the whole neighborhood takes on a smoky flavorful aroma.

When we serve BBQ in Shelby, NC we serve red BBQ Slaw, not green slaw. This is one of those things that can fuel an argument, but we stand firm on this one. Red slaw is chopped cabbage with a vinegar and ketchup base, but does not contain mayo.

David chops the BBQ coarsely making sure to have plenty of the crispy browned edges which are most everybody's favorite part. I would put his chopped hickory smoked Boston Butt, fresh from the Big Cooker served on a bun with red slaw, a little BBQ sauce and just a shake or two of Tabasco, up against any BBQ anywhere.

David cuts the BBQ Ribs close to the bone on one side so that each piece has plenty of the juicy, spicy, smoky rib meat. Yum. You'll need several paper towels and probably some toothpicks, but that flavor is worth it.

To go along with BBQ Boston Butt and Ribs, we serve fresh fruit, Beth's baked beans, chips and brownies with ice cream.

And then there is Cornhole which, for a change, has nothing to do with eating corn.

The first time I ever heard of Cornhole was several years ago at a party with friends Doug and Annette. Since then, Cornhole seems to be everywhere. Our nephew, Jackson, started making Cornhole Sets consisting of two regulation sized slanted cornhole boards and the corn bags to go along with them. He paints and then finishes them with a hard auto body finish. We asked him to make a set for David IV's 21st birthday and they truly are a work of art. They are also indestructible which is important because David has kept them in his truck and pulled out for use wherever folks are gathering.

Cornhole is fun because most people can play and, it can be played with any number of teams or individuals. When people are playing cornhole, there is friendly competition, but mostly alot of cheering or grimacing when the corn bag slides on the board, off the board or miraculously drops through the hole. There's no hurry with cornhole. It's alot like horsehoes in that it is a relaxed pitching game. It's played at a slow and easy pace that feels like old times. Cornhole is the perfect game to go along with a dinner of slow cooked BBQ and Ribs from the Big Cooker.

Sushi

On Wednesday night we shifted the cooking to our friend Jeanette. I can count on one hand the number of times we have turned cooking over to someone else, but Jeanette is a good bet. She and her friend Andrew opened a fusion restaurant in Shelby called Nifen. It was an excellent restaurant because of the food and the atmosphere and we were sorry when it closed in 2005. Both Jeanette and Andrew have remained friends of ours and we have actually cooked for them a couple of times. That's a little scary, but I can always count on corn and cornbread to make them happy.

This time Jeanette did the cooking because the boys wanted to learn to make sushi. All summer long, David and Jay have been talking about learning to make sushi. This was out of my range, so I called for a professional and Jeanette came to the rescue. She gave me a grocery list and she brought a few items from an Asian specialty store. There are two things that you have to have for making sushi - sushi rice because it is stickier than regular rice and something to wrap the sushi like seaweed or soy paper. I prefer soy paper, but we couldn't find it, so we used nori (seaweed) wraps. Once you have sushi rice and a sushi wrap, you can add most anything to make sushi.

We decided to make California rolls. The sushi rice was pressed firmly onto the wrap, Jeanette added strips of avocado, crab or shrimp and rolled into a tight roll. You can use a bamboo roller to make really tight rolls, but Jeanette did it with her bare hands. After all, she is a professional! After rolling the sushi, Jeanette sliced it into medium thin slices and arranged it artfully on a platter.

She also made sashimi which is rice pressed into little football shapes (a job she turned over to David IV) and covered with tuna, grouper or Scottish salmon. We had four sauces - Ponzu, Ginger, Shrimp, Soy. We also had pickled ginger and really hot Wasabi to top off our sushi. The kick of Wasabi can make your nose sting and your eyes water. And it always makes me laugh, because it reminds me of John Belushi on the old Saturday night live skit - W-A-S-A-B-I!

It turns out that making sushi is alot like making anything else. Once you have the basics down, you can tweak it with various ingredients and amounts that suit you. Learning to arrange it artfully on the platter may take a little practice!

Weeding, Corn Shocks and Spur of the Moment Dinners

Well, it's hard to believe this is the last week both boys are home for Summer 2010. David leaves for Wofford this Sunday. Classes start later on, but the football team begins their Fall Practice Monday morning. Jay will be home for a couple of weeks and then will be moving in to Gardner-Webb. GWU Basketball summer workouts have just wrapped up. So, for the last few days and a few more to come, we are making the most of having the boys with us under one roof. It has been a joy to have them home together this summer. It took a little adjusting for all of us to get use to the hours of college age boys versus 50something parents, but we all survived it and have enjoyed our time together.

Both boys have been busy working part-time, working out to stay in shape for sports, and also helping out around the house and garden. Recently, David worked on weeding the tomato plants and Jay helped with the corn freezing. After the corn freezing was done in July, David and Jay went to Mom and Dad's farm in Lattimore to cut stalks and make corn shocks. The corn is cut from the cross tie beds, stood up vertically on a wooden frame and tied at the top. Dried corn shocks were preserved to feed the cows through fall and winter. Mostly today, they are a fall decoration and reminder of days gone by.

We have had our share of summer fun with short visits here and there and with lots of people in and out of our house. During this last week of having the boys home, we have had alot of gatherings to cap off summer. Wofford Football teammates as well as other friends came for Sunday night dinner. GWU Basketball teammates came for Tuesday night dinner on the way to the airport. Both dinners were very spur of the moment so we decided what to serve based on what was on sale that day. I learned that from Mom and Dad. Dad scrutinizes the newspaper ads and always knows what is on sale at which grocery store. So, on Sunday night we had buy-one-get-one-free pork tenderloin which David grilled over charcoal, tossed salad with Carol's Fantastic French Dressing, Fresh Fruit, and Steve Royster's potatoes. For dessert, we had buy two-get three free Ice Cream. On Tuesday night, we had hamburgers which David grilled over charcoal, green beans, fresh fruit and more ice cream.

David has grilling down. He has an interesting collection of grills; charcoal, gas, hybrids, big grills, little grills, and grills on wheels. He grills year round at home, at tailgates, at fundraisers, at schools, at the lake, at the beach; pretty much anywhere. He grills meat of every variety and uses spices of every variety. Everyone is happy when David is grilling.

Friends, Family and Temptations! - Fruited Chicken Salad

A friend and I were talking about how we sometimes have good intentions to show people how much we care about them, but too many times we let the moment pass. Fortunately, as we try to regain our equilibrium since Kathie left this world, friends and family have not let moments pass. It is amazing how people react in times of tragedy. I keep thinking of the line in one of my favorite movies, Starman, when Jeff Bridges says, "people are at their best when things are at their worst". The people in our lives have somehow known exactly what to do and when to do it. BBQ, Ribs, pound cake, brownies, muffins, and pie appeared when 25 people were suddenly coming for dinner. Late one night a breakfast casserole, ready to bake in the morning, arrived. Pizza was delivered when it was what everyone needed. Ham biscuits and pimiento cheese were on David's mind and soon appeared. Flowers, calls, visits, personal stories, and some very sweet notes have lifted our spirits every day. Carol made Fruited Chicken Salad more than one time for more than one household. Friends invited us to get away to the beach for a few days. Everything has been just what we needed, just when we needed it.

Months ago, we had planned a trip with friends to Asheville to see The Temptations. Since our 50th birthdays, we have made it a priority to see several concerts every year. We have seen some great ones, including Chicago, Van Morrison, Elton John and Billy Joel, James Taylor and Carole King. We had been looking forward to The Temptations and they did not disappoint us. They put on a great show on the South Terrace of the Biltmore House.

The weather was beautiful for an outdoor concert and the panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is always breathtaking. We have seen several concerts at the Biltmore estate and it is one of our favorite venues. The show was vintage Temptations with Otis Williams being the lone original, but all five singers dressed in black tuxedos, belted out their part of the melody or harmony and danced the trademark steps. The choreography was great and the theme of the show was all about Love. Participation was encouraged throughout the show with calls from the stage for women to stand and sing or for men to stand and sing; or for everyone to sing together. Everyone in the audience knew most of the words to most every song. It is impossible to listen to Temptations music and not dance. Some people stood up to dance, some moved to the back of the audience to dance. Alot of people danced sitting in their chairs; shoulders moving, heads bobbing, hands clapping and feet tapping.

At one point, Otis Williams cajoled all the men to stand and sing to their lady. Then he said he always noticed a few men who didn't want to participate. He wanted everyone to participate. Otis turned and said to his singers, "boys, it's time for us to start selling from the book of little things. So Otis starting telling the men what was in the book of little things - giving her a rose, serving breakfast in bed, looking her in the eyes and singing to her. Magically, I think every single man stood up and started singing just like Otis told them to. They did not let that moment pass.

The Temptations gave the entire audience a sweet reminder that just giving a little bit of yourself is the best way to show someone you love them. Friends and family have opened up the book of little things for us lately. So, thank you.

Carol's Fruited Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 15 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges sections, drained
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp grated onion
1 cup mayo (she says she never uses this much!)
1 Tbsp mustard

8 servings

Kathie

The world won't stop turning. That's what Mom and Dad have said to me over the years when I faced troubling times. The world won't stop turning. But on July 13th, the world definitely wobbled.

My sweet potato queen sister-in-law who was full of love, fun, laughter, drive, passion and courage, left this world.

Kathie faced a lifetime of challenges but she did not let that get in the way of what she knew was her life's work. I loved the scripture chosen to honor her. (John 9:1-3)...."but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in her life".

Kathie had great powers of observation and persuasion. She could get people to try to do things they had never done. She had an ability to see potential and talent in everyone. With some, the talent was obvious, with others not so obvious. Either way, she flourished when she was helping someone else flourish. She did this on stage, off stage and in real life.

I will never forget the kind way she welcomed me into the house one Christmas eve when David and I were dating. She met me at the door and reached out to hold both of my hands. She looked me straight in the eyes, smiled and said "my brother is in love". On Valentine's Day the next year, David and I went to a dinner theatre to watch Kathie perform in a play. She was fantastic. After the play, David asked me to marry him. I reminded Kathie of that not long ago and we laughed because the play was "Laundry and Bourbon".

Kathie loved playing dress up and she loved to dress other people up too. On our wedding day, she stood up and made a toast and then she gave me a picture in a heart shaped frame. The picture is of David at about age 4 after Kathie had dressed him up in a wig with long blonde pigtails! I love that picture.

A few years ago, Kathie, Ali, Cindy, Barbara and I dressed up in tiaras, sequin dresses, curly red wigs, and cat's eye sunglasses to ride in the Lattimore 4th of July parade. We stood up in the back of a pickup truck and danced the entire parade route to Aretha singing R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That was a very FESTIVE day. Kathie encouraged being festive. So much so, that after she had left for the Mayo Clinic last October, a package arrived at my door. It was from Kathie - a sweet note and a box full of special festive wine glasses. I will forever cherish the glasses and especially the sweet note.

When David and Jay were born, she was there with welcome home signs and balloons. When they were in elementary school, our summers were planned around SHS Children's Theatre so both boys could experience Kathie's magic. In middle school and high school the boys made lasting friends and memories in plays like "Guys and Dolls" and "Hello Dolly". In SHS drama productions, they learned a lot about theatre and a lot about life.

They certainly weren't the only ones. We knew Kathie had a big impact on alot of people, but the cards, letters, flowers, food, hugs, and the many shared stories have been truly amazing and wonderful. Some stories have been tearful. A lot have been hilarious. All have been a real reminder of the difference one person can make. And a reminder that teaching is a very powerful profession.

To no ones surprise, Kathie kind of directed her own funeral service. Bobby, Quinn, the extended family, the SHS family and the First Baptist Church family stayed focused on honoring Kathie. Fantastic effort was made by Traci, Amy, Rachel, John, Cliff, Jordan, Brady, Lee, Meredith and so many past and present SHS students to get to Shelby in time to practice and sing for Kathie. I couldn't help but think of the movie "White Christmas" when the band members and singers come from all directions to honor their former general.

They completely nailed the music. Quinn spoke eloquently. Tony Tench's eulogy was inspired and inspiring. A more powerful service I have never attended. The words, the music and the emotions were full of love, passion and truth.

So, the world hasn't stopped turning, but it will definitely be different for many from now on. Kathie really did 'live a life worthy of her calling'. (Ephesians 4:1) That's something we can all try to do.

Corn Freezing Days

Note: Will upload pic of Lattimore corn freezing when I can find them!



Corn freezing days came early this year. Usually, we freeze corn around the second week in July, but this year the corn came in on July 2, and 5th and 8th. That made for some interesting schedule changes, but when it comes to corn, arrangements have to be made.

We are corn fanatics. Carol says we are corn snobs. Both are true.

Daddy plants corn in Lattimore in late April. It is silver queen and only silver queen. They irrigate, weed and spray for critters and in about 90 days it is ready for the 'first pick'. Daddy has a special relationship with his corn. He enjoys every aspect of corn from preparing the crosstie beds, to planting, to each phase of growth, to checking every day for the perfect time to pick. We tease him about talking to the corn. After all, they do have ears.

And then there is the freezing phase. The main goal is to get the corn from field to freezor in under three hours to preserve the sweetness of the corn. The longer it takes the more starchy the corn will taste. Corn at it's peak is better than candy, so we go to great lengths to make the freezing a fast and efficient process.

Corn freezing day starts a few days early with Daddy calling to say it might be Thursday, or Friday but it probably won't wait for Saturday. So for several days we are juggling to make sure that whatever day it is we can be there to help. The night before the day he calls to say that they will start picking early the next morning. We gather the right pots, vegetable brushes, towels, and lots of pint sized freezor bags. And then there is the knife. It is very peculiar about knives, but all of the corn cutters have a specific knife that works. I bring my own and so does Libby. She even has her initials on hers so it doesn't get mixed up with the others. Mama Crowder kept a piece of freezor tape around the handle of her special knife.

So the freezing process begins in Lattimore with Abel and others picking the corn in big green bags. They pick one row at a time so the corn doesn't sit a long time in the sun. Then all the corn shuckers and silkers gather near the playhouse, under a huge oak tree. They sit in a wide variety of chairs, in a circle, with corn piled in the middle. This year, Cindy, David, Jackson, Mary Beth, Will, Able, Gustavo, Paula, John, Austin, Elsa and maybe a few others came to shuck and silk. The conversation is always very interesting with a mixture of English, Spanish and Spanglish. I miss this part these days because I am a cutter so I spend most of my time in the kitchen.

In the kitchen, we are griping our special knives, arranging bowls, boiling water and filling sinks full of ice and cold water. When the shucked and silked corn is brought in, we wash in the utility sink and then bring into the kitchen. Daddy and Mama have two big pots that they use for the blanching. They like to put 27 ears into each pot and they blanche for about 10 minutes. When the kitchen timer buzzes, we remove the corn to a pot of water to take the first heat out of it, then it is placed in the sink to begin cooling. There is alot of sloshing of water, especially when Daddy is helping, and we use alot of towels during this phase!

We cool the corn in one side of the sink and then add ice to the other side to cool it down as fast as possible. To know if an ear is cooled all the way to the cob, Daddy will pick out an ear and hold it to see if it stays cool. When he declares it cool enough, we remove all the ears and place on a towel to drain off excess water. Then the cutting process starts. Mama and Daddy want corn OFF the cob.

Cutting the corn off the cob brings back memories of days gone by when Mama Crowder, Nishie and Sis were the cutters. They would stand around the chopping block with corn piled high in the middle and slowly cut each kernel perfectly, making sure to get NO COBs into the sweet tender corn. The entire time they cut, they would be talking and laughing and telling stories. Sometimes when there is alot of corn to cut, it can get pretty tedious and they could make this a party. I loved being in there hearing them talk and laugh, so about the time I was 14 years old, I picked up a knife and gave cutting a try. I am now 54 years old and I almost know how to do it to Hunt quality specification. It takes alot of practice but I keep working on it.

When the corn is cut, Mama or Libby or Penny place it carefully in pint sized zip lock freezor bags (about 7-8 big spoonfuls in a bag). It is important not to get the bag sticky with corn which is nearly impossible and to seal the bags carefully. The bags are labelled with the date and if Mama thinks it necessary she may make a notation on the outside. A or B might mean something about the crop that time, or she may make a note known only to herself that would let her know something like who did the cutting that day.

The corn is then put on trays to be taken to the basement freezor which has previously been rearranged so that new corn and old corn aren't mixed up.

There is alot of counting that goes on with the corn process. We keep a running tab of the number of bags that have gone to the freezor and the number of cobs that have been cut. It is always the duty of one of the younger boys to pick up the cob buckets from the kitchen, take them to the pasture and throw each one counting one at a time, over the fence to the cows.

We have alot of guessing about number of cobs and number of bags and what the yield will be that year. Daddy loves to count most everything and Mama just likes to know that she has at least 100 new bags in the freezor each year. This is because all throughout the year when the Hunt crowd gathers or if Daddy and Mama have a Raleigh Ruby's cooking or if she wants to take corn to someone's family during a crisis, she will have plenty of fresh tasting silver queen at her fingertips. And it is always appreciated because it really is the best corn ever.

So, this year, we did corn on July 2nd - 70 pints and July 5th - 70 pints. The 3rd picking on July 8 was brought to my house because the Lattimore freezor is full of corn. Thankfully Daddy sends Abel to help shuck and silk, and Jay and Carol came to help. We ended up with 20 pints of cut and 21 ears of 'on the cob'.

There is nothing more satisfying to a corn fanatic than to know that there is fresh frozen corn in the freezor.

Summer's Half Over - Boneless Chicken with Squash, Zucchini and Onions

Blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, jalapenos, corn, crowder peas, squash, and zucchini are coming in like crazy. Sunflowers and zinnias are in full swing. Zinnias of every size and color are my favorite summer flower.

Yesterday, I bought peaches from Harvey Webb's peach stand. I chuckled when I saw a sketch someone had drawn of 'Harvey' in his overalls. The caption said, " 'Knobby' - we know it's really you Harvey!". Knobby has been the talk of the summer since a fellow up in Casar called 911 at 3 am and swore he had just seen a sasquatch named Knobby. It made international news for heaven's sake and one local entrepreneur has printed T-Shirts that say "Knobby don't believe in you either!" Someone else explained that maybe moonshine and meth don't mix.

Anyway, I had a good laugh at Harvey's peach stand and I also have a huge box of fresh peaches to enjoy and to share.

Since we are on the downhill side of summer now, it feels good to think of ways to eat the fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables that are plentiful right now. And after all that pursuing of happiness during 4th of July, we are ready to slow it down, eat healthy and enjoy the simple things in life.

The boys are winding up summer jobs and starting to think about getting in shape for their return to college life. It's hard to believe, but David IV will be heading to Wofford for his senior year of college. Football camp will start the first of August so he announced this morning that he is going to focus the rest of the summer on getting in shape for football. Jay has spent the last year at NC State, but now has an opportunity to play basketball at Gardner-Webb University. Basketball has always been a passion for Jay and playing for a Division I team is a dream come true. He starts summer workouts this week and is also focused on getting in top shape.

David III has requested healthy cooking, so I am pretty focused on trying to think of healthy and good things to fix with all the fresh, wonderful food that is available right now. I remembered that this time of year Mama cooks Chicken with vegetables and that is what we had for supper last night. Mama typically does this in an electric frying pan, but it works in any skillet.

Boneless chicken with Squash, Zucchini and Onions

cube boneless breasts
saute in olive oil, a little fresh thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.

add sliced squash, zucchini, and onions and saute lightly.
Sprinkle in a little soy sauce.

Serve chicken and vegetables over rice. Slice up some fresh peaches and tomatoes.

This is easy and so good, it might bring out the sasquatch!

4th of July - Fried Squash

The buildup of summer peaks with Fourth of July celebrations. Maybe it peaks because of the heat, or the realization that summer is halfway gone, or a connection we feel as Americans to the spirit of fire, defiance and independence of the founding fathers. For me, it is a combination of all three.

I have always loved history, but my earliest images of America's founding fathers had to do with wooden teeth, white powdered hair and staid speeches about how America was the 'shining city on the hill' that was meant to be. As a History major in college, I was mesmerized by studying the personal stories of the Revolutionary War characters and how the series of events may have never unfolded without these people's desire and passion to create a new kind of government. I'll never forget one professor's description of Thomas Jefferson as 'a red headed hippie'. The government that they argued with each other to create included a framework of checks and balances. But, the specifics were purposefully not set in stone so that it could be an ongoing experiment; with room for future citizens to continue to govern themselves. I think they would be excited to know that we are still experimenting and arguing over how it should all work, and that it is still worth the debate.

So, for me, the 4th of July is a celebration of wild, wacky, defiant ancestors who threw caution to the wind and made an attempt to create a place where everyone had a chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

My July 4th memories begin in Lattimore with camp outs on the farm. We celebrated the 4th with a campout, cookout, sparklers, homemade ice cream and birthday cake for my sister, Penny. Penny was born at Fort Bragg, NC on the 4th of July. How patriotic can it get!

At our Lattimore 4th of July campouts, The Hunt, Martin, Sperling, McMurray, Crawley families and other friends gathered under a big tree near the pond with campfires and sleeping bags. Sometimes, the adults put mattresses on flatbed trucks and slept there. Of course, everyone slept in their clothes and there is a hilarious picture of three men sleeping, all with split seams in the back of their pants.

The first time I ever went frog gigging was at one of those July 4th campouts. Tim Martin and I along with several others got into a flat bottomed boat with 2 oars and rowed out onto the fish pond. We rowed around the edges looking for where the loud, croaking sounds came from and gigged the frogs out of the mud with a pole that had fork tines on the end. When we pulled the frog gig up, Tim would swing the wide flat part of the oar under the frog and flip it into the boat. I remember him comparing it to flipping a burger. "Burger that frog!" became the rallying cry of the night.

When we had enough frogs, we went back to the campfire to cook frog legs. I don't remember who dressed the frogs, but I am betting it was Carl or Tim. We cooked the frog legs in a cast iron frying pan over the campfire and they really did taste alot like chicken. It was the middle of the night; we had experienced wildness and liberty in the wide open spaces and that was about the best feeling in the world.

Lattimore summers in the 60s included a small parade with all the area kids on bicycles that we decorated with red, white and blue streamers. We tied the streamers through the spokes of our bikes and wound them all around the handlebars. Someone would start the parade and when it came by each house, kids would fall in line. We would ride to Lattimore church, park our bikes and march inside to songs like "America the Beautiful" and that was the start of Vacation Bible School. In Bible school, we practiced Bible drills, made crafts, sang songs, had snacks and then rode our bikes back home.

Lattimore still has a 4th of July parade which is much bigger and more organized. A few years ago Cindy and I, along with sister-in-law Kathie, Barbara and several other friends, dressed up like Sweet Potato Queens and rode the Lattimore parade in the back of a pickup truck. We wore long curly red wigs, black cat's eye glasses, sequin dresses and danced the entire parade to Aretha's R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It's a joyful time when liberation and good clean fun come together!

This year, I missed the parade, but I did get to Lattimore Church in time for the celebration. Now the parade winds up at the Lattimore Church ballfield where everything is festive in red, white and blue. Veterans of all ages are honored for their service and then there is music, food and games. It's like a community's family reunion and I always love to be there.

After the Lattimore festivities, we head to Lake Lure for more celebration. This includes more families, more friends and friends of friends. We have alot of friends at the Lake and we roam from house to house on foot or by boat. We swim, walk, kayak, ski, enjoy libations, cook, eat, and cook some more. Water sports makes everybody hungry. There are always alot of fireworks at the Lake. Some of them are even in the sky.

The menu this 4th of July included David's tenderloin, corn on the cob, pound cake, cheese wafers, lots of fresh cold watermelon, and chopped salad with Carol's Fantastic French dressing. We also had Angus Beef Hot dogs with chili, Carol's Blackberry Cobbler, Beth's Brownies, and Rhett's roasted potatoes with his own version of Aioli sauce. I fried some fresh summer squash for an appetizer. Turns out Rhett's Aioli sauce was really good on the fried squash too.

The 4th of July is the peak of Summer. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Fried Squash

Note: Mom, Dad, Mama Crowder, Nishie and Sis have all contributed to the way I fry squash. With four sisters and a mother-in-law named Sister, there is yet another Sis in our lives - Sis Davis. More about Sis and her wonderful cooking later.

1. Pick out the right sized squash for frying. They should not be the smallest or the largest, but should be fairly young and tender. Those hard ones aren't worth the trouble.

2. Slice the squash into thin circles. 1/8" - 1/4". I don't slice the necks.

3. Put the circles into salted water. Sis adds ice or puts in the fridge to get really cold before frying. I think this makes them extra crispy.

4. In one bowl crack an egg or two and pour in some buttermilk. Stir together.

5. In another bowl mix flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper.

6. In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil until hot.

7. Dip each squash into liquid mixture, then flour mixture, then add to frying pan. They need to sizzle in there or they will be soggy.

It is a really good idea to use one hand for the liquid, the other hand for the flour and frying pan. I always wash my hands alot during this process.

8. When the squash is browned on one side, flip over and brown the other side. Sometimes you have to flip more than once. Daddy salts and peppers the squash during this process.

9. When browned, remove each circle to a plate or biscuit pan with a paper towel to absorb the grease. Daddy might want to salt and pepper again at this point. Fried Squash is a vegetable, but we never claimed it was healthy!

Serve fried squash as an appetizer, because they won't make it to the dinner table.

Summertime

Summertime has been really busy and really hot. We have had alot of projects going on with work and with family.

The sports world has been fun with the US playing world cup soccer and with Wimbledon tennis matches. John Isner, a Greensboro, NC native and Nicolas Mahut of France played in the most amazing marathon tennis match ever. The match was spread over three days and lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. It was a display of huge serves and amazing effort to stay in the match from both players. Isner ended up winning, but both players were winners in my book. They were cordial and classy all the way through and it was a pleasure to watch.

Local tennis was fun too with USTA league play, Club Team and Boiling Springs Team Tennis winding up with a fun benefit tournament for Madison's Cancer Foundation.

For me it is way to hot to play tennis just now. I keep hearing songs from 1965. The old Lovin Spoonful song - "Summer in the City". "Hot Town Summer in the City. Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty! ...Everybody walking around half dead..Hotter than a matchhead". Another song that keeps playing in my head is Billy Stewart's version of "Summertime". This is a jazzy, bouncey, staccato version of the Gershwin tune from "Porgy and Bess". Billy Stewart was one of my favorite soul singers and he always comes to mind in the Summer because I remember hearing so many of his hits when I was coming off a tennis court or near a swimming pool in the 1960s. "Sitting in the Park waiting for YOOOOUUUUU" was another favorite. And of course "I Do Love You" was a classic beach song. If you don't know or remember the Loving Spoonful or Billy Stewart you can look them up on YouTube. If you're like me, you'll get the urge to dance.

Another summertime pleasure from the 60s was chasing lightning bugs. In Lattimore, we would run around outside with mason jars and catch as many lightning bugs as we could. We would punch holes in the lids so they could breathe. I'm not so sure why we did this because we also used to pinch off their lights to make 'jewelry'. One light could make a ring and several lights would make a necklace. There seemed to be a ton of lightning bugs back then. I haven't noticed them as much during the last few summers, but this year they are very plentiful in my neighborhood. Fortunately for them, I haven't felt any urge to chase and pinch. I am happy to just rock on the front porch and watch them blink.

The Round-Up Store - Homemade Pimiento Cheese

In the late 40s Mom and Dad moved to Cliffside, NC so Dad could practice dentistry. They had planned to start a practice in Shelby and had a site picked out for an office when Dr. Robertson, Cliffside's only dentist called. Dr. Robertson was not well and needed Dad to come fill in for him while he recuperated. Cliffside was a southern mill town and had a very closely knit family atmosphere. People who lived there during that time have a strong nostalgia for Cliffside. They still have reunions even though the mill was closed years ago. Dad planned to stay there until Dr. Robertson returned, but ended up practicing dentistry there until he retired in the 80s.

There were alot of interesting characters in Cliffside; Mr. Haynes of the Haynes Bank, Harris who was Dad's Dental assistant, and there was Tubby Hawkins. Dad says Tubby was larger than life. Tubby was involved in everything that happened in Cliffside and was quite the entrepreneur. One day Tubby appeared at Dad's dental office in uptown Cliffside. To get to Dad's office you entered wooden doors with creaky, dark, dusty, and very long stairs leading up to the dental office area. Walter Dalton says that when he was an eight year old going to the dentist, this felt like walking up to the gallows.

Tubby walked into Dad's office and said, "Jack there's been a train wreck at the Harris Station down the road. Let's go look at it." Dad had patients to tend to but he agreed to go during lunch. When they arrived at the train wreck, they discovered the train cars contained Donald Duck orange juice and escarole. Tubby and Dad thought they could sell the salvaged orange juice, but they didn't know what escarole was. Anyway, after some discussions they bought the contents, salvaged all they could and got it ready to resell. The Donald Duck orange juice sold quickly, but as it turned out nobody knew what to do with escarole. They put it on a truck to drive up North thinking people up there might know what to do with it. Turns out escarole just wasn't very popular anywhere, but overall the salvaged train wreck turned a small profit. Dad says that for he and Tubby, "the salvage bug had bit".

From there, they bought other train wrecks, fire damaged goods and close-outs. After Dad worked all day in the dental office he would drive around looking at various merchandise that somebody wanted to dispose of. They bought shoes which Tubby and Georgia sold from their basement. Dad says this was before Pic N Pay or but they did run across the Levine's from time to time during this period.

Dad was called back to the Army for Korean War service and he turned everything over to Tubby. When he returned from Ft Bragg, he started looking for salvage deals again and this was the beginning of The Round Up Store.

The Old Round Up Store began with a purchase of a hardware store in Virginia. Mom, Dad, Tubby and Georgia traveled to see the stock. After a lot of discussion they ended up with this stock and moved it into Roy Price's building in Mooresboro. It was named the Round Up Store, I thought because they galloped all over and rounded up the bargains. A cowboy on a horse with a lasso became the logo. Bo Greene was hired as a manager, Mildred Jackson as a cashier and Helen Byars did the accounting work.

Turns out they were pretty good at looking at stock, finding quality merchandise and selling it at discount prices. Mom got involved reluctantly at first, but Dad encouraged her to spread her wings in the business world. At one time or another, they opened stores in Ellenboro, Troutman, Boone, Raleigh, Morganton, Shelby and had three locations in Boiling Springs, NC. My sisters and I worked throughout the years in one location or another and so did alot of our friends.

The Round Up was interesting because we never knew what tomorrow would bring. At one time or another we packed up roller skates, TVs, hardware, soft goods, Misty Harbor raincoats, Lanz, Bobbie Brooks, red pajamas, groceries, shoes and a whole gift store from Oxford, NC. We cleaned and packed and sold flood damage stock from a hurricane in Alabama and fire sales from alot of places. It was wild and exciting and fun. We worked together as a family, doing whatever needed to be done at the time. In the salvage business, you never know when you will be called to pack a train wreck or a close out. You just have to be ready when called.

Dad met alot of interesting people while he was in the salvage business and enjoyed the relationships. Somewhere along in there he also met a man named Johnny Walker who was a sales manager with a fairly new business called Lowes. At that time, Lowe's wanted to franchise so Dad opened a Lowes Franchise in Shelby, NC on East Dixon Boulevard. After several years, Lowes decided that they wanted to have only company stores and they bought the franchise rights back. So they rented Dad's building in Shelby and the Lowe's store operated there for many years.

Dad still had the dental office, still had the Round Up and other stores, they had moved to Lattimore and he and his brother Robert had started a dairy farm on the side. Then Dad decided to get into politics. He told Mom he wanted to run for the Legislature for two terms and ended up staying in the legislature for 22 years. Eventually it was time to close some of the businesses and to simplify the stock.

Today there is still The Round Up Store of Shelby, Inc and it operates out of the original Lowe's location in Shelby. Today the stock is limited to building materials. There is a shop where storage buildings are manufactured and there are a wide variety of cabinets and cabinet grade plywood.

This week, about 60 years after the first train wreck of orange juice and escarole, the Round Up Store of Shelby held a Chamber of Commerce event called Business After Hours.

The purpose of the event is to expose Chamber members who may have never been into the store to come see the products. Dad wanted to make it a memorable event and this meant calling in all of the family to help. Old neurons must have kicked in because everyone knew how to jump in to help.

Dad set the menu; Mama's Country Ham biscuits, shrimp cocktail, cream cheese and olive sandwiches, homemade pimiento cheese sandwiches, pineapple raisin sandwiches, deviled eggs, and David's beef tenderloin. For dessert, he wanted coconut cake, pound cake and Libby's Marshmallow brownies.

Philip, Chris, Jay, Abel, and several others worked for days to get the Round Up cleaned up and organized. Mom, Dad, Libby, David R and I worked to get the food and tables together. Cindy, Judy, Penny, David M, Tammy, Debbie, Will, and Jay were present to help with hosting and clean up. The Round Up looked great and the food was outstanding. It was a very memorable event.


Homemade Pimiento Cheese

Grate an 8 oz block of Cheese (Dad uses Colby Cheese but I use Sharp Cheddar. Dad and Mom like to taste the pimiento so they like colby because it is milder cheese)
Grate a little bit of Monterey Jack with Jalapeno if you want
Add diced pimiento. (Dad and mom have grown their own pimiento but they also like Goya when they can find it)
Add mayo to taste.
Add black pepper to taste. Less mayo than you think. Dad puts alot of pepper.

Mix everything together and spread onto white or wheat bread. Cut each sandwich into fourths. For parties, Mom and Dad arrange on a three tiered platter that they call 'the sandwich tree'.

OPG

One of the best things about having a small garden of your own is walking outside to pick something fresh for dinner. But one of the drawbacks is that sometimes there isn't alot to pick. That's when you can really appreciate OPG. Other people's gardens.

People who love fresh food and gardening flock together. After so much preparation and work that goes into gardens, when the bounty starts coming in, it can be really bountiful. All of a sudden.

So, I haven't planted some of our favorite things like silver queen corn, white potatoes, green beans or zucchini. But other people have.

Mom and Dad have white half runners (green beans) coming in fast and furious. They have canned several times now and Mom has declared she is done. She has over 100 quarts of perfect green beans in the pantry. But the beans keep coming, so Dad has called to offer fresh green beans and we are happy to accept that offer.

Then, this morning, I saw a grocery bag on the kitchen counter. It is full of fresh, beautiful white potatoes. Steve Royster grows the best white potatoes we have ever eaten. They are organic potatoes and honestly there is nothing like them. They are not at all starchy and the thin skins taste wonderful too. I ran into Steve recently and he said this year's is the best crop he has ever had. Oh joy.

The Royster's immigrated from Wales in the 1700s, settling first in Jamestown, Virginia and then Granville County, North Carolina. Horace and Mary Elizabeth Royster came to Cleveland County, North Carolina in 1872. They wanted to build a railroad in Western North Carolina, but when this project didn't work out they set up a boarding school. Later Horace became the first Superintendent of Education in Cleveland County. Horace and Elizabeth had five children and one of those was Stephen Sampson Royster. He was a pharmacist and a medical doctor and was known as Dr. S. S. My grandmother, Alma Harrill Hunt, wrote that she remembered Dr. S. S. making house calls in a horse and buggy.

Dr. S. S. and his wife, Olive, had two sons, David and Ralph. David had two children Anne and David Jr ("D"). Ralph had two children, Mimi and Steve. So Steve is David III's first cousin once removed or something like that. Mama Crowder could explain it.

Anyway, Steve grows the best organic potatoes that we have ever had. And they go great with my parent's fresh green beans. We are so lucky to have sweet family who want to share with us.

When you get to enjoy other people's gardens, it's a treat in more ways than one.

Garden Update - Cucumber and Onion Sandwiches

The gardens are just about to explode with fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers. Things we have planted and things that come back every year are really taking off. We had a wet winter and spring and that has made the hydrangeas this year the prettiest ever.

In the Lattimore garden, Mama has had beautiful cabbage heads and has made slaw and cooked cabbage with cornbread. The freshness and the tenderness of homegrown cabbage makes everything taste twice as good. Yesterday I made Nishie's Slaw. Nishie would be so proud.

Mama and Daddy have already canned 14 quarts of green beans with more to come. They use a pressure cooker to can beans. I never have learned to use a pressure cooker. I don't think I am afraid of that many things, but that jiggling and hissing and steaming scares me to death. So I can help pick, string, break, wash, blanche and put the beans in jars, but I don't do the pressure cooker part.

The corn 'is as high as an elephant's eye' and will be ready to pull in early July. Corn freezing day in Lattimore is a huge production that actually spreads out over a week or so. This is usually around July 12th, but Daddy says this year the corn may come in a little earlier. Whenever it is, we drop everything to 'do corn'. Daddy wants us to get the corn 'from field to freezor in under 3 hours' because that preserves the fresh sweetness of the corn. If it takes longer, the corn sugars start breaking down into a less flavorful sticky starchiness.

My little garden is also growing and we have eaten cucumbers, peppers, and sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. I love walking outside to pick something fresh to put on a sandwich or salad.

The difference between slicing a grocery store cucumber and one straight from the garden is amazing. They are more tender to slice and the smell and taste are juicy, crispy and sweet. We have had cucumbers in salads, but my favorite thing is a cucumber and onion sandwich.

Cucumber and onion sandwiches make me think of Memorial Day on the grounds at Lattimore Church on the first Sunday in May. It isn't the same as the National Memorial Day Holiday, but is held each year to remember people who are buried in the Church Cemetery. Lattimore Church is an old country Baptist church where we grew up going to Sunbeams and Vacation Bible School. I was baptized there and I remember Preacher Borders being an intelligent and quiet leader back then. I also remember one time sitting on the front row with my friend, Avis, and watching the candles flicker on the big oak table that said "This Do in Rememberance of Me". Avis and I caught each other's eye and we both saw the candle flame dancing around like it was alive. I have no idea why it was so funny, but we could not hold back the giggles. The harder we tried not to laugh the worse it got. Preacher Borders was trying to concentrate on his sermon and gave us a sweet but exasperated glance. That look is burned into my memory. I'm still afraid to watch a candle flicker in church.

Lattimore Church is small, but has a pretty sanctuary and large beautiful grounds with grass and huge trees outside. This is where they usually set up the Memorial Day Lunch on the grounds. Everybody brings their speciality and sometimes there is a little competition to make sure the dish you bring is appreciated. When the dish you bring 'gets gone quick' then that means it was a hit.

Aunt Pauline, who was really my great aunt, married Nanny's brother, Colon Harrill. They lived in the old Harrill homeplace where we also had the Harrill Reunions. She always made cucumber and onion sandwiches for Harrill Reunions and for Memorial Day at Lattimore Church. She cut white bread out into big circles with a biscuit cutter and then peeled and sliced cucumber and onions. She put just a little mayonaise on the bread and a little salt and pepper.

Sometimes we make these like a sandwich and sometimes we do them in smaller circles and serve open faced as an appetizer. It is simple, but so good.

Sister's Cheese Wafers

The Summer so far has been filled with visitors in and out of the house and with quick road trips here and there. If there is one thing that I can cook to make everybody happy it is Sister's Cheese Wafers. They are a hit anytime anywhere.

Sister's Cheese Wafers put people in a festive mood. They are crispy and spicy and they go great with coffee for breakfast, diet coke for an afternoon snack or with a 'libation' during cocktail hour. A cheese wafer on a road trip can make the trip itself feel like a party.

There are alot of recipes for cheese wafers, cheese straws, cheese pennies, but we think Sister's Cheese Wafers are the very best. Sister is David's mother. Her given name was Katherine Quinn but everybody calls her Sister. She got this Cheese Wafer recipe from her mother, Katherine Briggs Quinn. Katherine Briggs grew up in Raleigh, married Aaron Quinn and they had four children - Sister, Pete, Ennis and Charlie. Sister said her mother had given her a box of handwritten recipes when she married David's father and the Cheese Wafer recipe was in the box. I asked if it was okay to blog this recipe and she laughed and said, "oh heaven's yes! I have given that recipe out many times."

It may not matter if you have the recipe or not because making cheese wafers is another one of those things that takes some practice. Also it helps to have the right pan. I mentioned to Lynn's husband, Tommy, that sometimes food is only good if it is cooked in the right pan. Tommy said he sure would like to have the pan Sister makes cheese wafers in.

I make cheese wafer rolls on one day and then refrigerate until I am ready to bake them. You have to bake the cheese wafers just before you plan to serve them for two reasons - 1) they get stale within a couple of days; and 2) they get eaten up within a couple of days.

I store them in cookie tins and those tins have become familiar to alot of folks. One red cookie tin says David's Cookies and we bought it years ago on a trip to NYC with Susan and Thomas. I have kept it all these years and always put cheese wafers in there for David on his birthday, Father's Day and many other times. Family and friends know when they see the red tin that cheese wafers are in there and that means the cheese wafers can disappear really fast. When I have a big crowd around for a weekend, I hide extra tins of cheese wafers so I can ration them or they won't last past the first day.

Sister's Cheese Wafers

8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 stick melted butter
1 cup flour (I use self rising and do not add salt which is not the original recipe)
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
Cayenne Pepper to taste

Pour butter over grated cheese and mix. Add flour, pecans and pepper. Divide into two long rolls and wrap in saran wrap. Keep in the fridge until ready to bake.

When ready to bake, slice and bake on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then, put them on paper towels to cool and to absorb some of the grease. We like cheese wafers really crispy. As David says, "There is a fine line between cooked and burned."

Playing House

My parents, Ruby Frances Crowder and John Jackson Hunt, were born within 100 yards of each other in Lattimore, NC. Daddy was born in 1922 and Mama in 1926. Walter Dalton says they are so much a part of each other that their names are intertwined - JackandRuby sort of like Jack-o-lantern.

Daddy remembers how pretty Mama looked when he saw her as a little girl hoeing cotton in Lattimore. Mama is beautiful inside and out and is possibly the only person who can hoe cotton and still look beautiful. Mama remembers how cute Daddy was as a 12 year old, wearing his short khaki pants and driving an old red pickup truck around Lattimore. In those days, no drivers license was required.

Daddy also remembers that Mama loved to play house. He remembers seeing her when she was a little girl playing house on the side of the road in Lattimore using old bottle caps for cups and saucers. He says she has been playing house ever since.

They have set up house in Cliffside, NC where Daddy practiced dentistry; in Ft Bragg, NC where they served during both WWII and the Korean War; in Shelby and in Lattimore where they raised five children and 11 grandchildren; and in Raleigh where they served for 22 years in the NC Legislature.

When Mama sets up a house, she works at it. She thinks about colors, fabrics, furniture and accessories. And she thinks about comfort. Mama's house is pretty, but it is also warm and inviting. And it is always about serving whatever friends and family are there.

In the Lattimore den, hanging over the fireplace, there is a print of a woman and several little children on a picnic. The woman is nudging one of the little girls to offer a plate of food to a little boy. Mama said she loved this print when she first saw it and she bought it because "I wanted to teach my little girls to serve".

I love the print too, but Mama is the best model for learning to serve.

Lake Lure North Carolina - The Hunt's Potato Salad

There is no where in the world more special to our families than Lake Lure.

Lake Lure was built in the late 1920s in Rutherford County, North Carolina to generate power and for recreation. Small cottages were built around the lake and the majority of the recreation was fishing. The Lake has had many ups and downs since then. Today some of the fishing cottages are disappearing and being replaced with huge houses. The recreation still includes fishing, but also canoeing, kayaking, skiiing and pontoon rides. Jet Skis are not allowed on Lake Lure and I see that as a plus. Several movies have scenes on and around the Lake including The Last of the Mohicans, Firestarter and Dirty Dancing. The Town of Lake Lure has pontoon tour boats that take folks around the Lake to hear the history and enjoy the beautiful scenery. For years, visitors to the Lake told me that the old, rounded mountains and the homes and boathouses that surround the Lake looked alot like Switzerland. Last year, after a pontoon trip around Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, I could see the similarity.

Both sides of our families have long histories at The Lake. Any trip to The Lake starts out with excitement and anticipation of who will be there and what are we going to eat?

My grandfather, R. L. Hunt, loved Lake Lure and had a fishing cottage there. Carl Martin, my father's best friend since elementary school, tells a story about visiting the Lake with my father and grandfather. Most of Carl's stories are theatrical and hysterical. He loves to tell them and we love to hear whatever version he's telling. The jist of this story was that Carl and Daddy were grown men and were 'up at the Lake' to go fishing with PawPaw. PawPaw and Daddy did not drink 'libations' in front of each other. So Daddy might say, "Carl let's go down to the dock and have a libation". Later, PawPaw might do the same. If you have seen Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire you get the picture. Carl can make this story short or long, but it is always funny to watch him tell it.

In the 1950s, my parents bought several cottages and a restaurant called The Log Shop. They rented the cottages most of the year, but also took friends up to the Lake for house parties. Sometimes they would take their guests to the Log Shop for breakfast of country ham, grits, eggs, biscuits or for a steak dinner. But mostly Mama would cook. She did this with five small children. Betty Harris reminds me every time I see her, that she rode with Mama to The Lake once. At that time, there was one way to The Lake - about a one hour ride on a curving winding 2 lane mountain road. My sisters were ages 7, 5, 4, and 2. I was a baby and Betty says she held me in her arms while I cried the whole way to the Lake! No wonder she only did that once.

Mama is the most organized hostess you will ever see. She knows how to entertain and make it look effortless. She planned her menus so that she could actually accomplish a trip that men, women and children could enjoy. I am guessing she was beautiful and smiling while she pulled off this magic.

Her menu was picnic style - shrimp, ham, fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, deviled eggs, pimiento cheese sandwiches and chocolate cake. She would prepare everything ahead of time and when she arrived at the Lake she would just put it out buffet style and "let people eat when they wanted to".

I learned to water ski at Lake Lure when I was nine years old. We were visiting at the Hamrick's cottage and Daddy's friend, Carl, had pulled skiers all day long. Carl was ready to put the boat in the boathouse, but I begged him to let me try. I remember he looked at me and said, "I'll let you try one time, but if you don't get up, we are coming in." I knew he meant that and somehow I managed to get up the first try.

Later on in the 60s, I learned to slalom when we were skiing at Bald Mountain resort (now Rumbling Bald). I never enjoyed the slalom as much as two skiis. I think it's because when I was learning to slalom, I fell into a patch of lily pads and started imagining all the creepy things that might be living under there. It seemed like hours before the boat circled around to get me out of the lily pads. Bald Mountain resort is also the first place I ever tasted an ice cream sundae. It was in a tall parfait glass and had vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top. I guess I remember it because it settled my nerves after the scary lily pad incident.

In the late 1950s, David's father "D" bought a lot on The Island. There is a small island in the middle of Lake Lure called Yacht Island. I'm told it was originally called Snake Island and the story goes that they released pigs on the island to get rid of the snakes. I seldom see snakes there anymore, so if it's true, it must have worked.

There was no bridge to the island, so "D" built one. That's just how "D" was. They have since replaced the original bridge, but there is a picture of the old bridge at the house. They built a house on the island and it has one of the most spectacular views on the lake. Every trip to "D"s house also included lots of menu planning and gigantic meals. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, BLTs, Steaks and Ribs were on the menu and huge quantities of everything. There is a big boathouse with a high deck and railing that everyone loves to jump off. Various boats over the years have pulled alot of people skiing and tubing all over the lake. Several years ago another deck was built at the house where we eat crab legs and ribs and watch the amazing sunsets. Dancing parties have been known to break out there.

On the way to the island, is a cove that years ago was called "Shelby Cove" because so many people from our area owned houses there. There are still alot of "Shelby people" in the cove including a cottage that my sister, Cindy and her husband, David own. With alot of musicians in the circle of family and friends, the Martin's deck is home to alot of music and singing.

So, there are years and years of memories filled with food, fun, family and friends at Lake Lure.

The Hunt's Potato Salad for 50 People
Note: I have three written recipes for Potato Salad and all are varied amounts so adjust it to how you like it.

Scrub 17 white potatoes, cook in several pots in uniform sizes so they cook right (they aren't good if the insides aren't done)
Cook potatoes 20 minutes unsalted. Peel and cube uniformly.

About 2 cups of celery
Pull silks off and cut fairly small and uniformly

3 large onions (or 3 cups - which mama thinks is too much but daddy doesn't)
chop onions uniformly
1 cup or more of sweet salad cube pickles
17 eggs - Cook 10 minutes, then let them sit in hot water 10 minutes, then chill
Use 5 whites and all of the yolks, finely mashed

2 cups mayo or so (*there is a Dukes vs Hellmans controversy. Decide for yourself.)
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Cook potatoes, eggs. Cube potatoes. Finely mash eggs. Chop everything else. Add together and mix it without making it all too mushy. Add a little extra pepper and puerto rico (paprika) and garnish with fresh parsley.