Spicy Winter Comfort

Dreary damp February Saturday, splashing around in the drizzle doing errands, antiquing, shopping for fresh produce in spite of the winter. Nestled by the evening fire, I peered into my latest 'Bon Appetit' to the Hot Soup section and tried the concoction of Chicken Khao Soi, a curry chicken soup to stick to our ribs. What a perfect choice for this evening meal. With this we also enjoyed marinated tomato salad and a Korean style cucumber salad.

 Korean Cucumber Salad

1 lb. cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced
Salt
1 ¼ tsp. cayenne
1 ¼ tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic crushed and minced
1 1” piece fresh ginger minced
2 scallions, diced
1 TBS sesame oil
Place sliced cucumbers on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 3 hours. Drain.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, add cucumbers and let sit for a few hours for flavors to mix well.


 Tomato Salad

 2 – 3 tomatoes, sliced
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 TBS lime juice
½ tsp finely chopped ginger
Salt    Pepper
 Arrange sliced tomatoes on a plate or platter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and other diced ingredients. Allow to sit for flavors to mingle. Enjoy

 *You could substitute chives, parsley, cilantro or any other fresh herbs for the scallions. Also, you could use grape tomatoes rather than large ones.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/03/chicken-khao-soi

touristing

Ahhh, a beautiful fall day beside the Mississippi. What to do but wander the streets of this unknown city, shop, eat and take it all in. The temperature couldn't have been better, hovering around 70 in the daytime and 50s in the evening. Saturday was our shopping and tourist day and our first full day to indulge on what good eats Memphis had to offer. Thanks to our Scottish friends, we had some tips they had collected from some locals to find some of the best the town had to offer.








After our ramblings on Beale Street, we headed to The Flying Fish, home of all wayward Billy Bass castaways. Saturday then became Fry-Day. Fried catfish, hushpuppies, okra, shrimp, oysters...am I forgetting anything? Oh, I also had a few oysters on the half, so we could truly say we had six of one and half dozen of the other. Really. We sat at the window seats looking out on to the street and had ourselves a feast. All was very well cooked. Not too sleazy greazy and just what we'd been looking for. Awesome!




After the feast, we rambled back to the hotel and deposited our shopping treasures, then went back to our Bardog family for some happy hours before our next exploratory venture. Late afternoon we walked north on the Main Street trolley line. Oddly, we never hopped on the trolley, it always seemed to be going the other way. It was fine with us to walk and take in the city sights in such a fine fall climate. We ventured into the Pinch District, which is known for being an art center of the town. Viewing sculpture, galleries and performing arts venues along the way. We made a visit to Westy's for some refreshment and bantering over where to go for dinner.





We strolled back to our room for a bit of college football news and went over our lists of suggested places. We finally opted to go for Gus Fried Chicken, another place to walk to in the cool of the evening. Oh, man, you wouldn't believe the fried chicken! It was a modest and unassuming joint, but filled with folks who obviously enjoyed the fried chicken. Of course we got that with sides of fried green tomatoes and friend dill pickles.



All of this to complete our 'Fry Day'. Then in search of the 'tums'! Oh, what a day!

Come fly with me, come fly come fly away

Up Up and Away...my man and I had a fantastic getaway thanks to some very special friends and family. A quick drive to Charlotte to catch a straight flight to Blues City. While strolling through the airport, I stopped in the newsstand to pick out my in flight reading 'zine. I heard Vic over my shoulder while I was still perusing my choices, "This is it, Vanity Fair, Johnny Depp is on the cover. You know you want it." nuf said.



We arrived on the sunny banks of the Mississippi around 4 pm, checked in to our cozy room and deposited our belongings. Then we ventured out to see the neighborhood. The lobby doors opened directly out to the trolley line and a park across the way.



As we strolled down a couple of blocks, I looked around the corner to see a neon sign that said 'Bardog'. It was calling our names. We ventured in and discovered our first 'neighborhood' bar and doorway to meeting some really fun people. Not to mention their bar food was excellent. No sooner had we settled in, than three fine gentlemen from Scotland came along and we instantly became friends.





After a jolly old time with them, we had a short rest and went in search of our first Barbecue feast. Our choice of the evening was Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous. The Best dry rub ribs you can fathom, spicy beans and slaw and a pitcher of Michelob. Geez Louise!

We took an after dinner stroll to Beale Street but didn't venture in to the depths of neon profusion and blaring blues. Maybe another night. A nightcap back at the Bardog and rest for day 2.

Charles Phoenix's Cherpumple: The "Monster" Pie-Cake

Bird Season

It's just around the corner, well actually, it's always bird season here at Claude's Cove. Whether we're watching Herons and Hummers or Cardinals and Crows or the phenomenal Pileated Woodpecker, there always seems to be an abundance of bird life to fancy our bird-watching pleasures. We have a breathtaking natural habitat that invites those who will to stay with us year round if it suits their nature.

Although you know that what I'm really getting at is the big bird of the year. I've been racking up points to get the Thanksgiving turkey to share our thanks with the family. I've been poring over page after page of the latest Bon Appetit's Thanksgiving special issue and testing recipes for sharing later. My autumn treat to me was the Lee Brothers' 'Simple, Fresh, Southern' cookbook, a valuable addition to my cooking library. Last year I served the Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin, which I think rocks and have made a few other times. This year I will harvest some of brother's collard greens from the great greens patch and make Collard Greens with poblano chiles and chorizo. We've already tested that one and guess what, it rocks too. It is a new spin for me on greens and southern food.

The Lee collection of recipes accentuates good vibes of the south and they don't seem to have any qualms about admitting that this is a vital part of their background.

Easing in to my favorite holiday time of the year, best wishes to everyone for Peace, Prosperity and Comfort and safe travels to your destinations far and wide.


painting- Golden Winged Decalia


French Hens

A Chili in the Air..

summer wanes. cool nights. windows open. apples. pumpkins. pies. drives in the mountains. apple cider. tailgating. state fairs. autumn colors. mums.

chowders. stews. planting the winter garden. collard greens, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, lettuce, parsley. raking leaves.

September

I think it's time for some chili.

White Chicken Chili

2 TBS. Olive Oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup tomatillo sauce
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 TBS. cumin
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white hominy (Maiz Pozolero), drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime

In a Dutch Oven, saute onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add green chiles and cilantro and stir to blend. Add Tomatillo sauce, chicken stock and cumin. Stir well and add cooked chicken. Add beans and hominy and lime juice. Stir and simmer for one to two hours. Serve garnished with avocado, roasted red peppers and cilantro.

Enjoy!

The Garden Muse

photo by J.T. Hammond

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
-Marcel Proust

____________

There she is in her Most Happy Place. It is time I introduced the Matriarch of the other side of my family. Grandmother Pauline.
The farm that my father's family finally settled on after a number of years of tenant farming, was just a stone's throw from Claude's Cove. Mom and Dad met in high school. As country neighbors do, the families occasionally got together for special suppers. We will delve into that aspect at a later time.

I spent many childhood days visiting my grandma's hilltop farm. I believe her greatest loves at that time were being encircled by her family, music, and gardening. She labored for hours with her own hands building stone walls and pathways and growing lavish roses, lilies and other beautiful flowers.

I played for long hours and days with cousins or childhood friends, riding horseback or staging imaginary sagas in the hand built fort, complete with lookout tower. The tower overlooked the clay tennis court where other cousins exhibited their physical prowess.

Many family reunions occurred there. Roasting split whole chickens slathered in barbecue sauce over a fire pit. Many hours of my aunts slaving over the stove to feed the dozens of us who came just to play. More hours of putting away freshly picked produce from Grandmother's garden to feed our families through the year.

This summer we have put away much happiness from the garden. We are blessed.

Pickled Green Beans

3 lbs. tender green beans
4 hot peppers, fresh or dried
4 garlic cloves
4 tsp. peppercorns
4 tsp. mustard seed
4 TBS dill seed
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. celery seed

Trim and wash beans.
Sterilize canning jars and lids. Fill each jar with beans. To each jar add 1 chile pepper, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. peppercorns, 1 tsp. mustard seed, and 1 TBS dill seed.

Bring water and vinegars to a boil in a non-reactive pan. Add salt, pepper flakes and celery seed. ladle vinegar solution over beans leaving 1/2" head space. Clean jar edges and place lids on securely.

Boil in hot water bath 10 - 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Check lids to see that they have sealed. Allow to sit for 3 - 4 weeks for flavors to blend.
Makes 4 pints.

Green Baby Green

Talk to me about going green...how about the Green diet? laced with a little red and yellow.

Why I was raised on a green spoon, started eating organic about the time I started eating solid food...farm raised chickens, eggs and milk. Homegrown vegetables, fresh herbs, canned foods from the fields for the winter.



This summer we are blessed by the Jolly Green Giant and Mother Nature's Rain ...numerous pints of pickled green beans, refrigerator cucumber pickles, cartons of beans and squash in the deep freeze. Daily doses of cucumber, tomato and yogurt salad. Luscious, juicy tomato sandwiches, piquant, garlicky pesto and caponata. Ahhhh, the freshness.



A Saturday jaunt to a North Carolina tailgate market to see what they have that we don't...not much, I see, but I did grab a bagfull of good HOT jalapenos, since ours are not quite ready.





bean basket photo by J.T. Hammond

Glowing Thoughts

navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines

mandarin orange tea

Bright orbs of orange for dark winter days

Reading about oranges. Foodie shows about oranges. Oranges and dark chocolate. Just thinking about them is a bright thought. The aroma intoxicating. No wonder they come to us in the middle of winter, to brighten the day, to scent the air, to sweeten the senses.

Cabin fever. excavate. clean the corners. empty out.
Bring the balance back to Life.

Research recipes for comfort foods from the Barefoot Contessa.
Homade chicken stock. Bouillabaisse.

Daffodil leaves are peaking through crispy leaf mulch.
Their glowing yellow faces will show themselves soon.

Finishing projects. pulling out seed packets. contemplating spring and
New Beginnings.

Field Trip - Spartanburg Art Museum. Wolf Kahn - paintings and pastels.
Ahhhhhh...my inspiration...

You've got to love a man that braves snow and ice, hand squeezes fresh blood oranges, shovels out the tiki bar and shakes up a beautiful tastey cocktail garnished with a fresh rosemary twig.

Yum.

Hokey Pokey

Welcome to the dinner table at the farm at Claude's Cove. As I said earlier, we can fish for our dinner, or we can go out into the woods and glean the early leaves of the greens growing heartily in our back yard, voluntarily from Mother Nature.

There are the violets of the early spring with their delicate blossoms to dress the salad as a bouquet. Also, the dandelion greens, to all those who call them a nuisance and never stopped to consider they are also a food source.

Ah, but we're reaching to the real soul food element as we harvest the tender leaves of the poke weed. Surely all of you, by now, know the saga of Poke Salat Annie and the Gator and the Grannie. I imagine a little gator meat might go well with the poke, but thankfully they are not a commodity in this neck of the woods. We opted to simmer our salat with some bacon renderings and thinly sliced sweet vidalia onions.

First the greens were blanched in hot water until just tender, then sauted with bacon drippings and onions. The flavor is suttle and somewhat similar to spinach. A menu of slow roasted beef with mushrooms and gravy, oven baked mashed sweet potatoes and french green beans accompanied our fresh poke harvest.

I highly recommend you try it. It is bound to be high in nutritional value. It is all so resfreshing to enjoy. Something that is not run of the mill frozen, fast or pre-packaged, and SO green and natural that it makes you feel good to eat it.

All of that after a day of gardening and planting seeds and plants.I sit back in anticipation of a season of growth, and smile.