To everything there is a season

There is no smoke coming from the chimney of the little green house across the street this morning.

Last night I knew as the police cars pulled up at sunset that something was direly wrong. And I was right. Our dear old neighbor had passed away.

Tommy was a small man- standing only 5'5". He always wore bib overalls and a plaid shirt. I remember the first time I encountered him. It was at my husband's father's funeral. He stood quietly outside the visiting room- in his best denim overalls and a clean white shirt, clutching a baseball cap in his hands. He refused to come in. He did not speak to anyone. He paid his respects and slipped out before anyone noticed.

Over the past six and a half years we have lived across the street from Tommy- on the top of a hill in my husband's old family home overlooking Tommy's house. Every once and a while I would stop by and say hello if he was outside, but mostly I kept my respectful distance and watched out for him from afar. He lived by himself, had never married, and as of late kept goats in the little mule shed in his backyard.

Tommy was born in the 1920s in the little hollar down the street- before there were streets here. Before this was a neighborhood. A time when this area was still a rural outcropping of the greater city.

But times have changed. This neighborhood has changed. There are houses everywhere. This area is becoming a mecca for urbanites. Houses are being remodeled and updated. New families are moving into the area. New families with new ideas and modern dwellings.

In the midst of this was Tommy. A man who still heated his home by a wood stove. A man who had been educated up to the seventh grade. A man who was never afraid of hard work and always helped his neighbors. And a man who spent his summer afternoons sitting in a folding chair in his front yard waving to neighbors as they drove by. A man of true Southern Appalachia.

I watched quietly from the window as the family stood outside and they brought his body out of the house. I felt foolish and guilty for spying like I did. But I watched. And cried.

I cried a deep sense of loss. I cried not only for the family's loss but for the loss of an era. For Tommy, time had stood still. He was the past. He was what we all once were and what we all seem so desperately trying to leave behind. And today, as I look out over the quiet little green house across the street, I wonder- Will anyone even remember that time?

Annual November Harvest Feast

Hello and I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Just wanted to share this year's feasty frenzy with you
(and a secret recipe from down South):

• Hickory smoked turkey
• Southern cornbread dressing
• Homemade cranberry chutney
• Chipolte-Sorghum sweet potatoes
• Naked Green Beans
• and Mom's homemade Pumpkin pie

In the American South, we do not eat bread stuffing. We eat cornbread stuffing! And here's my secret recipe just for you!


Southern Cornbread Dressing:

1 pan skillet cornbread (recipe below) cooled and crumbled

1 (8 ounce) can cream-style corn

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic (not dried)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup dried cranberries (or chopped apples if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a saucepan, add butter, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until celery is al dente.
3. In a medium bowl combine crumbled cornbread, creamed corn, eggs, milk and dried cranberries; stir until moistened.
4. Mix in the saucepan ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Pour into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Basic Southern Cornbread:
2 cups white self rising cornmeal
2 eggs beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil


Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased cast iron skillet. Bake 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees F or until golden brown.


Enjoy!

Time to throw my hat into the ring

It seems to be a common topic. One that reoccurs many times over on farm blogs. One we all hate to see pop up in our reader yet a story we can all so easily relate to. I am referring to the the loss of our barnyard companions. More specifically, the loss of our little feathered friends.

Yesterday evening just before dark we noticed three of our four chickens missing from our yard. Each night just before dusk we scoop up our two Doms and two Rhode Island Reds and put them up for the night in an elevated hutch. Often the girls are waiting near the door for us and we just pick them up and put them to bed. But not last night. One was waiting at the door as usual but the other three were no where to be found. We tracked down our other Dom in the thicket just next to the house. But we were still missing both our Road Island Reds.

For about three hours we combed the woods with flashlights looking for the girls but to no avail. Clouds had set in and rain was predicted that night. The only thing we could do was wait until daylight and hope they came home. I was worried (of course) but knew the two had to be together and that made the long hours until day break a little easier.

This morning our smallest Red came sauntering home. She came from the direction of our neighbor's house. Naturally I was jubilated to see her safe and dry and on her way home. However, my heart sank as I saw she was alone. But, I held out hope because if indeed our smallest hen (and lowest in the pecking order) found her way home, surely our lead chicken would as well.

I put the the little Red up and fed the three of them until the rain let up later that morning. Then I turned them out for a little while in the yard while I moved their day pen to a fresh spot. (We keep them in an enlarged dog kennel when we are not home to keep an eye on them.) I guess I was hoping the three hens would beckon our forth missing girl home somehow.

I stepped inside just for a moment to help my two year old with something when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a black dog standing in our yard. The moment I hit the door, our Doms sounded the alarm and I immediately chased the dog away.

I scooped up the Doms and put them back in their hutch. But my little Red was no where to be found. She took off. And is gone again.

How fortunate I was to have her survive a night unprotected only to have her disappear once again. Heartbreaking. Truly Heartbreaking. And frustrating.

I am now convinced this dog may have appeared yesterday and scattered the small flock. The lead chicken (the one who has yet to return home) was a bit of a wander over the summer. I had to continually bring her back from our neighbor's yard and I kept her in her day pen unless I was out to supervise. She is also very broody so there is hope she may have a nest tucked away somewhere and will return home at some point.

We've combed the yard, and the woods, and the neighbor's yard, and the other neighbor's yard, and the trees, and the bushes. There is no sign of struggle. No piles of feathers. It's raining today and there will be heavy storms tonight and tomorrow.

I called our local animal control and reported a leash law violation. I caught him in the yard one evening last week trying to attack my rabbits (also in elevated cages) and chased him away then. He is quiet- doesn't bark. He's young (and sneaky.)

There is a part of me that says there is nothing more we can do. But then there is the other side of me that remembers bringing these girls home as day old chicks and teaching my toddler how to care for them. Sad really. And frustrating.

Naked Green Beans

OK- so they're not completely naked.... but they're pretty darn close!

Ingredients:
Fresh green beans- broken and washed
-or-
Frozen green beans (as much as you wish to serve)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt or sea salt

Directions:
Steam the green beans until they are al dente
Toss with small amount of olive oil- just enough to coat the beans
Season to taste with salt

That's it!

There is something about the combination of olive oil and salt on green beans that makes them especially delicious. I NEVER have any left overs when I prepare them this way. And- my toddler can't get enough of them! (And we all know getting little ones to eat veggies is not always easy!) Enjoy!

A visit to Sequatchie Cove Farm

This past weekend we visited a local farm that specializes in sustainable farming and organic produce. Recently, they have gained notoriety across the South for their artisan cheeses.

On Saturday, they hosted an open house and farm tour. We were curious, so we went. (Besides, who could resist the opportunity to explore a secluded mountain cove on a beautiful autumn morning.)

One of the owner's residence
(and the official greeter on his way to meet visitors)

Gorgeous mountain cove

Brood of hens gleaning spent garden beds

My little one and her accomplice trying to herd a cat

Sequatchie Cove Farm is by no means a typical commercial farm. It is maintained exclusively by six people- two of whom make the farm's cheese. I am not sure how many milking cows they have total, but during our visit we saw about a dozen or so. "The cheesemaker" said they are at about half their capacity right now and are excited about expanding as demand gets higher. Their dairy barn is the latest addition to the farming operation and houses a state of the art commercial kitchen and aging room. (We were not allowed in for sanitation reasons but did get to peek through the window!)

Who's watching who?

The creamers

My little one and her daddy- right at home with the cows 

The autumn colors

All in all- it was a lovely visit on a beautiful autumn day. And while we have no intention of ever going commercial with our farming (or raising our own meat- sorry folks, just can't do it.....), we were very inspired by what we saw at Sequatchie Cove Farm. Who knows- we may just try our hand at cheese making too someday!

A Nature walk with Fairies

This past weekend, my family and I attended the Festival of Jack O' Lanterns at our local nature center. This is an annual fundraiser and all proceeds go toward the preservation of our local wildlife. In addition to being a sanctuary, the center has several greenhouses on the grounds and a wildlife conservation area that is instrumental in raising awareness about the South's endangered red wolf population.

This year we decided to attend the festival in costume. I had the pleasure of being accompanied by the sweetest little fairy!

Happy Autumn everyone!

Celebrating Appalachian Culture

There is an exciting opportunity coming up in February centering around Appalachian culture. From the schedule, it looks to be pretty intriguing. And best of all- it's FREE!

Here are the details:
Where: The Mildred Haun Conference- Walter State College in Morristown, TN
When: February 4-5, 2012
Theme: "A celebration of Appalachian Literature, Culture, and Scholarship"

Here is a link to the schedule
Here is a link to the site

Best part of all- they will be paying homage to noted Tennessee History scholar and writer Wilma Dykeman! Amazing Lady! A true Steele Magnolia mixed with a heavy helping of Tennessee tenacity!

The Best Town in America?

I have a secret to share.

I am not Southern. Not by a Southerner's definition anyway.

I spent less than ten years "up North" before our family relocated to the American South.  Since then I have lived nearly double my life in this quiet, cozy, medium-sized Southern town.

Recently, our little city was featured in a fantastic national outdoor magazine- named as The Best Town in America. 

Really? Our little town?

At least that was the question on the mind of the Portland, Oregon magazine writer sent here to do the story. Our little city received the most votes in an online contest naming it the Best Town Ever and America's Ultimate Dream Town. 

The article opened with the quote: "Chiggers, poison ivy, rednecks, humid summers, cold winters. If you don't like those things, you shouldn't come here."

Hardly a way to beckon people to our city.

But perhaps that was the point. A comment by another transplant (this one from one state South), it pretty much summed up the atmosphere of our city. Meant to be tongue- and cheek, many local readers took offense at this statement. However, they seemed to miss the point.

"'I don't like Outside coming in here and naming this the best town ever,' he says, like a kid upset that his secret hideout had been revealed."

And that is how most residents view our little town. In the past, cities featured in national magazines as hubs for enthusiasts have been swamped with transplants. A prime example is a city about 100 miles from here known as the "NYC of the South." It has been flooded with an influx of new residents- increasing its metro population by 25% in an eight year span. As a result, this city has seen serious consequences from its exponential growth- major pollution, increased crime rates, massive habitat destruction, loss of community, and more recently the inability to maintain a fresh water supply to its residents.


Comparatively, our little town grew only 9% in those same years. In fact, slow urban sprawl seems to be a major selling point for our city. On their website, the Education, Arts, and Culture department describes our city as "culturally diverse and well known for being a service-oriented city.... has the best of everything and has avoided the sprawl of other major cities. Of course, it's the people that can make the real difference... [Our city] has a strong sense of community and the [film] production-friendly appeal that larger city's cannot duplicate."


However, as a place for opportunity, our city does fall short comparatively. There are few opportunities for employment outside the service or business oriented industries. For years, our city suffered from what is called the "brain drain" (people going off to college and not coming back because there is more opportunity elsewhere). The city is trying to combat this by building up a viable "artist district" and encouraging entreprenuership by offering educated artistic types grant money to relocate here and set up shop. Thus far, it seems to be working, however there are serious complaints by locals that they are being overlooked for these opportunities because they are in fact "locals." And to this day, our city is still just a Bachelor's town. There is little opportunity for anyone who has more than a four year college degree.


But I have to say, in the twenty some odd years since I moved here, our city has come a very long way. The city is more diverse than it once was. When my family first arrived, there was one ethnic restaurant in town. Now there are over fifty. When I first moved here, there was one other student in my elementary class who was "not from here." Now, each day, I encounter other transplants. And finally- after twenty some odd years, people have stopped asking me where I am from.


Yes, there are lots of opportunities elsewhere, but I like many other residents have chosen stay in this city simply because we like it here. That was the point of the article. That was what the interviewee was trying to convey. With the good of this city comes the bad. "It's all part of it."


And I guess it is good enough to be named the "Best Town in America."


To read this article for yourself, check out Outside Magazine's Sept 2011 feature article.
For more on this topic:
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/sep/13/a1-magazine-praises-slams-scenic-city/
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/sep/12/chattanooga-praised-slammed-outdoor-magazine/
http://www.odysseylandco.com/articles/399-outside-magazine-selects-chattanooga.html
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_203701.asp
http://www.chattanooga.gov/EAC/2919_FilminginChattanooga.htm

Not forgotten

Whether it be 10 years or 100 years, know that You are not forgotten. Help us to cherish each day those little things in life- a hug from a loved one, the smile on your little girl's face, the laughter of a close friend. And, let us never forget what a privilege it is to truly be Free.

Images from NYC- 2005

Susan Jarrett

Yummy Summer Tomato Pie

It's summertime and that means one thing! Lots of plump, juicy, red tomatoes in the garden! In celebration, here is one of my favorite summer tomato recipes- Tomato pie! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• One 9-inch ready made pie shell
• 1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped
• 3-4 tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped basil (about 8 leaves)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use Mozzarella)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. (If you are starting with a frozen crust, you'll need to cook it a little longer.)

2 Lay the sliced tomatoes on a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can from the tomatoes.

3 Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

4 In a medium bowl, mix together cheese, mayo, hot sauce. Season with salt and black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

5 Place in oven and bake 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

It's a jungle out there!

Not too long ago I posted a few images of our summer garden. My! My! How it has grown!

This is our second year with a raised bed garden and to be honest, I do not know if I ever want to go back to an in ground garden again!

It is absolutely amazing exactly how much one can plant in such a small space. A friend of ours owns a fencing business and the parts come in 4'x4' wooden forms. Last year she saved us four forms.  We stacked one on top of the other to create two 4'x4'x16" beds. Then, we nailed boards between the two beds to create a third bed. We lined the bottom with landscape cloth to prevent weeds and filled them with mulch, dirt, compost, and old straw from our rabbit hutch. We watered the beds daily and let them rest for about 2 weeks prior to planting.

Green heirloom tomatoes on the vine

Green roma tomatoes on the vine
The perfect canning tomato!

Squash blossoms taking refuge from the sun
under the canopy of  leaves

Little squash forming at the buds of the blooms

When I was a little girl, we always planted a vegetable garden in our yard. My dad tended it all summer and then he and my mom canned whatever surplus we had. When I was old enough, I helped them too. To this day, I can remember the aroma of freshly boiled tomatoes ready for canning!

Now that I am grown, I have continued the gardening tradition. There is something extremely satisfying about growing your own food. While I do not think I can ever grow animals for this purpose, I do take great pleasure in the idea of self subsistence.

Fresh eggs ready for washing

Not only does the food you grow yourself taste better than food purchased in a grocery, you do not have to worry about where it came from or what chemicals have been used in its production. Gardening makes you appreciate the hard work it takes to provide food for yourself and your family. And, in the long run you will find you waste less and save more!

Happy gardening everybody!

Strawberry Jam

It is the end of May and I must admit I almost missed strawberry season here in Southeast Tennessee! Whew! Time simply got away from me!

Fresh Tennessee Strawberries!

However, I was able to pick up one of the last flats of our local strawberries. Aren't they just gorgeous!

I love buying local!

Despite the horrific weather we have had this spring, it has been a wonderful growing season. This year's  strawberries are plump, brilliant in color, and extremely sweet! No need for any sugar on these little gems!

Little hands kept sneaking strawberries while Mommy wasn't looking!

I purchased these strawberries for jam, but after tasting how delicious they were, I could hardly bear to devote all of them to preserving. So, I used half of the flat for jam and stashed the other half in the fridge for eating! Strawberries will last 5-10 days in the fridge at 32/F.

My favorite way to preserve fruit is by freezing. This is the most efficient way to lock in all the vitamins and nutrients found only in fresh fruit. However freezing requires a lot of space. And if you are like me, excess freezer space is something you do not have. So, the next best option is canning.

For strawberry jam, you will need the following:

• 5½ cups crushed strawberries (about 3 quart boxes strawberries)
• 1 package powdered pectin
• 8 cups sugar
• 9- 10 half-pint sterilized jars with lids
• Water bath canning equipment
• Time needed: about 1.5 hours (including processing time)

Here are the steps:

Prepare the fruit. Sort and wash fully ripe strawberries; remove stems and caps.

Crush your berries. (I use a food processor but you can also cut the berries into small pieces or crush by hand- depending on what consistency you wish your jam to have.)


To make jam. Measure crushed strawberries into a kettle. Add pectin and stir well. Place on high heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full boil with bubbles over the entire surface. Add sugar, continue stirring, and heat again to a full bubbling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim.

Jam before boiling point

Fill hot jam immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a Boiling Water Canner for 5-8 minutes.

Hot packed jars ready for lids

And when you are done, you have some gorgeous jam to save and to share.

Strawberry tops make yummy bunny treats!

Here are some very important notes about making jam with pectin:

1. Be sure you use a large kettle for boiling your jam. Anything made with added pectin will expand! You will need about 2-3x kettle space to be safe. I made this mistake once. I used a pot that was too small and I accidentally started a kitchen fire on my range when the pectin began to expand and boiled over the rims of the pot. The sugar in the jam caught fire on the eye of the stove and immediately began to flame! Fortunately, I had a fire extinguisher in my kitchen and was able to put it out quickly.


2. NEVER leave jams unattended on the stove top. As soon as the jam hits the right temperature, the pectin will start to expand rapidly! Continual stirring will cause the pectin expand less rapidly.

3. Pay attention to the type of pectin you use. Liquid pectin is typically added last whereas powdered pectin needs to be added in the beginning.

If you have any questions about the recipes on my blog, or just want to learn more about home canning, check out my favorite source for all things food preservation!

Terror from the sky and glimmers of hope

Just over one week ago, a series of over 200 deadly tornados ripped across 300 miles of the American South. My sister is a nurse and was working on the fourth floor of the hospital in Tuscaloosa when the mile wide twister hit. She said she saw it coming out the window as she and the staff frantically worked together to secure their patients. Just moments before the storm hit, my sister made a desperate phone call to my mother saying, "There is a massive tornado headed straight for the hospital. We are looking at a direct hit. Make sure everyone knows I love them....." And the line went dead.

About ten o'clock that evening our cell phones began ringing. The signal was fading in and out and it was hard to hear. Finally, we made out the broken voices on the other end. It was our friends in Ringgold, GA saying they were OK and asked if we were OK too.

Our house had been without power since early that morning. The first tornado to hit our area damaged our end of the city, breaking power poles and shredding lines. So throughout the day and into the night, we were oblivious to what was happening around us.

It was not until the next morning when anyone fully understood the capacity of what had happened. We turned on our battery powered radio and listened to reports of the terror the storms had reaped.

Arial photo of Chattanooga tornado damage
Photo by TEMA

Aftermath of tornado in Ringgold, GA

Photo by Ashley Moore

Aftermath of Tuscaloosa tornado

Photo by Jason Clark

In just over 12 hours,  over 300 people were dead. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama there are still around 400 people missing. In our area, more than 30 people were killed.

One of those 30 people killed in our area was a 12 year old boy from the small rural town of Bridgeport, Alabama. Moved by the massive devastation across our region, a group of high school students from a neighboring community (the community where my husband teaches) made the decision to cancel their class trip and instead donate all the trip money to this young tornado victim's family to help pay for his funeral costs.

You must understand the communities in this part of Tennessee and Alabama are not considered wealthy by any means. And, many of these high school students have never traveled beyond the jurisdiction of their own community. Their destination was Tybee Island, GA and the amount they earned from various year- long school fundraisers was $2,000.00- all of which they unselfishly donated to the 12 year old tornado victim's family.

As soon as word got out about the gift, hoards of monetary donations flooded the school. As of yesterday, nearly $5,000.00 had been given by anonymous donors to help replace the funds these students gave up. In fact, even the city of Savannah, GA found out about the student's generous gift and offered the group an all expense paid trip. Now, in turn, the school is donating the extra $5,000.00 to the American Red Cross as assistance to all the tornado victims across the American South.

Tornado aftermath in Bridgeport, AL
Photo by Stephen Hargis

This story is just one example of the rainbows that can emerge from the darkest of skies. While this one act cannot bring back all the lives that were lost, it does give us remaining feelings of hope. Sometimes, it is those who have the least to give that can offer the most.

After 31 hours without electricity or phone service, I finally heard my sister's voice on the other end of the telephone line. She was exhausted, shaken, but safe. Just as the F5 twister was about to hit the hospital, it turned and ripped through the parking lot instead, leveling a strip mall next door and taking the lives of everyone inside.