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!