Monday, July 24, 2017

23 July 2017









You say tomato; I say festival! I had a wonderful time serving as a judge for the 9th Annual Tomato Sandwich Festival on Saturday at the Canton Farmers Market. I have been honored to judge past competitions, but this year's crowd was quite impressive. Hats off to Roy Taylor for conceiving this wonderful idea and for managing it for the past nine years. Roy's passion for Canton, and all things sustainable, is indicative of Canton's character and charm, and we all benefit from his engagement.

We didn't have any green tomatoes in the competition on Saturday, but if we did, they stood a good chance of being fried naturally. Saturday was, by far, the hottest day of Summer this year, and everyone was commenting on the extreme heat. After the Farmers Market, we ran a few errands and decided it was too hot to do anything other than swimming in the cement pond at One Britt. Even the pool was the warmest it has been all year, but the water was refreshing, and a couple of friends found their way over to chill – as best they could. Unfortunately, I was suffering from a lot of sinus issues and had to go inside later in the afternoon. Summer colds and sinus infections are the worst, but binge watching TV in your PJs with the AC turned down low enough to make the windows sweat sure puts things in perspective.

We don't have much time to watch TV these days, so we began a marathon on Friday night with the new Netflix series, "Friends From College." Anyone who has a close group of college friends, or even a small tribe of best friends, can relate to this comedic drama. It is akin to a modern day soap opera, but the characters are interestingly neurotic. We completed the first season tonight and look forward to the next one. During my convalescing on Saturday night and Sunday, I discovered another Netflix series called, The Ranch. It took me a couple of episodes to get into it, but it is engaging and very funny. While the opening sequence shows scenes from Ouray, ColoradoThe Ranch is actually filmed on a sound stage in front of a live audience in Burbank, California. The first time I heard the audience laugh, I was a bit confused until I realized it was being filmed live. I find this throwback method very interesting, and it just makes the show more intriguing. The series stars Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Debra Winger and Sam Elliott. Of course, you can never go wrong with Sam Elliot, and he does not disappoint as a crotchety old rancher. I highly recommend The Ranch and look forward to finishing the first three seasons.


My sinus woes continued on Sunday, and I didn't feel like doing anything but sleeping or laying around. I decided to take control of the situation by cooking some old-fashioned chicken soup for Sunday Supper. Yes, it was brutally hot outside, but I needed chicken soup to heal. I threw on some clothes and a ball cap, then headed out to get the supplies. I love rosemary, so I used some from the herb garden to make Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup. I used the leftover herbs to make some Rosemary Parmesan Cream Biscuits. Let me tell you, if the chicken soup didn't make me feel better, those biscuits made me forget everything else. They were divine and paired perfectly with the soup. Jeff harvested a few tomatoes and the world's tiniest beets from our raised garden, and I made a simple vinaigrette for a salad. The beets were small, but the flavor was highly concentrated and delicious. Earlier in the day, Jeff had also found the last Farmers Market peaches from Pearson Farms in the refrigerator and decided to bake a peach pie. It turned out great, and we enjoyed it, "hotted up," with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 
I think the chicken soup helped my allergies, but I am hoping for some rain this week to clean the Summer air. In the interim, I turned in on Sunday night with visions of tomatoes still dancing in my head.






The Menu:

- Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup 

- Micro Beet, Spinach and Tomato Salad

- Rosemary Parmesan Cream Biscuits

- Homemade Georgia Peach Pie


The Recipe – Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:


4-6 Chicken Thighs or 2-3 Breasts

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium white onion, peeled dice one half

3 medium carrots, one halved for stock and two peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, one halved for stock and two sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups homemade chicken stock or good-quality from store

3-4 stalks fresh rosemary

6 ounces wide egg noodles

2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken used for stock

salt and pepper to taste





Directions:






Place chicken, halves of carrot, celery and onion into a stock pot. Cover with 8 cups of water, add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done.






When stock is done, remove chicken, bay leaf and vegetables, then pour stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids. Skim any fat from the top of the stock and set aside. Once chicken has dried, remove skin and bones, then shred chicken into small pieces and reserve.


Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and celery and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the carrots are slightly softened. Add garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.






Add the reserved chicken stock, or packaged stock, and stir until combined. Gently stir the rosemary into the soup, and continue cooking until it reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.





Once the broth is done, remove the rosemary then add the egg noodles and chicken, stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the egg noodles are al dente. Add more chicken stock if desired. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.




Monday, July 17, 2017

16 July 2017







With a hectic work schedule, lots of City business and ongoing home projects, Summer seems to be flying by this year. With the high heat and humidity last week, it's clear the "dog days" have arrived, even though our weather has been more tropical this year. The pop-up thunderstorms are unpredictable but offer a brief respite from the heat. Who knows what August will bring, so we need to make the most of this bountiful season in the South.

When it comes to the unpredictability of Summer storms, we came close to having a rain-out of Canton's very first Summer Concerts in Brown Park on Saturday. This is an excellent new event sponsored by Canton Main Street, and Speedy Smith with Speedy Productions handles all of the set up and equipment. Speedy is a Canton treasure and is always on hand to run the sound and technology for First Fridays, Concerts in Brown Park and countless other city events. He is definitely one of the most dedicated and hard-working guys in town, and we greatly appreciate his heroic efforts.

On Saturday, the forecast was calling for 70%–100% chances of rain until around 5 PM. The concert in Brown Park was scheduled to begin at 5:30. Speedy and his team had everything set up, but I, and many others, were convinced the event would be cancelled. Whether divine intervention or just Speedy and Main Street's steadfast determination that the show would go on, the clouds and rain cleared in time for John Michael Rose to take the stage as the first act at 5:30. The crowd was slim at the beginning and seemed stunned the weather had taken a turn for the better, but the John Michael Rose band left no doubt Canton was in for a treat. Some of you probably recall the days when John and his band were regulars at Downtown Kitchen's live music upstairs on Friday night. It was great having him back in Canton, and his rocking blues seemed to beckon more concert attendees as his set progressed. People began walking down to the park to see what was going on, and attendees got the word out on social media. By the time the second act, the Dashcrackers, took the stage, the crowd had grown to a respectable size, and they were there to have fun and enjoy the outdoor concert. The final act, TouchFire, brought even more people to Brown Park, and they closed the night out in style. All in all, it was a magical night, and I was, once again, so proud and thankful to be a Canton resident. We are hoping for better weather for the next Concerts in Brown Park on August 19, so mark it on your calendar now! You won't regret it, unless you don't attend.

After the concert, we came home and watched an interesting movie about the life of poet Emily Dickinson. Yes, I can't escape my passion for literature over thirty years since earning my BA in English from Berry College. Cynthia Nixon, from the Sex in the City series, seemed an odd choice to play the famous poet, but her performance was quite stunning. I've always been haunted by Dickinson's verses, but the movie put her life and melancholy into context. As a period piece, the movie was somewhat tedious yet captivating at the same time. In addition to portraying her life story, the background narrative included readings of her poetry to frame each scene. Hearing the readings, in the context of the movie's intriguing cinematography, brought Dickinson's words to life in a hauntingly beautiful manner. I recommend the movie for tried-and-true poetry and literature fans, especially on a rainy and stormy night. Perhaps it's time for another night of poetry readings on the Side Porch at One Britt? Yes, I geek out from time to time.

Speaking of geeking out, I woke up on Sunday morning thinking about corn. Since we were in Atlanta on Friday night and Saturday, I did not get to shop the Canton Farmer's Market this weekend. I have also been thinking about eating less meat for a while, and I figured Summer was the ideal time for this endeavor given the abundance of fresh, local produce. Maybe that's why I had "corn on the brain," but I was determined to prepare a vegetarian Sunday Supper from as many local ingredients as possible. I posted on Facebook, asking where I could find some local sweat corn and immediately got a few sources. Since it was Sunday morning, some of them were not possibilities, but Becky Buice and Scott Burns came through with the win. Becky had commented to ask Scott Burns if Great Scott Farm's stand was open, so I called them to inquire. The contact listed was actually one of the farmer's personal cell phone, and Scott Burns answered my call. He was out of town, but said he would call to ask them. He called back, saying the farm stand was open, and I ventured over to Ellenwood Drive, off of Univeter Road, to find a perfectly charming table of fresh produce, including corn, on a table under a tree. The produce was in baskets with hand written pricing, and there was an honor system with a dropbox to pay. I was overjoyed by this idyllic setting, especially when I spied some just-picked tomatoes on the table as well. Feeling drunk with my foraging, I planned tonight's Sunday Supper around those ingredients.

For the main course, I used the farm-fresh local corn to make a simple, but delicious, corn chowder. To accompany the chowder, I baked a "pone" of cornbread with some fresh cornmeal in the freezer from Liz Porter's Buckeye Creek Farm in Woodstock, incorporating some jalapeƱos from our raised garden at One Britt. For starters, I used the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from Great Scott to make a caprese salad. Our friends, Cory and John, have an unbridled herb garden this year, so I used some of their purple and green basil in the salad as well. For dessert, this meatless Sunday Supper called for a homemade banana pudding, and I used my mother's recipe with great success. It was like taking a bite out of my childhood memories, and the satisfaction was more voluminous than the mile-high Southern meringue.

For me, it has been a weekend of living in the now. It sounds cliche, but I find great pleasure in my surroundings and everyday experience. It is so easy to get caught up in the stresses of work and personal challenges, but we have to stop and taste the corn from time to time. As Emily Dickinson would say, "Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough."




The Menu:

- Simple Corn Chowder from Local Yellow Corn

- Caprese Salad with Great Scott Heirloom Tomatoes and Woodland Basil

- Iron Skillet JalapeƱo Cornbread from Buckeye Creek Farm Cornmeal

- Old Fashioned Banana Pudding from Mama's Recipe


The Recipe – Simple Corn Chowder


Ingredients:


2 tablespoons butter


  • 4 scallions, white bulbs only, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2-3 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 4 cups fresh yellow corn kernels – reserving two corn cobs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or organic
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
  • Chopped chives or scallion greens for garnish

Directions: 


In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the scallion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, two cups of the corn, reserved corn cobs broken in half, bay leaf, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the corn and vegetables are simmering, use a blender to puree the remaining two cups of corn with the milk. Stir puree into the Dutch oven and add the black pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove corn cobs and bay leaf, and garnish with chives or scallions.








Monday, July 3, 2017

02 July 2017










It has been a rainy but relaxing holiday weekend. Jeff was in Orlando for a conference, so I had some rare alone time at home. I loved every minute and spent a lot of time in the kitchen, watching movies and enjoyed the first dip in the pool this year. I am hoping for dryer weather for Independence Day so we can spend more time in the pool and for the 4th of July celebration and fireworks by the City of Canton. 

I came home from work on Friday and began preparing some dishes for a neighborhood gathering on Saturday night at the beautiful home of Mike and Jamie Morgan. They have done a wonderful job restoring the former Jones home on East Main Street, and they were gracious enough to host a nice crowd from the neighborhood for a BBQ. Some of my favorite people were in attendance, and so many of them are great cooks. Mike's BBQ was delicious, and Jamie made some amazing cobblers and homemade ice cream for dessert. Everyone brought side dishes, and no one left hungry! I decided to try my hand at pickling some shrimp for the event. This was my first attempt at making Pickled Shrimp, and they turned out great. I found some cool gallon glass jars with lids, and the presentation was nice as well. They are relatively simple to make, and you can add any spices or vegetables you want to the brine. I had several requests for the recipe, so I am including it in this week's post. Since I had not tried the shrimp before, I was a little nervous about the results, so I baked a cauliflower gratin as a backup. Everyone seemed to enjoy that dish as well. 

Saturday morning began as usual with a trip to the Canton Farmers Market. There were over 58 vendors there, and the crowd was huge. In addition to the great produce. local beef and pork and fresh baked goods, the market also hosted a watermelon eating contest this week. It was a real slice of Americana, and everyone had a good time. After the cookout on Saturday night, I came home and watched a wonderful documentary, "Eating Alabama." The movie follows the lives of a young couple who moved back to their home town in rural Alabama and their decision to only eat food produced locally for one year. It was really eye opening and showcased the lack of working farmers these days. Their journey began with a real struggle, but they ended up growing a lot of produce in their own front yard. The movie was beautifully filmed, and the filmmaker was a great story teller. I highly recommend the movie.

Sunday began with wonderful everything bagels and fresh farm eggs from Whim-Wham Art Farm. I am addicted to their bagels, as well as everything they grow and bake. Before the rain set in again, I was able to enjoy the first time in the pool, or as we call it – the cement pond. Jeff has adopted the pool as his pet project, and he did a great job opening and cleaning it this year. He didn't get home from Orlando in time to enjoy it, but we are hoping for nice weather on Tuesday. However, he did enjoy a hearty home made dinner for tonight's Sunday Supper. I used some beautiful pasture raised filet mignon's from Hill Valley Farm in Ellijay and leftover pickled shrimp to make a surf-and-turf entree. I bought the filets, as well as some heritage pork, at the Canton Farmers Market last week. Hill Valley is there every weekend, and I highly recommend their products. I also made a buttermilk ranch dressing for a simple wedge salad and baked potatoes as a side. On Sunday morning, I baked some delectable garlic popovers, and we enjoyed them with the meal. 

It has been a wonderful, and filling, weekend, and I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Canton, Georgia. Happy 4th of July, y'all!


The Menu:

- Surf and Turf – Local Pan Seared Filets with Pickled Shrimp

- Baked Potatoes

- Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

- Garlic Popovers


The Recipe – Pickled Shrimp with Vegetables

Ingredients:

Brine:

2 cups rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 Tbs. mustard seeds
  • 1 Tbs. peppercorns
  • 1 Tbs. red chili flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 cups water

Shrimp and Vegetables:

  • Baby carrots, peeled
  • Green beans
  • One Vidalia onion, sliced
  • One lemon, sliced
  • One orange, sliced
  • Few pepperoncini peppers
  • Okra pods
  • 2 lbs. boiled shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails on

Directions:

For the brine, combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove brine from the heat and cool slightly.
Pack all the vegetables and shrimp, in alternating layers, into a large glass jar or airtight container with lid. I used around a dozen of each vegetable, but just add any produce you like. Pour the warm brine into the jar to cover shrimp and vegetables. 
Cover tightly and let cool before refrigerating overnight, or a minimum of 12 hours. Serve chilled, from jar or in a large bowl. 
NOTE: Use fresh, gulf shrimp if you can find them. If not, simply buy large cleaned and deveined frozen shrimp. Thaw them in some cold water for 25-30 mins, then dry them before adding to brine. If you boil the shrimp, don't boil them too long, or they will get mushy in the pickling brine.