Good Eats

Making Biscuits in the Black Belt

claudiaNovember 7, 2020Country Life, Friends, Good Eats, On the Road

Arielle, Adrian & I ventured to Alabama’s Black Belt, a lesser known part of the state that is reinventing itself in food, farming and agriculture. Together we explored some of the area’s history, including an overnight stay at the Moore-Webb-Holmes Plantation (ca. 1819), one of Alabama’s last active plantations, which has been in the same family since the early 1800s.

But the main reason for our trip was to spend a day with Scott Peacock, a James Beard Award-winning chef who stepped away from a high-profile culinary career in Atlanta 10 years ago to rediscover his roots in Alabama and write a new chapter in his life and career. We spent the most incredible day with Scott at Reverie (ca. 1858) in Marion, learning the art of biscuits in the mansion’s sun showered kitchen.

You would think a lesson in biscuits would be a fairly simple process, but layers of complexity reveal themselves throughout the day. “[Biscuit making] is really simple, and simple is really hard,” Scott noted, as he sifted heirloom flour from Anson Mills and showed us how to make homemade baking powder. This was just one of many ‘biscuit-isms’ casually dropped throughout the day and we soaked up every word of kitchen wisdom he had to impart.

To say this trip was special for us would be an understatement. To try and describe Scott in a few words here, well, is not that easy. He is sweet and funny and generous and kind, and so full of love and passion for the home state to which he’s returned. If ‘a biscuit expresses the cook,’ as this Alabama native attests, then all you need to do is spend a day with Chef Peacock in the kitchen and let the biscuits tell the story.

More about The Black Belt Biscuit Experience...

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, read “A Southern Thanksgiving with Chef Scott Peacock” from Martha Stewart Living for some culinary inspo.

And if you’re planning a trip to the Black Belt and visit to the Moore-Webb-Holmes Plantation, book a tour through host Cooper Holmes to see and learn more of the region’s rich history. (better yet, stay the night there! 🙂 )

Fields of Gold

The best little rib joint in Alabama

A Pot O’ Honey

For the love of aprons

The best little rib joint in Alabama

claudiaAugust 24, 2019Country Life, Good Eats

For 10 years now, we’ve been chowing down on Cooter Brown’s Ribs — the best in the land IMO. It’s just plain luck that this rib shack is just down the road from our place. Friends coming over and no time to cook? Call Cooter’s. Honkey Hawg Memorial Day Weekend around the corner? Better order ribs early. Wet or dry (we say dry!), you may never bite into a better tasting rib. And p.s., writer Rick Bragg thinks so too. We could go on and on about their ribs, potato salad, Hillbilly Eggrolls, Cooter’s Cob and (my go-to) the Bourbon Peach Iced Tea, but you just need to get on over to Hwy 204 in Alabama and try for yourself. ‘Til then, read about our “neighbor” from AL.COM… The story behind Cooter Brown’s Rib Shack, a classic Alabama BBQ joint.

Making Biscuits in the Black Belt

A Pot O’ Honey

Fields of Gold

Adopted Alabamians

claudiaJuly 1, 2019Good Eats, In the Garden

Our garden has given us big, beautiful tomatoes this summer. And we are thankful. 🙂 We’re now sharing lots of them with friends and looking up ways to cook/store/freeze these ‘pommes d’amour’ to make them last just a little longer.

More tomato goodness:

10 Fun Facts about Tomatoes from The Chef’s Garden

Our favorite Tomato Pie can be found at Wildflower Café in Mentone. Moon, the owner, is one of a kind!

Here's a recipe we created inspired by Wildflower's...

SUMMERTIME TOMATO PIE

You’ll Need:
4-5 Fresh Garden Tomatoes (Red & Yellow), Sliced Thick
1 1/2 cups Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 Baked Pie Shell
1/2 cup light Mayonnaise & 1/4 cup light Sour Cream
3/4 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup grated Mozzarella Cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Basil

To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Marinate sliced tomatoes in vinaigrette for 30 minutes and drain
3. Layer tomatoes in baked pie shell and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Combine mayo, sour cream, cheese and basil in separate bowl and spread on top of tomatoes.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool for a bit. Cut into slices and serve warm with a fresh green salad on the side.

Perfect timing

Near Pear-Fect

Lessons in Beekeeping

our own giving tree

‘shroom! ‘shroom!

claudiaJuly 5, 2018Good Eats, On the Farm

These afternoon thunderstorms have been good for our pastures, but they’ve also been great for the woods! And after a few rainy days…if you get lucky…you may just find the much-coveted chanterelle mushrooms. Our neighbors showed us how to hunt for them a couple of years back and last weekend the back woods were sprinkled with these golden beauties. Mike spotted them first, but I leaped out of the ATV to pick as many as I could before his patience wore out (which it did 😀 ). We shared the beautiful chanterelles with friends and sautéed some for burgers last night. Tonight they’ll go on a salad. Carol used hers for a pizza. Jay ate some raw, and Megan sent a link showing how to preserve them for the months ahead. It’s so fun sharing Nature’s gifts when you get the chance. See more recipe ideas here and here.

A Pot O’ Honey

Eggs, Glorious Eggs

Lessons in Beekeeping

Rise ‘n Shine

A Pot O’ Honey

claudiaJune 19, 2018Country Life, Good Eats, On the Farm

“Everything takes time. Bees have to move very fast to stay still.”
― David Foster Wallace

We’re celebrating the two-year anniversary of our honeybees in the most fabulous way — with a second harvest! Life with bees has been a magical mystery ride, that’s for sure. Just when you think you know a few things, they show how you really know so little. Kind of like horses. : ) Anyway, last weekend we felt like Winnie the Pooh…just couldn’t keep our hands out of the honeypot as we spun and bottled 2.5 gallons of the most gorgeous golden honey. A special shout-out to our neighbor Charlie, who has been the patient bee teacher, mentor and occasional swarm-catcher. Here are some *sweet* moments from those first two harvests. A limited supply is available now in the Mercantile. Thank you, bees!