I’m really excited about today’s class. We’re going on a field trip to see Tim Stalcup’s garden.
Tim lives just down the road from me. He, and his family, are among the neighbors I can’t remember not knowing.
He grows a fine a garden as you ever saw every year. He sells the produce in a little roadside stand that used to be his Grandfather Clarence’s store. I barely remember being in the store when it was still going.
Tim is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to gardening. I could listen to him talk about it all day long.
He uses the seed that’s been handed down through his family for generations. Makes me wish I did that too, but seed is so readily available today, that I rarely go to the trouble to save my own other than watermelon, candy roaster, and pumpkin.
After the field trip Carolyn is going to demonstrate butter making and frying cabbage. While we rest from our day’s excursions I’m going to share the following videos with the class.
- Foodways in Appalachia
- Women of these Hills – 3 Cultures of Appalachia (This is my favorite! I once met Mary Jane Queen-she was as nice as she appears in the video)
- Appalachian History through Food Part 1
- Appalachian History through Food Part 2
Tipper
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There used to be a woman in town with an organic garden and a vegetable stand about the size of a card table. Years ago, that stand was what got me eating good fresh vegetables, and when the woman stopped doing it, I had to get more serious about gardening. So I did!
Im sure your class will enjoy that. Home made butter is the best. Enjoy!
Tipper,
I CB’d with a woman one time from somewhere near Blue Ridge. She was a Talker, unlike her husband. She was a Queen. I remember her telling me “I’m the first Queen to marry a King.” She surprised me one time with a Dolly Parton cake, with green Boobs and all. She was a mess! …Ken
Tipper,
My Power has been off for about an hour.
I’m glad you have Tim as a neighbor, he sounds like he is knowledgeable about Mountain Ways. Do you think he knows about The Rollin” Store? My great uncle use to drive one, near Hayesville and about. He was Rass or Bass Duvall, my grandma’s brother. This was on my Daddy’s side.
…Ken
Is Carolyn making butter the old fashioned way with soured cream? I hope so! I hope that is not a tradition that has gone by the wayside. Our Appalachian heritage cannot be the same without it.
Ed-yes she is 🙂
That makes my day!
Today’s class just may be the one I wish I could have attended. Hopefully Carolyn will let you share the butter making demonstration at a later date. The girls at work came for dinner a few years back and foundered on my fried cabbage. They said they has never heard of anyone quartering and breading their cabbage in cornmeal before frying it. Well, I do and I’m guessing a few others are doing the same thing now. Looking forward to hearing Carolyn’s recipe for frying cabbage.
Tipper–I’m a tad shamefaced and at the same time absolutely delighted to learn about the videos you will be sharing with the cooking class (and have shared with us). I’m shamefaced because I didn’t know about the videos although I was certainly familiar with Mary Jane Queen. My delight comes from knowing I’ve got some enjoyable viewing in front of me.
Jim Casada
Thanks for sharing so many things today. I enjoyed watching the goat cheese making. I remember my aunt making it the same way and the bags hanging in the summer kitchen.
I predict you and Tim are going to make some folks want their own garden. That is a good thing probably, provided they have the room and the stick-to-it-iveness.
If I had a big enough garden I would like to have an honors produce stand. I saw the setup for one in a pull trailer at Open Spigot Farm near Walland, TN early this month. There was a metal canister on one of the corners lettered with PAY HERE. But there was no produce on it.
If I lived up that way I would sure like to find Mr. Tim. Do you or him grow English peas? I have tried it here but they do not do well, too hot. I have been trying to discover where to the north of here they are grown as a common thing.
Ron- I don’t grow them and Tim grows crowder peas 🙂
Those are great videos, thanks for sharing. Your course looks fantastic. I really wish I could’ve taken it. Hopefully, you’ll do more and I’ll jump right in.
Off topic some, but i miss those little stores that used to serve the local communities. My Great Uncle Russell ran the one on Spud Run. I’m not sure if he still was when I was a kid. I remember going to one but it may have been the one on the other side of the hill in Tucson (pronounced TUK-son). Funny how memories play.
Tip, I love Tim’s vegetables, they are as fresh and real as you can get! His garden is just across the road from the store. It’s the only place I know where the vegetables are picked and carried across the road to sell immediately.
You know what he has in his store each day just by driving by. If he has squash then he puts a squash propped up in the window and if it’s corn then he puts an ear of corn up in the window. Simple, right!
You can always count on a nice chat with Tim and his grandson that he’s raising. If you have any questions about gardening, Tim’s the one to ask, he knows and he’s willing to share!
You can tell I’m a real fan of Tim’s!