In “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” (Mercer University Press, $21), Renea Winchester writes about a South fueled by fried “baloney” sandwiches, pinto beans and root beer floats. A South where friends make time to check on each other and putting in a little time in the garden and the kitchen is both necessary and a balm for the soul.
She writes about her own Southern history and about Billy Albertson, her friend who gardens on two-lane Hardscabble Road in the northwestern corner of the city of Roswell where he grows the traditional vegetables of his youth and tends his small herd of goats.
Albertson is a man blessed with many friends, but it’s Winchester who has introduced him to an even wider audience through her books. “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” is filled with hard-won garden insight and well-worn kitchen advice. Every recipe comes with a story.
For those raised in the South, the book is a reminder of the pleasures of dropping a bag of Lance peanuts down the neck of an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola and watching the bubbles gather around the nuts and melt the salt into the sweet soda. For those not born here, it’s an introduction to a way of life where a day’s work was rewarded with chicken and dumplings, cheese straws and “Crock-Pot Macaroni and Cheese.”
Winchester hails from the mountains of western North Carolina. Albertson was born a mile from where he now lives, son of a sharecropper who farmed cotton in the area.
They met when Winchester stopped at Albertson’s home at the insistence of her daughter, anxious to see the baby goats advertised on the makeshift signs in Albertson’s front yard. From that introduction they became fast friends, sharing a deep pleasure in hard work and an abiding satisfaction in relishing the fruits of one’s labors.
Throughout the year, the community comes to Albertson: home schooled children for lessons in agriculture and neighbors buying a bag of vegetables or a load of firewood, all transactions carried out on the honor system.
Albertson is pleased to be providing a service to the community. “Most people comment they’d rather come here and buy than go to the supermarket. That’s the way my neighbors feel,” says Albertson.
Winchester confirms that Albertson’s motto is “People are welcome to come any time” to visit this small surviving link to Roswell’s past.
Farming is tough work. As is gardening. And spending time with friends should be accompanied by classic Southern comfort foods such as these.
Chicken Pot Pie
Winchester says this classic comfort food is one of Billy’s favorite dishes and gives the cook permission to use a store-bought crust if pressed for time. But if you make your own, vegetable shortening makes the crust extremely easy to work. The use of cream of chicken soup tells you just how long this recipe has been around.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
6 tablespoons ice cold water, or as needed
3 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt
3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup water, or as needed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a fork or pastry knife, cut in vegetable shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Use a fork to stir in water, mixing until you can shape the mixture into a ball. Divide into two pieces. Roll one ball into a large circle and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Set aside. Roll out the second ball into a large circle and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a medium saucepan, combine carrots and potatoes and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain from water and put in a large bowl. Preboiling these vegetables will shorten the pie’s baking time.
Add chicken, mushrooms, celery and onion to cooked vegetables and stir to combine. Stir in soup, water, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder. Stir to combine. If mixture is too thick, add additional water. Pour filling into pie shell, top with second crust and pinch edges together. Crimp edge and cut vent holes or slits in the top of the crust. Bake 30 minutes or until filling begins to bubble. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serves: 6
Per serving: 614 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 30 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 32 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 63 milligrams cholesterol, 817 milligrams sodium.
― Adapted from “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” by Renea Winchester (Mercer University Press, $21).
Kil’t Lettuce and Onions
Like a salad but not, this is a delicious way to serve young spring lettuce and onions.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 colander full fresh-picked local lettuce, washed (about 8 cups)
1 large bunch green onions, roots removed, white and green parts cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups)
Salt and pepper
Arrange lettuce and onions in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small cast iron skillet, heat olive oil until very hot, almost smoking. Pour directly over greens to “kill” it. Toss and serve immediately. Serves: 4
Per serving: 150 calories (percent of calories from fat, 78), 3 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 62 milligrams sodium.
― Adapted from “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” by Renea Winchester (Mercer University Press, $21).
Mississippi Mud Cake
This rich cake was one of Winchester’s favorite desserts as a child. She says it’s best served warm.
Cake:
1 1 /2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (7-ounce) bag mini-marshmallows
Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Make cake: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture and beat until well-blended. Remove from mixer and fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, turn oven off. Spread marshmallows across top of cake and return to turned-off oven just until marshmallows are melted. Remove from oven and set aside.
While cake is cooling, make frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together butter and cocoa. Stir in powdered sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Spread over warm cake. Sprinkle with nuts. If possible, serve while warm. Serves: 15
Per serving: 660 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 9 grams protein, 94 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 30 grams fat (13 grams saturated), 109 milligrams cholesterol, 191 milligrams sodium.
― Adapted from “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” by Renea Winchester (Mercer University Press, $21).
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