Sorghum and Stuff

When we moved here two years ago we were talking to someone about going to the Williamson County Fair.  They informed us that the Wilson County Fair was the one to go to.  We finally went to both this August, and I have to agree that the Wilson County Fair rocks!  Here's what I noticed about the Wilson County Fair:

• It's less yuppified.  We finally heard some serious Southern accents.
• There were more rides and games, even though we didn't do any of that.
• In addition to all the 'typical' fried foods (e.g., candy bars, Oreos, Twinkies), they sold fried pizza and fried banana pudding.  The teen boys who sat next to us at lunch were eating fried banana pudding and they informed us that it was really good.  One of them mentioned that he'd even heard of deep fat fried Coke.  
• In addition to sheep, pigs and cows there were rabbits and poultry.  I am obsessed with poultry at fairs!
• There was a chili cook off.  I told Howard that I'm going to sign him up to be a judge next year.
• We saw our first mule pull.  It wasn't too exciting but it was a first.

The best thing for me though was that the fair was located near (or on?) the grounds of the Fiddlers Grove Historical Village.  I definitely want to go back on a non-fair day to check it out.  That's where we stumbled upon the Gallinippers and where we saw a horse drawn sorghum mill in action.

Watching this little guy do his job was fascinating.  It's amazing what kids can do when they are given the chance.  He was working with a horse that could easily crush him and with machinery that could really hurt him.  His height was a plus - he didn't have to worry about ducking every time the sweep came by.  His job was to feed the sorghum cane into the rollers.  He knew exactly how much to put in and how long to wait before he added more.

I don't remember if the horse stopped by itself or if he stopped the horse, but it definitely seemed like he was controlling that gigantic beast with that small piece of cane.  Notice his tongue hanging out in great concentration.  It was like that the whole time.  So dang cute!

The greenish sorghum juice was pouring into that white bucket in the background.  We didn't watch the rest of the process but I read that they boil the juice until it turns muddy brown and then clear brown.  It takes about four gallons of juice to make one gallon of syrup.  I'm kicking myself now for not buying a whoopie pie or a popcorn ball made with sorghum syrup!

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Here's a cool diagram of a horse-drawn sorghum mill.  I also read that Kentucky and Tennessee are the largest sorghum syrup producing states and proud of it.  So, I'm a little bit obsessed with sorghum syrup now and I can't wait to go to the Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill in a few weeks!

Stanton Hall and The Carriage House Restaurant

We hung out in Natchez, Mississippi for several hours.  If you're wondering what in the heck Natchez means, here you go.

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Anyway, we enjoyed some amazing Southern food at The Carriage House Restaurant located on the grounds of Stanton Hall, an antebellum mansion (built before the Civil War).

But first, let's see what was across the street from Stanton Hall.  You got it - crape myrtles.  I'm obsessed with them.  There were gorgeous fuchsia crape myrtles all over Natchez.  I want lots of those in my yard, and I want them now!  

So, here are a few peeks at Stanton Hall compliments of Howard.

The building in the photo below (behind me and the gigantic tree) is our only shot of The Carriage House Restaurant.  It's usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but we lucked out because it was Pilgrimage time.  That's a five-week period when thirty or so antebellum mansions, mostly private residences, open their doors to visitors and the tour guides dress in period costumes.

Anyway, here's The Carriage House menu, which was served buffet style.  These people describe the food there much better than I would.  I still can't tell you what grillades are, but I can tell you that they are delicious.  Everything we tried was new to us and delicious.

After stuffing ourselves, we took a tour of Stanton Hall.  The only story I remember is that one of the paintings came from an English woman who toured the mansion.  After returning to England, she shipped it to the guardians of Stanton Hall and requested that they hang it on 'that bare wall in the dining room'.

Black-eyed Peas

I must have been living under a rock for the last several decades.  Yesterday, I heard for the first time ever that it's good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.  It's a southern thing.

It seems that this southern tradition was a adopted from Sephardi Jews who settled in Georgia in the 1730s.  Now, isn't that surprising!?  It is "good luck" to have specific foods on your table for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  One of the "lucky" foods is black-eyed peas.  This tradition apparently has been "a southern thing" since around the Civil War.

Next year I'm going to have to remember to make up a batch of Hoppin' John and to count the number of peas in my serving, which will predict the amount of luck (or wealth) that I will have in the coming year.  I also have to remember to leave three peas on my plate to assure that my New Year will be filled with luck, fortune, and romance.

Paula Deen, the quintessential southern cook, has a recipe for Hoppin' John that I think I'll have to try before January 1, 2013.  It looks kind of yummy, doesn't it?

Hoppin' John