grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Going on a Snake Hunt.

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While home on the farm one of my favorite things to do is to walk around the rice field. My sister and I spent many a summer day at the back of our field messing with tadpoles in the ditch. Tadpoles were fun.

Saturday my goal was to find a snake. Now, just to be crystal clear, I am not a parcel mouth. I am no fan of the snake.

Not.At.All.

But, several of my Northeast Arkansas Facebook friends have recently posted snake photos. Lots of snake photos. Clearly, this is the year of the snake. As a writer, I try to be observant—listening, smelling, tasting, feeling so that my writing is believable. If I were truly observant, I would see a snake on my walk, right?

So off I went on my first snake hunt.

my snake hunt

Right off I found “farm glass”, which I like to compare to beach glass.

farm glass

The killdeer were downright noisy. “Kill-deer, kill-deer, kill-deer!” they chanted.

“Shhhh! You’ll scare the snakes,” I said. Their track patterns were as wild as the jabbering overhead.

Killdeer tracks on the farm

Vibrant wildflowers filled the edge of a shallow ditch.

wildflowers Arkansas ditchbanks

But no snake.

I stopped in the far corner at my favorite spot and waited. Watched. Listened. Could the sky be any more clear?

clear blue sky above Tate Farms, Miss Co, Ark

Then finally, there he was. Sunning. At least three feet long. My snake.

going on a snake hunt

I leaned in close and snapped a picture. He slithered down the ditch bank. A successful farm walk. And yes, I had the heebie-jeebies until I made it safely back to the house.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Musical Pairing:

Heebie Jeebies, Ladies in Tune

How High’s the Water Mammaw Ruby?

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Most of Mammaw Ruby’s customers lived in Victoria and Luxora. She even sold Avon to the gypsies living on the edge of Osceola. On Saturday, I helped her with deliveries. Her car was crammed with white sacks filled with lipsticks and lotions and rose-scented perfume. She said while we were out, we needed to see how high the Mississippi River had risen with all the recent rain, in case Papa Homer needed to build an ark.

flood

morgueFile

Mammaw Ruby wasn’t known for her driving abilities.

Driving to the top of the levee, she hogged the entire road. I held my breath and prayed no one was speeding up the other side.

As her car straddled the levee, the river roiled only inches away lapping against the asphalt.

A tree floated by.

“I’ll swanee! We’re stuck!” Mammaw said in a panic. “I can’t turn around.”

“Let me out. I’ll walk.” There was no way I was going to drown in Mammaw’s car when she plunged over the edge. Even though I was a good swimmer, the current was dangerous. Daddy said if we EVER swam in the Mississippi River, we would surely drown.

Before I could escape, Mammaw reversed the car and backed down the levee the way we had come.  The motor moaned. My knuckles cramped and clutched the door handle as I prepared to jump.

Later that night, I relayed the story to Momma at the supper table. Momma promised we would never again ride with Mammaw Ruby. Momma forgot all about that promise the next time she needed a free babysitter.

How high's the water Mammaw Ruby?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Johnny Cash – Five Feet High and Rising

Fried Green Tomato Recipe. Yes!

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The BEST Fried Green Tomato Recipe

The fried green tomato recipe did not originate in the South. Crazy, huh? We all know necessity is the mother of invention, and if you think about it, this makes sense. Down south while we leisurely enjoyed juicy red tomato sandwiches with no thought of winter, our northern friends were in an all out panic trying to use unripe tomatoes before the first freeze.

They outdid themselves.

But let’s be real. Southerners embraced the fried green tomato. And now we claim it as our own.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Since I was planning to be out of town when my tomatoes ripened, I fried a couple of green ones. After reading several recipes on the Food Network and Allrecipes, I  came up with this version. The best I’ve ever eaten! You’re gonna want to try this today.

how to make fried green tomatoes - the best you'll ever eat.

Fried Green Tomatoes.

Print Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Oil
  • 2 medium sized green tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 3/4 cups Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • Parmesan Reggianno
  • Chopped Green Onions

Method
 

  1. Pour oil in skillet and warm to medium heat. (About a half inch of oil.)
  2. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of tomatoes.
  3. Mix flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
  4. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with buttermilk.
  5. In a third dish, combine bread crumbs with cayenne.
  6. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then the bread crumbs.
  7. When oil is hot, add a few pieces at a time. Don't crowd them. Cook about 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped green onions (optional).
  8. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, but they don't really need anything else...

The best fried green tomato recipe. Ever.

Oh yes.

Happy eating!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing: (not really)

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!