To me, summers at Big Mill are about the night. The air is soft. Sitting in a wicker swing, for a few moments all is quiet. Then the sounds come. Bullfrogs show off with their throaty noises and then you can hear kaplop as they swim away. I am always amazed to see how big they are, or rather aren’t. The smallest frog can make the biggest noise.

Crickets will start in mid summer, when the nights are still. Maybe that is why I have always liked Tennessee Williams. Growing up, we left the windows and doors open, there was no air conditioning. I don’t remember being too hot. Now we have wonderful, energy efficient air conditioners. We wonder how we survived without them.

 

Nights also bring the summer smells. First comes the honeysuckle, then the gardenia, or as the old folks called them, Cape jasmine. Moonflowers are next and the glorious ginger lilies, they permeate the night air with a sweet smell of jasmine.

 

In late July and in August the smell of tobacco curing sneaks in. None of us smoke, but the night smell of curing tobacco is comforting and reminds me of home and youth, playing with my nephew Barney. It is a good thing to remember. Barney has now come back to his roots, just as I have. We are happy.

 

And you cannot forget the night sights: the fireflies, the shooting stars and the imagined space ships. They are all still here and that too is good. You just might see one if you join us.

 

 

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I like to serve this salad at Big Mill B&B on hot summer days with a side dish of fruit.

It is one of those good-for -you salads, and I am always surprised at how many folks who have never heard of couscous.

Couscous Salad   (Couscous is a North African staple of tiny grains of semolina. It can be found in most grocery stores)
• 1 10-ounce box plain couscous                                                           
• ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more for the cooked couscous, if desired
• 2-3 small spring onions & tops, chopped
• 5 or 6 radishes, diced small
• 1 small pickling cucumber or ½ English cucumber
• 1 medium size red, yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 15-ounce can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen green garden peas
• 1 small (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• Several fresh mint leaves, minced
• Juice of 4-5 lemons
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Handful of grape tomatoes, halved and reserved

Other things you can add: ½ cup fresh snow peas, cut in half or ½ cup blanched green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

(Note: This salad can be as colorful and as interesting as you make it)

Cook couscous according to package directions, adding the sea salt to the water. (If you do not have directions, do the following:  Put 2 cups of water and the salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1 ½ cups couscous and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.)

Stir in the diced onions, radishes, cucumber and pepper. Add the chick peas, garden peas and olives. Stir in the minced parsley and mint.

Add the lemon juice and olive oil, both to taste. If needed, add more of both.

Serve chilled over a bed of leaf lettuce. Just before serving add the halved grape tomatoes. If you plan to keep some of the salad, do not add the tomatoes to the entire salad, just to the portions that you plan to serve.

Yield: 8 1-cup servings

This salad will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

You’ll find more Big Mill Bed & Breakfast recipes here and here on Choe’s Blog.  Enjoy!

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This lovely red chicken’s name is Pearl, and she 
lives about ten miles from Big Mill B&B.  
She is proud to have laid the eggs for this Bacon Custard Quiche.

Bacon & Sweet Onion Custard Quiche with Hash Brown Crust 

• 20 ounces (3-4 cups) frozen shredded, potatoes , like Ore Ida Country Inn Peppers and Onions Hash Browns
  If you cannot find these, use plain shredded hash browns and add 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 Tablespoons butter (reserve one tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided
• 10 ounces bacon
• 1 medium sweet onion, like Vidalia, diced
• 6-7 medium, free range chicken eggs (they really are tastier)
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 2 ¼  cups Half-and-Half
• ½  teaspoons fresh ground mixed or black peppercorns
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (use less if pre-grated)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh, chopped chives (if using dried chives, use less)
• 1 ½ cups grated Jarlsberg cheese (or good quality Swiss)

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The man milking the cow is a new addition to our whirligig collection

Please note the plant in the background – it is newly planted tobacco. North Carolina is still a tobacco-producing state. Although Big Mill Inn is totally non-smoking, our guests who feel they would like to enjoy a pipe or a smoke outside are welcome.

 Update on tobacco:

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