Cranberries – no food says Christmas holiday recipe quite like a cranberry.

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

Any time I can use cranberries in a recipe here on the farm at Big Mill B&B, I do.

This great-looking Cranberry Salad is one of my favorites and was featured by Inn Cuisine.  My mother-in-law, Ginny, used to make this salad for every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, along with four turkeys. One turkey was the centerpiece and the others went to homeless shelters in Atlanta. Oh, and we ate one of the turkeys.

Chloe’s Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 orange, washed
1/2 cup orange juice
12-ounce bag cranberries, washed and picked over
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon key lime juice or lemon juice
3 packages unflavored gelatin (3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water

Remove stems from orange. Cut into pieces, leaving peel on.  Cut into pieces and put into blender with orange juice. 

Pulverize. Add cranberries, sugar and mix thoroughly, but do not completely pulverize.  (This part of the salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator).

Add celery and nuts and lemon juice.  Blend again.  Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water.  Add 1/2 cup boiling water.  Add to cranberry mixture. 

Spray a four-cup mold with cooking spray.  Pour cranberry mixture into mold and chill until set.  Unmold onto a pretty dish and garnish with a piping of mayonnaise.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Bon appetit and MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at Big Mill B&B.

Virginia Tuttle was happiest when she was cooking and she loved to share. Her recipes live on and I think of her every time I make this tasty Cranberry Salad. There will be more recipes inspired by Ginny coming on Chloe's Blog. 

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Photo by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography

If you venture to Southern Pines, NC on Thanksgiving Day, and stand with horses and hounds on Hobby Field, you will hear the Episcopal priest begin his blessing:

"Bless, O Lord, we beseech You, rider and horse and hound. Shield the rider from danger to life and limb, and may the chase bring to him vigor of body and clearness of mind.

May the horse that carries him come unharmed to the close of the hunting day, and be regarded as man's helper in his work and in his play…." This blessing extends to the hounds, the horses, the riders and even the fox.

Photos by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography

A fox-scented rag is dragged over the path, a sharp blast from a horn is sounded and the hounds are off – riders in pursuit. The hunt is on.

North Carolina is rich in the tradition of the hunt – with or without the fox.

These captivating photographs were taken by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography. Well, Stacey came to Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and took many of the photos on our website. And she has been busy. She has taken the cover photos for Our State Magazine three times in 2010, or maybe more!

Photo by Stacey Haines.

Way to go, Stacey!  And thanks for sharing with Chloe's Blog and Snapshots of Eastern North Carolina.

If you plan to attend this year's Blessing of the Hounds:
 
When:  Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m.  (November 25, 2010)
Where:  Hobby Field, 3116 Youngs Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387
Details:  Recorded message – (910) 692-6889

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Want to make a special gift for the cook in your life?

And for not much money? Homemade vanilla extract is the perfect gift – everyone cooks. And at Big Mill B&B, vanilla is one of our favorites.

But not all vanilla beans are equal. If I can even find vanilla beans in eastern North Carolina, they are usually all dried up. But with some diligence good beans can be found. (See below) Vanilla beans come from a climbing orchid and each has its own special quality – some redolent of cherries, bourbon, cinnamon, even prunes.

The different beans have myriad flavors like Madagascar, Bourbon, Tonga (I almost took a boat delivery job to Tonga in my youth), Papua New Guinea, Mexico (I did go there in my youth), Tahiti, Indonesia, and Tahitensis & Planifolia Blend (the most typical vanilla.)

The more I read about vanilla beans, the more I am intrigued by them. Each bean is hand-picked and hand-pollinated. Now we know why they cost so much.

Recipe for Vanilla Extract

3 or 4 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka *(some recipes use bourbon, light rum or brandy)
Cute glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid

Using a very sharp knife, slit into each bean except for an inch at the end. If you cut too much the seeds will come out and cloud the vanilla. This isn't a problem, just doesn't look as pretty. You can strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter if it bothers you.

Put beans into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with the vodka. Shake.

Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month – longer is better. Shake the jar every once in awhile. This wonderful elixir will last for years. As you use it up, just add more vodka, and give the bottle a shake or two.

* This cute little Absolut Vodka bottle has 200 ml of vodka, just short of a cup. Bend the beans to fit in the bottle. The next size of Absolut Vodka is 375 ml (almost 2 cups) and the beans will fit in the bottle easily.

I used three beans for the smaller bottle and six beans for this larger bottle, just remember to use  3 beans per cup of vodka. It isn't necessary to use the high quality of vodka like Absolut, but I really like the bottle!

Just a thought – Commercial vanilla extract often has a sweetener added to take away the bitter aftertaste.  You can add simple syrup (sugar water) if you want.

Bon appetit.

PS — In case you're wondering where to buy vanilla beans …

Penzey's sells good vanilla beans and during the holidays you can sometimes find beans at discount places like Trader Joe's, BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco. In fact, yesterday I found them at a Costco in Atlanta - 10 beans for $11.99. 

Also – The blog Heavenly Homemakers has struck a deal with Olive Nation to get seven beans for $9.99 with a 10% discount and free shipping on beans. You can go to Heavenly Homemakers for the code to get your discount and free shipping. And, San Francisco-based Vanilla Saffron Imports has a pound of vanilla beans for $19.95. Ordering online makes the shopping easy. 

For a lesson on all things vanilla, check out this page at Arizona Vanilla Company.  Fun place, plus they also sell Vanilla beans. 

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Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving
without a mouth-watering pecan pie on the table

 
This year we have a bumper crop of pecans here on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and, oh, they are good! Luckily a few are falling early – usually they wait and fall when it is 20 degrees outside.

Cathy at Conceptual Cuisine Catering right here in Williamston, NC, does the gourmet candlelight dinners for our guests here at the inn.  With a little begging she shared her Pecan Pie Recipe with us. So this is as good as it gets in the old south — Bourbon Pecan Pie.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe
from Conceptual Cuisine

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts like Pillsbury's rolled crusts (15 ounces) found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store (you will need one for the bottom crust and one for leaf decorations)
• 2 cups pecans
• 3 eggs + 1 egg white (reserved)
• 1 cup light Karo Corn Syrup
• ¼ cup melted butter (if using unsalted butter add ¼ teaspoon salt)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons good bourbon
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack at the middle position. Spray a 9-inch or 10-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.

To Make Crust:

Remove pie crusts from refrigerator at least 15 to 20 minutes before using. Gently unroll one crust onto floured cutting board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with four. Carefully place the crust inside the pie pan, leaving at least 1-inch of the crust overhanging. Pierce bottom of crust several times with a fork.

To make pie filling:

Chop the pecans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 whole eggs. Add corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and bourbon. Stir until well blended.
Add chopped pecans and stir until combined. Set aside.
 
To make decorative leaves:

Unroll second pie crust onto lightly floured board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with flour. Using autumn leaf cutters*, cut enough leaves to go around the outer edge of your pie. Place cut leaves on waxed paper. If you are using a scalloped pie dish, it will take approximately 30 leaves; fewer if using a standard round dish.

To assemble pie:

Pour filling mixture into pie crust.

Using the reserved egg white, gently brush the back side of the pastry leaves. Brush the outside ¼-inch of the pie crust with the egg wash. Place leaves around crust, overlapping slightly. Press gently to adhere. Brush egg wash over the leaves.
 
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until pie is set; pie should have a gelatin-like consistency. A knife or straw inserted halfway between the center and the edge of the pie should come out clean. Check the pie after 30 minutes of cooking. If the crust is browning too much, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the pie.

Remove pie from the oven and cool on a rack. Pie should be completely cool before slicing. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Here in North Carolina we often top our pecan pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe for pecan pie

*Williams Sonoma has some really nice fall leaf pastry cutters and also the Artisan ruffled pie dish that we used for our pie.

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Ah, figs … a wonderful way to welcome Indian Summer to the South.

If you are lucky enough to have a friend who offers you figs, gladly accept.

There was a time when everyone's grandmother had a fig tree at the home place. I am lucky to live and work at Big Mill B&B – it is my home place. We have the old orchard, but the fig trees are small.  So when Michael called and offered figs, I went forthwith. Even North Carolina mystery writer Margaret Maron stops writing to make fig preserves.

Before you commit,  make sure you have time to deal with the figs. When figs are luscious and ripe, the clock is ticking fast – you might be able to keep them for a day.

A great way to savor the flavor of figs all year long is to make Fig Preserves; they are mouth-watering on homemade biscuits.  I have worked on this recipe and I think it is perfect, humbly speaking. My recipe is worthy of the old South, a fact that now promotes me to "Miss Chloe."

A friend, Nancy Rascoe, who owns the bed and breakfast 1812 on the Perquimans in Hertford, NC, teaches manners — "Miss Nancy Teaches Manners." (You have to watch this video!)  Don't you just love the South? I will tell you, "Miss Chloe" takes some getting used to; my mother was Miss Chloe. It really is a term of respect and endearment.

A word of caution:  Once committed to making preserves, don't stray from the project. I'm serious.  Don't answer the phone, the doorbell or anything else. This is science. You will be so glad in December when you show up at the party with fig preserves on roasted brie (recipe forthcoming).

Chloe's Fig Preserves

2 pounds ripe figs (4 cups prepared figs)
7 cups sugar
Scant 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
Zest from two of the above lemons
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 pouch liquid pectin, like Certo (3 ounces)

Wash and drain the figs, handling carefully. Remove the stems and cut the figs in half. You should have 4 cups of cut or mashed figs.

Measure 7 cups sugar into a large mixing bowl. Wash the lemons and grate the peel from two of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from the lemons. You will need a scant 1/2 cup of juice. Check the expiration date on the pectin. Don't use if it is out of date.

Place figs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and butter into a large cooking pot (at least an 8 quart pot). Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the figs, leaving chunks. Stir and bring this mixture to a full, rolling boil; a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the liquid pectin and return to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for exactly one minute, stirring the entire time.

Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized jars. Process according to your canning instructions.

Yield: 7 half-pints, plus some for tasting.

Don't fret, you all can still call me Chloe or Chloe Ann!

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Our hummingbirds arrived at Big Mill B&B quite late this year -
but once they landed, it was with a flourish and a big show,
chattering and demanding food.   (Photo by Guy Livesay)

And since we are a designated Bird and Breakfast Bird-Friendly Business, we willingly obliged. Guy’s outstanding photo, taken here at Big Mill B&B, earned him 1st place in the 2010 Beaufort County Arts Council Nature/Wildlife photography contest. 

Our zinnias seem to be a favorite 

Photo by Guy Livesay

Guests often ask me if there is any time during the year when you should stop feeding hummingbirds? If you have had a similar question, here’s my answer:

It is perfectly alright to leave the feeders out until freezing weather arrives. The birds usually leave when their food sources (flower nectar and bugs) are no longer available. You may get a traveling hummingbird guest en route to warmer climates.  Big Mill seems to be a favorite spot for such hummingbird “refuelings!”

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

4 parts hot boiling water
1 part refined white sugar
Few drops of red food coloring, optional, but not necessary

Stir this mixture until all the sugar is dissolved. (Audubon suggests that you boil the sugar to kill any bacteria. If you change the water every day, this is not necessary).

Allow solution to cool before filling feeders. This sugar water can spoil in hot weather, so change it often, at least two times a week or more. Store any excess nectar in the refrigerator.

Oops! Just gotta get to that great nectar. (Photo by Guy Livesay)

So, have you had any good hummingbird sightings this summer?  Share your best photos with us over on Big Mill Bed and Breakfast’s Facebook page .

And while you’re there, take a minute to write on our “Wall.”  

Update: I turned on the video camera and caught about 10 minutes of wonderful action at the hummingbird feeder the other day. Check it out here if you could use a 10-minute nature retreat:

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We sailed into Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands in 1978 and I met Hank Cochran that day. Hank was lounging on the back of his Grand Banks 50, aptly named "The Legend."

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran was born in Isola, Mississippi in 1935. Hank moved to Nashville in 1960, and with Harland Howard he wrote "I Fall to Pieces." Patsy Cline recorded it in November of 1960 and, as we know, it became a big hit.

Hank wrote many songs including "She's Not You," "Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me?" "Little Bitty Tear," "Why Can't He Be You?" and "Make the World Go Away."

Hank Cochran (left), Chloe Gurkin McHorney Tuttle (middle) and Captain Joe (right) 1979
(Photo by Joy Greyer)

Hank invited us to go fishing one Sunday afternoon – we didn't get back until Wednesday. But that was Hank. It was fun to watch his creative process – it would just happen. Someone would say something, or a thought would come to him. He wrote it down on anything handy, and soon it was a song. He told me heartache made writing easier. He surely knew how to do that.

  Hear no evil, See no Evil and Speak no Evil… photo of
Chloe Tuttle, Captain Joe, and Joy Greyer
(Photo by Hank Cochran using Joy's camera)

When I met Hank, I had no clue I was meeting such a character.  That same day I also met a wonderful woman Joy, who would became a cherished lifelong friend. We weathered many wet days that winter in the Bahamas, the guys played lots of Crazy Eights and Hearts. We took many trips to Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar.

Back then I was cleaning conch and making slaw.  Now I am an Innkeeper growing blueberries and making jam. What a great life, eh?

Some times when I am here on the farm that is now Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, my mind wanders back to my sailing days. I remember places I went but mostly the people I met. And Hank Cochran, The Legend, the Man…is high on that list.

The world lost Hank on July 15, 2010. He left behind a legacy in country music. We will miss you, Hank. And you made it to the Rolling Stone.

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Did you know that bees are responsible for every third bite of food that we eat?
Bees are fascinating little creatures and they are in trouble.

Sunflowers on the farm

The Great Sunflower Project was begun in 2008 by the biology department at San Francisco State University to study the wild bee population. In 2009, lots of us were given free lemon sunflower seeds to plant in our gardens. We were to monitor the bee activity for a certain amount of time each day. There were 50,000 participants!

Bees love the bee balm at Big Mill B&B

Well, something ate my lemon sunflowers … bummer … so I couldn't participate. But this year, they have expanded the flower list to include bee balm, tickseed, cosmos, purple coneflower and rosemary. So I am fired up and ready to go!

Coreopsis (tickseed) in the Big Mill Garden

Why don't you join in this Hunt for Bees? All you have to do is plant one of the flowers listed, get comfortable in your garden, watch the bee activity and record it. Any size garden will work – even container gardens!  The bonus, of course, by planting these flowers, you increase the odds of attracting hummingbirds and butterflies too.

Learn more about the project here: http://www.greatsunflower.org/ and on Facebook.

PS — Share your Great Sunflower Project photos over on Big Mill's Facebook Page!

Let's create a buzz!           

Bzzzzzzz …  I used to keep bees, but that is next year's project.

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