by Chloe Tuttle
on July 18, 2026
I first tasted Gazpacho in the sixties when I was a young student living in Spain.
Gazpacho is perfect for hot summer days.
It happened in a little café in Toledo, Spain, and I can still picture it – the café itself, the handsome young man, and the Gazpacho that made such an impression on me.
My own gazpacho recipe grew from one in Craig Claiborne’s New York Times International Cookbook, my favorite cookbook. And here’s a fun bit of trivia: Craig Claiborne, longtime food editor of the New York Times, was born in Sunflower, Mississippi.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho - Chilled Tomato Soup
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: gazpacho, tomato gazpacho, tomato gazpacho recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Chloe Tuttle
- 4 cups tomatoes with cores removed 2 1/2 to 3 pounds* or 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups peeled cucumber cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup cucumber diced into small pieces for garnish (reserved)
- 1 green pepper seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 small clove garlic peeled and minced
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or white vinegar wine vinegar is more distinctive
- 1 1/2 slices bread or 2 slices French bread
Place tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups cucumber, green pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and bread into a blender. Blend until pureed.
Pour through a kitchen sieve and press with the pestle to extract the liquid. Discard the seed and skins - they make great compost.
Chill and serve in flat bowls with the reserved, diced cucumber as garnish.
*You can also make this gazpacho with one 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes.
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 31.1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Fresh tomatoes grown on the Farm
The basket in the photo is a treasure. It was a gift from Miss Sadie, who owned the original Big Mill grist mill. Long ago, she carried this very basket up town every week with three dozen eggs to trade for coffee, sugar, and anything she couldn’t grow herself. The cotton seeds are still tucked inside — her clever way of keeping the eggs from breaking.
I grew the tomatoes in my Big Mill Cook’s garden, tucked into the orchard where our livestock once grazed beneath the apple trees. It’s a place full of stories, and this basket is one of my favorites.
Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 252-799-8787
by Chloe Tuttle
on July 9, 2026
Sweet cucumber pickles are as southern as iced tea.
Chloe’s Sweet Cucumber Pickles are worth the trouble.
Not just any pickles either – they must be homemade and preferably homegrown. It is alright if someone gives you the cucumbers, or you pick them up fresh from your local Farmers Market.
We all have a sweet pickle family recipe that has been passed down and it usually involves days of work for our pickles to have just the right crunch. This recipe involved three days. Some of the older recipes take an entire week. It involves soaking in lime and rinsing and soaking and rinsing again.
This year I had to add some extra help so I coerced Cynthia, a B&B guest to help with the washing and slicing. She is a natural.
My mother, Chloe, had several pickle recipes, but this one is my favorite.
FYI – I also have a pickle fork in several different sterling patterns. It’s a southern thing. And we all have to have a deviled egg plate, that too is a Southern thing.
Click here to get Chloe’s Sweet Cucumber Pickle Recipe
by Chloe Tuttle
on June 10, 2026
This easy Strawberry Bread recipe uses self-rising flour.
Strawberry bread is a springtime treat for folks in eastern North Carolina. You can make this bread any time of year, but it just seems so special when strawberries are in season, and and you can pick them yourself. It also is a great treat in the middle of winter when you are thinking about those warm spring days.
Fresh strawberries are the best
I was outside getting ready to take a picture of these berries when a rainstorm made me take cover in my Old Red Truck. While I waited out the storm, I took this photo – the lighting was perfect. It is one of my favorites. Local berries, of course.
Old red truck is gone, But fresh strawberries are still abundant in eastern North Carolina. I miss Old Red Truck.
To get Chloe’s Strawberry Bread Recipe click here
by Chloe Tuttle
on May 30, 2026
Remember the Mom and Pop restaurants that were in every town?
Well, we still have ’em here in eastern North Carolina. A few have closed since I did this video but many are still here and they’re worth a trip. Take a ride with me to find the best local food east of Raleigh. I’m delighted to premiere this Big Mill B&B video:
We’ve featured the “must see” spots for off-the-beaten path diners and dives throughout Eastern NC. We begin in Williamston and end up in Morehead City, stopping in some little towns that don’t even have a stoplight. Buckle up! [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on April 22, 2026
No matter what you think about bears, when someone says, “I saw a bear,” you listen. If you want to see a bear, then you must attend the Black Bear Festival in Plymouth, NC, June 5 & 6, 2026
Bears in North Carolina are usually black with a cinnamon color muzzle
Increasingly, we are seeing bears here in eastern North Carolina. They are mostly in the coastal regions – bears love our coastal Pocosin habitat.
In one of the articles I read, eastern North Carolina was said to have the highest Black Bear population of all the states. There are over 8,000 black bears in the Albemarle region, the largest concentration in North Carolina.
All 100 counties in North Carolina have reported black bear sightings. A 500-pound bear is not at all uncommon and bear biologist, Colleen Olfenbuttel, confirmed that they are seeing “an increased frequency of 700+ pound bears.” All 100 counties in North Carolina have reported black bear sightings.
Click to read more about Black Bears and the Black Bear Festival in eastern NC
by Chloe Tuttle
on April 21, 2026
Strawberry Picking Time
Strawberry picking is a spring tradition in eastern North Carolina. Guests at Big Mill B&B Extended Stay have several great options nearby. For pick-your-own strawberries, visit Griffin’s Farm Market on US 17 in Washington, NC – about 15 miles south of Big Mill – or SouthSide Farms in Chocowinity, roughly 25 miles away.
If you prefer fresh, already picked berries, Ross Farms, 1536 Garrett Road , Williamston, NC, is just 3 miles from Big Mill and offers beautiful, ready to enjoy strawberries. Read more about strawberry picking in eastern North Carolina
by Chloe Tuttle
on April 1, 2026
Winter had been cold here in eastern North Carolina and Moses, the farm kitty, was ready to sit on the back steps and socialize with the guests here at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast Extended Stay. Moses has passed, so sad, but now Raisin has taken the job.
While waiting for spring to arrive, I decided to write a cookbook –The Country Cats Cookbook in honor of my special kitties. What follows will be my signature recipe. Hope you like it … I do. APRIL FOOL!!!!
Moses was a Special Cat
Click here to get the recipe for mouse biscotti, there really is a recipe
by Chloe Tuttle
on March 27, 2026
Americans have a love affair with our marshmallow PEEPS
PEEPS come in all sizes but they taste the same as always
… and we eat more than our share – we will eat 600 million PEEPS this Easter. (I call them all PEEPS, even if they are bunnies.)
PEEPS marshmallow candy – those bright-colored chicks and bunnies that we see at Easter have a long history. In 1953, it took 27 hours to make one Peep. Now the factory in Bethlehem, PA makes a billion a year. The first PEEPS were squeezed out of a pasty tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Each PEEP is a character – as they settle the nose and eyes rearrange and they get a personality. [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on March 20, 2026
The Message of Easter – free outdoor drama near Williamston, North Carolina
2026 is the 47th year that the folks of Piney Grove Baptist Church in the Farm Life Community near Williamston, NC, have been performing this 90-minute outdoor drama of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
North Carolina loves its outdoor dramas. Every year, our hometown folks pour their time and talent into this production that feels every bit as grand as a big city show, sharing a powerful story with all who come to listen.
Click to read about the Message of Easter Outdoor Drama in easatern NC
by Chloe Tuttle
on February 28, 2026
Sausage Gravy is a southern comfort food. We southerners have always enjoyed good pork sausage – when I was young, we raised hogs and had hog killings. And we didn’t waste anything, not even grease, fat or lard; hence, our love of sausage gravy. This recipe was given to me by one of my long – term Big Mill B&B guests, Janell.
Easy-to-Make Sausage Gravy
We raised enough hogs to keep five families fed for a whole year. There were pork chops, corned backbone (cured in salt), bacon, lard, fatback, ribs, plenty of good sausage, chitlins and cracklins’ – and yes, we really do say it just like that. And we can’t forget the chitterlings (pronounced chitlins). The Smoke House was always full, with hams, shoulders, and links of sausage hanging high to cure. I still have that wonderful old Smoke House here on the farm. And while Sausage Gravy tastes especially good on a cold morning, we serve it all year long because it’s true comfort food.
Click to get Chloe’s recipe for Sausage Gravy
