Everywhere you look, it’s planting time in eastern North Carolina

Nephew Monk Gurkin above in 1959. Monk and Aunt Chloe (that’s me) had our own garden that year. We raised tomatoes to sell to local restaurants – and for our tomato sandwiches. Note the hog pen in back.

Seems we all dig in the dirt – some of us in our gardens, some in patio gardens and some in the fields with those big tractors.

The field outside my kitchen window was planted this week with tobacco.  Brother John used to oversee the farm; now Monk has that job.

I have a great raised bed cook’s garden right on top of where chitterlings were cleaned when we had hog killings on the farm. For my flower garden, guests Bentley and Betty Ann Mohorn brought me some new Evening Primroses, so if you’re here in June, you can join our nightly “Flower Party” as we watch each primrose open.

One of my guests took thisdelightful video of the yellow evening primroses last year. But don’t blink during the first few seconds or you’ll miss a magical moment!  It’s only a couple minutes long, but listen to all the sounds Mother Nature packed in there. More videos of this year’s blossoms are a promise!

Every plant has a perfect planting time – this year I am following the almanac and the moon phases. It works! I found this list of “when to plant” that my dad “Ops” wrote years ago. I love it. But it won’t work every year, because the moon is different …. really.

Monk again watering. (See our bird dog, Don, in the background)

In early spring, my dad would get Mary the mule and plow our gardens. Mary lived for forty years in what is now the “Mule Room,” our long-term rental here at Big Mill. We had two gardens, an early one for potatoes and early crops, and another for our summer garden. Mother canned everything from the garden and she taught me how.

So now I am anxiously watching my blueberries and blackberries so I can be ready. Guests love the jams that I make. Search the recipes on Chloe’s Blog and the recipe page on www.BigMill.com for jam and jelly recipes. Here’s the recipe for my blueberry jam – Soooo good!

It’s a FUN time to be on the farm!

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast 252-792-8787

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission has issued a challenge to Bloggers who blog about food – create an original sweet potato recipe. First thing I had to do was learn how to spell “potato.” … amazes me that it has no “e.”

My dad grew lots of sweet potatoes here on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast. My brother John told me that some years the Sweet Potato House would be full, so they had to store them in other buildings – like tobacco barns and buildings. That was the year they raised 5,000 bushels of sweet potatoes. They liked special varieties – Hayman, Puerto Rica and Georgia Red. No one here dared raise Jewel potatoes…they just weren’t as good.

When my mother baked a cookie sheet full of sweet potatoes, they were so sweet that the juice crystallized on the pan. She never made sweet potato soup, but I know she would have liked it.

Chloe’s Gourmet Sweet Potato Soup is creamy without any cream. Good for all those lactose intolerant folks. And – no flour thickeners, so it is gluten free. This is a delicate soup that is a good accompaniment to any meal.  It is a real show-stopper.

Print Recipe

Chloe’s Gourmet Sweet Potato Soup

For the two-color soup, make two batches. This is a beautiful soup, and you will love the variations in the sweet potato soups.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sweet potato soup, sweet potato soup recipe, two color sweet potato soup

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons canola or corn oil divided
• 2 cups  leek sliced, white parts only, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds red sweet potatoes about three medium-sized or two large potatoes. Buy the darkest red sweet potatoes available.
• 1 1/2 pounds light-colored sweet potatoes like Hayman Japanese, Murasakior O'Henry (about three medium-sized or two large potatoes)
• 1 cup water divided
• 4 cans 14½ ounce good quality vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons orange zest divided

You will also need for garnish:

• Sprigs of fresh chives
• Edible flowers like pansies, nasturtiums, violets, Johnny-Jump-Ups

Instructions

To make the red sweet potato soup:

• In a medium sized fry pan, heat 2 Tablespoons canola oil. Add ½ cup sliced leeks. Sauté the leeks on medium heat until tender, stirring often. Do not let the leeks brown. Remove from heat.
• Wash and peel the red sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Add the red sweet potatoes to the pan with the leeks. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 can of vegetable broth. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Repeat this procedure with the light-colored sweet potatoes.

• Working in batches of different colors, add the sweet potato and leek mixture to a blender. Add remaining half can of vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon orange zest. Pulse gently to make a puree. Add more vegetable broth as needed to achieve the consistency of thin pancake batter. Optional - For a perfectly smooth soup, run the soup through a kitchen sieve.
• Using two medium-sized saucepans, heat soups, using low heat and stirring often. Add more broth as needed. Gently pour about 1/2 cup of the red sweet potato soup into a wide, flat soup bowl, allowing soup to settle. Gently pour 1/2 cup of the light colored soup into the other side of the soup bowl. Repeat for each serving of soup.
• Garnish with a chive sprig and an edible flower.
• This soup can be made ahead of time. Heat each batch separately before serving. You may have to add more vegetable broth or water because the soup tends to thicken as it cools.
• Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 29395IU | Vitamin C: 26.5mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2.3mg

Bon appetite!
Big Mil Bed & Breakfast 252-792-8787

Oh, so sad for Windsor and Eastern North Carolina – Bunn’s is closed as of July 28, 2023

Driving up, you might wonder if this really is a restaurant.  There’s a Texaco pump out front – that’s because before 1938, Bunn’s was a service station. Inside, old signs hang on the walls, but the minute you enter, that wonderful aroma of vinegar, pork and red pepper greets you. You are in the right place.

A few years back, several of my friends sashayed up to the food bar and asked for a menu; they were told, “Don’t have one.”  When asked what they served the waitress — very matter-of-fact — responded, “Barbecue on a bun, barbecue on a plate.”

A menu is on the wall and they certainly have added some good eastern North Carolina  foods. You can get hot dogs, Brunswick stew and barbecue any day, and sweet tea, of course.  On Tuesdays, they serve barbecue chicken; on Thursday, the house special is chicken and pastry.

My favorite food at Bunn’s – the Cornbread Sandwich. That’s a barbecue and slaw sandwich served between two pieces of corn bread.

Open since 1938, this Windsor, North Carolina landmark is a place you just don’t want to miss. The Russell family has owned Bunn’s since 1969. High water has flooded Bunn’s seven times since 1999, twice with six feet of water.

Jan and Michael Stern, who wrote Road Food for Gourmet magazine and are now on NPR’s Splendid Table, with a Road Food column added it to their list of great Mom and Pop restaurants in the USA. I agree.

For great pork barbecue in eastern North Carolina,
Bunn’s Barbecue in Windsor has to be on your short list.

I am on a mission to photograph every Mom and Pop “Road Food” restaurant in eastern North Carolina. Do you have any suggestions?

Bunn’s Barbecue 127 N. King St. , Windsor, NC 27983, tel. 252-794-2274. (Bunn’s is just 17 miles from Big Mill Bed & Breakfast).

Distances From:
Raleigh, NC 115
Norfolk, VA
Greenville, NC 45 miles
Big Mill Bed & Breakfast 14 miles (In Williamston, NC) 252-792-8787

(all photos by Chloe Tuttle of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast)

View Bunn’s Barbecue in a larger map

Big Mill B&B has been chosen Inn of the Year by North Carolina Bed & Breakfast and Inns.  We are waving flags and tooting horns. This is a great honor – we are thrilled.

At the celebration dinner at King’s Daughter Inn our outgoing president Frank Salvo of White Gate Inn (in Asheville), standing in for Ms. Paula Deen, presented the Inn of the Year award to Chloe Tuttle, innkeeper and owner of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, NC.

The President’s Award went to Rachel Reid of Andon-Reid Inn (in Waynesville, NC).  It’s pretty obvious — we had a good time at the festivities.

North Carolina Bed & Breakfast & Inns is a great organization and it just celebrated its 25th anniversary. If you see the NCBBI logo beside an inn’s name, you know this inn has been inspected and is held to the highest standards. Big Mill Bed and Breakfast is proud to belong to this wonderful group.

Photos by Chloe Tuttle of Big Mill B&B 252-792-8787

Like so many of our old country haunts, Martin Supply has closed.

This is my story about Martin Supply in eastern North Carolina. It was always the same. They buy and sell pecans. Many farmsteads throughout the south have pecan trees that were planted by their parents or grandparents. 

All the southern cooks like Paula Dean have great pecan recipes, and Bourbon Pecan Pie is on everyone’s list. 

Every year a company from Georgia comes to Martin Supply in Williamston to buy pecans. Folks from all over the neighboring counties motor over to sell their pecans. The small pecans called “seedlings” are from a tree that grew from a seed and not from a graft. Stuarts are the large, prized pecans, like we have on the farm here at Big Mill B&B.

My B&B guests love Martin Supply and mingling with the farmers who hang out at the store. You can buy a flannel shirt, seeds, hoop cheese, a Radio Flyer wagon, a squirrel trap, honey, shot gun shells, fertilizer and all that farm stuff and pecans, of course.  They sell the gadget to pick up the pecans. It is a nostalgic old store just like small town stores used to be.

I remember many types of gadgets my folks used to crack our pecans. D.J. made me an electric cracking machine that walloped one pecan at a time. It was very interesting, but loud and rather messy. Then we had one machine that used a giant rubber band. These ingenious pecan-cracking machines are fascinating.  One even is called a Kinetic Kracker.

But in the past few years I have gone to Martin Supply uptown in Williamston and let them crack all the pecans with their ingenious pecan cracker. I even sent guests to watch this marvel.

The pecans are poured into the top of the machine and they slowly move through it, sending the cracked nuts out the hopper and some of the shells fall out the bottom. When you get the cracked nuts you have to scratch around, separating the broken shells from the pecans. There is an art to all of this, mind you. It can’t be rushed.

And after you gather up your pecans and shells, one needs to lay out the pecans on newspaper to dry a bit. Then you pick through them, removing all the shells. We recycle these shells by spreading them in the yard; the birds love it. Big Mill is eco-friendly. Trip Advisor gave us its prestigious Green Leaders award.

Tom Skinner is choosing garden seeds-you can buy just a few seeds.

I too will buy some seeds in spring so that I can fill my pantry with canned goods, just like my folks did. I am well supplied with organic pecans for the breads we make here at the Bed & Breakfast.  Moses used to help with picking up the pecans; this year it was cold so she wasn’t much help.

I don’t know who planted all these wonderful trees in eastern North Carolina, but I thank them. I am saddened when I see these grand old groves cut down. My folks planted at least seven pecan trees in our yard in 1922 here at Big Mill. Three were cut down years ago, but four spreading pecan trees remain, with wonderful shade in summer and sweet, paper-shell pecans in the fall.

I would love it if you would share your pecan recipes with me.

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast 252-792-8787

Blessing of the Hounds Fox Hunt in Southern Pines, NC – photo by Stacey van Berkel

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 van Berkel of Stacey van Berkel 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 van Berkel of Stacey van Berkel 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 van Berkel.

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

Hope to see you at Big Mill Bed &Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

If you plan to attend this year’s Blessing of the Hounds:

When:  Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m.  (November 27, 2014)
Where:  Hobby Field, 3116 Youngs Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387
Details:  Recorded message — (910) 692-6889

View Blessing of the Hounds in a larger map

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

Easy to make Vanilla Extract

And for not much money? Homemade Vanilla extract is the perfect gift – everyone cooks. [continue reading…]

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

Print Recipe

Bourbon Pecan Pie

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

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bourbon pecan pie, bourbon pecan pie recipe

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 675kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

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
• 1/4 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

Instructions

• 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 leaf cutters we found at Williams Sonoma, 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 & cook 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2.2mg

Click for southern Pecan Pie Recipe

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

If a friend offers you fresh 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.

The secret to having fresh figs is to plant a Fig Tree!

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.

And save a few figs for the best bread ever – Chloe’s Fig Bread with a nip of Grand Marnier baked right in it.

Print Recipe

Miss Chloe’s Fig Preserves

A great way to savor the flavor of figs all year long is to make Fig Preserves; they are mouth-watering on homemade biscuits.

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fig preserves, fig preserves recipe

Servings: 56 servings

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 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) Do NOT use Ball brand, they have changed the recipe

Instructions

• 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.

Notes

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

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast 252-792-8787