Who can resist a pretty flower? Some of them, you can eat!  Spring and Summer offer many edible flowers; fall has fewer, but they are beauties – and easy to grow.

A fun thing to do with edible flowers is to freeze them in ice cube trays for drinks and punch. You can use these in any season. Here is how to do it – it’s easy as 1-2-3! Click to see how to make Edible Flower Ice Cubes – it’s EASY

Who says Bone Broth has to be boring? This Beef Vegetable Soup made with bones is the best I have ever tasted. The secret – BONES.

This soup uses bone-in chuck roast and oxtails. Another secret ingredient is lard.  Our grandmothers were right – lard is great.

Click to get Chloe’s Bone Broth Beef Vegetabl Soup Recipe

Popcorn Sutton was a short, squirrelly dude with a trashy mouth, and I can’t help but be fascinated by his persona.

READER BEWARE: Popcorn had a smart mouth and made some lewd signs depicted in the photos that he sent to me.

Click to see photos and story of Popcorn Sutton – BEWARE – some are lewd.

These tiny bottles of Peppers and Vinegar are a must-have for any southern cooks to serve with greens like collards. They also make great gifts.

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Hot Pepper Vinegar

Hot pepper vinegar is a great condiment, and if you make it in small jars it makes for a great gift.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Rest7 days d

Total Time7 days d 15 minutes mins

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hot pepper vinegar, hot pepper vinegar recipe, how to make hot pepper vinegar

Servings: 8 small jars of Pepper Vinegar

Calories: 65kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1 pound of small hot red peppers the peppers must fit into the mouths of the jars
• 1/2 gallon distilled white 5% vinegar

Instructions

• The small individual 875 ml wine bottles are great for making this pepper vinegar; you can also buy pretty decorative bottles. Be sure to use only clear glass jars. Wash jars and remove labels if there are any. Basically, any jar will work – some folks use Mason jars. I like to use small jars so that I have more bottles of pepper vinegar to give away.
• Trim any long stems on the peppers. Pack as many peppers as you can get into the jars. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to stuff the peppers in the jar, being careful not to damage the peppers. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves.
• Using a funnel, fill each jar with the distilled vinegar, covering the peppers. Set on a shelf and in a few weeks you will have glorious hot pepper vinegar. You can refill the jars several times.

Notes

This does not need to be refrigerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 81.5mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.6mg

I know you have seen them off in the distance – a bright splash of color on an old barn. These are “Barn Quilts” and they are a great tribute to our heritage and “the art of rural America.” They honor our long-gone quilters, like my mother Chloe.

Old Tobacco Barn at Moratock Park with “Tobacco Times” Quilt block

Quilt trails are popping up everywhere the U.S.A. and Canada. You can see them all over the mountains of North Carolina and now we have a trail here in eastern North Carolina. The first barn quilt in Martin County (part of the Tar-Roanoke River Trail) was on the Pack House barn at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast. We now have 12 quilts installed in our county – and more to come. Click to see all the Barn Quilts in and around Williamston, NC

Griffin’s Quick Lunch is an Eastern North Carolina Icon – Sadly Griffin’s has closed…An Icon since the 40’s, it is gone.

Griffin’s Quick Lunch – Mom and Pop Diner in Eastern NC

Griffin’s Quick Lunch, just like many Mom and Pop diners in eastern North Carolina, is a landmark. Unfortunately, we are losing many of these cafes; Williamston is lucky to still have Griffin’s.

If you go to Griffin’s, you MUST try the Banana Fritters. These were first made famous at Cobb’s Corner Restaurant; sadly, Cobb’s is gone. A relative who worked at Cobb’s gave the recipe for her Banana Fritters to her son; he later bought Griffin’s, so now they serve these sweet delights. I have the recipe, but like the recipes my mother passed down, it is just a list of ingredients. I am still trying to make this recipe work. When I do, I will post it.

Click to see specialties of the house at Griffin’s Quick Lunch…

Biscotti is perfect for those who don’t want a super sweet confection. I like to bundle up a few Biscotti, tie them up with a festive ribbon, and take as a house gift or as my donation to the the Christmas party.

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Cranberry Almond Biscotti

The biscotti will keep for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry almond biscotti, cranberry almond biscotti recipe

Servings: 36 Biscotti

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 2½- cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼- cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs if mixture is too dry you may need to add another egg
• 2 large egg yolks reserve the egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1½ cup slivered almonds reserve ¼ cup
• Zest of one lemon or lime
• 1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries like Craisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a large, heavy cookie sheet.
• Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In another large bowl mix eggs and egg yolks together. Add vanilla, almond flavoring, 1 ¼ cup of the nuts, cranberries, and the zest to the eggs.
• Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just barely blended. You will have to use your hands and perhaps add another egg or you can use some of the reserved egg whites if the mixture is too sticky to form.
• Using greased hands, form dough into three 4-inch by 9-inch (or thereabouts) rolls that are 2 inches thick. Mixture will be sticky and you will have to use your hands. Using a greased spatula, gently place the “rolls” on greased cookie sheet, making sure the rolls are several inches apart.
• Press reserved almonds on top of the shaped dough.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough will hold together. Remove from oven and cool slightly. (You must not cool the biscotti too much because they will get too hard to cut). When cooled slightly, gently slide the rolls to a floured cutting board and gently cut through each roll at an angle into 1½- inch pieces. Turn each piece on its side and place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake again for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each piece onto another side. If you prefer harder biscotti, turn biscotti and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Click to read Chloe’s clever serving suggestions…

Picking peanuts reminds me of growing up in eastern North Carolina. My nephew Barney and I loved to play hide-and-seek in the peanut fields. Back then, the peanuts were dug and stacked on poles to dry. There is a certain earthy smell that is everywhere.

Harry Roberson leaning on his Peanut Stacks in Gold Point, NC, circa 1940 (Thanks to Hank Roberson for the use of his grandfather’s photo)

We loved to hide behind these stacks and to climb them, much to the dismay of my parents. All the children in the neighborhood joined us and we stayed out until way after dark. Sadly, the peanut stacks are gone. Click to see video of Peanuts being Picked

Calling all watermelon lovers!! This Watermelon Salad is a beauty. I adapted this recipe from one in the June, 2017 issue of “Our State Magazine,” the same magazine that did a wonderful story about Big Mill in their August issue.

Print Recipe

Summer Watermelon Salad

Gorgeous Watermelon Salad is perfect summer days.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 6 cups seedless watermelon cut into cubes
• 1 sweet yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 sweet onion like Vidalia or 1 red onion cut into very thin rings
• 4 ounces of Feta Cheese or goat cheese, crumbled
• Juice of 1 lime about 3 Tablespoons
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• This is a “make now and eat now” salad. If you dress it, you eat it. You can cut the parts of the salad early, but do not amalgamate it until you are ready to eat it.
• 
  Cut the watermelon into large chunks and lay it out on a plate lined with paper towels to remove some of the excess water. I do that when I am making watermelon skewers for my B&B guests. It keeps the watermelon from weeping into the dish.
• 
  Cut watermelon again into cubes about 1½" large. Put cubes of watermelon, pepper strips and onion rings into each salad bowl. Add crumbled cheese. For each salad, cut 1 basil leaf and 1 mint leaf into very thin strips and place on top of each salad.
• 
  Wisk together the lime juice, honey, salt and pepper.
• 
  Garnish with an edible flower like a begonia or nasturtium. Dress salad just before serving.
• 
  Instead of individual salads you can make one large salad if you prefer. Also do not dress this until just before serving.
• 
  This salad recipe is adapted from a Watermelon Salad in "Our State" magazine.

Notes

This salad needs to be made just before serving.

In eastern North Carolina, we do many things with watermelon. We also are very picky about where we buy our watermelons. Folks around here swear by Rocky Hock watermelons and cantaloupes. Rocky Hock is a small, rural area of the Chowan River – folks say the sandy soil is the reason these melons are so good.

Click here to read more …