1 June - Kentucky; Burgoo

Today in 1792, Kentucky, which at that time consisted of three counties of Virginia rolled into one, ratified the Constitution to become the 15th state, formally known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

This is the Bluegrass State, the Dark and Bloody Ground,  the land of Unbridled Spirit, the favored hunting grounds of the Shawnee and Cherokee, followed by the Long Hunters (so called because they went on long hunts and were gone a long time).  Through the Cumberland Gap in the south and via the Ohio River in the north, settlers poured in to the rich farmlands and coal fields.  Some stayed, some moved on.  More moved in.

The state is divided into five regions, and you can find a whole vacation's worth of things to do in any one of them.  This is horse-lovers country; everyone knows about the Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville.  Aficionados of the National Sport know Louisville as the home of the Slugger and make pilgrimages to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

For history buffs, this is the original land of Lincoln, before the family moved north.  In the Civil War, the state was ostensibly pro-Union and tried to remain neutral, but several battlefields and some continuing feuds say otherwise.  More peaceful pursuits can be found at the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.  

Explore the outdoors.  Kentucky has one National Park (Mammoth Cave, the world's longest cave system), two National Recreation Areas, National Forests, and National Wildlife Refuges, 52 State Parks and historic sites, and 82 Wildlife Management Areas.  When you get tired of your pioneering spirit, there are always civilized amenities nearby - golf, shopping, nightlife (and showers).

And for those who don't mind sacrificing a few brain cells, there are the Bourbon tours.

Visit the Kentucky Tourism website for more adventures.

[One branch of my family moved from western Virginia through Boone's Cumberland Gap to the rich lands of the "Pennyrile", and from there to all points of the compass - except back East.  They left that to me.  One of these days, I'll mosey that way myself.]

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BURGOO is a traditional stew associated with Kentucky, but as with my own ancestors, it traveled north, west, and south to regions outside the state.  It is usually made in very large quantities for social gatherings such as political rallies and church suppers.  This recipe will feed at least 20 people of varying appetites, or you can cut the recipe in half.

For the full recipe, you will need a 20-quart stock pan or two 10-quart stock pans.  If using the latter, divide the ingredients more or less equally between the two.

Traditionally, this contains three or more different kinds of meat, which can be beef, lamb, veal, mutton, pork, squirrel, moose, chicken or other fowl, veal shanks and beef shin bones.  The amount of each is up to you, but a good rule of thumb is 1 - 2 pounds of each meat that you choose.  My preferred recipe uses 2 pounds of beef stew meat, 2 pounds of pork shoulder, and 5 pounds of chicken.

[Of course, if you really want to be authentic, you need to add squirrel.  Two pounds of squirrel will probably wipe out the entire population in your yard, if not on your street.  Since you probably have ready-made enticements in the form of bird-feeders, it shouldn't be too hard to catch enough for a recipe.]

[No, the Widow does not care to be authentic.]

Cut up the chicken (you will be removing the meat from the bones later, so cutting it into manageable pieces is just to make things easier.)

(Optional: Heat 3 tablespoons of bacon fat or cooking oil in the pan and brown the meat).  Put the cut-up chicken and meat into the pan and cover with cold water.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt.  Bring it to a full boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 - 4 hours, or until the meat is falling from the bones.

Meanwhile, peel and chop 6 potatoes and 6 onions.  Chop 1 clove of garlic and enough green cabbage to equal 2 - 3 cups.  Dice 6 carrots, 2 green peppers, and 4 stalks of celery with tops.  Slice fresh or frozen okra to equal 2 cups.  All of these, along with 2 - 3 cups of fresh or frozen lima beans and fresh or frozen kernel corn can be put in a bowl, as they will be added all together.

Remove the meat from the broth.  When meat is cool, remove and discard all bones and chicken skin.  Dice meat and chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the broth.

Now add the vegetables to the pot along with 1 - 2 dashes each of cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.  Simmer until thick, about 2 hours, stirring frequently at first, and nearly constantly as the stew thickens.  (Some recipes call for a thickening agent of 1 cup of flour mixed well with 1/2 cup of butter, stirred into the broth just before serving).

Serve with large pans of cornbread and pass the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce for those who prefer a spicier Burgoo.

And if that is just too much, you can buy it here.

29 May - Rhode Island; Stuffies

Rhode Island.  The Smallest State (with the longest name and the shortest motto).  The Ocean State.  Little Rhody.  The Land of the Independent Man.

Today in 1790, Rhode Island, the first of the thirteen colonies to declare independence from Great Britain and the last of the colonies to ratify the Constitution, became the 13th State, officially known as "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" [And despite the silliness of a handful of people who have all the depth of a bumper sticker, that is STILL the official name].

Yes, it is small, 37 miles wide by 48 miles tall, but - to quote Mike Conovan (Pat and Mike, 1952) - "what's there is cherce."

We have a vampire, a mystery tower (Vikings? Aliens?  Benedict Arnold's ancestor?), and a place called "Sin and Flesh Brook" (wouldn't that be a great return address?)

For Lovecraft fans, there is The Shunned House, as well as his grave.  The Devil left his hoof-prints here, revenants hang around here, and the rich and famous built their summer cottages here like the one shown below:

The Breakers, Newport

And the people here are very nice.  I've lived here 25 years.  Another 25, and my neighbors might even accept me.  Or not.  But in the meantime, they're very nice to this West Coast girl.

At least I'm beginning to understand the local dialect.  For one thing, when someone asks if you want to go to the potty, trust me, he's not being a pervert.

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STUFFIES (STUFFED QUAHOGS) are a wonderful snack or appetizer, and one of the first things the late Mr. Rudd made for me as an introduction to the cuisine of Rhode Island.  There are as many different recipes as there are people who make them, because it is basically clams, breadcrumbs, and seasonings - and the seasonings are up to the cook.  So you will find recipes that use Italian breadcrumbs or Japanese breadcrumbs or Portuguese bread pieces or Ritz Crackers or saltines.  Some grind the quahog meat, some chop it fine, some just chop it into pieces.  Some add chopped celery or bell peppers.  Some mix in grated Parmesan or shredded Chedder cheese or use them to top the stuffed shell.  Some stir in spicy chorizo (chourico) sausage, or milder kielbasa.  Do as thou wilt.  The recipe below has served us well.

You will need 8 - 10 quahogs.  These are large clams, not the tender little steamers that one grabs from the shell, dips in butter and describes in an arc to one's waiting mouth.  No, quahogs are large and tough - but so good.  The shells are about 4 inches long, which gives you lots of room for the stuffing.

First of all, scrub those clams, whether you got them from the local grocer or off the boat of a quahogger or found them yourself in the surf.  Put them in a pan of cold water and use a scrubbing brush on them, changing the water as necessary.

When clean, put them in a large stockpot with about 1 to 1-1/2  inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the clams open.  Remove the open clams to a large bowl where they can cool down (and any liquor in them can collect).  Some clams take longer than others to open, but you should be able to tell when the unopened clams 'aren't gonna'.  They are dead, as in 'before you got them home' dead.  Requiscat in pace.  Discard them.

Finely mince (or crush) 1 clove of garlic.  Finely chop 1 medium onion, and 1 green or red bell pepper (or 1/2 of both).  Remove the casings from 1/2 pound of sweet Italian sausage.

When the quahog shells are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from inside, chop it finely, and set aside.  Open the shells and split them apart.  Clean them thoroughly (no soap, please), dry, and set aside.

Strain the broth from the kettle and from the bowl into a large measuring cup or other container through a layer of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer (don't want any grit in the stuffies).

In a large skillet, crumble the sausage and cook until no pink remains (about 5 minutes), breaking up any clumps.  Remove with a slotted spoon to another bowl.

In the same pan, melt 1/2 cup of butter and saute the onions and peppers until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

If your skillet is large enough, then stir in the reserved sausage and quahogs with 1 cup of bread crumbs.  Moisten with the reserved clam broth and mix well. (Otherwise, do all of your mixing in a large bowl).

Heat the oven to 350° F.  Place the clean shells on a baking sheet.  Fill the shells with stuffing mixture.  Sprinkle a little paprika over the stuffed shells and top each with a little pat of butter.  Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until hot and lightly brown on top.  Serve with hot sauce and lemon wedges.

This usually makes about 10 - 12 stuffies, sometimes more.  A friend says that he makes a bunch, wraps them in foil, and freezes them for future midnight snacks (thaw, and bake as above).  I haven't tried that yet.

2 January - Georgia; 9th Day of Christmas; Peach Cobbler

Weather: As the weather is this day, so will it be in September.

The weather today foretells the weather of February.
Foggy and drizzling. Still warm.

A fog in January brings a wet Spring.  Nice dense fog surrounding us this morning.  Guess I better make sure my sump pump is still working.
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Today in 1788, the former colony of Georgia ratified the Constitution, becoming the 4th state.

In 1732, a group of British philanthropists concerned with the plight of inmates in the overcrowded debtor prisons, received a charter from George II to establish a colony in which the debtors could settle and become productive citizens.  James Oglethorpe, the only one of the Trustees to actually go to the new Province of Georgia, took 113 'worthy poor' to make the first settlement, which they did in February of the following year.

This not only relieved the overcrowded conditions and gave the people a chance to start anew, but provided a buffer between the English colony of South Carolina and the Spanish presence in Florida.  Win-win for all involved (except the Spanish).

So, what to do in Georgia?

Civil War buffs can follow the Blue & Gray Trail, starting from Chickamauga (site of the last major Confederate victory) to Atlanta, or the Civil War Heartland Leaders Trail, visit Fort Pulaski and Kennesaw Mountain.  Satisfy your inner Scarlett O'Hara at Stately Oaks, Callaway Plantation, Bulloch Hall, and Shoulderbone Plantation.   Learn about the Trail of Tears - the removal of the Creek and Cherokee from their lands -  at the Chief Vann House and New Echota, site of the capital established by the Cherokee national legislature.  Visit Jekyll Island [and fall in love, like I did], home of the late 19th century Jekyll Island Club, the most exclusive club of its time.  Take a ghost tour in Canton, Decatur, St. Simons Island, and, of course, Savannah (which has a Haunted Pub Crawl - very definitely my kind of tour, with its far more tempting spirits!)

The outdoorsy-types will find hiking, camping, boating, and hunting to satisfy anyone.  Stop at Stone Mountain Park, with its relief of President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson (family members who wouldn't be caught dead outdoors will also find plenty to do there, trust me).  Children will like seeing "Rock City" from where you can see 7 states. And if you want wineries, Georgia is covered.

Of course, you cannot - simply cannot - leave without a visit to the Okefenokee Swamp, home of that famous philosopher, Pogo, (and Albert and Beauregard, and a host of others).

If this isn't enough, see Explore Georgia and Georgia.com for more things to do and see.

Georgia is the Peach State, so in its honor, make your favorite fruit dessert with peaches.  PEACH COBBLER is easy:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a casserole, mix 3-1/2 cups of canned peaches (a 2-lb can, or very nearly, will provide enough) with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of butter (that is 1/3 of a tablespoon, if you are using the markings on the butter wrapper).

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cut in 3 tablespoons of shortening, until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Stir in 1/2 cup of milk.

Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto the peaches.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until the topping is golden-brown.  Serve warm (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream).