South Before Winter

Several days ago I returned from Atlanta and have been trying ever since to put in writing some of my experiences at the Institut Du Fromage, aka cheese school. For countless hours we were bombarded with cheese information; everything from evaluating cheese, proper handling of cheese, pairing cheese with food and beverage, to most importantly, cheese nutrition. Needless to say, I tasted heaven during those three days, as countless plates of cheese were set before each student in order for us to taste and see or better said, taste and understand the information given to us. While driving back from Atlanta and in the days following, I have been sorting through this information, reading and re-reading, praying this information would germinate into knowledge and the knowledge into wisdom; wisdom for the journey that lies ahead.

However, with all this information to consume, the DVR in my brain continues to replay our last training session, “Meet the Cheese Makers”. I can vividly remember each cheese maker telling their own story;  when they made their first cheese, their basic life philosophy of being stewards of the land, how they made the particular cheese we were tasting, how it was hand pressed, hand rubbed, bathed and aged. I can even remember how each cheese tasted but more importantly, I remember during that session a longing deep within began calling me to a simpler time. Maybe this longing was birthed from being in Atlanta traffic for three whole days or maybe it was a re-birth of my heritage; the ‘farmer spirit’, if you will, of my grandparents calling me to slow down, enjoy the fruit of my labor with those I love.

Consequently, I’m on the road again, going south before winter to spend some quality time with my parents, a couple of my brothers and their precious families. If all goes according to plan I hope to actually milk the cows and make some butter on my brother’s farm; plus I will  be visiting a nationally know farmstead dairy and creamery in the area. I promise when I return I will share with you some my most recent ‘gotta taste this one before you die’ cheeses and other foods.

I’ll be back!

I’ll be taking a little break from blogging for the next several days as this week has taken on a life of its own. I’ll be attending classes at The Institut du Fromage, located in Atlanta, GA for a couple of days followed by Atlanta Food International Wine and Food Show on Wednesday, also in Atlanta. Then topping off the week, I’ll be celebrating the Third Annual Cheese Week at Star Provisions September 14 – 17, 2011 with interactive demonstrations and tastings for three entire days! Needless to say I am very excited for the opportunity to study and learn from the best in the industry and I should arrive home on Saturday full of cheese and cheesy ideas for Irma James and a clearer sense of direction for our new shop.

Stay tuned in, ‘cause I will be back!

Thank you Lord

Let me quickly define a perfect Friday:

• Wake up with a cool breeze blowing across the bed, temperature was perfect!
• Spend a little time communicating with builder, security specialist, returning emails, washing clothes and making a to do list
• Set out to “Taste Chattanooga” – what an adventure!
• Visit several local artisans, purchasing their work and loading it home to sample and determine start up inventory! I would love to describe to you what I tasted today, but you will have to check out Irma James in Mid-November to taste and see what I experienced today!
• Take a brief cruise on the Tennessee River with my sweet husband; peaceful doesn’t even begin to describe the River at the end of the day!
• Prepare a dinner for two of Artisan bread, salad of greens and local farm grown tomatoes, grilled lean pork tenderloin rubbed with local artisan seasonings, and grilled organic Yukon Gold potatoes and sweet onion also purchased earlier today.
• Complete the meal with fresh, French-style macaroons baked right here in Chattanooga. Shear Bliss!
• Cool lake breeze is still blowing across the bed, the sheets are clean and calling my name and I’m about done!

Thank you Lord for a perfect Friday!

What’s in your pantry?

Fall is in the air in East Tennessee, Braves are winning, pro-football kicks off tonight and I’m in the mood for our first pot of homemade soup of the season. Here’s a recipe I have played with and tweaked over the years, depending on what’s in my pantry. By the way, Momma Sturm’s pantry is considered bare if I don’t have a good supply of potatoes, onions, chicken stock, Rotel, olive oil, sugar, flour, salt pepper, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning and peanut butter; my ingredients to conquer the world! Of course I have other seasonings and staples but if I get low on any of the above, my palms begin to sweat, right eye begins to twitch and my speaking voice raises three octaves…panic reigns!  Seriously, here’s the recipe; I encourage you to play with it and make it your own – enjoy!

Potato-Corn Chowder

5 – 8 medium sized potatoes, boiled in salted water, then drained (sometimes I add a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden into the boiling water, smells wonderful)

While potatoes are boiling, in a large stock pot, sauté large onion in butter, olive oil or bacon drippings. (Tonight I cooked 5 slices of bacon before I sauté the onions then used the drippings.)

Once onions are cooked clear, add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of all purpose flour (the more flour, the thicker the soup) stirring continually in the onion/oil mixture making of roux, this is your thickening agent for the soup. Then slowly add a box of chicken stock, I use low sodium, no MSG, stir continually. To this mixture add sweet Kernel corn, either frozen or canned, 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (you choose the variety according to heat), continue to stir, then add milk – 1 – 2 cups. (I typically rinse out my veggie cans with the milk the pour into soup mixture.) Bring mixture to slow simmer.

Once this mixture has reached the simmer stage, test the boiling potatoes, they should be tender, then add the tender, cooked potatoes to the soup mixture. Season with ground cumin and cilantro, salt and pepper to taste; For the final touch add your favorite cooking cheese, one that melts creamy and smooth. Gouda works well, Fontina, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack or just plain Velvetta; I typically add a peppery cheese for added heat, but you can use use whatever you like. Sometimes when I’m low on cheese (heaven forbid) I sprinkle shredded cheese on each individual bowl; also, remember that bacon I cooked earlier for the drippings, it found its way into the soup right before I served it.

As you can see, my recipe writing style is just like my cooking style, a little of this, a pinch of that, not very exact! That’s what makes cooking and eating so exciting; no two pots of soup ever taste the same! Give it a try, go to your pantry, create some soup and make Irma proud!

Irma’s Hands

So today I made my annual trip to the doctor and he tells me I need to think about coming off my Hormone Replacement Therapy. Ok, I thought about it and the answer is: Marsha minus hormones equals DANGER!!! Getting older makes me think I need to move one street over to Crappy Lane; yes, there is a street here in the Chickamauga Fly and Bait Casting Club called Crappy Lane! The thoughts of no hormones should reek havoc in the western world and I’m giving everyone within the sound of my voice fair warning: WARNING, WARNING, DANGER WILL ROBINSON! I guess I’ll have to start a new blog called, “So I’ve ‘Changed’, Now What?” I’ve never really understood why menopause is called, “THE CHANGE”. It’s like the title of some freaky, horror movie!  Oh well, stay tuned, there just might be a sequel.

And now a word from our sponsor, Irma James! The past several days have been tedious with research and reading accompanied by an occasional doubt served up with a side of sheer fear. I have re-grouped so many times I could run a political campaign! It’s the same feeling as standing on the 20-foot diving platform at Wakulla Springs; I’m trying to talk myself out of it inevitably knowing full well, the only thing I can do is jump, eyes-wide open and enjoy the fall, cause that bone-chilling water is about to hit you real hard, real soon! 

Yesterday morning, during one of my fearful moments, I reached for a box of Irma’s recipes. First of all, you must understand my grandmother never threw away a single piece of paper; she would retool and reuse anything and everything! I have recipes written on the back of a receipt from the Western Auto store, on a church bulletin and a mail outs from Oral Roberts. And usually these recipes are dated along with the date she received the piece of mail, bulletin and receipt. She was as meticulous in her record keeping as she was in preparing food. I can see her now sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl and a sharp paring knife, cutting and slicing fruits and vegetables to exacting thickness and size. To my knowledge she never used a cutting board or a chef’s knife to chop food, she always did it by hand with extremely precise results. The gift of love she exhibited with those sweet hands, whether cooking, sewing or writing recipes or scripture verses is eternal. Her love lives on, not only in her handwritten recipe box, in her handmade quilts and afghans but it lives on in Heaven. Don’t you think she is still using those precious hands to make fresh pear preserves for the saints or is she taking handwritten notes of everything so glorious and Holy all around her?

Irma wants to know!

Sorry you didn't hear from me last night, we actually had a bad storm come through and we were without power for seven hours; I'm not complaining 'cause we really needed the 1.5 inches of rain we got here on Possum Creek!

Here's a quick question for you today: When you were a kid, what was your favorite sandwich? Peanut Butter and Jelly or Grilled Cheese?  Possibly you had another fav or a take off of one of these classics so let me hear from you! 

Yes Irma, you were a gourmet!!!!

Gourmet refers to:

1. Someone who is a connoisseur of good food and drink.
2. Gourmet food is of the highest quality and flavor, prepared well and presented in an artful manner. 

Tonight I honor my grandmother, Irma Smith, an American original, a genuine gourmet. The above definition #1 truly encapsulates my grandmother...a connoisseur of good food and drink. A noon-time meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, field peas, fried okra and buttermilk biscuits served in her warm, North Florida kitchen was her stage and she performed daily with Tony-award winning talent! She nurtured my grandfather each day at noon as he came from the fields for sustenance so he would have energy  to endure the southern summer heat. She was a true gourmet with her good food and drink; her sweet tea was sweet enough to give you more energy than 10 "5 Hour Energy Drinks".

Definition #2, food of the highest quality and flavor. What could be more flavorful than fresh vegetables grown in her own garden? What could have more quality than hormone free chickens killed in the early morning hours, fried fresh and hot for the noon-time table? Presented in an artful manner on her Homer Laughlin dishes collected from soap detergent boxes in a 'poorer' time. Yes, Irma Smith was a true gourmet; a connoisseur of fine foods.

Please don't confuse her with the current, modern-day description of a gourmet. My husband and I enjoyed (consumed) a gourmet meal this evening. Yes, I admit I fell for the marketing term 'gourmet' when I purchased a Gourmet Slow Cooking Meal; all I had to do was add the meat! That should have been my clue...but it said, "all natural"! Can I not believe the packaging? No!  "Do not seek the treasure!!!" 

I have labored over what to call our new retail shop. Irma James Fine Foods is what I have concluded, but the Fine Foods must define her food:  simple, wholesome, healthy, nutritional, full of love and comfort! Only with your support will I be able to fulfill her legacy.

Working for Irma!

So here we are after my first full day of working for Irma...everything was checked off the to-do list and yet there is so much more to do. Just to catch you up, I had a great meeting with the builder this morning discussing shop lay-out and design, I've spoken with several distributors, spoken with the health department and left a message for the Department of Agriculture. It appears, in the state of Tennessee, a retail food shop is under the jurisdiction of the DOA and not the Health Department. I do have my list of questions ready and will call them again in the morning. Plus we are now officially an LLC, the paperwork came in the mail today! The remainder of the day and evening was spent researching potential inventory selections; I'm thinking it's time to begin sampling all the possibilities. Do I have any volunteers who might want to help with this arduous task?

Speaking of research....this weekend I'm trying a taste bud experiment. After all the feta talk earlier in the week, I started craving a fresh pear and feta salad, so while at my local mass market retail food store today, I purchased their (so called) fresh pears and some mass market feta. I'm going to put that combo head-to-head against a (local farmstead) goat cheese and (fresh local farm garden) tomato salad with aged Balsamic Vinaigrette homemade salad dressing.  The goat cheese and tomatoes were purchased last Sunday at our local market. These salads, of course, won't be served at the same meal, but I will let you know if I can really tell the difference between garden fresh and mass market. What, you think the deck is stacked? Hey, I'm just doing my 'research'!  I will also share these with family and friends, so my taste buds won't be the only judge. I will definitely post the outcome of this taste test by Monday night.

Let me know if you have a favorite recipe for the holiday weekend or if you create something new, post the recipe.