The older I get, the more I crave good old country cooking…
Growing up, we’d return to Mississippi for summertime family reunions at the Carroll County farmhouse where my grandfather grew up.
We were greeted by a gaggle of great-aunts bustling about the tiny linoleum-floored kitchen, arguing about whose chicken and dressing was the best, and filling long tables with platters of sliced ham, big bowls of potato salad, steaming pots of field peas and greens, and there was always plenty of ripe tomatoes from up the road, fresh corn on the cob, thick-crusted cornbread, homemade chow chow, and, of course, deviled eggs—a different aunt’s recipe on every cute vintage egg platter.
Maybe it’s nostalgia: these heaping plates representing the way my family and folks across the South have eaten for generations.
Or maybe it’s just a return to the simple concept of eating what grows best where one lives…
My preparations are typically not as greasy as the food of my childhood memories and I like to experiment, using what’s available locally and seasonally to put my own spin on Southern favorites.
For example, I got CRAZY in the kitchen the other day and came up with the best deviled egg recipe EVER. Now, this recipe is not for deviled egg purists and will likely offend some the elders of my family, but I’ve decided to release it in spite of the possible backlash.
Eggs are pretty easy to source locally and this recipe highlights some of Yokna Bottoms Farm’s tastiest spring offerings including our delicious slow-smoked peppers.
These peppers add a delicious smoky flavor to anything—greens, scrambled eggs, potato or chicken salad, red beans and rice, gumbo, pimento cheese…
Yokna Bottoms Farm is a Certified Naturally Grown CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm located in Lafayette County on the Yocona River bottomland. For more information about the farm, call Betsy at 662-380-2367.
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Click on recipe below for larger (printable) file.
