Fresh Produce

It’s hot and dry here in the Deep South, but we’ve been blessed with summer’s beautiful bounty.

In case you didn’t know, our products taste so good because 90 percent of the produce is picked right here from our farm.  What we don’t grow, our local farmers (they’re our friends, too!) provide for us.  Tomatoes (toe-maters), squash, green beans, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, peppers and more are picked daily and brought in to wash and start preparing to put away for later enjoyment.

That to me is the nicest pleasure in the cold days of winter, when the colorful garden and flowers are gone.  I open a jar of my fresh salsa, or blueberry jelly and I smell the fresh garden again.  All the warmth, sunshine and fun memories with my kids come rushing back and make me so happy.  And it tastes so darn good too, ya’ll! 

Check out this truck load of freshly picked tomatoes and peppers from our field!  My son, Hal, is helping us load them up so that we can use them in our products!  Excited about this batch!

Salsa and chips: the best summer snack

Fresh tomatoes off the vine still warm from the ripening sunshine….onions so sweet you could bite into them while standing in the garden, and the cilantro and peppers – oh I wish you were here to smell this.  It perks up your senses immediately and kind of tickles your nose.  

To me, fresh salsa is the taste of summer.  We enjoy it like everyone else, as a dip with chips.  But I also use it in about a gazillion recipes that might surprise you.   I use my salsa in burgers and it’s delicious.  The tomatoes, onions and peppers cook into the hamburger making it moist and flavorful.  In the summertime, my family loves grilled burgers with my salsa at least once a week.    I also add my salsa to chili, meatball sauce, baked beans and even hamburgers.    Be sure to see some of the recipes on my website, www.laurijos.com.  And for heaven’s sake, tell me how you like to enjoy salsa.  Those of us who love food, also like to hear of new recipes and ideas!

Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Hamburgers

Mix Lauri Jo’s Salsa in ground beef, shape into patties and grill until well-done.

I like to top with fresh blue-cheese crumbles or a fresh slice of Vidalia onion and tomato.

You choose your favorite toppings and have a mouthwatering burger with friends.

Ways to Use Salsa

• Everyone loves meatballs!  Melt our salsa and pepper jelly together for a savory, sweet glaze that will keep everyone coming back for more!

• Add our salsa to your chili for an extra kick.

• Make amazing hamburgers by mixing in some of our salsa!

As always, preserving the south, one jar at a time.

Lauri Jo

Southernisms

Have you ever been out of town traveling or visiting family when at some point you realize you feel like a foreigner speaking another language?   I’m telling you, it even happens when I go to Atlanta now for the Gift Mart.  So many folks from the north have moved to Atlanta that you don’t really even hear the thick, elegant, marbles-in-the-mouth, slow speak like we used to.  Honey, they don’t even understand me at the Mart.  In fact, people come by my booth and tell me to just talk so they can hear my Southern accent.  I should charge for it really, but I don’t.  I love people but it is kind of crazy that they want me to just T-A-L-K!

Anyway, I was with my kids, husband, mom and sister on vacation a few weeks ago (diving for scallops, but that’s another story) and we started laughing about the things we Southerners say that no one else would understand.   We even tried to remember what these sayings really mean and we have no clue.  So, just for fun, I thought I’d share some of these with you. 

For cryin’ out loud (We use that one when we are surprised but a little agitated.)

Well, I’ll be.  (Says:  I’m not sure really what to think of that, but I’m buying time if I say this drawn out over several seconds so I can collect my thoughts)

All kit and caboodle.  (Everything)

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise (A final word on pending travel, event, health or making it through  extreme weather. Usually said softly with the head turned down as in prayer.)

I’m fixin’ to.  (I’m about to. . .)

Bless your heart.  (This can be delivered in two ways: as a sweet supportive comment, or just plain pity... usually pity)

Gimme some sugar.  (A kiss.)

Madder than a wet hen!  (Really angry.  Hens don’t like to get wet.)

What in Tarnation!?  (As a little girl, I always wondered if ‘tarnation’ was a place.  I have nothing to explain this one, but it’s used with huge surprise and near disgust.  As kids, our parents used it when they found something we’d done, like fillin' the sugar bowl with salt (as a silly prank).

Come to think of it, I think part of the reason we never really heard curse words growing up and the south is perceived as being more gentile and mannerly is because we had our southern sayings to use in place of bad words.   It takes a whole lot longer to say, ‘for cryin’ out loud’, than ‘crap.’    “What in hells bells" is much nicer than "what the hell” or worse, and "I’m madder than a wet hen!” is much nicer to hear than, “I’m pissed off.”  

Besides, it’s kind of fun to have our own way of expressing our emotions and thoughts.  What am I thinking now?     Well, for cryin’ out loud, I can’t tell you that.  If I did you’d probably have a conniption and fall cattywampus right out the door – all kit and caboodle.

Sending you some sugar.  Lord willing and the creek don’t rise,

Lauri Jo.  

P.S. Feel free to comment with some of your own Southern sayings... I love 'em!