When I was a child my parents always had a vegetable garden. They involved me and my siblings in its care. This might not have been a first choice in our list of chores, but as time went by I learned the many ways my family benefited from the garden. It brought the family together and gave me my fondest memories of my mother, who passed early in my teen years.

Everyone I knew while growing up had a family vegetable garden. I can still remember how we compared advice and tips on how to make these gardens grow and grow! I remember the everso-
subtle competition between all of us and it was a joy to watch the seedlings grow.

I saw how much the tomatoes grew with each day, eventually turning from green to bright red. I was so anxious to know when they were ready to pick and sometimes they wouldn’t even make it to the dinner table. We would sample vegetables right in the garden.

It was a lot of work, but it was mostly easy work, except when it came to harvesting okra, which made me so itchy after cutting. I learned later that a long sleeve cotton shirt was the outfit to wear
when cutting it, day after day. When okra ‘comes into picking’ it really comes into picking !

Did you know that you can have a wonderful vegetable garden year round ? During the fall and winter months, you can plant turnip greens, cabbage, potatoes, onions and much, much
more. During the spring and summer, you can have tomatoes, green beans, black eyed peas, butter beans, corn, okra, squash, cucumbers and others.

I plant from seeds bought from local feed & seed stores. I like these seeds best as I know they are fresh and worth making the stop. My favorite to plant is Silver Queen corn. I love to watch it grow from the tiny seeds toward the sun into the tall stalks with the budding ears turning into large, sweet ears of corn. Trust me, you’ll love it too!

My good friends Mr. Bill & Ms. Jean have always said the best you can do for your garden is to always remember to give back to the dirt! Water is very important to gardening. Don’t forget to water properly - early in the morning or late in the evening is the best. It allows the plants the best opportunity to receive the water you are giving them without the sun stealing it.

You can grow tomatoes and green peppers on the sides of your home and even in movable pots. These are great crops to start off gardening if you are a novice.

Here are some recipes for my favorite ‘southern’ meal. I hope you enjoy them and until next issue - take good care of yourself and eat well.

SILVER QUEEN CORN: (OFF THE COB):
Whether grown in your home garden or bought fresh from the markets, soak the corn in your kitchen sink overnight. This will help you in the cleaning and add possible needed hydration to the ears. Clean by removing the husk, silks and cutting off any bad spots that might show up. You can cut corn off the ears with a good kitchen knife and it’s easiest to work the same direction with each ear.

Cut as close as you are comfortable to the cob and put all of the kernels into a bowl. After washing, cleaning and cutting the corn off the cob, add water to the bowl and blanch. I use the microwave. Really! Start with eight minutes on high. Add water if the kernels look like they need some and add a couple more minutes to the time. When done, bag the corn in freezer bags and it is ready to use as you need it. When you are ready to prepare it with a meal, put two quarts of corn in large heavy pot. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil, a half stick of butter and salt / pepper to taste. Mix everything together and cook on low to medium heat for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

You will need to add water as the corn thickens. Don’t forget to stir as needed.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN:
1 whole chicken, cut up
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking oil - enough to cover the chicken while frying Selfrising flour (enough to coat the chicken pieces) Mix salt and pepper with flour. Coat chicken pieces with the flour and fry in cooking oil on medium heat. Cook at least 25 to 30 minutes, turning chicken once to fry on both sides until golden brown. I use a fork to test the chicken to make sure it is done. When the juices run clear, it is!
(Tip: use a black cast iron frying pan if you have one. I still use my Mom’s and it never fails to give me the best results !)

FRESH GREEN BEANS:
1-1/2 quarts of fresh green beans
1/4 lb. country ham, cubed or cut up
Salt - as desired

2 Cups water to start, adding more as directed Combine ham with water and salt, bring to a boil. Let boil for a few minutes, add beans and additional water - enough to cover the beans. Cover and cook on medium heat until tender. (approximately 20 to 30 minutes). Turn heat off and let sit for a while to let them season.