Homegrown
“Grandma could make the simplest things taste good”. Fresh jam, eggs, biscuits and cooking over a wood burning stove are just a few memories my dad cherished from cooking at grandma’s house on the farm. He spent his summers in Balty, Virginia right outside of Ladysmith and it was here that he learned not only to cook, but how to bring together unique flavors that would soon form a masterpiece. These roots and ideals were passed to me; from the smell of the morning to the anatomy of a chicken, we cooked together, ate together and then we improved it!
Dad LOVES southern cooking, me not so much but that doesn’t mean I didn’t record the flavors. Salt, sweet, texture; these later became pillars in my cooking journey and formed the foundation for Rooted En Flavor. I take a fresh yet simple ingredient, product or material and begin drilling away at what I can do with it. Can I take fish and add jam? How far can vegetables be charred before they lose their essence? Cured country ham, red eye gravy and biscuits with karo syrup; Dad would lick the plate clean. His stories speak to me and challenge my creativity, my ability to adapt, to create.
So here is a recipe from one of my oldest memories. Daddy’s Cornish hens stuffed with sweet potatoes! An oldie but goodie and above all else. . . DAMN GOOD!
