My hubby and I visited the South to see my Granny several years ago. The pace, as you may have heard, is slower than California.
That may be in part due to the wet, hot weather, especially in August which was spectacularly unsuited to all of my black clothes. After I bought a couple of flowered sundresses, I felt like a Southern belle and behaved as such. I learned quickly not to get impatient when it took 10 minutes to get a menu and 20 to get the first glass of iced tea. I stopped trying to rush people who were trying to tell me a story which would no doubt help me understand The South or my life or just directions to the next town.
The best example of this: We picked up Granny for a lunch "date" and took her to the schmanciest place in Point Clear, Ala., near Fairhope. At the Grand Hotel, no one rushed my sweet Granny as she took her time clucking over the menu and saying, "My, my" or "Mmmm hmmm, darlin', that looks great." The waiters took their time, too, and it was a good, long lunch in a beautiful room. For dessert, my partner in crime decided to order his favorite: key lime pie.
We had coffee while we waited for the pie. And waited. And waited. We had another cup of coffee. A good 45 minutes later (and for once, I am not exaggerating one bit) the waiter appeared with the key lime pie. He offered a hundred apologies, explaining that they had run out and so the manager had driven to the next town, to the bakery, 20 minutes away, to get another key lime pie.
That's southern hospitality to a T. I still have the napkin from the "Grand Hotel, A Gulf Coast Resort" and such a good memory to go along with it.
For Key Lime fans
Key limes are notoriously hard to find and, when found, hard to squeeze. Thankfully, now you can buy key lime juice in specialty stores. Another alternative is to use regular limes for the following recipe by Ina Garten. This is a nice summertime pie because it's frozen. Take it out of the freezer about 5 minutes before you plan to cut it.
Frozen Key Lime Pie
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
For the filling:
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp. grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)
For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl (or in a large ziplock bag). Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze. (You can do up to this step a month ahead of time and store in the freezer.)
- For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon onto the pie and decorate with slices of lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight. Serves 8.
French soup
This is basically a vegetable soup, but there's nothing basic about it. It's Soupe au Pistou - Pesto Soup - and contains loads of fresh vegetables, a little pasta and some pesto. The most time-consuming part is prepping the vegetables. Make it on a weekend and freeze half for a mid-week dinner. Served with French bread, it will make a complete meal. It's adapted from one in "The Country Cooking of France," by Anne Willan.
Soupe au Pistou
Serves 8 to 10
1 cup white kidney beans (or other small white beans)
1 1/2 cups basil pesto
1 leek, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
3 small zucchini, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 pieces
1 bouquet garni (see note)
2 quarts water
Salt and Pepper Snyder 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled peas
3 oz. dried short noodles
Grated Parmesan cheese
For Pesto:
1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
3 bunches basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, or to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan, or to taste
Salt
- Pour boiling water over kidney beans to cover, leave to soak for 30 minutes, and drain. Put the beans in a small saucepan with water to cover generously. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until nearly tender, about 1 hour, adding more water if the pan gets dry.
- Make the pesto: In a blender, put a cup of olive oil and 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic. With blades running, add leaves from 3 bunches of basil, a few at a time, until they are incorporated smoothly. Throw in a handful of pine nuts, a cup of Parmesan, and then salt to taste. If it becomes too thick, add a little more olive oil or a little water.
- Back to the soup: Drain the beans and put them in a soup pot with the leek, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, onion, green beans and the bouquet garni (see below). Add the water, season with salt and pepper, cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the peas, simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and continue simmering until vegetables are tender and the noodles are cooked, about 10 minutes longer.
- If the soup is too thick, thin with a little water. Turn off the heat, remove the bouquet garni, and stir in half the pesto. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors mellow. You may also let the soup cool and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- To serve, adjust seasonings and serve very hot, passing Parmesan and extra pesto on the side.
- Note: Take a piece of string and put together a beautiful bouquet garni "... a tied bunch of fresh herbs used for flavoring braises, stocks and sauces. It should include a sprig of fresh thyme, a dried bay leaf, and several sprigs of fresh parsley." - "The Country Cooking of France"
Jenny Derry Jenny Midtgaard Derry is the owner of Jenny Derry Design Inc., a residential design firm specializing in remodels. She lives in Gilroy with her husband and daughters. Write: Jenny's Kitchen c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy CA 95020. E-mail: jderry@garlic.com.
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