Bartender says, “What will you have, sir?”

I’ll have Mrs. Wilson’s Rosemary Lemonade, please, or a “James Farmer,” my good man. My house wine is sweat tea, but there are a couple concoctions I simply relish as much as tea. One is Mrs. Wilson’s Rosemary Lemonade and the other, a “James Farmer” – this Farmer’s version of an Arnold Palmer.

Now, lemonade in the winter you ask? Yes sir, yes ma’am! Lemons are coming in as a winter crop from Florida and California, and what better time to enjoy their nectar than with one of winter’s mainstay herbs in the Deep South. Of course, I enjoy this beverage any time of year, but there is just something luxurious about this brew in the depth of winter. It is actually good warm or cold, thus the basis of its year round appeal. Here now is the story, morning-glory, of Mrs. Wilson’s Rosemary Lemonade.

Dear friends of mine in Montgomery host me and “put me up” (or more so put up with me) when I’m staying in said town for the night, and Mrs. Wilson, a fabulous cook and hostess in her own right, often makes a batch of this delicious drink. I cannot be more thrilled to partake. I, as she has, have served this sweet, tangy, and savory blend to guests, family, and party attendees alike and it is always received with smiles and requests for more.


Mrs. Wilson serves hers from beautiful antique crockery pitchers, thus making it taste that much better, in my humble opinion. A farm girl originally from Opp, Alabama, Mrs. Wilson knows the importance of serving the best to friends and family. Often times the best is just simple yet elegant creations direct from the garden and the land. Rosemary lemonade epitomizes this – fresh herbs from the garden, juice right from lemons, and simple syrup to bring it all together. Mix this lemonade with my sweet tea, and you have one heck of an Arnold Palmer. Delicious and divine my friends, delicious and divine. Yea, though, as I mention an Arnold Palmer, this Farmer does have a version of the famed beverage… selfishly dubbed a “James Farmer.”

I love orange juice. I love sweet tea. Mix the two together and wowza! Here is the trick though; you have to use good orange juice and good tea. If the foundation is not strong, then your drink will merely be a house of cards, destined to fall with the slightest stir.

Fresh squeezed orange juice is a delicacy in and of itself. Though life doesn’t allow this Farmer to prepare freshly squeezed orange juice every morning, I do find solace in the fact that Simply Orange, Natalie’s Orchid Island, and Whole Food’s 365 brand are readily available. The ratio, a 2 to 1 makeup of tea to juice, is fundamental to enjoying this beverage. Add a splash of Russian drinking water (vodka), and this drink becomes an adult beverage in  a splash, I mean flash! 

Mrs. Wilson’s Rosemary Lemonade or a “James Farmer” – take your pick or take them both! I’m sure they will be a hit at your next dinner party, brunch or soiree. Hopefully, barkeeps around the Deep South will recognize a request for a “James Farmer” but if not, feel free to educate them! Ha! From this Farmer’s bar to yours, salut! 

Mrs. Wilson’s Rosemary Lemonade

6 heaping teaspoons of rosemary
2-3 cups of sugar…more or less depending on your sweet tooth
1 ½ cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon of salt
9 cups of water

• Mix rosemary, 3 cups of water, and sugar in a saucepan and boil gently for 5 minutes.

• Strain out the rosemary and add the now rosemary infused simple syrup mixture to the 9 cups of water, lemon juice, and salt.

• Mix well and serve ice cold. Garnish with sliced lemon and rosemary sprigs. Enjoy!

The Farmer in the ‘ville… Nashville that is!

During the Nashville Antiques and Garden Show, some dear, dear friends were kind enough to throw a cocktail party in honor of yours truly… and a party they threw!
       
Not only did these fine folks open their homes, feed this Farmer and his team, and serve as my entre into Nashville society, but these folks also allowed this kid from Kathleen to “do the flowers,” as we say down here, for the party! Flowers for my own party… very fun my friends, very fun! And, very humbling as well, since some of the Music City’s phenomenal design talent and notables of the Antiques and Garden Show were also attendees. From one of “America’s preeminent interior designers,” (think JFK and Jackie’s White House) Albert Hadley to Ben Page, Bobby McAlpine, Jonathan Rogers, Julia Reed and Sarah Champier, this Farmer boy was in high cotton all night, meeting and greeting some of my social, design, and professional idols, let alone chatting with the delightful Nashville natives proper.

With a menu of “Lucky Money” soup, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato biscuits, black eyed pea hummus, red onion jam and crawfish cakes, the guests and this very humbled honoree were well fed with Southern comfort food in the finest form. The well stocked bars with cheddar cheese crisps and a wait staff that was quite attending and amicable made for an enhanced evening of lovely conversations and cocktails. Capers Catering did a fantastic job with the food and this Farmer would recommend them for any Southern gathering!

Lilies, amaryllis, amaranthus, delphinium, hyacinths, snaps, forsythia, quince, sassanquas, hydrangeas, orchids, fern fronds and fiddleheads all wove their way down the dining room table and onto other obliging table tops around the home. Upon completion of the long centerpiece railroading down her table, the hostess, and lady of the house, commented that her dining room table looked as if a “pall” had been draped across. We thus chuckled and concurred that it was “to die for.” Ha! She of course meant it in the highest of complements, so I was not appalled. Pun intended. I digress…

If one travels to Nashville, I envy your opportunity visiting. Granted, this Farmer is now rotten beyond repair after such a soiree, but that is just a price I’ll have to pay. I’ve heard there are stars, music folks, and glamorous celebrities in Nashville, but I was not privy to such this trip. As the honoree of a cocktail party in Belle Meade, I felt somewhat akin as to what a young singer must feel upon entering the Grand Ol’ Opry for the first time. That night amazed and humbled me, and I cannot thank my host couples enough! From this Farmer’s truly appreciative heart, I hope you all get to experience the graciousness of Nashville some time soon. In the words of Josh Bales from his song “If I was a Prince,” “it sure is a beautiful Southern city."

Cornbread – Mimi vs. Granddaddy

My Mimi told me something quite hysterically funny and dramatically morbid a few years ago…”If I die before your grandfather, he will have to eat something. I’ve taught him how to make cornbread. That should sustain him in between the three months I die and he remarries.”

Tears immediately streamed down my face at the humor and sadness that thought evoked. That is, however, a bit of my family’s humor in a nutshell… delightful and somewhat macabre running hand in hand. What has happened though is a rivalry between Mimi and Granddaddy as to who makes the better batch of cornbread. They both use the exact same ingredients, same iron skillet, and same kitchen and oven for baking, but there are slight differences I would like to address: first the title.


Since Granddaddy makes it himself, it is dubbed “Granddaddy’s World Famous Cornbread.”  Mimi’s boasts simply as “Mimi’s Cornbread,”  which I guess is the passive aggressive way of saying hers is best. Since everything she makes is wonderful, permitting Granddaddy to title his dish as such is totally apropos. Plus, that is Granddaddy’s personality – everything he or his children do, but especially anything his grandchildren take on, mind you, is the best, exceptional, or “world famous.” The feeling is completely mutual and reciprocating. I’m proud of my grandparents and there’s never been a doubt they are of me or the rest of the brood. I think their only flaw is that they gave me deep roots and short wings, considering I live two doors down. The cycle continues. I digress.

Back to the task at hand of denoting the difference between the cornbreads - I had to have a joint session discussion with them to decipher the real difference between their versions of this Southern staple. They both use a two to one ratio of cornmeal and self rising flour, but Granddaddy’s is slightly more quantity than Mimi’s. Granddaddy also uses an additional pinch of salt that Mimi doesn’t use. Finally, baking soda amounts differ between the two recipes.  Wham! Bam! Hot Dog! I got it!

     
It hit me like a bolt of lightning – baking is pure chemistry. The slightest change in the chemistry, the very makeup, can produce a different product. The catalysts for change here are salt and baking soda. Amazing, simply amazing, how the slightest difference, addition, or subtraction of the simplest ingredient can altar an entire result. I barely even passed chemistry in high school and mired my way through it at Auburn, but plant or culinary chemistry I totally understand. If only my professor would have taught us in a kitchen, I would have aced that course!


“His batter is thicker than my batter.” Mimi denotes. “I use a little more buttermilk than he.” Mimi doesn’t measure, mind you. Also, there is another difference that is more  psychological than chemical… because Mimi said “it was better to bake the cornbread at 400 for about twenty minutes,” Granddaddy said he “would bake his at 390 for exactly 28 minutes.” The result of a baked skillet full of cornbread is the same. Granddaddy’s HAD to be different in order to win the title of “Granddaddy’s World Famous Cornbread.”


Granddaddy’s cornbread is fluffier and milder in taste. Mimi’s is slightly lighter, and the flavor of the buttermilk is more palpable on the palette. Salt and soda would make that difference for sure!  With buttermilk in the equation, our kitchens are just a wallpapered chemistry lab! Since self rising cornmeal is so, self rising, because it contains salt and soda, the additional salt and soda from Granddaddy’s pinch makes a billowing pan of cornbread. Mimi, in her infinite culinary wisdom, knew this fact and left out the additional salt and soda. Honestly, I think this was an act of her humble love language, for Granddaddy’s is noticeably fluffier and makes a larger batch, which, is something he would want to have bragging rights on – “Granddaddy’s World Famous Fluffy and Billowing Cornbread.” Mimi just makes her pan of cornbread, watches us devour it, and hides her contentment in her heart; but that wink from her, as we swath a pat of butter over a “butterfly” piece of hot cornbread, gives me reassurance that she knows her cornbread is divine. Not necessarily better than his, but slightly different… all a matter of taste.

So here they are - the two recipes. Bake at your own risk my friends, for chemistry is at hand. I know that it is chemistry working its brand of magic, ya’ll, but I would rather believe in the mystery of food, the divinity of mixing ingredients, and the simple joy of feeding one’s friends and family. From this Farmer’s Mimi and Granddaddy’s kitchen to yours, enjoy yourself some cornbread!

Mimi’s Cornbread

1 cup of white self rising cornmeal (Martha White or White Lily… we are in Dixie after all.)
½ cup of self rising flour (Martha or Lily)
1 egg
2/3 cup of buttermilk plus a bit more to thin the batter if need be.
1 tablespoon of oil plus oil for the pan…another tablespoon
Mix above ingredients into a batter and bake in a hot iron skillet at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve hot with butter!

Granddaddy’s World Famous Cornbread

1 ½ cups of white self rising corn meal
¾ cup of self rising flour
1 egg
2/3 cup of buttermilk
1 tablespoon of oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda
Mix above ingredients into a batter and bake in a hot iron skillet at 390 degrees for 28 minutes. Serve hot with butter!

A Time to Plant and A Time for a Book Tour!

There are those projects in life that fill one’s soul to the brim with anticipation, joy, excitement, and that feeling of “is this really happening?”  Ask any of my childhood friends, my college roommates, my family or anyone who has ever met me and they will all testify that this Farmer boy has been talking about writing a book since he learned to write. It is with the joy of utmost joys that I am thrilled to announce the publishing of my first book, A Time to Plant, Luxurious Garden Living, published by Gibbs Smith Publishing, and due out this September! 

Here is where ya’ll come into play – I need to schedule appearances and book signings all across this great land… will you help me by sending me contacts you know at great stores, museums,  garden clubs, ladies groups, etc etc etc that would be interested in hosting a book signing for their favorite Farmer? The book tour will commence this September proper and I am so excited!

With the release set for September, this Farmer has commenced booking a few garden club lectures, book signings, and other festivities across the South. Of course, retail outlets and book stores will carry the book as well, but it is you, my friends and family, that will make the book successful. A grass roots campaign will launch my book tour into the success I dream it to be and I cannot wait to see and meet many of you out on the road this fall, in between Auburn and SEC football games of course.

Email me your ideas and contacts through my website as you think of them and my PR team will get busy booking. 

From this Farmer’s well spring of delight, I hope each of you will pick up a copy of A Time to Plant this coming September, this fall, or this Holiday season for sure! Preorders can be taken now through http://jamesfarmer.com/ as well as http://www.gibbs-smith.com/index.cfm very soon. See ya’ll on the book tour!

Nashville Antiques and Garden Show

The 2011 Nashville Antiques and Garden Show lived up to its reputation as a perennial hit, and this Farmer was honored to be a part of the event. Great designers, authors, antique dealers and landscape architects filled the Downtown Convention Center with booths chocked with treasures, displays of fabulous flora, and educated the masses on the art of living well. With the likes of Charlotte Moss, Alexa Hampton, Veranda’s, Carolyn Engerfield, Albert Hadley, Bobby McAlpine, Ben Page and Gavin Duke, Sarah Champier, Cathy Whitlock, and Julia Reed, this show was an all-star hit, and this Farmer felt enlightened by their knowledge, talent, and presence. Of course, with the generosity of Beckett Antiques, my booth was furnished with a few of Italy and France’s finest pieces.  

     
As for my part proper in the show, I procured a ten foot by ten foot booth to display my floral, landscape, and interiors panache with a mélange of flowers, antiques, and photos from gardens I’ve designed. With some fanfare and much excitement, I was also able to promote for the first time my upcoming book, A Time to Plant, due out this September! Gibbs Smith Publishing is publishing the book and I could not be more thrilled!  A whole post on my book is coming soon!

For my little space, I bedecked all I could with the color theme of my Antiques and Garden Show song – coral, salmon, and pink! Grapefruit, tangerines, and navel oranges filled a fantastic planter from Amsterdam. The inside color of the fruit’s flesh is truly remarkable, thus slicing the fruit gave texture and exposure to the sumptuous color hiding beneath the rind. “Delight” amaryllis, “bronze” snapdragons, quince, forsythia, lilies, antique and hot pink hydrangeas, and greenery from sassanquas and magnolia poured, spilt, and sprang forth from containers and planters, thus making my booth a blooming homage to the coming spring. “Crushed Orange” having been named the hot color by many designers and trendsetters, many folks asked if that was my inspiration for the booth. “I simply love orange!” I would answer… “Salmon, coral, peach, and apricot to be exact!” Being en vogue and a la mode was just, as we say down here, “a blind pig finding an acorn" or," lucky” for those needing a Southern translation.

Visitors from most all the Southern states perused the show, attended lectures, and bought antiques to feather their nests. Nashville itself is an amazing Southern city, and this Farmer was wined and dined by locals at the best restaurants and even a cocktail party was given in my honor by dear friends. The party may have been in honor of yours truly, but I was honestly more humbled by the graciousness and generosity of these fine Nashville natives. Many, many thanks my friends!

So after nearly a week of toasting, antiquing, learning, and experiencing all that the Nashville Antiques and Garden Show had to offer, this Farmer had to head back to Kathleen, which leads me to the topic of most discussion during my tenure in Nashville. “Where is Kathleen?” was asked a million times at least, but the best answer I can give is that this bucolic hamlet of Houston County is a suburb of Wonderful Robins, Perry-dice, and Hawkinsville… it is my home as are those said towns. The common ground among said towns is Kathleen proper. I too share the common ground among those small Middle Georgia towns, and though it is always grand to see and visit afar, it always just as lovely to return home. From Nashville to Kathleen and everywhere in between, this Farmer hopes you find antiques, garden, and fun shows wherever you can!