HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Friday, April 6, 2018

A Taste of West Virginia ~ Traveling Tote Friends

friendship

The Traveling Tote Girls have teamed up

to share something tasty from our own town or region.

Most of you know my darling friend, Rita @ Panoply.

She is one of the Traveling Tote Girls
and was my swap partner for our

Taste of Our Town Swap.

In addition to our shared passion for MacKenzie-Childs,
Rita and I share a love of gardening, antiques, travel,
cooking, and setting a pretty table.

Rita lives in Charleston, WV, and sent

me some delicious treats from J. Q. Dickinson.

J.Q.Dickinson is America's oldest working salt farm

that harvests salt by hand from an ancient ocean trapped

below the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia.

A jar of Ramp salt gives the true flavor of Appalicia

and is much appreciated by "the chef" who does the cooking here.

A decorative egg shaped box contained a jar of

yummy caramel sauce, of which I've treated myself

to each time I've had a little ice cream.

YUM YUM!

Pawpaw Butter!

I'd never heard of Pawpaw Butter,

but let me tell you, it makes a perfect topping

on my morning biscuits, tasting a bit like mango and banana.

I learned that Pawpaw fruit is native to eastern
United States and Canada, and is a staple in West Virginia.
Look for a future post devoted to Pawpaw.

Included in my gift package

were a Junior Leage Cookbook,

MOUNTAIN MEASURES, first published in 1974

and the February 2018 issue of Southern Living.

I spent a recent morning reading through many of the recipes, though Rita had already earmarked a recipe from the cookbook that was featured in the February Southern Living.

Shaker Lemon Pie

For the crust, I opened my Houston Junior League Cookbook

for my favorite go to recipe, "No Fail Pie Crust."

Shaker Lemon Pie is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Simply take two lemons and slice them into super thin slices. Yep, you use the entire lemon, rind and all. Just be certain to remove the seeds! Macerate the lemon slices in 2 cups of sugar. I left mine macerating over night. Next beat 4 eggs and fold them into the lemon mixture. Pour this into a pie crust, top it with another crust, and bake it for 15 minutes at 450, before reducing the heat to 350 for an additional 30 minutes. You can find printable recipes on the web.

When there is food involved, this girl

isn't far from the action.

I admit I, too, was eager for this pie to come out of the oven.

I'd never had Shaker Lemon Pie!

To reward my efforts and to take a break from spring gardening,

I fixed a little afternoon treat to enjoy on the sun porch.

Oh, my! What a treat it was!

Wow! This pie, with its sharp tangy flavor

and chewy texture, is totally addicting!

It's like eating marmalade out of a jar!

To quench my thirst, Me and the Bees Lemonade

was the perfect beverage.

Go here to read about Mikaila Ulmer,

Austin's young entrepreneur,

who has taken her lemonade idea and turned

it into a thriving business.

On my way back inside, I couldn't resist adding a

petite bouquet of Summer Phlox from my garden.

The pinks are perfect with my MacKenzie-Childs ceramics.

I want to thank Rita for bringing some sunshine into our home. The Chef and I have enjoyed and appreciated our Taste of West Virginia!
Many thanks, dear friend! Rita @ Panoply.