Real Food, with a Side of Music

I was gifted “All the Thyme in the World” by my friend Rock, who owns the independent record store in town. On a quick crate-digging stop around Thanksgiving, he said “Hey, I’ve got something for you” and went to the stockroom. He came out with the spiral-bound beauty that is my inspiration for this series. The cookbook was a fundraising effort by the Nashville-based IVPR and he bought a few copies. The mission behind this volume is close to my heart. Recipes were contributed by music industry folks from songwriters and musicians, to those behind the scenes who are also out of work in this pandemic. Proceeds from the sold-out first printing benefit Music Health Alliance. I feel so fortunate to have a copy!

The second inspiration comes from the cookbook that “All the Thyme in the World” was modeled after. “The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook” is a celebration of the shared recipe and all the ways it represents the South, both in rooted tradition and changing landscape. Upon getting my hands on both of these, I decided to commit to cooking my way through and learning, or at least hacking a song each week to accompany the recipe.

Both books are true to the community cookbook model, when includes the spiral binding and pages with personal stories that welcome you to spill, sticky up and fingerprint the crap out of them. I’ve already got tomato juice on mine. Good start!

The Ground Rules

I won’t be publishing recipes here – hello, copyright law. My intention is to bring you the experience of preparing food from these two books, being honest about the mess and adding the music that becomes my victim and muse for the week. I encourage you to purchase the books where available and support those who put the work in to getting these jewels out to us.

For the music: I have a mandolin and guitar. I know my way around the mandolin fairly well, but play slowly and never in front of anyone, with the exception of instructors who have encouraged it. The guitar is newish territory, but I’ve got the handful of chords down, and try to muddle through fingerpicking even though I feel like I’m holding an oversized baseball bat most of the time.

Vegetable Soup: a few glugs of Coke and a can of V8

I started with the Vegetable Soup recipe from the SFA cookbook. Attributed to a restaurant owner in Alabama, the instructions are simple; a good broth as base, vegetables at the discretion of the cook and about 40 minutes on the stove. When a recipe calls for a few glugs of Coke, you have to know this is gonna be good. I grew up with desserts made with Coca Cola. There is something in that bottle that just tears apart anything in its path and gives it a sweet finish. I call it the poor man’s meat tenderizer. For veggie soup, it just flat out makes it. I cannot explain how, but it does. You can hear each “glug” as you pour it in. That’s the measuring part. No substitutes allowed. I’m not about to put a health food soda in this Alabama soup. Nope.

I made a complete mess of my kitchen as usual and have eaten this soup now for three days. Seriously, its the Coke, V8 juice and a pile of okra that make it my new go-to in crazy times.

Southern penicillin.

“Mama Dee’s Black Bean Corn Salsa”

This recipe from “All the Thyme in the World” was shared by Natalie Hemby – a songwriting machine and member of The Highwomen. I’ve been a fan since first hearing her album “Puxico” a few years ago, and feel a solid kinship to her deep roots in small places and ability to tell the story you need to hear exactly when you need to hear it. Her black bean corn salsa was as soulful as I would expect, with tender shoepeg corn, fresh cilantro and lime juice. She recommends it as a good side for fish. I put it on last night’s pork chops, added it to a salad for lunch, and plan to scoop it up with locally made tortilla chips this weekend. Mixed in my Gran Gran’s century-old bowl just adds to the character and taste I think. I can’t stop eating it. Send help or more chips.

Things in Life

This song has been on my mind for a while. It’s a simple melody that repeats on two chords and goes well with veggie soup on a cold day.

I like it in D and figured out the mandolin pieces fairly quickly. I’m working on fills now and trying to flesh it out so I don’t sound like a sedated woodpecker. The guitar (baseball bat) makes it easier to sing along with. The lyrics written by Don Stover, are so beautiful and relevant, even years later. It’s been covered by so many people, but my favorite is probably this version by Ricky Skaggs, as well as a beautiful recording by Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge

Look up, look down this lonesome road
Hang down your head and cry
For we often lose some things in life
That makes us wonder why

Oh the fairest love I ever had
Now sleeps beneath the clay
I live in hopes and dreams of her
That we’ll meet again someday

I often sit and wonder why
Life has to be this way
But after all is said and done
I’m sure God has his say

I’d like to be a small part of life
With some few things to achieve
Just to know I’ve been a fruitless cause
Would give my poor heart grief

Now when they lower my casket down
In some lonesome grave to rest
And you take your last look at my face
You can say I done my best

Lyrics: Don Stover 1972

The Big Solo Act

Fun fact: I live alone and don’t entertain. I used to fairly often, but things changed. The challenge in making all this food is what the hell to do with it all. I eat, freeze, thaw and warm up, but at some point I’m going to have to share it. It’s kind of like the music. Eventually, I’m going to have to take it outside the house. This might take some time.

Next week,

I’m completely skipping the Possum section in the Southern Foodways Alliance cookbook, and maybe hitting up some sweet treats. Possum was not in my plan, but I’ll try and be brave.

If you’ve got a favorite community cookbook recipe, hopefully passed down by church ladies with two first names and involving jello, I’d love to hear about it!