Stocking up for the cold Time--we get hay for the cows . . . and the squirrels are in a rush to be prepared . . .
from The Education of Little Tree
"Fall came early to the mountains that year. First, along the rims high against the sky, the red and yellow leaves shook in a brisking wind. Frost had touched them. The sun turned amber and slanted rays through the trees and into the hollow.
"Each morning , it made its way farther down the mountain. A timid frost, not killing, but letting you know you couldn't hold back time; letting you know that the winter dying was coming.
"Fall is nature's grace time, giving you a chance to put things in order, for the dying. And so, when you put things in order, you sort out all you must do . . . and all you have not done. It is a time for remembering . . . and regretting, and wishing you had done some things you have not done . . . and said some things you had not said."
Pimento cheese is a beloved staple for sandwiches i\n the South. I understand that there are some really good prepared brands, but I've always made my own, as did my mother and grandmother.
Grated cheddar, mayonnaise (homemade, avoiding the perennial Southern debate as to whether Dukes or Hellmans is better,) a little grated onion, some Worcestershire, some Sriracha, and drained pimentos. And recently, I've begun adding cream cheese and whirring the whole mixture in the food processor.
Heavenly on crisp toast or in a sandwich. But the sandwich is elevated to the sublime with the addition of fresh tomato and torn basil.
The addition of basil was suggested years ago by a blogger friend Vagabonde, a Frenchwoman long time resident in the States. She had learned to make pimento cheese at the request of her husband and felt that the basil added that little je ne sais quoi.
I heartily agree. And am thankful that my pots of basil are still going strong.
