Southern food under a super moon

The farmhouse at Strong Stock Farm at twilight

I think I breathed an audible sigh of relief the other night when, after a bounteous dinner on the porch of a historic farmhouse, I heard author John Egerton talking about Southern food.

“Take the warnings of the food police with a grain of salt,” Egerton said. “And a dash of Tabasco and a little clove of garlic!”

Egerton, who 13 years ago founded the Southern Foodways Alliance housed at the University of Mississippi, was the guest of honor at the inaugural membership dinner of the 1910 Society, an organization for those who have contributed $1,910 or more to Ijams Nature Center over the past year. (Ijams was founded in 1910, as you may have guessed.)

John Egerton, center, with Alan Carmichael and Mary Thom Adams of Ijams Nature Center

Egerton, an award-winning journalist and author who has written a slew of books including “Cornbread Nation,” “Speak Now Against the Day,” and “Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History” describes himself as “one of the better known obscure writers of Tennessee.”

Egerton will be in town again later this week when the Southern Foodwriting Conference convenes here in connection with the International Biscuit Festival. (Click here for a schedule of events.)

Last week on the porch of Strong Stock Farm in northeast Knoxville, Egerton shared a few of his opinions about Southern food and he quoted from an essay he had written with the wonderful descriptive title, “Notes from the Hot Bread Zone.” Egerton quoted former Tennessee Governor Robert Taylor (who fondly was called “Our Bob”) as describing the Mason-Dixon line as “the dividing line between cold bread and hot biscuits.”

There is no doubt where Egerton himself comes down. Here are some of his remarks:

• “Southern food is mocked a lot because it is contrary to trends. But Southern food has got to change or it will die. Nobody wants to spend all day in the kitchen anymore.”
• Egerton advocates a return to cooking demonstration agents. “When you have someone asking, ‘Where do you get egg whites?’ we’re in trouble,” he said, claiming that a young woman reading a recipe recently asked that very question.
• “All children should know how to cook and clean the kitchen.”
• “Don’t throw out the classics,” he advised. “Enjoy them in moderation. Southern food is not the equivalent of crack cocaine.”
• Egerton said he is not an expert on food. But he added, quoting historian Shelby Foote, “The only qualification you need to write about food is a good appetite.”
• Another great quote Egerton offered, this one from the 1912 edition of the “Alliance Cook Book” published by the ladies of Wallaston Unitarian Church: “Bad dinners go hand in hand with total depravity, but a properly fed man is already half saved.”

George Kern, the president of the Ijams board of directors and grandson of H.P. Ijams, welcomed guests to Strong Stock Farm, which has been continuously operated by his family since 1792. Kern’s sister, Martha Kern, and her family live at the 950-acre farm today and raise the grass-fed beef which served as the main attraction of our dinner. (Click here for another story about Strong Stock Farm.)

The first chairs of the 1910 Society are Victor Ashe, Ann Startwell and Robbie Moore. Ijams’ executive director, Paul James, also spoke and said he is conducting research on the family that founded Ijams Nature Center. That should be interesting.

Here are a few photos from the enchanted evening.

One view from the porch of Strong Stock Farm. It's hard to believe such a large tract of farmland is located in Knox County barely 10 minutes from downtown.

The Grassroots Gringos entertained before supper.

Church pews were set up for listening to the band.

Scott Baerns of The Pour Guys shows the St. Germain elderflower liqueur which was mixed with moscato, a sparkling white wine, for the evening's signature cocktail.

Karyn Adams and her husband, Bruce Cole. Karyn is the chair-elect of the Ijams board.

Kim Donahue of The Pour Guys passes pimento cheese mixed with Benton's bacon on toast.

I guess this is some of that Southern food some equate with crack cocaine! I swear I only had one.

Jim and Carol Cortese

Great idea! Instead of the usual cards with table numbers, the centerpieces each featured a clock set to a different time. The time on the clock was the table number!

Here is table one.

Each clock was unique.

Table five

The scene at dinner. So much fun.

Rita Cochran was responsible for the decor and the scrumptious dinner. A former restaurateur (remember the Crescent Moon Cafe downtown?), she now works at Ijams, which is expanding its food operations.

The cold, crisp salad featured strawberries, walnuts and something called coffee gouda, which was a new cheese to all of us at my table.

Here is some of that grass-fed beef tenderloin, roasted and served with sauteed mushrooms, Sweetwater Valley cheddar grits and braised rainbow chard.

For a salty-sweet ending: chocolate cake in a jar with salted caramel frosting. Wow!

Ellen and George Kern

Polly Ailor Tullock and John Niceley. He is Martha Kern's husband and runs the farm with her.

Martha Kern and her son, Rush Niceley

This is Martha's beloved dog, Petey, doing his meercat immitation!

Victor Ashe, left, and Laurens Tullock

Sam Adams and Frances Adams-O'brien walked outside as dusk fell to look at the evening's so-called super moon.

It was lovely.

Thanks to Chez Liberty for donating the wine for the evening and to Downtown Wine + Spirits for donating the St. Germain liqueur.