Tennessee 101:4

Laying out in the back yard is a workout. The amount of kicks, arm swats, crunches to see what's crawling on me and waving of potential bugs is a better workout than yoga. It's keeping me alert.

Bubba and Norris Lake

I've met a couple of Bubba's in my life. All of them memorable characters and always the nicest human beings. I'm not sure how one gets the nickname Bubba but I am fairly certain it requires being über awesome and filled with a history of stories and a natural charisma that draws good people to you. I also think it has something to do with fishing, but nothing to do with Forrest Gump.

Meet Bubba from Norris Dam Marina. I promise you won't forget him if you ever meet him. He's full of charm and sweet energy. I can't sing his praises enough.
Uncle Bob, his wife Bev and I decided to head down to their marina after our squash blossoms. The outdoor tables at the restaurant were filled with a bachelorette party of twenty or so women, some random couples, groups of drunken friends, and Bubba was holding down the fort next to another table.

Uncle Bob greeted Bubba as they are familiar friends from the marina. Bubba lives on a houseboat about five slips away from Uncle Bob's boat. Bubba promptly asked Bob if I was his granddaughter, to which Bob replied, "Yes." Bev chimed in and then Bob explained our relationship. Bob was my daddy's best friend for 50 years. He's family to me even without the bloodline. The table next to him was open. Prime seating if you ask me. Great view, near the speakers blasting music and next to Bubba.

Bob introduced me to Bubba as Amanda. The conversation quickly changed from Bubba flattering me with compliments to a conversation about Waylon and Willie and wild times. If you need last names for those men then you need to read a different blog. Bubba promptly beckoned the marina owner's son to put on some Waylon, where I was promised a serenade when the song featuring my name came on. Bob and Bubba shared stories of Waylon and Willie and Kris. All of whom were friends of their's and my father's at some point. It was wonderful. Bubba came thru on his serenade and I enjoyed it. It was truly a pleasure to be in his company this evening.
When Bubba retired to his boathouse, Bob explained that not too long ago Bubba had all kinds of medical ailments and was brought back from the dead. I never would have know the physical hardships he's recently faced but I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him. He was a fishing guide on the lake but no longer fishes.
Bubba is awesome. So full of life, charm, positivity, wisdom and I absolutely can't wait to go back and have another beer with Bubba.

Recipe From My Garden: Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Let's talk squash. I'm a big fan.
Zucchini, Yellow, Acorn, Summer, Winter, Spaghetti, all of them are so versatile and a staple in my previous life as a vegetarian. I love them all equally.

My garden is filled with different kinds of squash. My favorite part of that is the blossoms. For a few short days on each plant, the blossoms are at their peak for eating. You can find them at farmers markets and from specialty vendors but they are highly perishable and have an extremely short season.
A year ago, I was discussing my love of squash blossoms with my father but refused to pick them from our garden when I thought it meant no squash would grow. I recently learned that there are male and female blossoms. The males are great for eating although you can eat both male and female. The females are the ones that turn into the squash. It's fairly easy to tell the difference once you are looking at the plant. The males are on a long stem. The females are towards the center of the plant near the ground and usually have started to grow fruit by the time you would want to harvest the blossoms. Today I picked eight male blossoms with the intention of stuffing them and frying them. This was one of my better ideas, with a little help, of course.

Miss Mandy's Tennessee Stuffed Squash Blossoms:

8 perfect open male squash blossoms

For the filling:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
Zest of one small lemon
1 T chopped fresh sage
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
S&P TT
Dash of garlic powder

For the coating:
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
S&P TT
1-2 eggs beaten
Canola oil for frying

Preparation:
Pinch off the stamen from the blossoms and remove them. This should be fairly easy if your blossoms are fresh.
Rinse the blossoms in cold running water and set with the petals down on a paper towel to dry. Pat any excess water off the blossoms using an additional paper towel.
Mix together the filling ingredients until combined.
Gently spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the cavity of the blossoms. Secure the bottom of larger blossoms with a toothpick if necessary so the filling does not ooze out during frying.
Roll the filled blossoms in the beaten egg wash and then in the seasoned breadcrumbs.
Fry in small batches until golden brown 2-3 min.
Remove from heat and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Enjoy warm! *if you make them in advance you can reheat them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until crisped and warmed through.

There is a long backstory for me on squash blossoms. My father told me stories of my great grandparents making them....but today's story started with a conversation down by my garden with a man named John and my favorite Uncle Bob. John noticed my pumpkin blossoms and asked if I ever picked and fried them. Bob was looking at us funny as we chatted about it. He had never heard of such a thing. John had never actually had the stuffed version. He also described them quite well when he said it is similar to a mushroom. Bob was now completely confused that we were looking at a flower and talking about eating it like a fried mushroom. So, after the guys left my house I picked a bunch of zucchini blossoms and fried them. I packed up some fresh raspberries, zucchini, and a whole bunch of lettuce and headed to Uncle Bob's. When they found out I had brought the squash blossoms, they invited over the neighbors to try them. We opened a bottle of my Daddy's Peach Wine and they all had their first squash blossom experience. What a treat! I love when an early morning conversation turns into an evening of food and fun in good company.

Grow your own food and you'll bring others to the table.
XO

Tennessee 101:3

No matter how many times in the day I consider dropping my iPhone into my sweet tea to drown a sorrow filled death, there's that one human that hearing just two words from saves the life of Siri on a regular basis. That my friends is called a rock, and I'm glass.

Tennessee 101:2

A girl doesn't need a hammer if she's got on a good pair of cowboy boots. Take that nail on my deck!

Well Hello June

You came up quick! June is a great month. The kids here are out of school which means I won't get stuck on the crooked road behind a school bus going negative ten miles per hour, stopping at every house since they do door to door child delivery.
It's raining today. No surprise that June gloom exists in a place that makes gardens grow out of control.
See below for evidence.
Overnight I have giant squash, more raspberries, peas, carrots, kale, rainbow chard, lettuce, baby pumpkins, waist high corn, blueberries, and tomatoes on the vine and marigolds everywhere!
Incredible!

Tennessee 101:1

When in Tennessee, always check your boots for spiders. Yikes!