A Generous Crop 8/8/2021

By: Jennifer Richardson Holt

These days are times of plenty.  It is in this last chunk of deplorably hot summer, when in other climates the autumnal respite is fast approaching, in these parts the heat and its ever-present companion humidity, fling upon us the most fervent of aggression to prove that fall is not around the corner but clear on the other end of the neighborhood altogether.  This meteorological violence is not without its benefit though.  The entirety of the landscape is filled with abundance.  The bounty is absolutely everywhere and if you don’t jump on the opportunity to truly experience all that this rich earth has to offer you are severely missing out.  All manner of crop is ripe for the taking right now.  I am certain we take all this natural prosperity for granted but for some reason this year I see it more.  I see that these simple riches of fruit and vegetable as what I truly believe they are; blessings often overlooked.

I should have paid more attention to it sooner really.  The freshest of produce is truly inescapable as of late.  Of course, there are the typical larger fields meant to produce high yield crops but those become common place and don’t draw my attention really.  The small plots of ground tucked around homes as I pass by are what really draw my eye.  Gardens have literally grown to bursting with all manner of deliciousness.  And honestly, it’s not even just household patches of veggies.  One only has to drive for just a handful of miles before they see it for sale on the side of the road.  It’s usually watermelons often paired with cantaloupe.  On occasion you’ll see little baskets of home-grown tomatoes as well.  The verdant display is almost always stacked neatly in the back of an old truck that you can tell has seen it’s share of hard work.  A grandpa-esque looking figure will be perched next to said truck in some sort of folding chair often under some sort of umbrella for shade.  This is such a quintessential southern summer sight.  The only reason I haven’t caved to purchase from some such treasure trove is that I very rarely carry cash and old farm trucks aren’t often equipped with somewhere to swipe a card.

We have always been an agricultural people here.  Be it pines or peanuts, cotton or corn, soybeans or sorghum we have always worked the soil and bore much fruit from it.  It used to be how we survived really.  For centuries if you weren’t going to work on a large farm then you were at the very least feeding your family from your home plot.  The south lived on beans, peas, corn and squash. We had our cows, pigs and chickens and our gardens to give us pretty much everything we ate.  Many have maintained that growing mentality where what went on the table, came from the ground only steps from the door.  We don’t require it to keep our mouths fed now. While we may be rural, we have wholeheartedly embraced the grocery store.  But now, it seems to me, that gardens are as much for communal sharing as it is for keeping empty bellies at bay.  Every summer, and I do mean every, someone is always asking if I want one type of produce or another. It seems to me that people plant far more than they actually need mostly just so that they can share with others.  Chalk it up to our famous hospitality but we are forever gracing others with the fruits of our labors.

In thinking of how garden bounty is shared, I thumbed through a few of the files of my memories in thinking of some of my most beloved dishes. The first one that came immediately to the forefront of my mind as a testament to fresh produce was a very specific form of creamed corn. Now, there was an old lady, she has long since gone on to her reward in Glory, but she made a creamed corn that boggled the mind.  Most people called her Aunt Mattie. She was no relation to me and the folks that I knew that were related to her called her Mawmaw but for whatever reason the general public knew her as Aunt Mattie.  I don’t know if she used some sort of butter straight from the Holsteins of Heaven or what magical spell she cast on that corn but…oh my stars. There really aren’t words for the splendor that was her creamed corn.  You’re just going to have to take my word for it.  However, my sudden extreme valuation of garden-fresh veggies sprung from a meal I had on the trip from my previous blog.  Those purple hull peas, squash with onions and potatoes with onions, even the banana peppers…I was just not mentally prepared for the absolute wholesome joy that they brought me.  I mean we all know a lovely dessert or something of that nature could easily inspire warm feelings but there is just something about partaking in something that someone cultivated from a tiny plant until it produced food, that’s just a different feeling altogether.

So, I suppose I have rambled enough about all that the land gives us.  They are even gathering hay at this time of year so even the livestock will enjoy the bounty of the growing season.  Who knew that a good meal of veggies could inspire me to take a look at an entire landscape and all that it provides?! I’ve seen this all my life though and tasted all it has to offer for just as long, so I am somewhat ashamed that it has taken me this long to see the value in a carefully tended garden or a well-stocked produce stand.  Gardens feed families but also neighbors, relatives and the random customer on the side of the road.  These are the labors born of toil and necessity that have progressed into gifts of generosity and love.  So, if you see a kindly old fellow on the side of the road with beautiful green melons piled in his truck, by all means, stop and chat and buy something.  You’ll have far more than a tasty treat.  You will have bought the fruit of very ground beneath your feet, a gift generosity and love.