Wish you were here to enjoy a large slice of ice cold yellow-meated watermelon, and a spontaneous dip in the creek....
Nope, neither of these pairs of legs are mine. I was not adventurous enough to go into the water.
I guess any state that has watermelons has one place that supposedly grows the best melons, and every little watermelon stand you see claims their melons come from that place. Around here, that place is Sugartown, which is where I bought this melon and others, at a jacked-up price, only to arrive at my uncle's house for him to tell me this guy did not get those melons from Sugartown! Lucky for the watermelon peddler, the melons were delicious. We still have two more, one red and one yellow, waiting to be cut.
I was also looking for pink-eyed purple hull peas and did not find any. Uncle said I should have been there last week. Talking about fresh peas makes me nostalgic, makes me wish I could sit at my grandparents' table one more time....
Still Life
Grandmother cooked on a wood stove:
peas, butterbeans, cornbread, biscuits.
For desert, we ate canned peaches.
When everyone left the table,
Grandfather winked and smiled at me
as we divided what was left
of the peach juice into our bowls
and drank life’s syrupy sweetness.
Never heard of yellow watermelon; but, then, I don't "do" watermelon. Never heard of "pink-eyed purple hull peas" either. A "one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater"; but only "black-eyed" peas around here that I know of. How long does that summer camp of yours go on?......
ReplyDeleteWish I was there, too. My granddaddy grew the best watermelons in two counties. I sure miss them and him.
ReplyDeleteJim I can't explain the difference between pink-eyed purple hulls and black-eyed peas, both are peas, but each have a slightly different taste. The pink-eyed purple hulls taste much better to me (and shelling them will leave your fingertips stained a lovely shade of darkish purple)! The melons, though they obviously look different, they taste only slightly different from each other.
ReplyDeleteCynthia My grandfather grew melons too (and peas and butterbeans)! He liked taking us out in the field to look for new melons coming out. I think he liked planting the Charleston Gray melons, those long skinny striped ones.
My uncle told me he and his son were talking about planting a crop next year (hmmm, guess I better save my yellow melon seeds, maybe they will plant a few for me!). I really wanted to get a picture of melons growing in the field, but never did see any. Maybe next year, if they really do plant.
Jim I forgot to say that this particular camp only lasts a week (and I only got to visit for one night, supper and a church service), although there are different camps that run all summer long.
ReplyDeleteI think this bell-ringing photo was about the last picture of my visit that I wanted to post!
I have a memory etched in my mind of my Grandma and Grandpa and their old house. My cousins are there, my parents, my aunt and uncle. The table is filled with fresh fried chicken - they killed the birds themselves that night - and bowls upon bowls filled with vegetables canned from the garden just out back. That was perhaps the happiest night of my life. I remember Grandpa in his rough playful voice sing to us, "I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life. It may taste kind of funny, but it keeps them on my knife."
ReplyDeleteI sure miss them. Thanks for the memory Annie.
Oh man...yellow watermelon is my favorite! Though I am addicted to sugar babies right now. Just right to pop right into the fridge.
ReplyDelete~grins~ neither of those pair of legs are mine either. Cannot stand for my head to be underwater.
loved the post - that food is talking our culinary language of the deep south. mmmmmm
ReplyDeleteI could have been one of those sets of legs :)
Oh yes, I forgot - my former husband's grandmother used to get the fruit syrup left from the can to sweeten the tea. Always had a different taste, but food was never wasted.
ReplyDeleteTim I'm glad you enjoyed remembering your own grandparents. I love the little song your Grandpa sang to you!
ReplyDeletePrincess Yellow is my favorite too. I don't think I have ever had one of the sugar babies, though I have heard good things about them.
Honestly, I would not want my head to be underwater that long either, nor do I like it in my face!
Cathy I had never heard of using the fruit syrup to sweeten tea. I bet that tasted good!
yes, nice legs in the creek.....well, I love watermelon....whatever the color. We have a place near here called Watermelon Park.....and you guessed it, they grow watermelons.....I love sugar babies. We grew those on our farm. I think we have pink eyes here, I see them at the farm market. Purple hull. I still like acre peas......I guess they are my favorite because they are pretty consistent. Speaking of which.....don't they make Pic-a- Peppa anymore? I couldn't find it at the store. I need it to cook my fish in for fish and grits.
ReplyDeletep.s. I think you are chicken for not going in the creek........
p.s.s. Guess I'll have to go to Waffle House and swipe a bottle of Pic-a-Pepper.......they have it there.........that's stealin' though ain't it?
ReplyDeleteAyekah I am not sure what the acre peas are like. They are not those little sugar peas, are they (the little round geen ones-yuck!)?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess it would be stealing to take the Pic-a-Peppa from the Waffle House. I am not familiar with that stuff either. Is it like our Louisiana hot sauce?
P.S. I ain't chicken, I just don't like water in my face, that's all.
bawk, bawk, bawk.........
ReplyDeleteand no pic-a peppa is those little green peppers in that weird jar with the hole in the top so you can shake the liquid out onto your grits or whatever.....
ack....not green peas......acre peas are those little creamy white pea beans......
Ayekah Shhhh! Don't tell all my water secrets or I will have to tell the nice folks at Waffle House where all their Pic-a-Pepper is going!
ReplyDeleteWe do have something like, where you shake the liquid out of the bottle and the peppers stay in, I forget what it is called. Are you SURE they don't have that stuff in your store?
Creamy white pea beans? I have never heard of those either. Not sure I would eat them either.