Cornbread Supper

When Tom Eblen walks into the house for Cornbread Supper, he often carries a beautiful, warm loaf of bread. When he leaves after Supper, I've never seen him take any bread home. Regardless of other foods on the table, people gravitate to this delicious round loaf, and systematically reduce it to nothing but a few crumbs. Tom generously shared the recipe, which he first got from his daughter Mollie, and has tweaked a little. Thank you, Tom. Good & Easy Crusty Bread 2 cups lukewarm water 1 T dry yeast 1 T sea or kosher salt 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour Mix water and yeast in a large bowl. After about five minutes, stir in salt, then gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the dough is uniformly moist. Cover the wet dough with a lid, but not airtight. (I usually set a pizza pan on the bowl.)  Let it rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse — at least two hours and no more than five hours.  You can bake after that, but I often find i

For 36 muffins Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray muffin tins with Bakers Joy. Grind 3 tablespoons golden flaxseed until very fine. Stir thoroughly into 9 tablespoons of water. (This is the egg substitute.) Mix together in one bowl: 3 1/3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I like Bloomfield) 1 3/4 cup unbolted white (or yellow) cornmeal (I like Weisenberger) 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 5 Tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Mix together in second bowl: Flaxseed mixture 14 ounces refined coconut oil, melted (refined works best at the high baking temperature) 3/4 cup excellent sorghum (I like Country Rock) 2 cups cultured coconut milk 1 Tablespoon each (or to taste): ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cayenne Stir wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn out immediately and eat, or let cool outside muffin tins, to prevent steaming the crust.

For 12 muffins Heat oven to 475 degrees. Spray muffin tins with Bakers Joy. Mix together in one bowl: 1 3/4 cups unbolted white (or yellow) cornmeal (I like Weisenberger) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Add in: 2 cups buttermilk (I like JD Country Milk) 1 small egg 1/4 pound pork cracklings (or more, or less, to taste) Stir thoroughly. Divide dough into muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from pans immediately to avoid steaming the crust. Enjoy plain, with butter, or with sorghum butter.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For 36 muffins Heat oven to 475 degrees. Spray muffin tins with Bakers Joy. Mix together in one bowl: 5 1/4 cups unbolted white (or yellow) cornmeal (I like Weisenberger) 5 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 Tablespoon salt Add in: 6 cups buttermilk (I like JD Country Milk) 3 small eggs 3/4 pound pork cracklings (or more, or less, to taste) Stir thorough

Showing images instead of food descriptions from the last month of Cornbread Suppers. The now standard Berry Corn Muffins, usually made without wheat flour Local beets in a flavor nest An August plate So many phyto-nutrients, so much crunch Tomatoes+Corn 4Ever A favorite, frequently appearing salad in front of Au Naturel Farm baby ginger Late summer perfection Greens, tomatoes, cornbread: happiness on a plate One week, the cornbread refused to budge. The beauty of radishes from Johnson Avenue Apple pizza, arugula topping

The sizable crowd on this warm night included regulars, occasionals, visitors to regulars, newcomers, and plenty of eaters aged 12 and under. It was a night of particularly stunning desserts, including the fabled Kentucky pawpaw, which came with its own set of instructions and won several dazzled adherents after a fresh, custardy, tropical-flavored spoonful. Experimental un-sweet cucumber sorbet Local Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil | Oliva Bella Oil, Balsamico Incognito, Salt Watermelon (KY) Gluten Free Blueberry Corn Muffins "Jewish" Noodle Kugel | cottage cheese, cream cheese, apples, pineapple Spicy Refrigerator Pickles Fresh Albacore Tuna Chowder (Not sourced locally :-)  )  *Gluten Free* Cornbread w/Pork & roast summer veggies | GF Cornbread w/Roast Summer Veggies | GF | Vegetarian Cornbread w/HEAT & Roast Summer Veggies | GF | Vegetarian | Jalapeño from Big Ass Fans Chess pie & Lemon pie from Shaker Village Chocolate Chip Cookies Banana

A small group and a lot of good food. For example: Whole wheat bread ( Weisenberger Mills) | Apple Butter (Reed Valley) Savory Cornbread "Bread Pudding" | Could possibly have some meat (from leftover past cornbreads that we froze) | Hot on the left, Not Hot on the right White bean hummus w/basil Hot Brown Casserole | not vegetarian Local Green Beans, Tomatoes, Basil | Oliva Bella Oil, Miscellaneous Balsamico Nell's Famous Curried Carbanzo Bean Salad | (No Dairy) (Gluten Free) Tonight's Blueberry Corn Muffins are Gluten Free

Small group, after a whopper August 7 gathering. School starts August 9 and Cornbread Supper usually changes a little as families get their schooltime routines down pat. Local Ravioli with Potato, Tomato, Onion, Rosemary, Cheese | Lex Pasta, Good Shep Cheese Asian Slaw | Tangy + Sweet Pasta Salad w/Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, Basil, GARLIC Summer Squash & Rice Casserole Something with okra and peppers All vegetarian, no add-ins, GF Blueberry Corn Muffins | Vegetarian | No Nuts | Contain Gluten Apple Pie w/Cheese Peanut Butter Cookies

Cornbread Supper visited a historic city street, a legendary goat and goat cheese and sorbet farm, and a fabulous community garden during three Mondays in July, 2012. This week, we came home to 250 Campsie. Huge, whopper, enormous crowd. Not so many food ID slips, but trust us - goodness was on the table, in abundance. Campsie warm beet/onion salad on spicy yellow lentils | vegan Purslane Salad Local Ravioli, Eggplant, etc., Sheep Cheese Beans, green onion, tomatoes, garlic Heirlooms w/House-made pesto Lemon Basil Pesto w/Walnuts | Italian Bread (Weisenberger Mills Flour) Mexican Casserole (spicy) Contains Pork Meatloaf (Beef) Green bean & Cherry Tomato Salad with basil and shallot dressing Cornbread w/no add-ins | GF | Vegetarian Cornbread w/Cheeses | GF | Vegetarian Cornbread w/Cheeses & Sausage | GF | Not Vegetarian Blueberry Corn Muffins | Vegetarian | Contains Gluten Graham Cracker Treats Bannoffee Pie | Cream, Chocolate, Banana, Biscuit Base, Caramel

This may have been the single largest Cornbread Supper ever. We don't know for sure, but it had that feel. In the amazing 80 degree weather, with a cool breeze on the front porch, and a strong contingent of 11-and-under, a full table, three birthday cakes, plenty of water, beer, and wine - what a night. Potato Salad w/Celery, Apples, Dill, Parsley Local Beans, Tomatoes, Basil | Olive Oil, Balsamico, Salt White fish salad Summer Fruit Platter Grilled Slaw w/Gorgonzola Vinaigrette Turmeric, Garlic & Herb Couscous w/Seasonal Vegetables Pasta Salad w/Garden Squash, Olives, Almonds, Carrots & House-Preserved Lemons Artichoke Dip Wheat Pasta, basil, squash, garlic, red pepper flakes Summer Soup (NOT vegetarian) Johnson Avenue Peach Salsa ~  a little heat Beet Salad w/Basil & Shallots Corn pudding Corn Batter Bread: 1909 recipe from The Blue Grass Cookbook (Minnie Fox) | Gluten Free, Vegetarian Janice Kay's Cornmeal Muffins w/Reed Valley Orchard Blueberri

From Gilt Taste, a description of Corn Butter -- essence of corn, cooked until thick, and all it can do to make us happy.

After days topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the three hottest days in Lexington history, we decided to have corn, but no cornbread, for this week's Supper. We invited everyone to bring cool dishes, and they did. Lovely. Is anything cooler than cucumbers? It's not just a saying. They are cool, cooling coolest veggies. Purslane Salad! Fruit and Quinoa Salad Slaw, superb. Carrot-Beet Salad. No beating this. Coral! Cantaloupe and blueberries with Helen Corbitt's Poppyseed Dressing Homemade (warm) zucchini bread, homemade ice cream, homemade blackberry syrup A fuller list, though we always miss some dishes: Coleslaw with Cranberries & Sunflower Seeds Johnson Avenue Beet & Carrot Salad w/Candied Ginger Green Beans, Tomatoes, Basil, Olive Oil, Balsamico Lentils, Cukes, Cilantro, Garlic, Lime Eggplant Caponata w/tomatoes and capers | Organic Chips (Gluten Free) | Jarlsberg Cheese & Amy's Sausage Corn Salad on Ca

Huge, delicious food, including the world's most beautiful beet jewels. Hillside Heritage Brats Kale Salad, Feta, & Red Onions Thai Curry: Wheat pasta, tamari, ginger, garlic, onion, curry paste, peas, garden green beans! Campsie "Gold of Bacau" Yellow Beans with Vinaigrette Apples off my tree Dressing: Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Lemon Verbena, Thyme, Lavender Broccoli Slaw Beets Baby Field Greens, Arugula, Mushrooms, Walnuts, Cucumber, Purple Onion, Parmesan Shavings, Blueberries, Blackberries Red Potato Salad (with walnuts) Organic Veggies Roasted Nearby Beans, Tomatoes, Basil | Italian Olive Oil & Vinegar | Salt Homemade Baked Beans w/Browning's Bacon NYT Best Cornbread | Vegetarian | Gluten Free Blueberry Corn Muffins | Vegetarian | Gluten Free Tonight | Brown Rice & Tapioca Flours Homemade Oatmeal Cookies (not gluten free

Vicky Schankula brought a carrot cake to Cornbread Supper on June 18. This proper British cake, from Vicky's mother's collection, turns all the gooey American notions about carrot cake on their icing-covered heads. It was a toasty brown circle, a single layer, looking chewy and dense, looking a lot like a carrot cake might look if it were flourless. Sadly, we have no photo. No, wait! That's a good thing, because it means Vicky will need to bring this cake to Cornbread Supper again. Vicky's—or Isabel Fairbairns's, or Gangy's—carrot cake astounded all who tasted it, and left them hoping for more—or at least for the recipe. Vicky's son, David Schankula, kindly supplied the recipe, and we have Vicky's permission to share it here. GANGY’S CARROT CAKE 8 ounces of light brown sugar 6 ounces of vegetable oil 2 eggs 4 ounces of whole wheat flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 5 ounces of coarsely grated carrots 2 ounces of chopped walnuts

Warm night, and some—ick—bugs appeared on the front porch, driving most people inside. Small crowd, only four children. Many beautiful foods, particularly green things, and even more particularly, green beans. Mashed Potatoes Pesto Pasta w/Cottage Cheese Black Bean Southwest Salad: black beans, pico de gallo, corn, cilantro, chili powder, cumin Green Bean From Garden, Blanched, w/Rosemary/Garlic Balsamic Ving. Reduction Quinoa w/Dried & Fresh Fruit Cornbread: All Veget, Gluten Free Blueberry-Cornmeal Muffins Green Bean Salad Ramen Salad Plum Upside Down Cake (from backyard!!!) Whipped Vanilla Ice Cream <} Summer Peach Ice Cream Mango Sorbet Carrot Cake

Big, wonderful group, with lots and lots of wine, and fewer foods than usual, though still plenty. Windy Corner 3-Bean Salad w/Corn Windy Corner Grain Salad Green Beans Cooked in Ham-Based Broth Cole Slaw with Vidalia Onions & Mango Fennel/Apple/Onion Salad Pasta Salad (Greek) Assorted Local Veggies & Herbs NYT Best Cornbread Corn Muffins w/Black Raspberry

Beautiful people assign themselves tasks during Cornbread Supper (and, in the case of Jake Gibbs, beforehand, as prep dishwasher). We hosts consider all of you angels. This week some of the most exquisite food ever brought to Cornbread Supper seemed to cover all surfaces. Yet we have no little food description slips as records. Cleanup was complete! So, from memory, just a few of the wonderful foods: Salads: at least four, maybe as many as six, each fresh and inventive Roast Local Asparagus Lasagne Bowtie Pasta Chicken Soup Potato Frittata Baked Beans with Bacon Crumbs New York Time "Best" Cornbread Janice Kay's (Berry) Corn Muffins Kentucky Bourbon Ice Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies ...and so much more

By request, here is a link to the recipe for the dark, ultra-sweet, moderately spicy, definitely pork-y (Browning's country ham and their bacon, too) baked beans served on June 4, 2012: Bon Appetit's Baked Beans with Bacon Crumbs . The Cornbread Supper version included two changes. First, the addition of 1/2 cup of chopped roasted sweet peppers. Second, the substitution of Nut Thin crumbs (Pecan and Hint of Sea Salt varieties) for the Panko, making the beans gluten free.

We make this amazing, moist, gluten-free, nearly fat free cornbread often. In 2012, it is the standard, go-to savory type cornbread for Cornbread Suppers. It is marvelous. It comes from the Low Country, coastal South Carolina and into Georgia. New York Times Best Cornbread Steve and Rona, Cornbread Supper hosts, love the Low Country. We are happy our signature cornbread has roots in a region we esteem, respect, and cherish. Here's the original story for which our cornbread recipe was an accompaniment: Food; Coastal Legacy , by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, January 22, 1989. Thank you, New York Times and writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

Brutally hot for May, but Cornbread Supper had a festive holiday feel anyway. Kids played outside, while all adults enjoyed the indoor (relative) cool. Rosemary Lemon drop - contains wine Zucchini Cakes London Ferrell Beet Greens cooked with bacon fat & red pepper flakes Indi's Mild Chicken Wings Vegetarian Mexican Grilled Brussels Sprouts and Onions Mulberry Muffins | Hyper-local berries | Janice Kay's Muff Recipe | Vegetarian | With Gluten Vegetarian Hyper-Local Garlic Scape/Parmesan Cornbread | Some Elmwood meal Slightly Bacon Hyper-Local Garlic Scape/Parmesan Cornbread | Some Elmwood meal Gluten Free Mulberry Crisps (One has almonds) Homemade Vanilla (soft) Ice Cream | Chaney's Kentucky Milk Brownies Pumpkin Choc Chip Bread

Salad season is fully here - YEA! Salads and stews of all types, we have learned, are so delicious with cornbread. For this meal, we had both generous salads and a lovely stew. And, for all who were interested, a trip to the Old Episcopal Burying Ground afterward to eat mulberries straight from the loaded tree. So delicious, so messy! Black Beans & Sausage over Rice Russian Potato Salad: milk, dairy, meat Garlic Sage Gnocchi Elmwood Turnip and Turnip Greens + Bacon Olive & Rosemary Bread Fried Chicken Local Asparagus | Oliva Bella Oil; Salt & Pepper Johnson Ave. Kale, Olive Oil, Dried Cherries, Honey, Garlic Mixed Spring Greens, Onion & Feta Cheese | Balsamic Vinaigrette Mrs. Cyrus McCormick's Batter Bread from The Blue Grass Cookbook (1904; republished 2005 by University Press of Kentucky) Gluten Free, Vegetarian Cornmeal Muffins w/Reed Valley Orchard Black Raspberries | Vegetarian | Contain Gluten Brownies Chocolate Chip Cookies

So much good food, and not many food description slips for documentation. Cabbage kohlrabi radish salad with Asian dressing  Cream cheese w/hot pepper jelly  Local Asparagus | Oliva Bella Oil, Salt & Pep  Whole Wheat Rolls | Weisenberger Mills Flour   Carrot STIX  Braised Turnips w/thyme  NYT Best Cornbread (bacon fat and vegetarian options)  Cornmeal Muffins with Reed Valley Orchard Black Raspberries  Strawberry Bread Pudding | eggs, dairy, honey, strawberries, ginger, mint  Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies  Cinnamon Sorghum-Swirl Ice Cream: Sugar, Milk, Cream, Sorghum, Cinnamon, Vanilla (no eggs)

This recipe is adapted from Cuisinart's Simple Vanilla Ice Cream . In a large bowl or giant measuring cup, mix 1 1/8 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 Tablespoons sweet sorghum syrup, and 1 1/2 cups whole milk until the sugar is (mostly) dissolved. A large whisk works well for this step and the next one. Add 3 cups cream, 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon. Stir thoroughly. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. When the freezer has done its work, pour the ice cream into a cold freezer container that has a tight-fitting lid. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons sweet sorghum syrup across the top. Pull a fork or chopstick through the ice cream to swirl the sorghum through it (but don't really stir, or the sorghum will start dissolving into the ice cream.) Freeze for at least two hours before serving. Eight hours is even better. Enjoy! Kids can easily help make this ice cream, and they will enjoy it even more if they are the chefs

In the spring of 2012, as the Cornbread Supper hosts noticed how many wonderful local foods from 2011 rested in freezers, still waiting for their time to shine, a multi-week series of Blueberry Corn Muffins came about. For about four weeks in a row, sweet, tender pastries with a little bit of crunch on the edge and big blueberry spots in the middle graced the Cornbread Supper table. It turned out that some Cornbreadians under the age of six developed an affection for the muffins beyond their usual enjoyment of the cornbreads of the week. And people above the age of six asked for the recipe, more than once. It is below. But first, a bit more chatter. The goodness of the muffins comes from two sources. First, Steve Kay's sister-in-law Janice Kay is a fine cook. Janice has professional catering credentials in addition to formal training in nutrition. She teaches people how to cook, with a particular focus on healthy food. The basic batter comes from Janice Kay's Corn Muff

Note: Bridget Kenny's mother, Sheila Kenny, shared this paper that Bridget wrote for a college course, and for which she received an "A." The paper tenderly blends delicious themes of family, cornbread, Cornbread Supper, and cooking. With Bridget's permission, we share here with Cornbread Nation. Bridget Kenny AMS 200 Paper 2 February 28 th 2012 For this paper, I decided to interview one of my favorite cooks, my mama, for one of my favorite recipes, her special cornbread. My mother and I both share a common love for food, especially home cooked meals that carry certain comfort and reliability. Cornbread is absolutely delicious, as well as traditionally prepared in homes all across the southern region of the United States. A big reason I think it is probably traditionally associated with the South is because of how cheap the ingredients are, and how most recipes provide large servings.  When I return to Kentucky from school, I am a

Many kids, small crowd of adults, perfect night for outside play, ending in a needed drenching rain. Cinco de Mayo Salad Caprese Salad Elmwood Asparagus | Oliva Bella Oil | Salt & Pep Cabbage! (Veg.) Gnocchi with Chard, Cheese, Asparagus, Tomatoes, & Cannelini Two Corn Casserole Spiced Almond Couscous Northern Cornbread—Sweet, Vegetarian, Contains Flour Kale-Corn-Cornbread Strata: Vegetarian | Lots of Veggies | Left Side HOT Apple Crumble—Reed Valley Gold Rush Apples | No Gluten

Big crowd, big food to see April out. Lentil Vegetable Soup Elmwood Asparagus | Oliva Bella Oil | Salt & Pepper Hopscotch House Salad | I have nuts, berries, no eggs, and dairy. Couscous w/Dates & Golden Raisins & Cumin Red Lentil & Brown Jasmine Rice Salad Plain Hummus *w/Bluegrass Bakery Multigrain - Bagel Crisps) Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Campsie Siberian Kale w/Bacon Broth, Cranberries, & Some Heat Caper-Onion-Cheese Vegetarian Cornbread Bacon-Caper Berry Cornbread w/Cheese Cold Asparagus Soup (contains Chicken Broth) Vegetarian Blueberry Muffins Home Grown Organic French Fried TURNIPS Great Harvest Mountain Crunch Bread Yoder Apple Butter (No Added Sugar) Tabouleh from Happy Falafel!

Many young people, again, even though the weather was a bit chilly for staying outdoors all evening. We had intended to show a Kentucky ag documentary, but the interested people weren't present, so we did not interrupt the pleasant conversation in the living room. Another night, perhaps, in a different room. Local Asparagus (complete with a drawing) | Oliva Bella Oil, salt & Pepper Greens, Squash, Onions, Lentils, etc. Lamb Meatballs & Blackberry Jam (Do together) Couscos Tom & Pinenut Salad Green Salad Rice Guacamole and Chips Cornmeal Blueberry Muffins  (do have gluten) Cheese-Onion Vegetarian Cornbread (Hot on left) Caramel Cake Carrot Cake cupcakes Brownies with strawberries

The young person percentage at Cornbread Suppers is picking up, as it tends to do in bright, warm weather. Excellent news for all of us oldsters, who enjoy the children so very much. One of the children this week made her first ever Challah - and it was wonderful! In addition: Curried Lentil Soup  Bean Salad  Cauliflower w/Capers & Raisins & Bread Crumbs  Spinach + Red Peppers + Cucumber + Feta + Olives | Dress it yourself  Winter Greens Salad  Kalamata Olives, Boone Creek Creamery Blue Cheese, Olive Oil, Pecans, Garlic  Multi-Grain Bread,  Homemade Apple Butter (Reed Valley Apples)  Roast Potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic  Roasted broc & Asparagus  Lamb/Black Beans in Hunter Sauce  Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins  Best Cornbread

A modest crowd this week, with lots of our favorite crowd ingredient: kids. The weather allowed lots of races and invented games in the dead-end street beside the house. Dinner had a green and crispy-brown theme: Green Tomato Pickles Salad from Fourth Street Farm Sorrel, Avocado, Asparagus, Sugar/Honey in Dressing Pickled Peppers (may be hot) Caprese Salad Biryani | Contains Yoghurt Local Asparagus | Oliva Bella oil, salt & pepper Post-Easter salad Blueberry Corn(meal) Muffins | Vegetarian; these have gluten NYT "The Best" Cornbread | No Gluten | Vegetarian NYT "The Best" Cornbread | No Gluten | Pan greased with bacon fat Missy's Pie in some yummy flavor One young cornbreadian specifically requested a return of the Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins next week, and so it shall be.

Big crowd—based on first-hand witnessing and on the number of napkins washed and folded afterward—but very few food description slips remained after everyone left. Just these: Jicama/Blood Orange Salad Quinoa Salad  Broccoli Salad  East Coast Grill Corn Bread (Sweet, Northern style)  The NYT " Best Cornbread " (Savory, Southern style)  Lemon Bars We attempted a Cornbread Throwdown between two New York Times "best" recipes, one recent, and one from 1989. The only conclusion: "Make them both again." Well, and one more conclusion. Your documentarian, the cornbread maker for the past three years, found the NYT savory, Southern-style "Best Cornbread" perhaps the best she has ever eaten. It will now be the standard "plain" cornbread until further notice—or a new NYT recipe.

Steve is always happy when he sees Vicky carrying her famous Lemon Bars toward the table on Monday nights. Lemon desserts follow cornbread very nicely. Steve persuaded Vicky to share her Lemon Bar recipe with all of us. 1. Cut together the following, and pat the mixture into a 9"x13" un-greased pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.       1 cup butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2cups flour 2. Mix the following ingredients and pour the mixture over the crust.  Bake at 350 for 20 -25 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar before cutting it into the bars. 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powde 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 to 1/3 cup of lemon juice So much lemon-y goodness and flavor from such a succinct recipe. Thank you, Vicky!

We will make and share two New York Times recipes at this week's Cornbread Supper: The very recent (April 1) Sam Sifton's recipe, " The Cornbread Matters Most ," and the 1989 Nancy Harmon Jenkins recipe, " The Best Cornbread ," from South Carolina's Low Country. Betting on both to win!

An unusual but fine night. No pictures, and no little food description slips, either. A lively conversation about a new empowerment camp for girls occupied the gazebo section of the front porch. Other matters, frivolous and weighty both, entertained people around the porch swing and in several groups inside the house. Salads and sweet-milk cornbread filled the table. People asked for this recipe: Yam and Apple Salad . Made with Elmwood sweet potatoes and Reed Valley Orchard Gold Rush apples, and modified according to the "use what we have" rule, it surprised me with its unusual flavors. Main adjustments I made: added an onion while sweet potatoes roasted; had no grapes; made up a kind of curry using a collection of spices added to the roasting sweet potatoes/onions instead of using curry paste. Spices used: coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, ginger.

Warm, damp night. Warm, dry wits and happy spirits indoors. Plenty of kids, including a not-quite-six-month-old who loves to party. Goodness at Cornbread Supper. Eggplant Russe Winter Greens & Roots Gratin (All Elmwood) Vegetable Curry | Vegan Salad with pears and balsamic-blood orange dressing Salad with Reed Valley frozen summer fruits Pasta with Pesto Vegetarian Cornmeal Toasts w/Parmigiana Regg | No gluten Vegetable Corn Strata (Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Onion) | No Gluten | NOT vegetarian | Some bites may be spicy Carrot Cake Sorghum Molasses Crinkles Blueberry Pie Doughnuts

We had snow—the only one this winter, as well as a much-needed snow day for kids and teachers. The snow fell on daffodil blossoms and prematurely flowering spring shrubs. The small gathering for Supper included some first timers and featured an abundance of foods. For example: Risotto with Kale & Butternut Squash *Contains Chicken Broth Rice Carrots, & Onions (A Bit Sweet) Thai Butternut Squash-Peanut Soup Roasted Local Veggies: Butternut Squash, Black Radish, Onion, Tomato | Plus exotic sage, Oliva Bella oil, salt & pepper Wild Rice Salad w/mushrooms & red onion Two big salads Vegetarian Cornbread: Onions, cheese, corn; gluten free "Bacon Plus" Cornbread: Corn, Onions, Cheese; gluten free Pumpkin Bread Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds

Warm, clear night. Plenty of children. Plenty of plenty, including old friends visiting after long absences. Tomato Dill Soup (Jennifer's Famous!) Olive/Cheese Spread Butternut Squash Soup with Kale, Tomatoes, Pasta, Rosemary, Onions, Olive Oil Bean & Beef Soup Stovetop Cheese Grits: Gluten Free, Slight Spice Cornmeal Angel Biscuits: Contain Gluten Pork Taco Casserole Roast Potato with Rosemary Sweet Potato Chili Mac with Chorizo: SPICY Lim Chili Sorghum Glazed Roast Winter Squash Pies: Chocolate, Peanut Butter Popsicles

Beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful conversation. A bounty of desserts! Eggplant stew (veget) Paige's Macaronis & Cheese Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup (with garlic & onion) Whole Wheat Ravioli with Squash, Mushroom, Dried Tomatoes, & Sage Butter with Sheep Cheese | Lexington Pasta, Good Shepherd Cheese Vegetarian Corny muffins (Italian Sweet Peppers, Onions) Gluten Free Bacon-Corn-Sweet Pepper-Onion Cornbread (some with heat, some with no heat) Chicken Noodle Soup Peanut Noodles Sorghum Swirl Ice Cream Sorghum Peanut Brittle Sorghum Suckers Joe's Famous Brownies (Loaded) Black Magic Brownies (Gluten Free) Brownies

Tonight's dinner brought together perhaps the most first-time Cornbreadians all at one time since the very first Supper in March, 2009. Tonight, students from a community-oriented class at Transylvania University, our near neighbor, visited. Young creatives settling into Lexington, or back into Lexington if they grew up here, also came in force. Fantastic! Beautiful food: Bourbon-Glazed Shrimp (w/Bacon)  Turnip Soup (has bacon)  Maine Apple Sauce!  Wheatberry, (or winterberry) with cherries, candied pecans, and citrus  Pesto Pasta Salad  Peanut Butternut Squash Soup (Thai, not spicy)  Spicy Veggie soup with beef  Holbrook Sorghum (Morgan County) with Homemade Biscuits  Polenta with Elmwood Stock Farm greens and Parmesan  Flourless Chocolate Mocha Cake (eggs) with Whipped Cream  Chocolate Chip Brownies  Oatmeal Cookies  Page Oranges The Campsie hellebores have been in bloom for weeks already in this crazy winter. We enjoyed them on the table tonight,

Early arrivals added to a tranquil winter table. Experimenting with pumpkin, peanuts, and cornmeal led to Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins (not very sweet) with Peanut Streusel (plenty sweet), all gluten-free. This dish excited the young child whose grandmother prepared and brought it. I love that, the way the children at Cornbread Supper love and anticipate their own family's food, and wait eagerly for adults to start serving it to them. The children of Cornbread Supper add more than they can imagine - including their own food labels, at times. Bean Soup with Goat White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard & Cabbage Roasted local Turnips, Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Onions | Olive Oil & Rosemary, Salt & Pepper Scosh (in a lovely, precise, young-writer script) Cheese & bread | Marian Buttered Squash Ravioli | Mascarpone, butter, sage, egg yolk, chocolate, !!sorghum!!, balsamic vinegar Sorghum-Ginger Sweet Potatoes Savory Pumpkin Cornbread \ Contains bell peppers, onions, eg