I'm posting today on more sights and sounds from our recent Road Trip to New York. Our first long day of travel ended in a small favorite town in South Carolina. We would spend the night in Aiken, visiting a few friends and family, and visiting a few favorite places. One such place was Aiken's Farmers Market. The vendors and the patrons there, will vouch for the goodness of home grown vegetables. Southern hospitality abounded as I was told the names of peaches, peas and tomatoes. I purchased Freestone peaches, Better Boy tomatoes, cantalope, yellow squash and Crowder Peas. It had thrilled my heart to have found the peas. My mind began wondering back over times when we lived in this small town, long years ago. I began dwelling on the Crowder Peas. I thought of summers, visiting local farms, where we were allowed to pick our own bushels of Peas...enough even to put in the freezer for the long winter months. Funny how my mind began recalling back special times and all sorts of things that were interconnected with Crowder Peas. When newly married, I would learn that Crowder Peas were one of my husband's family favorites. Nearly all family dinners included this vegetable. Anxious to be accepted, it was important for me to learn family cooking customs. With the help of my mother-in-law, I quickly learned how to cook, season and serve the Crowder peas. When I prepare them these days, the smells in my kitchen seem to have voices. I can still hear this sweet woman, as she gave me simple instructions so long ago...."Now..... place the peas over the rice, and be sure to ladle over them, plenty of this good ole Pot Liquor."
