A Sourdough Saga

[Guest guest]

Tee,

 

     I live in an area that is strong on the history related to Abraham

Lincoln.  There are a couple of museums and historical sites not far from here,

and a new one ( " new "   meaning,

just recently being developed) is supposed to be a working farm that was once a

" station " of the Underground Railroad.  We also have a very active Civil War

Re-enactment group in our county--a " Regiment " that does some sort of battle

emcampment in our town every summer.  I confess I have never gone out to see

what they are doing, but it's always written up in the local newspaper.

 

    We also live near, and our town is on sites with historical markers

designating the Potawatomi (Native Americans') " Trail of Death " route through

our state of Illinois from Indiana (my birthplace) to Kansas, where they were

re-settled.  I feel awestruck by the sense of how these people survive such a

gruelling and difficult march--most were on foot and many died.  The " back road "

(old State Highway) from Springfield to Jacksonville is on this route and

sometimes I drive it instead of the interstate. The sense of " history " seems

almost tangible on parts of it.  It " feels " very somber and sad...

 

     Yes, the sourdough I used to have I wish I had not thrown it out!  The fact

that the little lady, " Bertha " who had given it to me had had it for so long and

had used it every week to bake her own bread...had received it from someone in

her family, who had recieved it from someone else...I felt I lost the connection

to HER, too--she was such a sweet lady and almost like a grandmother to me.  She

gave me advice, took me (young bride that I was) under her wing and " mentored "

me along whenever I had questions about anything, especially cooking.  Her kind

of food was good old " Southern 'country' food " --collard greens, fried okra,

black-eyed peas, sweet potato pie--most of which was new to me.  Of my first

(probably only) attempt at making a sweet potato pie, Bertha commented, " It was

just only a tad dry...but it was flavorsome! "   I truly miss her!

 

    Yeah, I am rambling, too!  Hope you are having a great weekend!  It is

drizzling (misty-raining) here and feels like more rain is on the way!

 

     Peace and blessings!

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

    

Re: A Sourdough Saga (It's a long story, so be warned!)

    Posted by: " Tee " teer2008 teer2008

    Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:37 pm ((PDT))

 

<<<<I couldn't get the original starter that you told about out of my mind.

Imagine having starter that old that possibly walked the Trail Of Tears.>>>>

 

I had the same thought! It has stayed with me also.  I love history so much so

that hubby and I are going period correct in our camping for renassance (our

first love), and have a bunch of hand me downs from my father who has done both

civil war and 1812 renacting.  I just love it.  I love cooking over the fire

like that and have a good collection of cast iron goodies including a tri-pod my

dad made himself in his blacksmith shop. (He made a better one for himself so

gave me his old one.lol)  I just LOVE the breads one of the ladies makes, and

the soups, and beans, and the foraged goodies!! Sorry enough rambling! lol

 

~Tee

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

<<<< Her kind of food was good old " Southern 'country' food " --collard greens,

fried okra, black-eyed peas, sweet potato pie--most of which was new to me. Of

my first (probably only) attempt at making a sweet potato pie, Bertha commented,

" It was just only a tad dry...but it was flavorsome! " I truly miss her!>>>>

 

I can imagine! She sounds like a wonderful lady indeed. I do love my southern

foods I have to admit. My Gram, who now has stage 4 cancer is the one that

really took the time to teach me to cook. Between her and what I remember from

my mother (and her advise now that I'm not " underfoot " ) has made me a pretty

decent cook. I love those memories. I used to sneak beers in my huge purse as

a teenager and drink them " on the back property " when we had family get

togethers. I was my mamma's wild child. lol I have always loved history though.

My father instilled in me a sense of the sacred whenever we would visit ancient

burial grounds, or see the mounds still visiable in Europe from the plague where

people were buried. I was thrilled to find out my great great great grandmother

was full blooded cherokee, and it seemed to click as to the connection I felt

with the land and with the native american struggle. I remember visiting

Geronimo's grave site at Ft. Sill in OK and I was overwhelmed at the feelings of

loss I felt. It was such a strange feeling as at this time I had no clue to my

own heritage let alone even who he was other than a leader of his people. That

was what got me asking questions and learning all I could. When I read about

the trail of tears in the book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee I was sick. That

whole book took a lot out of me. I will never regret reading it though. It was

a strange feeling the day I learned so much of my grandmothers cooking was based

on what my great great great grandmother had passed down. Much of it has been

adapted and tweaked over the years of course, but you can see it there in some

of our families meals. Beans, squash, and corn - so much of it, that and using

what grew natural to our area there in North FL. I look forward to meeting her

when my time is up. In the meantime I try to pass on what I have learned to

my boys, we keep trying for a girl. lol

~Tee