Savannah: picnics and biscuits
Farm to Picnic
This past weekend, I had the sentimental opportunity to throw a surprise picnic for one of my best friend’s bachelorette celebrations. I had the loveliest time waking up early Saturday morning to attend the Forsyth Farmer’s Market, perusing the countless farm booths and discovering produce galore- peaches, berries, peanuts, asparagus, basil, tomatoes, carrots, lima beans, bread, honey, flowers, and far beyond. The cherry on top of having all this delicious food to prepare and enjoy was the opportunity to support and connect with local farmers- the pillars of our communities. They tend to our environments and the human and non-human beings which inhabit them, and therefore, buying their products with happiness and gratitude is such a heart-warming exchange and an unparalleled beginning to a day.
Luckily, I was able to enlist my mom’s assistance with the picnic, and little did I know the extent to which she would become involved. She called me the night before to say that she’d swing by an organic farm down the road from her before coming over to help me set up everything. I doubted I needed anything that I wouldn’t find at the market, but I figured two things: that it was rather sweet that my mom came up with and was excited about an organic farm visit and that the more farms we can support the better.
While I was at the farmer’s market, my mom called me. She was at Green Bridge Farm but arrived too early, and there was not yet a harvest. She rushedly recounted to me the carrots, squash, kale, onions, and more abundant in the garden before she cut herself off and said that she had to hang up to help with the harvest. Two hours later, she showed up with a basket full of self-harvested produce. I experienced a proud daughter moment. Farmer Michael wanted to give her the produce for free as a thank-you for her help with the morning harvest, but she insisted on paying for his exquisite produce. That said, for anyone in the Savannah area I just read on Facebook that Michael needs help with weeding and that he will exchange a basket of produce for an hour of weeding assistance. For anyone wanting to get outside and feel connected to your community and environment, maybe there are farms in your vicinity that need an extra hand and are willing to trade you yummy food to reciprocate your efforts :)
While I finished preparing the picnic meal, my mom went ahead to Forsyth Park to set the scene. It was fun and sweet to join creative forces with activities which bring us joy to celebrate a life milestone for a dear friend.
Savannah Biscuits
I woke up this morning with a calling to make southern biscuits, the undertaking which first acquainted me with baking. For years, I’ve enjoyed mixing kitchen staples to create this star of southern cuisine (my favorite way to make them is with a honey-butter orange glaze). When I told my mom about my idea to make biscuits for breakfast, she was more excited than I imagined. She told me she had passed by Back in the Day Bakery, Savannah’s quintessential brick-and-mortar for traditional biscuits, and somehow became fast friends with a couple outside the store. When they all went into the shop together, she heard the man comment about how the biscuits looked like his. Greatly intrigued, my mom inquired about his biscuit recipe and was astonished when he began to share it with her from memory. Thankfully she took notes, so today I made some of the best biscuits I’ve ever made, all thanks to Back in the Day and its patrons.
Recipes
Soba noodle salad felt like a perfect main for using the seasonal selections at the farmers market. With a base of soba noodles and soy sauce, basically anything else can be added to it.
Ingredients (*denotes a farmers market product):
Buckwheat soba noodles (naturally gluten-free)
Shredded carrots*
Sautéed peppers
Lima beans*
Peanuts*
Green onions*
Grated Ginger*
Cilantro*
Lime
Soy sauce
Oil
For biscuits, set the oven to 425F. Mix the dry ingredients together, and then the butter followed by the buttermilk. For shaping the biscuits, my grandmother taught me to use a glass to make cut outs from the dough :)
A stick of butter, cubed and frozen for 15 minutes
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of buttermilk (I use non-dairy milk, like soy or oat, with a tbsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)
I hope you enjoy these ideas, and that you have a lovely week!
With love,
Anna
Nourished my heart!