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It was a right chilly mornin’ in Flat Rock for early May, about 35 degrees at 7:00 a.m., or so they said. The clock showed ten thirty a.m. when I walked into The Flat Rock General Store. At about that same time my nose detected an aroma of delightfully southern origin. Slim had a large pot full of white beans and ham bone slow cooking on the old pot bellied heater; the cooler temperatures made it the perfect morning.
No sooner than I had gotten settled in my seat than the widow Cora walked in with a big old black pot of kraut and
weiners. Ms. Ida followed close behind her with a larger warmer full of fried hoe cakes and a plastic zipper bag full of new garden green onions. Course there was a store cooler full of fresh sweet milk and Slim had ordered up a couple gallons of Milo’s sweet tea.
I had totally forgotten, but it was eatin’ day down at The Store. Yes, it is a monthly ritual/occasion down at The Store, sometimes lunch, sometimes breakfast. Just might be grilled cheese sandwiches and chili, southern breakfast casserole, or just maybe a plain old fresh tenderloin and biscuit with some homemade pear preserves.
The southern aroma was bringin’ them in, first my Daddy “Pop” C.C., then Farlow and his wife
Willerdean, Truth, Bro., S.R., J.R., and Hatch, on and on. Then there were some first timers poppin’ in, two Gold Kist
fieldmen, the Pepsi Cola delivery driver and a couple of furniture delivery guys, even the Sears serviceman – some people are just lucky I guess.
It was about noon when Ms. Ida started dippin’ and passin’ out the savory vittles. All in all there was over twenty-five people that enjoyed the monthly feedin’ down at The Store. Most would have stayed well beyond the noon eatin’ hour had there been cots or snoozing room. But, most headed out right after cleanin’ their plates, some after seconds, to meet their afternoon obligations. There was plenty of smiles, several tummy rubbin’s, lots of “Thank You’s,” bunches of “We will be back,” and a few more “When is the next one?” A right pleasant noon hour visit with Slim and all the folks down at The Flat Rock General Store.
Plans were already getting started for the next monthly eatin’ down at The Store, maybe breakfast, maybe lunch, you never know what to expect if you are lucky enough to just be passin’ by and happen in on the right day. Understand now that Slim, Ms. Ida and the Widow Cora don’t do each monthly cookin’, there is always a different contributor or two based on his or her specialty.
As summer comes on through there will be some outside cookin’s, probably a big old chicken stew. There’ll be some advertising if there’s a thirty gallon batch cooked up and you just might get invited. Then there will be a burger or steak grillin’ and probably at least one
Bar-b-queing. That is, if they just don’t get L.O. Bishop to cater in some Bishops, farm cooked pulled pork
bar-b-que with baked beans, vinegar slaw and all the trimmings. Along about huntin’ season they might even have a quail, biscuit and gravy breakfast cookin’. I just bet most of ya’ll would like my soupy chicken and dumplins with fried hoe cakes and sweet tea, but that’s another months eatin’ all together.
Man, I think I had better stop before I get the whole year’s cookin’s planned out for The Flat Rock General Store. Not to worry, Slim, Ms. Ida and others will be in on the approval of any cookin’ and eatin’ plans down at The Store. I just bet I have gained twenty pounds just writin’ this article. ***I tell you what would be real good, now that I think of it, some of my Daddy “Pop” C.C.’s over-easy fried eggs, hot biscuits and saw mill gravy (the best in the world) with some fried salmon patties or fried
spam, full warm off the stove and mouth waterin’, add about two spoonfuls of Golden Eagle Syrup and let that old gravy melt it in, YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!!!
HEY, “YA’LL HUNGRY???” THEN—“LET’S EAT!!!”
REMEMBER YOUR
HERITAGE!!!
ALWAYS THINK
GOOD MEMORIES!!!
JOE
Joe
Potter is a former vocational agriculture teacher, FFA advisor,
retired county agent (Colbert County) for Auburn University and
is currently regional sales manager for the Wax Company of Amory,
Mississippi. Additionally, he is still involved in C.C. Potter family
farm at Flat Rock, the farm where he grew up. He is also a
humorist, poet, speaker, writer and a true Southern farm boy/ag
man. His book, Farm Fresh Memories, is available for
$15.00 plus shipping, order by phone at 256-332-0676 or email joepotter50@msn.com.
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