alafarmnews

"I love making Lawrence County a better place to live," said Kathy Graham of Moulton. And if anyone is in a position to do such work, it’s Kathy.

A local real estate agent, Kathy is also chairperson of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and on the Planning Committee for the City of Moulton. She’s co-owner of Two Mamas Salsa and creator of the brand’s recipe, and she serves as chairperson for the Alabama Chicken and Egg Festival. It’s this last responsibility that’s kept her running from Co-op to Co-op over the past month as the festival approaches.

"We’ve spent Saturdays traveling to Co-op stores with our mascots, Nugget and Scramble (a chicken and egg, respectively), giving away tickets to the festival," said Kathy.

The Chicken and Egg Festival will be held April 12 and 13 this year; and Kathy said she hopes this year’s festival will be the best ever. "We will have four stages for live entertainment and 100 different chickens for people to see, including some of the more unusual varieties that are just gorgeous," she said.

The event takes about seven months of careful planning to pull everything together, and a large part of her effort is casting a slate of about 400 volunteers needed for the event. "That’s one of my key roles in preparing for the festival. Because I was a hairdresser for over 25 years, I know people well enough to place them where they’re the most comfortable, and that makes them more willing to help," she said. It’s help that’s needed as the festival has in the past attracted crowds of near 15,000.

Kathy also still finds the time to make salsa with her business partner, Amy Thrasher, and their husbands about eight times a year. "That’s the whole work crew, the four of us. We’ve gone from making 80 cases of Two Mamas Salsa in the first year to making 640 cases a year five years later," said Kathy.

The salsa is sold in grocery stores and specialty shops and is available through their website www.twomamassalsa.com. Kathy admits she was reluctant to start the business.

"The first year after I married Matt, we planted a garden with 62 tomato plants. I had more tomatoes than I could give away, so I started making salsa to use them. Friends started asking for the salsa. Amy encouraged me to sell it, offering to start the business with me. So, three years after I started making salsa, we started selling it," Kathy said.

She added that Two Mamas Salsa owes much of its success to the Shoals Commercial Culinary Center, a business incubator for food-based entrepreneurship. "Our business couldn’t have gone on like it has had it not been for the culinary center," she said.

According to Kathy, her love of cooking began as a childhood chore. "There were five children and both my parents worked. Mother had a schedule of chores for us, which included what we would have to eat that night, and supper should be started by the time she got home from work," she said.

Kathy also added her husband Matt, a carpenter by trade, shares her love of cooking. "He cooks, cleans and can fix anything," she said.

The recipes Kathy shares this month are mainly dishes her family has shared with her over the years, but a couple of them have come from friends.

"Barbara Carroll gave me the Chocolate Chip Pound Cake recipe, and the Chicken Stew is a well-known fundraiser item in Moulton. A gentleman makes it in 90-gallon batches for churches and other groups, and I scaled it down from his recipe," said Kathy.

Kellie Henderson is a freelance writer from Troy.

Baked Potatoes and Onions

6-8 large potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
2-3 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
Salt and pepper

Line a 13x9 baking dish with foil, leaving enough excess to fold over and form a packet that seals well.

Quarter potatoes and cut into chunks. Place potatoes in dish. Salt and pepper. Cut onions in chunks similar to potatoes and layer over potatoes. Salt and pepper again. Chop butter and layer over potatoes and onions. Salt and pepper once more. Fold over foil and seal well. With a knife poke 3 holes in the top of foil.

Cook for 30 minutes in 450o oven, then turn oven to 375 o and bake for another 30 minutes. Take out of oven and let stand sealed for 15–20 minutes, to allow butter to soak into potatoes and onions.

Squash Casserole

3-4 yellow squash
2 medium onions
1 egg, beaten
15 saltine crackers, crumbled
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Quarter squash and onions. Boil in water until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and combine in a large bowl with all other ingredients. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 350^o for 30 minutes.

Parmesan Chicken

6 chicken breasts (bone in or boneless)
Salt and pepper
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

Arrange chicken in casserole dish. Salt and pepper. In medium bowl combine all other ingredients and spread over chicken. Bake uncovered in a 350^o oven until rich golden brown, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Breakfast Pizza

1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
6 eggs, beaten
½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Preheat oven to 375^o. Unroll dough and press into an even layer, covering the bottom of a lightly greased 12 inch pizza pan. Combine eggs, bacon, cheese and mushrooms and pour mixture evenly over the dough. Bake 15–20 minutes, or until eggs are firm and crust is golden. Makes 3–6 servings.

Note: sliced tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, green peppers and green onions also make great toppings.

Marinated Carrots

1 bag carrots
1 medium onion
1 green pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Peel and slice carrots. Cover with water and boil for about 12–15 minutes and drain. Slice onion and pepper into large pieces. Place in an airtight bowl with carrots. Heat remaining ingredients until sugar is melted. Pour over carrots, onions and peppers. Seal and let marinate overnight.

Note: this will keep up to a month in the refrigerator and is better after marinating for 3 days.

Two Mamas Meat Loaf

1 pound ground beef
1 cup oats
2 eggs
1 ½ cups Two Mamas Salsa (hot) or salsa of your choice
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and shape into loaf. Put in oven safe dish and bake at 350^o until browned, about 45 minutes.

Chicken Stew

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 (18 oz) box yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz) box instant chocolate pudding
¾ cup oil
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
5 eggs
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients and bake in a thoroughly greased and floured Bundt pan at 350^o for 55–60 minutes or until pick inserted in cake comes out clean.

Seven Layer Bars

¼ cup butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips
1 (6 oz) package butterscotch chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup pecans, chopped

Pour butter into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer all other ingredients in order listed. Do not stir. Bake at 325o for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

1 large chicken, rinsed
4 large potatoes, peeled
3 large onions
2 (16 oz) cans cream corn
1 (32 oz) can tomato juice
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

Boil chicken covered in water in large pot until thoroughly cooked, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and let cool.

While chicken is cooling, chop potatoes and onions and add to broth along with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes. While potatoes and onions are cooking, de-bone chicken and shred with fingers; add to pot, stirring often. Add corn, tomato sauce and enough tomato juice to your liking. Simmer for about another 20 minutes. Add stick of butter and red pepper, stirring continuously until butter is melted.

Note: This makes a very large pot of stew.

Chocolate Gravy

1 cup sugar
4-5 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter

Mix all dry ingredients in a small saucepan. Add milk and mix well. Cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until well blended. Spoon over buttered biscuits and enjoy.