September 2010 Newsletter
Jim Casada
Web site:
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com
1250 Yorkdale Drive
E-mail: jc@jimcasadaoutdoors.com
Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638
803-329-4354
The Sweet of September
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These words
are being written on the first day of September, and what a glad
day it is. Mind you, in one sense today is no different from
yesterday, with temperatures topping out in the mid-90s both
days. Yet the simple mention of September is enough to add a bit
of pep to my step and send my spirits soaring. Here are some of
the reasons why I consider September a month filled with
sweetness.
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Katydids
sing in the dew of dawn and the dusty cooling of coming
night as if there was no tomorrow. In some senses they are
right, because once you hear them offering an insect
equivalent of a hallelujah chorus fall can’t lie too far
away.
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Muscadines and scuppernongs are ripening on the vines, as
are fox grapes up in the high country where I was raised.
That means all sorts of culinary delights such as fox grape
jelly, sucking the goodness from a golf ball-sized muscadine
fresh from the vine, or the indescribable delights of a hull
pie.
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Mere
mention of a hull pie puts my salivary glands into
overdrive, because this delicacy is inextricably linked in
my mind with the opening day of dove season. That glad
occasion has a lot of wonderful features, of which more in a
moment, but to my way of thinking none of them quite matches
the glories of a dove day feast. I know before ever setting
a foot in a sere field where millet and sunflowers have
recently been cut that there’s wonderful things in the
offing. Most times there are grey-winged speedsters aplenty,
although it only takes a brush from a hurricane or a
dramatic front passing through to send doves hurtling
southward. On the other hand, I know of a certainty that
there will be a chicken bog and pasta salad prepared by
Kerry Turner, the wife of my good friend, Roy; a chocolate
trifle made by my good wife (who is a wizard in the
kitchen); assorted bounty of the season; and at times over
the years there has even been a hull pie. A pair of recipes
for that delight is offered below.
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This Month’s
Special Offer
An Award-Winning Book
on Theodore Roosevelt
A number
of years back I edited and compiled a selection of obscure
outdoor-related writings by the man who unquestionably ranks as our
nation’s greatest sportsman as well as one of our finest presidents,
Theodore Roosevelt. The book, entitled Forgotten Tales and Vanished
Trails, was published by Palladium Press in 2001. It is handsomely
done, with leather binding, all edges gilt, raised hubs on the spine,
gilt and decoration and wording on the spine and front cover, line
etchings internally, and more.
The book
received a fine reception, being recognized by the Southeastern Outdoor
Press Association, the group many consider the most prestigious outdoor
writer organization in the country, as the best book of the year in its
2001 Excellence in Craft competition. It has been out of print for
several years and a number of folks have contacted me about procuring a
copy. Alas, the only copy I had was my personal one.
Now, I am
happy to report, I have procured a limited number of additional copies
from the publisher. For newsletter subscribers only, and only until
October 15 (or when my supply runs out, whichever comes first), the
book is available for $40. I’ll absorb the freight on postage and of
course will be delighted to sign and inscribe your copy.
For
this offer I will only accept personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money
orders. Payment should be sent to me c/o 1250 Yorkdale
Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29730.
Tel.: 803-329-4354
E-mail: jc@jimcasadaoutdoors.com |
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As for dove
hunting, my good buddy, Roy Turner, who lives in a nearby town, has
the perfect description for opening day. “It’s Christmas in
September,” he says. As someone who has been privileged to be a part
of the Turner family shoot for more than a quarter century all I can
say is that he is squarely on target. The hunt, incidentally, has
been held annually for more than a half century and has now extended
through four generations of Turners. At eighty-one years of age Gene
Turner still works miracles in planning, planting, and preparing for
doves—he’s a master in that regard and the family event is one that
goes to the heart of what truly meaningful sporting traditions. That
glad day is a time of eager anticipation, excitement, family
togetherness, and festive eating. A proper dove day feast rivals the
finest spread you’ll ever see at an all-day singing with dinner on
the grounds, an old-time tent revival with a potluck supper
afterward, or a family reunion where every woman in attendance does
her level best to outshine all the others with the foodstuffs she
prepares.
Along with the
feasting there will be, most times at least, plenty of wingshooting
activity. Rest assured Gene Turner will have the fields done “right.”
Like as not there’ll be a hapless soul or two who is challenged to hit
the sky. Last year one fellow emptied five boxes of shells and quite
possibly never pulled a feather. He claimed one bird, but I’m pretty
sure a guy adjacent to him shot simultaneously, killed it, and was just
too good-hearted to claim the dove. Others will take a limit with a box
of shells. It really doesn’t matter, because unlike almost all other
types of hunting, a dove shoot lends itself to lots of folks, plenty of
action, constant conversation in the form of yells such as “mark right”
or “coming behind you,” not to mention good-natured jibes to the tune of
“how in the world did you miss that floater.”
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Most notably of all,
opening day of dove season tells you that we are on the cusp of fall.
It’s time to bid summer adieu while welcoming gradually cooling nights
and thoughts of the glories of October which now seem within reach—a
welcome contrast to the situation on a sweltering July day. You know
whitetail season is just around the corner, that squirrels will be
cutting hickory nuts in no time at all, and that before long you can be
out and about in the middle of the day without being miserable.
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September is the
time to gather hazelnuts, check walnut trees in anticipation of
harvesting their offerings in a few weeks, make a visit to the pawpaw
patch, and gather in pretty much all that is left of the garden truck.
It’s time to pull up hot pepper plants from the roots and hang them from
a barn rafter to dry. Handled this way they’ll keep right through the
winter and be ready to provide tangy taste to a pot of dried beans, a
bait of collards, or to make my grandfather’s favorite drink, pepper tea
(see details in the recipe section below). It’s apple picking time, and
just this morning I gather a half bushel of Staymans—not my favorite
apple but fine for tart apple sauce and pies. Only a few things—pumpkins
and winter squash, October beans, and maybe Hickory King corn for those
who still like to let it dry and make their own hominy or grand a run of
grits—will wait a little longer.
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September also sees
the departure of what the Old Man in Robert Ruark’s The Old Man and
the Boy referred to as “willies off the pickle boat.” He meant
tourists, and after Labor Day visitors pretty much go back to wherever
they came from, taking the hordes of howling kids which were in tow. Up
in the high country where I grew up this development is greeted with a
mixture of relief and regret, because folks in the Smokies have always
had a sort of love-hate relationship with outsiders. They refer to them
(behind their backs, to be sure) as “tourons” (a play on morons) or
Floridiots (since so many season visitors come from that state, whence
most first moved from somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line). The
money they bring drives the economy, but stubborn, independent minded
hillbillies (and I’m one of them) don’t take kindling to thoughts along
the line of “back home we don’t do it this way.” Anyway, the tourists
are gone, although they’ll return, in the guise of leaf peepers, for a
short time in October. Meanwhile, peace and quiet reign sublime.
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September is sumac
and dogwood leaves turning red, the berries atop Devil’s club turning
purple, and the flowers of fall—wild asters, goldenrod, and many
more—showing their vibrant colors. It’s mist hugging the ground on a
cool morning. It’s dust devils dancing across bone-dry fields in the
mid-afternoon sun. It’s time alone on a trout stream where stealth and
precise casting are at a premium. As one casts he can contemplate the
coming spawning movements of big browns and dream good dreams of
October. September is the comfort of a campfire in the backcountry, and
if you are mathematically inclined you can listen to katydids and figure
out the air temperature. Just count the number of chirps in a minute,
subtract 40, divide the result by four, and then add 60. Better still,
invest a couple of bucks in a backpacker’s thermometer.
Obviously there is a
great deal which is mighty sweet about September, and I’ll conclude with
wishes to the effect that I hope you enjoy the month as a whole as much
as I’m sure to relish the upcoming dove shoot and all that goes with it.
Be sure to visit my website in the coming weeks, as I’ll be updating
many of the book lists. Also, you’ll find a bunch of additions to my
calendar of forthcoming events.
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SEPTEMBER COOKIN’
SCUPPERNONG PIE 1
Gently squeeze pulp
from ripe scuppernongs (or muscadines, the name given to dark-skinned
varieties) and discard inside. Alternatively, the inside may be saved to
make jelly. You will need a pint of hulls. Add three-quarter cup of
sugar to hulls and stir until well combined. Cook over gentle heat until
tenderized, adding one-half teaspoon of almond extract and one-half
stick of butter (the real thing!) while cooking. Once tenderized, add
cornstarch to thicken and as mixture begins to cool pour into a
pre-cooked pie crust. This recipe comes from the Turner family.
SCUPPERNONG PIE 2
3 or 4 cups of
scuppernongs or muscadines
Water
1 cup sugar (or
slightly more if needed)
2 tablespoons
cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter
Cinnamon or apple pie
spice
Pastry for a
two-crust pie
Pre-heat oven to 300
degrees. Wash grapes. Use two medium-sized enamel saucepans, squeezing
pulp into one and placing the hulls in the other. Cover hulls with
water, cook until tender, and then drain. Cook pulp until soft enough to
run through sieve to remove seeds. Add to hulls. Mix sugar and
cornstarch. Add scuppernong mixture and dot with butter. Sprinkle with
spice. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan, cover with strips of pastry, and
bake until golden brown.
HAZELNUTS WITH ORZO
Should you be
fortunate enough to locate a patch of hazelnut bushes and beat the
squirrels to the draw, here’s a scrumptious way to use your “find.”
8 oz. orzo
¼ cup softened butter
1 teaspoon lemon
juice
¼ cup finely chopped
hazelnuts
Salt to taste
Several dashes black
pepper
Cook orzo according
to package directions. Meanwhile, mix softened butter, lemon juice,
hazelnuts, salt and pepper with a fork. Stir the mixture into drained
orzo and serve immediately. TIP: This hazelnut butter will work
over rice or as a topping for veggies such as green beans, carrots, or
lima beans.
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Jim Casada Outdoors
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or suggestions at jc@jimcasadaoutdoors.com.
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