Jane Seymour Savors Tripp Country Ham Breakfast at Tennessee Antebellum Home(Don't forget the French GIVEAWAY)

Charlie and Judy Tripp welcome Jane Seymour and her husband, James Keach, to a country ham breakfast at their antebellum home in Brownsville Tennessee

Baked Tripp Country Ham on the Buffet
Charlie Tripp carves up a Tripp Country Ham
October is Country Ham Month. Here's a story about the Tripps who have some of the world's best country ham and the Hollywood celebrities who stopped by for breakfast. It was a hit. Did you know that country ham can be barbecued, baked, boiled, grilled or fried - plain or with a choice of marinade or sauces - Coca Cola, Pineapple Juice, Ginger Ale & Brown Sugar, Honey, or Cranberry Glaze. Serve it on yeast rolls or biscuits with butter and sorghum or on toasted French bread with tomato marmalade.

A Slice of Tripp Family Tradition
When Charlie and Judy Tripp of Brownsville entertain, their menu usually includes a serving of family tradition – slices of the country ham or bacon that made their family famous. Tripp Country Hams was started as a “side-business” over 45 years ago by Charlie’s dad, Charles Tripp, Sr. who was a Methodist circuit minister. From this old agricultural town where cotton is still king and the natives speak with a drawl as distinctive as the curing process; the Tripps ship their award winning products around the world.
The special curing process is a family secret which has been passed down from father to son. That distinctive country flavor associated with the South for over a hundred years is achieved when the hams are cured, that is they aged to perfection with a mixture of salt and sugar then smoked over burning hickory wood. Country ham can be fried, baked, boiled or smoked over an open pit and served at any meal.
It was only natural when Mary Susan and J.D. Clinton of Brownsville and Naples Florida told Judy that Malibu friends, James Keach and Jane Seymour were in town to visit over the July 4, 2004 weekend that they would all be invited to the Tripp’s antebellum home for a casual country breakfast. Everyone got there around ten and settled in the den. Hurst and Denver Clinton, and twins Kris and John Keach (named after Christopher Reeves and Johnny Cash) joined in the fun with their parents and were captivated by the Tripp’s two English bulldogs Beauregard and Sophia.
The hungry crowd soon gathered around the dining table for the Keach’s first taste of country ham and bacon. The homemade biscuits and bubbling hot grits casserole came out of the oven and breakfast was served. The mahogany table was set with family silver, china, and linens then laden with a spread of Southern delicacies fit for royalty which happened to be dressed in capris and. khakis. Judy had really outdone herself.
Talk centered around the movie James was producing in Memphis, the Academy Award winning ‘Walk the Line.’ Jane and James were enthralled with Brownsville’s historic homes and brother, Billy’s artwork. Jane shared with Judy some the recipes which she serves with afternoon tea at their home in Bath England, St. Catherine’s Court. James and Jane had never been treated to such a spread and the only thing missing was a sleeping porch and a big fan. Jane asked for the grits recipe and James ordered country ham and bacon for shipment. Now there’s a family on the Pacific Coast Highway who knows what it’s like to enjoy a slice of a Brownsville family tradition.

To order your Tripp Country Ham or Bacon visit my dear friends in Brownsville Tennessee. They ship slices or whole hams around the world and it makes a wonderful gift. http://www.countryhams.com/

The Tripps are carring on a Tennessee tradition enjoyed by the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, as he served ham and rolls frequently at his home, The Hermitage. This presidental dining table was the scene of many family meals, as well as, the site where many guests from around the country gathered when visiting with "Old Hickory."

Entrée Dishes on Dining Table - The stag handled entrée dishes on the Jackson dining table were made by Rebecca Emes and Edward Barnard in London around 1808. They were originally owned by the family of Commodore Stephen Decatur. During Jackson’s presidency, Commodore Decatur’s widow, Susan, sold a set of 8 entrée dishes and a white and gold porcelain dinner service to Andrew Jackson. Jackson presented the entrée dishes to his daughter-in-law, Sarah Yorke Jackson and the dinner service to his niece and White House hostess, Emily Tennessee Donelson.

Though President Jackson hired a French chef for the White House, the meals at The Hermitage were more simple and prepared by slaves.

Refrigerator Rolls
1 1/2 cup swarm water; 2 packages yeast; 1/2 cup sugar
Mix yeast with sugar and water. Let stand till foamy.
4 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup reserve); 1 tablespoon salt; 1/2 cup Crisco
Work 3 cups flour, salt and Crisco to a course mixture. Add yeast mixture to flour. Make a good dough. Put into greased bowl and refrigerate till ready to use. Remove dough as needed. Let rise till double in size 1 to 2 hours. Punch down, knead, roll, and cut. Place in butter pan dipping both sides in butter. Let rise 1 to 2 hours longer. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Judy Tripp

Register for the French Home 7-Piece Wine Set GIVEAWAY on Halloween. Just leave a comment and wish Senator a Happy Birthday. Drawing on October 31st.

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