A Drive Down the Country Road to the Fig Tree. . . DIVINE Fig Preserves and Pork Chops with Fresh Fig Sauce

Oh y'all it was the perfect Southern afternoon. Blue skies with fluffy white clouds and one of those days that makes you appreciate the AC. I hopped in the car with Senator, my white lab, and off we went for an adventure. I drove down country roads, past fields of blooming cotton, waved at strangers sitting on their front porches, past the Nutbush Cotton Gin (Hometown of Tina Turner), and finally reached the 20' fig tree that was coverd with figs. Have you ever seen a fig tree? I know you've heard of 'fig leaves" right? Well they are huge! There were so many figs it didn't take anytime and it was really shady.  After picking three baskets full, I stopped on the way home for a Coke and bologna sandwich at a little country store. Senator lapped up his water and enjoyed his bologna, then back home to make fig preserves - and save a few for

Pork Chops with Fresh Fig Sauce

4 (about 8 ounces each) boneless pork top loin chops, 1-1/2 inches thick

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (with 1 tablespoon honey added)

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup diced fresh figs plus several whole figs for presentation

Place each pork loin chop between sheets of plastic wrap and pound down to a 1-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sear chops until golden brown on each side, turning only once. Remove to a platter and keep warm.

Reduce heat; add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add mushrooms and sauté one minute. Carefully pour in balsamic vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Cook 1 minute, and then add chicken broth, thyme, and figs. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring often and mashing the figs until the sauce is thickened.

Return chops to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the platter, and coat both sides with sauce. Simmer for 4 minutes. Serve pork chops with the fig sauce. Garnish with whole or half figs.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Melt Away Cake

My mother surprised my cousin, Barbara, who loves peanut butter and chocolate with this cake for her birthday. When she took the first bite, she moaned and said, "Oh gosh, just be quiet and let me savor this." Everyone who tasted this new recipe absolutely vowed it to be A KEEPER. I hope you enjoy it.
1 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 tablespoon vegetable oil (peanut preferred)
1 cup peanut butter


Buttermilk Icing
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar or more for desired consistency
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, cocoa, water, buttermilk, and eggs in a pan. Cook over low heat until bubbly. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into nonstick 11x13-inch cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Mix the oil and peanut butter together and spread over warm cake. Chill thoroughly. Make icing by combining cocoa and butter in pan. Cook until bubbly. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until spreading consistency.

Deep Fried Coca-Cola Lawsy Mercy Sunday with Tennessee Whiskey Cream

Deep Fried Coca-Cola Lawsy Mercy Sunday with Tennessee Whiskey Cream

“Will Sure Nuff have You Whistling Dixie”My dear friend, Lynda Evjen, who is one of the country’s grand hostesses when she’s not on stage or raising money for some noble cause, shared a fried coke recipe with me. Since we both live in the heart of Dixie – right here in Tennessee, I tweaked it just a bit and served it over the 4th to a hot and exhausted group who had just come off the river. Lawsy Mercy is all I can say. They’re all whistling Dixie now and like I always say,” There are only two types of people in this world. . . Southerners and those who wish they were!” Now you can see why.

Fried Coke

1 cup coke

4oz butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp cinnamon sugar (2tbsp sugar mixed with 2tbsp cinnamon)

In a sauce pan bring the coke and butter to a vigorous boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring constantly. Return this paste to low heat and cook until all the flour is incorporated and the dough forms a single ball. Remove the pan from the heat and place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer to cool. After cooling for about 10 minutes (don’t want to scramble your eggs) turn the mixer on low and add the eggs one at a time, waiting for the previous to be completely incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.
Preheat your deep fryer to 360 degrees F. Using two spoons drop dough about ½ to 1 teaspoon at a time into the hot oil. Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and either enjoy immediately or make the Lawsy Mercy Fried Coke and Tennessee Whiskey Cream Sunday.

Coca-Cola Syrup

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cocoa

1/4 can Coca-Cola

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Dash of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

In a small saucepan mix together the sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, Coca-Cola, butter and light corn syrup. Cook over medium-high heat stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and lower the heat a bit. Cook until it thickens up, stirring constantly. Once the mixture thickens, stir in the vanilla flavoring and remove from heat. Allow the Coca-Cola syrup to cool slightly.

Tennessee Whiskey Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated to create a sugar solution)

1 shot of Gentleman Jack (or Black Jack)

Combine whipping cream, simple syrup and Tennessee whiskey. Pour the mixture into your whipped cream maker and charge. Alternatively you can whip in a mixer until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, add a small amount of syrup to the bottom of a Sunday glass, fill the remainder of the glass with coke beignets. Top with more Coca-Cola syrup and a dollop of Tennessee Whiskey Cream; serve while the beignets are still warm. Enjoy.