okra. Issue 5, 2018 Preview

T

ISSUE NO. 5T

2018

Southern TEXAS WINE The other other wine country High Plains and Hill Country, TX

SOUTHERN SOLE

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Polishing up on custom shoes Nashville, TN

WILD IN THE DELTA Bringing a little bit of wild to the farm Sumner, MS

CHEF JOHN FLEER Growing deep roots in his community Asheville, NC

we’ll toast to that over 40 wineries & tasting rooms | museums & historic sites | peaches & wildflowers | German heritage | golf sophisticated shopping | festivals & events | eclectic art galleries | cycling | Hill Country cuisine | live Texas music

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50: THE OTHER OTHER WINE COUNTRY Stubborn Texas pride refuses to give up as winemakers look to the future

62: WILD IN THE DELTA

This Mississippi rice grower welcomes birds and creates a complete ecosystem on his farm

STORIES 72: IT'S IN THE WATER

Oyster farmers along the Gulf Coast are reaping the rewards of their labor

82: DEEPLY ROOTED

Chef John Fleer’s Foothills Cuisine changed the perception of Southern Food

92: PRESERVING COMMUNITIIES

Virginia’s community canneries provide a way to give back more than processing to their communities

CHAPTERS EDITORIAL

28

PG 8: EDITOR’S LETTER

What makes our Southern Food Culture?

PG 14: MAKING A DIFFERENCE

In New Orleans, Okra Abbey gives nourishment to the body as well as the soul

TO DINE SOUTHERN PG 34: THE SOUTHERN TABLE

Vera Stewart’s memories of her sister Bitsy

PG 39: COME FOR SUPPER

We pitched a wang dang doodle on the farm

PG 44: ON OUR PL ATE

PG 132: MAGEE’S SOUTHERN ACCENT

Chef Ken Narron from Canyon Kitchen

PG 48: IN OUR GL ASS

Let the Deer Camp Special shine its ever-lovin’ light on you deep in the Mississippi Delta

Micah Lemon shares a cocktail with an attitude

120 102 18 SOUTHERN COMFORTS

A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

PG 18: SOUTHERN SOLE

PG 120: WANDERING

Handcrafting custom sandals in Nashville, TN

North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is rich with history and shows the world they are survivors

PG 22: BY SOUTHERN HANDS You’ll want these finds made by locals

PG 126: SOUTH AND ABOUT What’s happening around the South

PG 26: PAGES

Author Bryce Gibson delivers more than frights with his Young Adult horror novels

PG 127: SOMETHING ELSE

Come to Hollywood, AL for the Rock Show where the animals are stone cold and fascinating

PG 28: LISTEN UP

Georgia native, Randall Bramlett recreated his career in the 80s and is on a roll

PG 30: LOOK FOR

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers bring honkey tonks and heartbreak, music that is, to the heart of Chapel Hill , NC

SOUTHERN SNAPSHOTS

PG 134: WHERE WE WENT

The Virginia Transportation Museum, Roanoke, Virginia

PG 102: ALONG THE ROAD

Spalding Bakery carries on a Louisville, KY tradition

PG 108: SOUTHERN C HARACTER

This Florida Cracker loves the life of a cowboy

PG 110: L AY OF THE L AND Readers share photos of their South

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STAFF Scott Speakes Publisher Genie Gaither Jones Editor-in-Chief Victoria Powell Design Director Lynae Bryant Visual Communication Artist Steve Ransom Digital Imaging Specialist Tom Ramsey Matthew Magee Shane Kinder (@monkontheradio) J. M. McSpadden Contributing Editors Richard L. Jones Copy Editor Katie Kunsman katie@okramagazine.com Alicia A. Porter aporter@okramagazine.com Jeff Clark jclark@okramagazine.com Randall Grussing randy@okramagazine.com Advertising Sales Specialists

Front Cover photographed at Fort Morgan, AL

by Rory Doyle.

CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/okramagazine @okramag @okramag contact@okramagazine.com

Published by Southbound Publishing, Inc. P O Box 4107 Cleveland, MS 38732

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EDITOR’S LETTER

What is Southern Food Culture?

Well, we believe it’s more

than the actual food–it’s the social aspect of preparing and sharing that food that makes it so special.

Preservation is defined as keeping alive a memory or quality. And that’s just what we do when we ‘put up’ our food. Remember that basket of cucumbers your neighbor brought over because he knew how much you liked them? Now every time you open a jar of pickles made from them, you’re going to recall that kindness and it gives you comfort.

Community canneries across the South have slowly disappeared, but in Virginia, a few are hanging on. The locals who use these canneries for preserving the bounty of their gardens view them as more than just a way to preserve their foods, they see them as a way to keep their communities involved and enjoy the interaction of working together. In the cannery,

“THE FOOD IN THE SOUTH IS AS IMPORTANT AS FOOD ANYWHERE BECAUSE IT DEFINES A PERSON’S CULTURE.”

there is no social divide - everyone is working

Fannie Flagg

ers. Think about church covered dish dinners

toward the same goal.

Southern food crosses socio-economic barriwhere people from every social class commonly

share food from their own kitchens for the enjoyment of all. In that brief period of time, everyone is equal and enjoying the comfort brought by food.

Chef John Fleer of Rhubarb, in Asheville, NC, has helped to change the perception of Southern food across the country. With his Sunday Suppers, Fleer brings together paying guests and the local farmers for a common meal, “In dining together we share one of the most fundamental acts of life together.” We couldn’t agree more.

To identify Southern food depends on what part of the South you call home. You won’t find just one kind of cooking. Though there are common threads that bind it, the cuisine of the region where you live owes its uniqueness from the people who settled there and brought their cooking techniques from their homelands. Take rice and beans for instance; in Louisiana you’ll find Red Beans and Rice, yet in South Carolina you’re more likely to eat Hoppin’ John (black-eyed peas and rice). In the Mississippi Delta you’ll discover tamales are quite different from tamales found in Texas – yet both are truly delicious. Mexican immigrants were responsible for bringing them to both regions, but the preparation for each is uniquely regional.

Western European immigrants (French, English, Spanish), African slaves and Native Americans had the greatest influence on the creation of Southern food. Saved from starvation by the Native Americans, they were introduced to corn, beans, squashes, blueberries, blackberries and more.

The slaves, transported from Africa to farm for the planters, are responsible for bringing seeds for some of our most iconic Southern foods–okra, black-eyed peas, collards, watermelon and yams. I mean, honestly, what would life be without okra?

Yes, the differing ways we cook Southern food make it delicious. But it’s so much more. The culture of preparing that food is about joining people together and preserving those memories. In a word–it’s comfort.

Scott Speakes // Publisher

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Genie Gaither Jones // Editor-in-Chief

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CONTRIBUTORS JENNIFER STEWART KORNEGAY is a freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, AL. Her work has appeared in Garden & Gun, Southern Living, The Bitter Southerner, The Local Palate, thekitchn.com, Bake From Scratch, Paste, Travel&Leisure. com, Nashville Lifestyles, Birmingham magazine, Alabama magazine, Georgia Magazine, Alabama Living magazine and more. She’s interested in everything, will write about almost anything but most often reports on Southern culture, food and travel. www.jenniferkornegay.com

LISE METZGER is an award-winning freelance photographer from Washington, DC, and the writer/photographer of Grounded Women, a project about women farmers. An over-abundance of peaches from a friend’s orchard sparked an interest in canning, and she’s gone on to teach canning and fermentation skills. She is a tireless advocate for real food and a healthy and just food system, and as a site host for a CSA, she loves to connect people to the source of their food. You can see her work at www.groundedwomen.com and www.lisemetzger.com.

RORY DOYLE is a freelance photographer based in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Doyle’s client and publication list includes: The Wall Street Journal, The Bitter Southerner, U.S. News, The Atlantic, CNN, Forbes, Reebok, Men’s Journal, The Local Palate, and more. With a passion for travel, he has also had assignments in Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Poland, Russia and more.

BOYCE UPHOLT is a writer splitting his time between the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans. Originally from Connecticut, he’s lived in Mississippi for eight years. His work, which has appeared in The Local Palate, The Bitter Southerner, The Atlantic and The New Republic, often examines how we shape places and how places shape us. He recently published a book on the Mississippi River. www.boyceupholt.com.

LYNN HARTY loves taking pictures of people, places and food, shooting travel videos for clients and herself, and hiking in the woods around Asheville (and anywhere else).

Working with restaurant chefs and owners is a particularly favorite assignment as it combines her love of photographing people with her love of cooking. www.lynneharty.com

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JODY HORTON is a food & lifestyle photographer. His editorial and commercial clients include Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Garden & Gun, Texas Monthly, Jack Daniels, Whole Foods, Shiner Bock & YETI. He works both on location and in his daylight studio in Austin, TX.

MOLLY HARRIS is a freelance journalist and co-manager of Shorthand Travel, Molly writes about all things travel, culinary, and outdoor adventure. With deep roots in the South, she always finds her way home when she isn’t reporting from the road.

Harris received her bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and public relations from the University of Georgia.

“Fresh from the pond to your plate since 1982”

S I M M O N S C AT F I S H . C O M

Honey-Chili Simmons Catfish, Two Brooks Blue Jasmoon Rice, Sesame Roasted Okra • SNACKBAR, OXFORD, MS

SE C O N D

HEL PIN G

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THANKS FOR YOUR KIND WORDS.

You make us feel loved.

Because of okra. magazine, I took a trip from Maryland to Greenwood (MS) and loved every moment that I was there. I loved it! I only wish I had more time to spend there. Rene E. I am a big promoter of your magazine! I think it is one of the best I have ever read! Debbie F. Gathered okra this morn - okra. the magazine that is - out of the mailbox. Such a treat to receive like a gift! Love it! Thanks for creating such a work of art! Suzanne A. I have all four issues! Absolutely love your magazine. Judi M. Published in the heart of the Deep South (Cleveland, MS) okra. is full of stories, photos, biographica sketches, and reflections about life here below the Mason-Dixon line....I highly recommend it to all my friends. Jonathon B.

I just received my first copy of okra. and wow, y’all are covering all your bases! I’ve been looking for a magazine and reading material that covers the real South–things that are made in the South, old timers stories, stories from barber shops (cause that’s where business is talked) – real things that someone who though in her twenties lives boldly Southern but worldly simple. When I was flipping through to get a feel for it I came across the Eastaboga Bee Company – I flipped! Their honey goes into my whiskey, on my breakfast and on my honey glazed chicken. This place is not 10 minutes from my home. That touches my soul because those are just regular foks doing what makes them happy. Then I saw photos from readers from Talladega, AL and read about the Birmingham Juke Joint. This is what people of the South really want to read. We can relate to these stores and get interested in the Southern made goods! Rebekah. S

Look what I found in the mail today! My favorite publication, okra. magazine. And in this issue, my lovely friend and amazing photographer, Lisa Cotter, has a gorgeous photo (taken while we were touring Lake Martin this spring) in the Show Us Your South submissions section. Jen G. So excited! My okra. just arrived! Do you know what you have done? You have done such an exquisite job with this magazine and have set the bar so high that I no longer enjoy other magazines. Gina H. You should sell t-shirts with the masthead on them. I already have a subscription, and I’d like to do more to “spread the gospel” about your outstanding magazine! Joel H. My first issue just arrived last week. Reading it on my ride to Oxford. It’s great! Lynne S.

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Photo submitted by Karen Wilson

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS What does the South mean to you? Is it the beauty of our landscape; the houses, fields, mountains, seas and towns? Or is it our people and our foods? Maybe it’s even our beloved pets. The South is all of these things and so much more. Show us what it means to you by sharing your pictures with us. Send them to submissions@okramagazine.com We’d love to print them on the pages of okra. or share them on our website.

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AMERICAN HISTORY ~ Mississippi Music ~ Southern Charm

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SHARE YOUR STORIES EVERYONE HAS A TALE TO TELL. At okra., we want to tell every good Southern story we can, and we need your help to get this done! We’d love to share your stories. And if you have a photograph to go along with it, that’s even better. If your story is selected we’ll publish it on our website as a part of “Your South”. Simply

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“ We felt an undeniable calling to form a family in the midst of this garden, and we truly see this space as sacred—a church.

“

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ISSUE NO. 5

Of Grace and Greens

BRINGING MORE THAN SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT TO C O M M U N I T I E S S U F F E R I N G S TA RVAT I O N Written by Liesel Schmidt / Photography Courtesy of Okra Abbey

From the midst of an abandoned schoolyard garden in New Orleans during the city’s early post-Katrina days, the seed of an idea for a simple community garden grew into a full-fledged mission of mercy, hope, help, and faith that delivers not only nourishing food to those living in this food desert, but also a message of love that nurtures the heart and the soul. Now called Okra Abbey, the slab of concrete where the community garden has taken root is also the site of their many weekly gatherings whose very fruits have touched the community in ways much more than simple physical sustenance ever could.

The reasoning behind the name is simple. Even so, in its simplicity it manages to be almost poetic. In a city like New Orleans—where okra could almost be considered the official vegetable—the reference is cultural as much as it is a play on the fact that this is a garden. A key component in gumbo, okra is classless and without prejudice, as this dish is one eaten by those on both sides of the socioeconomic divide, regardless of age, race, or creed. But crucial, too, to the message here is “abbey,” as abbeys have historically provided care to the poor and the needy as well as offering refuge and sanctuary to outcasts. Many abbeys also educated those in need of spiritual guidance and ministered to the needs of hungry and weary travelers who needed a place to stay along their journey.

In this modern day version, Okra Abbey is certainly fulfilling the true mission at the heart of any abbey—feeding the souls, as well as the bellies, of those in need.

It is indeed inspiring to witness the results, happening daily right here in this humble space where no walls exist and its cathedral dome is nothing more than open sky—but after all, who among men could create anything more magnificent?

Here in this “abbey,” the community comes together to break bread for “Grace and Greens” each Wednesday at noon, while those unable to leave their homes receive bi-weekly deliveries of fresh vegetables through a ministry called “Peas and Love.” Regardless of the day, however, the love flows both ways—from those doing the ministering as well as from those who are receiving the ministration.

Such is God’s own love—an outpouring of selfless mercy and grace that seems to find fertile ground in even the most unlikely of times and places to take root and bear fruit.

Now in its second year, Okra Abbey itself is tended by a team of five, spearheaded by co-founders Rev. Layne Brubaker, Rev. Crawford Brubaker, and local gardener Vincent Grossi—all of whom had been part of the original Young Adult Volunteer Program tasked with maintaining the garden from 2011 until 2016, when Okra Abbey was officially established.

It was an inspired transition, really, as the ground was hardly living up to its full potential, and the Brubakers saw far greater things in store for the slab of land. “We really wanted something more for the community than simply to create a garden,” Crawford explains. “We felt an undeniable calling to form a family in

the midst of this garden, and we truly see this space as a sacred one, a ‘church.’

But we don’t hold a traditional worship service because we have a unique understanding of the inextricable link between our work and our worship. We see them as almost mystically intertwined,” he goes on. “Our liturgical tools are our wheelbarrows and shovels, our vestments are our sweaty tee-shirts and dirty work boots.

Preparing the soil, planting the seeds, harvesting the food, sharing a meal—this is all a part of our worship.”

To hear the enthusiasm in Crawford’s words about the mission is to hear his heart and his sincere desire to help his community thrive and grow into one strong body of disciples for Christ who live happily and healthfully. And each day at the Abbey is a reflection of that, begun with what they call “A Morning Mercy,” serving hot coffee, bread, and peanut butter along with various forms of prayer and spiritual practice before the day’s gardening work has begun. At day’s end after the tools have been put away, everyone once again gathers in prayer to bless the work that has been done and to lift up the neighborhood until the next meeting. On Friday mornings, those gathered at the Abbey embark on a spiritual “labyrinth walk” around the grounds.

Along with their other weekly ministries, Okra Abbey has recently begun “Love Letters and Lettuce,” created as a means to broaden their reach beyond the boundaries of the neighborhood and consider the wider world around them. For an hour each Thursday afternoon, the Brubakers and their community members gather together to assemble and share salads made of vegetables harvested from the garden while they write letters of love to people all over the world, from prisoners and refugees to their representatives in Washington.

“This gathering gives us a chance to learn a diversity of ways to love lettuce but also grants us an opportunity to reach out beyond the boundaries of our neighborhood and learn to love our brothers and sisters in the broader world,” Crawford says.

The only “giving garden” in New Orleans, Okra Abbey freely distributes all of their vegetables through their weekly meetings and other ministries as well as any time that a need for food is recognized. They give without question, knowing that the harvest in their hands is more than just food—it is love and mercy.

Going forward, one of Okra Abbey’s greatest hopes is to expand their garden through the purchase of more land—more fertile land, this time, than the concrete slab that has so miraculously hosted their efforts thus far—so that their harvest can be multiplied many times over and their outreach made even greater.

But whether planted in the cracks of an abandoned schoolyard or in a rich field of soil, the seeds of Okra Abbey’s mission have grown to be spiritual nourishment in a community suffering from starvation.

To learn more about Okra Abbey’s ministries and the ways that you can contribute, visit www.okraabbey.com

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CHAPTER 1

SOUTHERN COMFORTS 17

SOUTHERN COMFORTS

S T Y L E

SOUTHERN SOLE Written by Liesel Schmidt / Photography by Zack Knudsen

In a city so known for big dreams held by even bigger dreamers walking the streets in

“The original flip-flops had leather soles and were definitely not as comfortable, and

snip-toed cowboys boots, the launching of a company—and certainly of a dream all

the ladies’ sandals we originally sold were more intricate and took forever to make,”

its own—soled in leather and rubber might have come as a surprise to many. But in a

Trent explains. “So we knew both products had to change, so that people would enjoy

place like Nashville, Tennessee, where the impossible happens everyday, the fact that

wearing them and for that enjoyment to last. We completely revamped them all to make

a company handcrafting luxury flip-flops and sandals could achieve nationwide success

them very comfortable while still maintaining the highest quality and also improved their

might very well be the makings of a toe-tapping country song.

designs to be more efficient to make.”

Initially begun in 2012 as a shoeshine service catering to the needs of clients through-

Efficiency, however, has never come at the sacrifice of the quality or the handcraft-

out the Nashville area, Southern Polished tran-

ed touch that sets Southern Polished apart

sitioned into a full-service shoe repair company

from its competition. “We’re one of the only

after the purchase of an old shoe repair shop out-

American sandal companies that combines

side of Nashville in 2014. And while the father

both the styling and craftsmanship of sandals

and son trio of Norm, Heath, and Trent Potter

you’d find in Italy or Greece,” says Trent, who

could easily have satisfied themselves mending

speaks knowledgeably about the construction

the threadbare structures and worn-out soles of

and design of European sandals from first-

the many shoes that were brought in to them day

hand experience. A military family who spent

in and day out, the three forward-thinking men

a large portion of their lives dotting the globe

saw the opportunity to set themselves apart and

as Norm’s duty stations took them from one

address a very serious issue that literally fell into

country to the next during his career in the

their hands everyday.

Air Force, the Potters were able to see and

“Our original intent was to open a chain of

feel the quality of European footwear and

higher-end, quality shoe repair shops throughout

appreciate the very details that made them

the Southeast; but after opening our shop, we

so desirable. “Most sandals sold in the U.S.

had customer after customer bringing us sandals

are made in factories overseas and completely

that had begun falling apart and needed to be

glued together; but ours are glued, stitched,

glued or stitched back together,” Trent recalls of

and tacked together by hand, which makes for

the Aha! moment that truly spurred the company

a much higher quality sandal and allows them

to realizing its potential. “It was right then that

to be re-crafted later on as they age.”

we knew we could make higher-quality sandals

In this time of national pride, being able

with a classic look that folks could actually keep for years, rather than just for a season

to brand oneself as fully American-made it a true achievement and certainly one that

or two. From there, we began designing and tinkering around with different materials

brings value to the table. And as a retired military family, the Potters’ appreciation for

and leathers to see which worked the best; and by the following spring, we sold our very

patriotism has led them to maintain a U.S.-based operation in as many facets as they

first pairs of sandals.”

can, going so far as to source their materials as locally as possible to support the econ-

As with any first-run of designs, the sandals that Southern Polished created were

omy of the country—and the region—that they love so much.

well made, but still not quite perfect. A few tweaks here and there to the design, the

“If we can source the materials we use from the local and surrounding areas, we

construction, and the materials used, however, and the Potter men landed with their

definitely try. The large majority of the leathers we use on all of our sandals come from

feet—and their sandals—well on solid ground for true success.

tanneries in Tennessee and Kentucky, and the Vibram rubber that we use on our flip-flop

19

SOUTHERN COMFORTS

bottoms is produced here in the U.S.,” says Trent. “Even the tags we use on our sandals are made by a small business in North Carolina. Our goal is to continue growing our family business by getting the word out about us and increasing our brand, and we would love to continue making our sandals here in the Nashville area. As more and more American-owned shoe brands take their production overseas, we want to keep our sandals made here,” he goes on. “There aren’t many sandal brands being made in America—let alone with the type of quality that rivals those found in places like Italy and Greece.”

And that type of quality has certainly been the secret of their success, even in the face of more recognized national brands. “Guys have become so used to other large brands out there that some are hesitant to make the switch to ours, but I can’t tell you just how many customers come back in for a second and third pair in other colors after they’ve purchased their first,” Trent says proudly “As soon as they’ve been broken-in and molded to their feet, they absolutely love them. We sell them on the fact that our flipflop straps are internally stitched to prevent them from ever pulling apart, and we’re one of the only brands to do that. They also have arch support and crepe that molds to the feet—and, like any great leather shoe, they just get better and better with every wear.”

And that wearability is one that comes from the level of craftsmanship and the quality of the materials, both of which enable the flip-flops and sandals to be re-soled and reheeled. Add to that the customizability of their women’s line, and Southern Polished has truly hit the mark in making the longevity of their brand a reality—and something that they can leave as a family legacy.

Still a family business in every sense of the word, Southern Polished relies solely on the heart, souls, and hands of Norm, Heath, and Trent. But like any family enterprise, the support of their wives is crucial; and so Norm’s wife Pam runs the office while the boys’ wives lend a hand as they can. With success, however, comes the need for expansion, and so Southern Polished has set its sights on a larger production facility and adding more hands to the operation over the course of the next few years.

“Watching our company grow has definitely kept us motivated, and when we have customers stopping by to tell us how much they love their sandals and see others coming in to buy more pairs of sandals, we know we have something,” says Trent. “It’s been an amazing feeling, being able to watch our idea grow into what it is now; and it really is incredible to have found something that we’re all so very passionate about,” he goes on.

From a simple shoeshine to a handcrafted work of art, Southern Polished has walked a path that has led to success far beyond what they might have imagined possible.

And in this land where dreamers happily stomp the naysayers under their heels, these three sole-searchers found their own way to make their dreams come true—one pair of sandals at a time.

Southern Polished 7018 Church St E, Brentwood, TN. www.southernpolished.com

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