Mess of Greens

full bellies | warm welcomes

southern culture

Considering Paula Deen…

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So, I haven’t written about Paula Deen because I’m not really ever incredibly eloquent when it comes to indignation, anger, and race. After exploring my own background, personal biases, and systemic racism in our country and my home state of Mississippi… after spending countless conversations having my mind opened, ideas challenged, and commitment to justice confirmed… after crying with friends, asking for forgiveness from strangers, and reflecting on what it means to be white and southern in a place with a hateful history and  more than difficult present when it comes to justice, race, and equality… I really have so many thoughts and feelings that I can’t really express them.

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Dining Out Delta: The Church Picnic

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Every spring near the end of the school year, our sweet little church hosts a beautiful picnic and outdoor service. boone was off competing in “dude-lympics” an all weekend athletic competition hosted by some college friends, so he missed it, but my mom came up to keep me company and help me pack and she loved it. honestly, what’s not to love about a southern church picnic?
it’s funny, but you can usually tell what denomination of church is hosting the picnic or the part of the country you’re in by the spread of the table. our church in Atlanta was a really progressive place, so the majority of pot-luck items were meatless or vegan, and had foods from various countries and regions of America.

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Come on in!

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Southerners can’t stand to eat alone. If we’re going to cook a mess of greens we want to eat them with a mess of people.”
–Julia Reed

i’m a mississippi girl and my partner was raised in the mountains of north carolina. between us, we can make just about anything that tastes like you should be eating it while rocking on a front porch and listening to acoustic blues music.

i love the way food tastes, but really, i just love the smell of food and the way it reminds me of being at home in my grandmother’s kitchen or helping clear the table from my parents’ dinner party. Especially i love how the taste (and smell) of southern food can make you feel warm and homey and sometimes like you need to put on your going-out-dress and drink too much.

hmm…what’s not to love about creole, country, soul, and all the newer variations of food from below the mason-dixon line? so it turns out that i’m not a photographer or a trained chef, but every night when my honey and I cook together it seems like 7 out of 10 times we make something that has it’s roots in the culture, history, or agriculture of this place… and usually it turns out pretty delish.

so there are an awful lot of other southern food blogs out there (but it doesn’t seem to be HALF as many as there could be considering how much we all love to eat.)but i’d still like to share the recipes of what we’re making with you. but trust me, this one is more than a catalogue of random “southern” recipes pulled from various junior league cookbooks or the largest number of jello-cassaroles known to man. messofgreens is about being full, satisfied, and hospitable. if you like the way that sounds, come on in!

photo from here.