fresh produce and pad thai.

Hello blog and followers, remember me?

I'm sorry I have abandoned you both (due to some SUPER computer malfunctions), but I am back and hope you all will accept me back with open mouths and growling tummies.

This past week I went with Judy, my mother-in-law-to-be (shoo, that's a mouthful,) to the North Carolina-Tennessee border to check out a few local farmers selling some of this season's delicious picks. The ride out was lovely and it was good to get out of town, even just for a short while.

Our first stop was at Johnson's Small Fruits. 

Not only did they have a delicious selection of fresh sweet potatoes, plums, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant (I could go on..), but the first thing I noticed was the beautiful patch of well-tended flowers out front. Look at those beautiful dahlias!

Of course we showed our patronage by purchasing a bounty of sweet corn, beans, cabbage, broccoli and potatoes.

After stopping to smell the flowers once more we headed back down the road to Hump-Mountain Apple House.

Oh, the selection!

                                                                                                                                   The fruit out front was so fresh and lovely that we smelled it as soon as we stepped out of the car. The apples were sheen-free and just the right size.

The peaches, with their warm orange glow and blush undertones, would make for a perfect peach cobbler. And the apricots, don't get me started on the apricots! If all this was out front I couldn't wait to see what was inside.

The large wall inside on the right was lined with a large selection of jams, spreads, honeys, and canned goodies. The jars of sweet pickled garlic definitely caught my eye. I imagined chopping some up to put in a honey-vinegar apricot dressing. Mmm.





Towards the back we found a bright selection of peppers, sure to be full of hot goodness. However, since I am already growing some of my own hot peppers, we opted for the
sweeter sister of the pepper family - the red pepper.

Their selection of beans was small but tempting. If you have never heard of cranberry beans, you should definitely consider using them in place of pinto beans in any recipe (coming soon).

The cherry tomatoes were almost impossible to pass up.

As were the grapes with their hues of navy blue and violet. But the thing that got me most excited, however, was this...

EGGS! Beautiful, unbleached, local, incredible eggs! I must have died and gone to hen house! I am not sure what it is about a farm-fresh egg - the écru-like shade of the shell or the sweet specks often found on them - but I go weak in the knees when an egg like that passes by. Once I gained composure, we made our purchases and hopped in the car to head back home. As we were making our way, Judy prepared me to be on the look-out for a particular building on this road. Inside the building was a quaint little place that I had heard of and dreamed of many of times before.

It was Thai Am. This little treasure is found hidden on the highway when crossing through Hampton, Tennessee. To park, you pull in the front yard of the owner's home which is right next to the restaurant. Her hours of business vary depending on the amount of food she has left. When she runs out it's noted by the "sorry, we're out of food" sign she will hang on the front door. Fortunately the dreaded sign was no where to be found, but she was breaking it out when we left.

As we walked through the front door there was a group of people sitting all cozy around a table next to a small window which offered a view of the kitchen and an opportunity to  chat with the sous chef - and if you're lucky, the owner/chef herself.

We sat at the bar in the back where the kitchen is open for view. Everything was made fresh with special attention to each order. No rush here, and no need for one. The smell alone will bring you back to this place. Our choice? Pad Thai at spice level "American" with egg rolls. They took extra care of our food while packing, making sure to poke a hole in the top of our egg roll box to keep them from getting soggy; made ALL the difference. And when our order was ready, we bolted for the door with a savage-like craze for Pad Thai.

It was nothing like I had dreamed. It was better. The egg rolls were still hot and crispy, filled with fresh cabbage and carrots and the sweet chili sauce made for a lovely pairing. Sorry for the lack of picture; any evidence of those little jewels were gone within seconds.

And as for that "American" level of spice? It was kickin'! Much spicier than I had imagined when we chose to go with the medium heat. But if you know me, you know I love some heat. Judy enjoyed it as well. With the perfect marrying of fried rice noodles, carrots, peanuts, bean sprouts, chicken and fish sauce we were blessed with a glimpse into real home-style Thai fare.

Finally we carted in the rest of our treasures into the house. Judy, being the native of Northeast Tennessee that she is, showed me the ropes on stringing, breaking, and cooking fresh half-runner beans. And although I have not perfected the skill, I can confidently say that I am well-versed in the bean-string theory.