Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Gaia and Oakhurst
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Vegetable or Fruit?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sunrise on on the Sundown
One of the effects of my cancer surgeries is that I can no longer physically vomit. I can still gag and be queasy and such, but those muscles that allow you to upchuck are no longer a part of my anatomy. I mention this because this was my first experience getting seasick since my innards have been remodeled. I leaned over the edge of the bow out of habit, but of course nothing came up. I just gagged for about 3 minutes and then the sensation was gone.
I didn’t really feel solid until breakfast was served shortly after sunrise. The ship’s striker (a term for the person in charge of the nets on board) was a man named Reed and he knew his way around the kitchen on the Sundown. Shrimp with bacon and gravy over grits is not what you’d usually think of for breakfast, but this was no ordinary day. The meal was simple, but incredibly flavorful and seemed to inspire a restorative effect on my heretofore shaky constitution. It was still delicious two hours later when the gravy was cold and the grits were solid.
After several passes with the nets, Captain Todd decided to cut his loses and head in with about 80 pounds of shrimp in the keep. The ever-increasing price of diesel fuel has made this already fragile industry even more unstable. I left the Sundown with sea legs and a strong appreciation for the work those shrimpers do. It’s tough work with an increasingly slim profit margin and a sometimes fickle catch. I don’t think I’ll look at shrimp the same way again.
Still eating peaches, at least one a day. I’ll be sad when the season is over, but it’ll give me something to look forward to next year.
Be well…gesundheit!
Hans
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Flat Creek Cheese
The search for Georgia’s unique foods has taken me to some really unique places that I don’t think I would’ve found otherwise. The hunt for Georgia cheeses lead me to the town of Swainsboro and a hunting/fishing/farming property called Flat Creek Lodge. Sprawling over 2000 acres (200 of which in ponds and lakes), Flat Creek jumped into the cheesemaking business head first, importing cheesemakers from the Cheese Head state of Wisconson. The farm is producing some amazing varieties from farmhouse to cheddars, blues to proprietary cheeses like Thai Basil and Aztec with cocoa and peppers. My favorite was an as yet unnamed semi-soft variety that I suppose you would classify as a “stinky” cheese. Delicious. Flat Creek's cheeses are starting to find their way into some of the State's better gourmet shops and eateries and if they're not in your area yet, ask for them. They're truly worth seeking out.
If you’re in to fishing or hunting at all, this would be a really unique getaway for you and a handful of friends. I did a little fishing while we were there and managed to catch four small-mouth bass and a couple of catfish. One of the catfish was about 3 or 4 pounds and was quite vocal during our time together. As I awkwardly jimmied the hook out of his mouth, he protested with a strange grunting noise that I interpreted to mean “Hurry Up!” I’m sure he went straight back to tell his buddies about his encounter with the skinny guy in the green Shins t-shirt.
Preparing an herbed cheese for aging
From Swainsboro it’s off to Darien (one of my favorite stops along the coast) to stowaway on a working shrimp boat. We have to get up at 4am to join the crew for a 10 hour day of shrimping. Time to get some Dramamine. I’ve not been on a boat for any length of time since Norway in ’99, but I’m somewhat notorious for motion sickness. I can’t tell you how many road-trips left me doubled over on the side of the highway or over the side of a boat losing my lunch. No fun. Let's hope the Dramamine works!
Off we go. Much to do...Gesundheit!
Hans