Robins have returned to the Sidewalk House ~ and for them, a highly anticipated feast of cherries is reason enough to stay. Before long, our cherry tree will burst into bloom! And then there will be tiny green cherries forming inside the fading flowers. And then, before we can blink an eye, we will be fighting the robins […]
Pimento Peppers ~ And Pimento Cheese, an Iconic Southern Specialty!
Open just about any traditional Southern refrigerator and you will find a bowl of Pimento Cheese. Served in everyday sandwiches or as party food, it is an iconic staple of the South. A simple mixture of grated cheese, pimientos, and a dab of mayonnaise (preferably homemade), it is often spiffed up with a little of this or a little of that ~ garlic, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, […]
A Little Datil Just Might Do It!
Datil Peppers. My dad used to rave about the Datil Pepper Sauce made by his friend Luther. I don’t know why because Daddy isn’t really into cooking but he was always happy to have a bottle of sauce in the fridge. Perhaps he mixed it into his special sauce for smoked mullet? Luther passed on but his sweet wife […]
Some Like ’em Hot! Some Not!
Peppers, chiles, chile peppers. On the Scoville Chart, they are ranked mild to screaming hot. Fresh, roasted, smoked, dried, powdered, pickled. Colorful. Seasoning or main ingredient, peppers are an integral ingredient in cuisines around the world. Here on OF’s Farm at the Sidewalk House, we grow a few varieties of peppers each year. Along with the usual jalapenos and […]
Oktoberfest at the Sidewalk House
I have been to Munich and I have been to the Hofbraus Haus with my daughter years ago. I have been in a German bierzelt ~ on a cold and rainy day in July ~ where an oompah band was playing to a rowdy crowd drinking from bierkruge that should have been too heavy to lift. But Oktoberfest in Munich? Nope! Our […]
Abbondazza
Tomato season! Love it! We plant, we wait and wait, and WAIT! And suddenly the kitchen counters are covered in an abundance of tomatoes. Garden tomatoes. Sun kissed. Colorful. AND so delicious. Worth the wait? Oh my YES! On OF’s Farm at the Sidewalk House, Farmer Ken grows a variety of (mostly heirloom) tomatoes; each year some favorites and each year […]
From the Archives
Back in the day, after viewing our most recent Halloween photos, our kids teased that we should publish our own magazine ~ Ken Marks’ Living ~ because we have many photos of the Sidewalk House Haint Master’s annual haints. In 1996, we put their jokes into action and did indeed put out the first (and only) edition of KM’s Living in […]
Work in Progress
Life is a work in progress. As are things at the Sidewalk House. There is always a project of some sort in progress ~ because one thing leads to another around here. After digging up 4 rows of garlic a few weeks ago, Farmer Ken was ready to throw in the trowel. Gardening is not easy on his knees these days. […]
The Empty Nest
Remember Millie, the Sidewalk House puddle duck? When Millie began sitting on eggs in the wall planter for the second time this season, we estimated her due date to be around July 3. Last week we noticed signs that time was near so we kept a close eye ~ so hoping to finally see ducklings. July 6, Wednesday evening ~ […]
Birthday Eve
Wishes can come true, y’all. For months we have watched a new strip mall being built on the site of a recently demolished mall. The new mall has two buildings with multi-spaces ~ only one filled. Disappointed that our former butcher chose not to re-open, we have been in regular conversation about what kind of businesses might […]