Most of Laura’s family is from the Deep South, and she grew up eating grits.
“Cheese grits casseroles were a favorite for brunch,” she says. “We had sweetened grits for breakfast, grits casseroles on Sunday, and plain grits with salt and butter for weekday suppers.”
“We southerners had corn, not wheat, for our meals. We’ve been gluten free for 2 centuries,” she says.
Not only is corn a staple in the south, but seed savers and local farmers have made sure that the old varieties remain.
At Laura’s Mercantile, we feature Hickory King corn, an heirloom white corn, which we’ve milled into cornmeal, for cornbread, corn sticks, hush puppies and corn muffins, and Bloody Butcher corn, milled in the same fashion.
“I like cream-style cornbread,” says Laura. “My aunts, who I learned from, each have their own way of doing things. You can hear Mary Carolyn tell you how, right here.”