When we moved to Tennessee I expected food to be alot different. The biggest surprise? Things really weren’t.
Sure, there were a few items on the menu like okra and turnip greens but the biggest surprise was– Fried Bologna sandwiches.
Who in their right mind likes bologna –fried or not?
My sister would be in that camp. She likes that pinkish-grey mystery meat. As a matter of fact, she LOVES it. Her favorite? Peanut butter and bologna sandwiches. A sick and twisted tradition my father passed down. I didn’t get the bologna DNA. Thank you God!
I digress.
There is a lady in the south I met very early on. She’s responsible for biscuits, cornbread, blueberry muffins and my kids favorite: cinnamon chip biscuits. In California, Krusteez is the dry mix you can buy in the baking section at the store. Here, Martha is the best baking mix and most popular girl in the south.
I thought it was time you were properly introduced.
WHO IS MARTHA WHITE?
In 1899, Richard Lindsey Sr. founded Nashville’s Royal Flour Mill with his wife, Katherine. They were known in the area for producing some of the highest-quality flour, perfect for Southern cooking. When it came time to name his finest flour, Richard thought of his finest accomplishment, his daughter, Martha White Lindsey.
LIVE AT THE GRAND OLE’ OPRY
With an advertising budget of only $25 per week, Martha White broadened its advertising by sponsoring Nashville’s famous Grand Ole Opry—the country’s longest-running live radio broadcast. Today, the historic Martha White logo backdrop—once used on the Opry stage—is in the permanent collection at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Martha White has a heritage as deep and long as the fields of cotton around here. Which makes Brad Paisley’s song “Southern Comfort Zone” even more special– because I finally understand the line:
“You have fed me you have saved me Billy Graham and Martha White.”
A fun VIDEO fact: The “Dixieland” chorus is sung by The Brentwood Baptist Choir about 15 minutes up the road from us.
Watch Brad’s video HERE.
If you’re planning on a visit, or you’re packing up the family and moving to the south, don’t worry if you’re not the best biscuit-maker. There’s help for even the most helpless baker. Like I said, no worries, Martha’s got your back.
Leave a Reply