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♦ WEDNESDAY, JANAURY 17, 2007
From sea to shining sea
Tennessee: Martha White and the Grand Ole Opry
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Journal Lifestyle Editor
For many of us, Tennessee
is synonymous with coun
try music, but one of the
state’s other claims to
fame is Martha White - the
Murphreesboro company
that produces flour, self-ris
ing flour and cornmeal, as
well as an array of mixes for
biscuits and cornbread.
Named after the founder’s
3-year old daughter, Martha
White, the company has had
a tradition of close ties to
country music and to the
Grand Ole Opry. What bet
ter way to reach all those
cooks in southern kitchens
who wanted to make the
lightest biscuits or the best
cornbread?
Martha White’s first
celebrity spokesman was
Earl Scruggs, the banjo
picking master, who toured
the country with Lester
Flatt. Flatt and Scruggs
promoted Martha White
in the 50s and 60s, singing
the Martha White theme
song, along with their hits,
such as “Foggy Mountain
Breakdown and “The Ballad
of Jed Clampett.”
They were followed by
Tennessee Ernie Ford who
became the Martha White
spokesperson in 1970 and
remained so for almost two
decades. Ford performed in
television and radio commer
cials, made guest appearanc
es on the Grand Ole Opry,
which Martha White spon
sored
Visitors to the Grand Ole
Opry House in Nashville can
now see a permanent display
highlighting the relationship
of Martha White with the
Opry over the years, and fea
turing the country stars who
helped promote all those
great southern products.
Here are some Martha
White recipes to bake while
listening to your favorite
country music.
Martha White "hot
rize" biscuits
2 cups Martha White
Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
Heat oven to 450° F. Lightly
grease cookie sheet. Place
flour in large bowl. With
pastry blender or fork, cut
in shortening until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
Add milk; stir with fork
until soft dough forms and
mixture begins to pull away
from sides of bowl.
On lightly floured sur
face, knead dough just until
smooth. Roll out dough to
1/2-inch thickness. Cut with
floured 2-inch round cut
ter. Place biscuits with sides
touching on greased cookie
sheet. Bake at 450 degrees
for 10 to 12 minutes or until
golden brown. Serve warm.
14 biscuits
Cream biscuits
2 cups Martha White
Self-Rising Flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup cold butter,
chopped
1 1/4 cups whipping
cream
Heat oven to 475 degrees.
Lightly grease baking sheet.
Combine flour and sugar in
medium mixing bowl. Add
butter to dry ingredients.
With pastry blender or 2
knives, cut butter into flour
until butter pieces are about
the size of small peas. Add
cream; stir just until soft
dough is formed.
Turn out onto floured sur
face and knead gently about
10 times. Roll to about 3/8-
inch thick. Cut with floured
2-inch cutter. Place on
greased baking sheet.
Bake at 475°F. for 10 to
12 minutes or until golden
brown.
18 to 20 biscuits
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The Grand Ole Opry House is one of the main tourist draws in the state of Tennessee.
Quick & easy ham
and Cheddar garlic
biscuit bites
1 (7-oz.) pkg. Martha
White Quick and Easy
Cheddar Garlic Biscuit
Mix
1/8 teaspoon ground
red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 cup chopped cooked
ham*
1/2 cup milk
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
(425 for dark pan). Spray
cookie sheet with nonstick
cooking spray or lightly
grease.
Combine biscuit mix, red
pepper and ham in medium
mixing bowl. Add milk; stir
until soft dough forms. Drop
by heaping teaspoonfuls
onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 450 degrees. (425
for dark pan) for 7 to 9 min
utes or until golden brown.
24 bites
Monte Cristo
cornbread skillet
supper
1 (6 oz.) package
Martha White Cotton
Country or Buttermilk
Cornbread Mix
1 1/2 cups Chopped
cooked turkey
1/2 cup chopped cooked
ham
1 1/2 cups shredded
Swiss cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons mayon
naise
2 tablespoons honey
mustard, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup currant jelly
confectioners' sugar
Prepare cornbread mix
according to package direc
tions, except bake in a 10
V2-inch Lodge cast iron skil
let. (Cornbread will be thin.)
Remove cornbread from skil
let; cool and cut into cubes.
Wipe out skillet with paper
towels; grease generously.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place cornbread cubes in
skillet. Top with turkey, ham
and shredded cheese. In
medium bowl, whisk togeth
er eggs, milk, mayonnaise
and 1 tablespoon of mus
tard, salt and pepper until
well blended. Pour evenly
over ingredients in skillet.
Bake at 350 degrees, for 30
to 35 minutes or until set
and lightly browned.
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Journal Charlotte Perkins
Many a biscuit in Tennessee and across the south has been baked with Martha White self-rising flour to the tune of
country music.
Meanwhile, warm currant
jelly slightly to melt. Add 1
tablespoon honey mustard;
whisk to blend.
Remove skillet from oven.
Cut in wedges, sprinkle with
confectioners’ sugar and
serve with currant jelly and
mustard sauce.
Four Servings
Source:Recipe by Janice
Elder of Charlotte, North
Carolina, the First Prize
Winner in the 2006 National
Cornbread Festival Cook-
Off.
Thimble biscuits
2 cups Martha White
Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup jam or jelly, any
flavor
Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly
grease cookie sheet. Place
flour in large bowl. With
pastry blender or fork, cut
in shortening until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
Add milk; stir with fork
until soft dough forms and
mixture begins to pull away
from sides of bowl, adding
additional milk 1 tablespoon
at a time if necessary.
On lightly floured sur
face, knead dough just until
smooth. Roll out dough to
1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut with 2-inch floured
round cutter.
FOOD
“You Bake Right with Martha White”
MAR-THA WHITE Good*ness
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Place half of rounds on
greased cookie sheet.
With thimble or other
small (about 3/4 inch) cut
ter, cut a small hole in center
of remaining rounds. Stack
rounds with holes on top
of rounds on cookie sheet.
Fill each hole with about 1/4
teaspoon jam. Bake at 450°F.
for 10 to 12 minutes or until
golden brown. Serve warm
or cool.
12 biscuits.
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