I was lying on the floor of my parents’ home, reaching into the back of the hall linen closet, when the scent of dryer sheets and outdated lavender sachets hit me. My hands found the crumpled kitchen linens buried in the closet: bright blue Italian dinner napkins printed with lemons, pastel place mats likely meant for a future Easter brunch, quilted cotton tablecloths made in France, and terry-cloth dish towels that never saw a dish. Sadness and frustration came over me as I calculated the cost in my head.
When cleaning out a parent’s house, it isn’t just dust or the smell of antique dresser drawers that confronts you. It’s the weight of years of marriage — 58 in my parents’ case — and the accumulation of objects tied to countless memories. For Mom, those objects included cookbooks, place mats, and dishes from her favorite kitchen store, The Extra Ingredient. Many still bore their price tags. Mom’s pie safe and corner cupboard held antique green, pink, and blue glass plates from her mother and her Aunt Willie, some of which I still have today.
Watch as Lynn Wells prepares her Bean & Ham Bone Soup.
One of my sisters, who lives in Greensboro near our parents’ home, took the brunt of cleaning out most of the house. It’s slow work. Each drawer is a small time capsule, each closet a glimpse into what she clung to, what she hoped to save, and how she lived — or wanted to live.
Admittedly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’ve kept a few of Mom’s treasures, like her cookbooks, cast-iron skillet, and antique linens I keep promising to whiten. I thumb through her cookbooks and linger on the dog-eared recipes for dishes like poppy seed chicken, a favorite of her bridge club. My most beloved treasure from Mom is her soup pot or “bean pot,” as she called it. I never tired of her bean soup; it was always better the second day.
In my own cookbook collection, I often use a single sprig of lavender as a bookmark to remind me of mom’s favorite scent. I know as well as my parents did that, in the end, you can’t take it with you. Maybe collecting isn’t about what we keep, but rather what we leave behind.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 16 cookies.
2 egg whites, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
â…› teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lavender buds, stems removed
White sparkling sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 300°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat together egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Very gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in the lavender buds.
Drop the meringue by teaspoonfuls onto the parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until meringues set and begin to brown. Dust sparkling sugar over meringues.
Remove and let cool on a wire rack. Store in airtight container until ready to serve.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 8 servings.
2 cups dry great northern beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
10 cups chicken stock
4 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 ham bone
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
½ bunch fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Place dried beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; discard any discolored beans. Place beans in a large glass bowl and fill with cold water. Soak overnight.
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil on medium and sauté celery, carrots, and onion until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic.
Add stock, ham, and ham bone to the pot. Add beans, thyme, oregano, and black pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender. Salt to taste; add parsley just before serving.
For a thicker soup, remove 1 to 2 cups of the soup, let cool slightly, and place in blender. Puree then stir back into the pot. Serve with cornbread.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 8 servings.
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or finely chopped
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed
½ cup slivered almonds
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream, egg, and onion and garlic powders until well combined. Stir in chicken, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into casserole dish and spread evenly into corners. Top with crushed crackers and slivered almonds. Pour butter evenly over casserole.
Bake for 40 minutes or until edges of casserole are golden and bubbly.
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