The most frequently asked question of this writer is “how do you find all of these cooks to write about?” Here is one unique example.
We received a letter from a 91-year-old lady living in Richmond, who wrote, “I am enclosing an article I found in a file that I think you might want to reprint. I’ve used many recipes from the Gazette and think that Rachael’s might be enjoyed by Gazette readers.”
Mrs. Hilda Taylor was referring to Rachael Burnette of Woods Cross Roads, who was featured in the Gazette-Journal January 24, 1985.
Rachael was contacted again and included her daughter Karen Merrill who has always relied on her mother’s recipes for her family. They live next door to each other on what was once a large farm. The Merrills are still farming a section of the property. They grow many of the fresh vegetables they retail in their roadside market, The Farmer’s Daughter.
Describing how she cooks, Karen admits, “No, I can’t cook as Mom does. We eat in a different manner, things we didn’t...