Fall in tobacco country

It's the time of year in tobacco country for sending the harvest to market, for cooking stews, and for getting ready for cold weather. We were invited to a stew this week on the porch at one of our church members' homes. It was so nice in the fall sunshine to eat outdoors on the porch on picnic tables some good homemade chicken and beef stew with all the secret ingredients that make it so good. Here the seasonings included Texas Pete, sugar, syrup, black pepper, and salt. In South Carolina it would have been mustard and cucumber chow-chow. We enjoy the differences and similarities.