Anne BralyTears came to my eyes, along with a smile on my face - like rain while the sun shines - when I learned that Marilyn Geraldson, a.k.a. "The Veggie Lady," died last week.
She and I shared so many times together and those memories came flooding back when I heard the news.
Before her retirement from the Hamilton County UT Extension Service, she was my go-to person for so many food-related questions. The times we shared working together are ones I treasure.
I'll never forget the time the two of us drove to Nashville to judge a cooking contest for the Tennessee Beef Council. A story someone told tickled Marilyn and, if anyone ever had a contagious laugh, she did. She started giggling, then I started, and we didn't come up for air until I dropped her off at her house in Chattanooga. I'm laughing now as I remember that day.
Marilyn and I visited area farms frequently. As an extension agent, she knew most every farmer in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. She knew them and they loved her.
It was in the fall of the year, about a dozen years ago, that we drove up to Oren Wooden's Apple House on the Cumberland Plateau. It was a good year for apples, Oren said, and they were bigger than he'd seen in quite some time. So when Oren was off tending to farm business, Marilyn and I stole away into the orchard and picked a couple of huge Mutsu apples. We stuffed them down my shirt, increasing my bra cup size by several letters and, when I walked out, Oren couldn't help but stare. Marilyn couldn't stop laughing all the way home.
In fact, when looking through her cookbook, "The Veggie Lady Shares Tips and Recipes," I couldn't help but laugh at what she'd written when she gave it to me years ago:
"To my dear friend, Anne - We sure have had fun working together! Remember the Mutsus?!"
Marilyn, how could I forget?
Anyone who knew Marilyn would not be surprised that more than half her cookbook is devoted to breads, pastries, desserts, cookies, bars and candies. In fact, the book's subtitle tells it all: "Not Just Veggies."
Marilyn had a sweet tooth and an eye for what makes a good recipe. The days I spent cooking in her home kitchen or in the kitchen at the extension service taught me so many things, from techniques to new ideas. She was always willing to share her knowledge and made a mark on so many good cooks.
I'll miss her laugh. I'll miss her smile. I'll miss Marilyn. But I'm so glad she wrote a cookbook - a piece of her lives through it. And every time I make her fresh peach cobbler - or an apple pie with Mutsus - I'll think of her.
Marilyn Geraldson's Fresh Peach Cobbler
2 large peaches, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
In a bowl, combine the peaches and 3/4 cup sugar; set aside. Pour melted butter into an 8-inch square baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and remaining sugar; stir in milk just until combined. Pour over butter. Top with peaches. Do not stir. The batter will rise and cover the peaches as the cobbler bakes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.