Community Suppers Are Traditional Events

Community suppers have long been popular events at the Community Centers throughout the county.  Local residence get together for socials gatherings, benefits or fundraisers, and to share their favorite dishes.  It’s only natural that cook books filled with recipes from the community cooks developed from all these dinners.

In 1959 the Balsam Grove Community Development Club used the proceeds from the sale of their cook book to aid in the completion of The Albert Schweitzer Memorial Hospital.  The hospital construction had begun in 1955 as a community project inspired by Dr. Gaine Cannon to bring medical care to the area.  The cook book includes a wild game section with recipes for venison, squirrel, or opossum.

Cook books from the communities of Connestee, Lake Toxaway, Little River, Sapphire-Whitewater, Sherwood Forest and Williamson Creek are also part of the North Carolina Room collection at the Transylvania County Library.

Cover of Mathatasian Club cook book.

Over the years other groups have published cook books as well.  The earliest local cook book is a small collection of recipes compiled by the Mathatasian Club in 1939.  

Sarah Tilson contributed the following recipe for English Christmas Cookies.

2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sour milk

3 eggs beaten separately

1 teaspoon each of soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

Add 1 cup dates, 1 cup nuts, 3 cups flour

Drop small teaspoonful of batter in a greased pan and bake.

Sarah Tilson was a long time high school math teacher in Transylvania County.  After retiring from the school system she worked for the Library.  Mrs. Tilson was responsible for starting the Library’s Local History collection.

There are also cook books from the Brevard Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Brevard Music Center, Brevard Women’s Association, Center for Dialogue, Order of the Eastern Star, Elks Lodge Ladies Auxiliary, Family Place, Jaycettes, Land of Waterfalls Senior Games, Little River Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Pisgah Forest Elementary Parents & Educators, Sapphire Lakes Ladies Golf Association, and Transylvania County Handcrafters’ Guild.

"Prize Recipes of Rosman" by the Ladies Auxiliaries
of the Rosman Rescue Squad &
Rosman Volunteer Fire Department.

While most of the recipes are typical fare, others are traditionally Southern, such as Rosie Powell’s Ramps and Potatoes found in the Rosman Rescue Squad & Fire Department Ladies Auxiliaries cook book.

6 large potatoes

2 doz. ramps

½ c. bacon dripping

1 tsp. salt

Clean and cut up ramps, using about half of stem.  Cube potatoes.  Place in pan and cover with water.  Add salt and ½ of bacon drippings.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  Drain.  Place remaining bacon drippings in skillet (iron) and heat to sizzling.  Add potatoes and ramps and fry to a light brown.  Serve with any kind of meat and cornbread.

If you have cook books published by a Transylvania County church or organization that you would like to donated to the Local History Room collection please contact Marcy.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.