Appalachian Word of the Week -- 'MATERS

Green, red, and yellow 'maters from the garden

I start to drool when I think about this week’s Word of the Week. ‘MATERS were an important part of our diet when I grew up.

Nothing could compete with going out to the garden in summer and picking a big, red ‘MATER off the vine and eating it right then and there, warmed by the summer’s sun. The juice dripped down your chin and ran from your hand to your elbow. But we didn’t care. That ‘MATER was a small taste of heaven.

Fresh 'maters with salt as a snack

If we had a tad of patience, we’d wait until we got the salt shaker. But, a good ole ripe ‘MATER didn’t need salt.

Some ‘MATERS didn’t make it in the garden long enough to turn red. We picked ‘em while they were still green, sliced ‘em up, rolled them in a mixture of flour and meal, and fried them up in our iron skillet. The fragrance of a frying green ‘MATER was enough to drive you crazy while you waited. I admit, some of my ‘MATERS never make it to a supper dish.

Fried green 'maters

‘MATERS were sometimes about all we had to eat. Many a time, I had a ‘MATER sandwich, with mayo, on white Bunny bread for my lunch.

But, if we were living high on the hog, there was nothing like adding a slice of fried baloney to that sandwich. Or, maybe a hamburger patty for supper time.

Yellow 'maters

Daddy also grew yellow ‘MATERS in our garden. They had a sweet, mellow flavor that I enjoyed eating by themselves, with a sprinkling of salt on top.

Unfortunately, ‘MATERS don’t grow in the winter in Appalachia. But, our ancestors figured out a solution for that problem. They canned them. You couldn’t eat them sliced or fresh from the plant, but those jars of gorgeous red ‘MATERS were always available to pop the lid and add to your supper spread. We ate them heated up, all by themselves, with a touch of salt and pepper. Or, if we were lucky, Mom added them to our macaroni and cheese.

‘MATERS you get from the grocery store can’t compare to a sun-kissed ‘MATER grown in your own backyard, in the rich black soil of Appalachia. If you’ve never had one, I hope you get to have the pleasure before you die. Surely, God will have ‘MATERS growing in heaven for us. That’s another incentive for accepting Christ as your Savior so you can enjoy all the glorious pleasures God created for us. If you grew up Appalachian, you got to experience a few more of those heavenly pleasures on earth than most other folks.

Now, I think I’m going to fry up some green ‘MATERS for lunch. How do you like your ‘MATERS best? Have any special memories of eating ‘MATERS? Share them with us.

TWEETABLES TO SHARE ON TWITTER

Surely, God will have ‘MATERS growing in heaven for us. (Click here to Tweet this post)

The juice dripped down your chin and ran from your hand to your elbow. (Click her to Tweet)

Here's a few more photos of 'MATERS to make you drool.