The Ozark hills are alive with stories and songs from a time long past but still close in memory. Raised by a generation of poor farmers, Marideth Sisco cherished her upbringing and embodied her family's values in all that she did. As an actress, singer, storyteller, gardener and cook, her life was nothing short of inspiring.
Born of Cherokee and Scottish descent, Marideth viewed food as an art form. "It should be good and worth the time spent on it," she said. Influenced by her mother and four aunts, she learned her culinary skills through seasonal lessons, from picking produce to canning and preparing wild game. Marideth fondly recalled many memorable food experiences from her childhood.
The staples from that Depression era were still grown in her garden: squash, green beans and potatoes fed her family the most, with meat being a treat. The annual strawberry crop signaled the family had survived the winter months with a little income stashed and canned fruit in the pantry. Brown beans, fried potatoes and corn dodgers were the mainstay year-round — or as Marideth called it, good clean food. "People don't think much about eating consciously anymore," she said.
Both her parents passed away early in life, and she was convinced the ease of fast food was to blame. Often referred to as a "hillbilly," Marideth didn't disagree; she was proud of the term and came from a long line of Irish "Billies" who moved to the West Virginia mountains and had no clue how to support themselves in such terrain. It was the different cultures of her background that she enjoyed most; the foods from each were cooked and savored as celebrations. She ate the Native American dish "pot pancakes" often, bear burgers while in Montana, the Scottish-Irish side dish colcannon whenever cabbage was abundant and there was always cornbread of some kind.
Herbs were an important part of her garden, and we bonded over our love of mints. She even sent me home with a cutting from a true spearmint plant and some lovage, her secret ingredient in potato salad. Marideth was a firm believer in organics and down-home meals that you can trust. When asked for a favorite recipe, she gave me one from her childhood, one that brought back sweet memories, just like food should do. And we are sharing it with you this week.
Corn Dodgers
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients well in a medium bowl until they form a smooth batter. Drop the batter by portions into a hot, oiled skillet. Fry the corn dodgers, flipping once, until each side is golden brown. Serve warm.
Note: This interview is from 2015, when I first met Marideth Sisco. She invited me into her cluttered home — cluttered in a good way; her favorite chair was surrounded by books of all genres. We sipped tea as she told me about her upbringing, a storyteller by trade whose talents led to many other titles. She wanted to show me her garden, and like most, weeds were at home there, as well as her cat that came to say hello. Her tales and songs live on, remembering an Ozark gem.
