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Tammy Reminiscences
By Tammy Sharp – Lawson
Hi all! I would say that most of you who live in Scott County know me, or at least you knew my family, and are familiar with the house in Norma that I was raised in. The old Dr. Chambers house, my Dad bought in 1971, now called The Ramblin’ Rose after my sweet Momma!
I saw Miss Ruthie the other day at the dog groomers and she graciously asked me to share a story or recipe weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly in the Scott County News. I don’t think I’m a great writer or anything and my punctuation is sometimes out of place. I did, however, want to introduce myself, before I begin this endeavor.
I am Tammy Sharp Lawson, daughter of the late Elwood and Rosemary McDonald Sharp, wife of Jimmy Lawson. My dad owned and operated Sharp’s Store located in Norma by the railroad tracks, and my Momma worked at the Health Department in Huntsville, with Child Health and Development. My husband is employed by CNS Y-12 in Oak Ridge, and we make our home in the Norma Community where we both grew up.
I have written many short stories about my childhood memories and what it was like growing up in the Norma Community which, by the way, in the early 1900’s was once a boom town. My Mom and Dad were both excellent cooks, and I will be sharing some of their recipes in this column. Some I didn’t really have recipes for, but I wrote them down as best as I could remember. My Momma made the best potato salad I ever ate. She didn’t have a recipe, but I have watched her and helped her so many times, that I can almost duplicate it exactly. She used to make a dishpan full for family reunions and church dinners.
Before you follow my recipes, buy a box of food grade gloves, unless you wanna scrub your hands and fingernails with a cuticle brush and antibacterial soap before you begin. My Grandma Sharp always said, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” so you must scrub your paws! You are going to be using them to mix things up!
You can find me on FaceBook, so please let me know what you think about my stories and recipes.
Mrs. Rose’s Potato Salad
10-12 med – lg. Idaho potatoes
7-8 hard boiled eggs
2 med to lg. yellow or white onions
3-4 stalks green celery
1 16 oz. jar sweet salad cubed pickles (start by using about 1/2 the jar)
1 30 oz. jar JFG Mayo or salad dressing (start by using 1/2 the jar)
1/4 cup yellow mustard or more to taste
2 tsp. Tobasco sauce to taste (optional)
1 heaping Tbs. salt or more to taste
1 level Tbs. black pepper
1/4 cup granulated sugar to taste
1 tsp. celery seeds (optional)
Rinse potatoes, place in a large kettle and cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cook potatoes in the jackets until a knife inserted through the center shows desired tenderness. When done, remove potatoes from water with tongs, and place on a dish towel on the counter to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skins and spots, and put in a very large stainless steel mixing bowl. Cube with a knife, or lightly mash while warm with a potato masher (not too much).
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar and Tobasco if desired. Add chopped eggs. I use a food processor to coarsely chop onions and celery. Add these vegetables, and half the jar of pickle cubes, or more to taste. Add half a jar or more mayo and the mustard, more or less. Mixture will be thick, so I mix with my clean hands. Taste, add more salt and dressing if desired. Pour into a large serving bowl, smooth top, garnish with a hard boiled egg. Enjoy!