Trena McNabb, Cultural Crossroads Chair

Many of you admired the delightful bouquet of flowers on display at Oct 14th's opening of Cultural Crossroads.  These flowers were provided by Trena McNabb's fantastic garden.  This was a special bouquet that held two very rare and endangered American flowers, one of which was the Geogia Aster (the delicate spiky purple flower).  Along with being one of the artists who currently has work included the Cultural Crossroads exhibition, Trena is creative in another fashion as well - gardening!  In fact, Trena's garden was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal earlier this summer.  Here is a link where you can read about her natural garden:

http://www.tmcnabb.com/journalBARE.html

Along with providing the flowers for the centerpiece and chairing the show, Trena also brought that delicious Persimmon Pudding.  Many of you have asked for the recipe and will be happy to see that Trena is going to share it with you here: 

Persimmon Pudding

From Mary Yates (Mother of Trena McNabb).
She said the sequence of mixing is important:

2 cups persimmons (strained and pulp removed)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tall can of canned milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 and ½ cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teasp. Vanilla
¾ stick of butter melted in a 9” x 13” dish

If persimmon pulp is frozen, before thawing, cut plastic covering and dump in dish you will be mixing it in. Allow to thaw. (Recommended: premeasure the pulp before freezing.  In separate bowl, mix the flour, 1 cup of the sugar and spices, baking powder. Sift together.  In the bowl with the persimmons, add the 2 eggs and beat till smooth.  Add the rest of the sugar and mix thoroughly.  Add ½ of the milk, mix well.  Sift part of the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add the rest of the milk, and vanilla, mix thoroughly.  Add the remaining flour mixture, again, mix thoroughly.  Turn the pan around to coat with the melted butter.  Pour in the melted and still warm butter.  Blend until smooth.  Pour batter into the buttered pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Pudding will be firm but moist.  Optional: one cup of coconut added to the batter before baking

Happy cooking!