As I learn more about the out-of-the-way, off-the-beaten-path, and down-in-the-boondocks places to dine in small towns other than Sonic, I was eagerly looking to experience The Farmer’s Daughter, located at 302 N. Broadway in the small hamlet of Tecumseh.
While I was expecting a commercialized “home-cookin’” type of place, upon closer inspection, I realized this isn't your typical Farmer's Daughter.
Through the painted door and around the homey tchotchkes, the thrift-store euphoria is rampant here. Past the scent of the bakery and their cakes and cookies, and onto the drained bath-time centerpiece, the daily specials were printed on the board.
Within seconds, I already knew what I wanted: the Blackberry Jalapeno Bacon Melt, my tastebuds tingling with delusional excitement.
Knowing she likes restaurants like this, my mother was in tow and, appropriately, in awe of the menu.
As she read the whole thing like it was the Holy Bible, I put in our orders and meandered over yonder to the market area, finding delicacies like raw honey, strap molasses, and, if you want to believe it, sorghum molasses – the secret ingredient to the world's most delicious pancakes.
Coming back to my table, I was really excited about a different type of starter that caught my eye – the Tomato and Cheese Pie ($8.98). Although it sounds like a pizza, it's anything but. It was pretty stacked with flavor with a hearty combination of cheese and tomato, mixed with a bit of spice, and baked in a homemade crust.
Once again, nothing like a pizza, it has fresh cheese and real tomatoes inside it. Like a true revelation, with extreme flavors of the tartness of the tomatoes and the creaminess of the cheese, it created a new plane of tomato existence.
While imbibing that up, my mother started with her Triple Salad ($12.95). Though her selection wasn’t as adventitious as I would have liked, the combo of egg salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad piled onto a dense selection of greens and other vegetables, was extremely fresh and extremely tasty. Mom liked it quite a bit.
But enough of that… here it was, my main dish—the Blackberry Jalapeno Bacon Melt ($9.95).
This adventurous take on the staid jelly sandwich has a new view, with blackberry jam and fresh jalapeno accompanied by strips of fresh bacon, all melted into a holier-than-thou sandwich.
With a few kettle chips on the side, this has a very subtle jalapeno flavor, complimenting the blackberry jam totally. The abundant strips of bacon were well-placed, cooked at the perfect temperature for ultimate crispness.
Everything about this sweet-heat sandwich was incredible, giving the most outré taste in this very small town.
Afterward, I packed up my leftovers and went back to the market. I bought that bottle of sorghum and, man, you better believe I put it on my wheat pancakes the next morning, sopping up every bit.
Cómpralo ya!
Originally published February 2023
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