Price family gathers for cookout on Labor Day weekend
BY ANN CIPPERLY
After a busy summer, Oline and Randy Price look forward to gathering their family and friends together for a big cookout celebration on Labor Day weekend, which also kicks off Auburn football. The annual cookout will feature favorite recipes collected over the years, including many from family. Oline is the revenue commissioner for Lee County, while Randy is the state senator for District 13.
Both Oline and Randy grew up on farms in Lee County that have been in their families for generations. Oline grew up in the house her grandparents built. Her father managed the farm and was department head for the facilities division at Auburn University.
Her grandmother lived with them and was an excellent southern cook, as well as her mother. While she was not Italian, her grandmother would make lasagna with cottage cheese for Christmas Eve every year. It is a tradition that Oline has carried on in remembrance of her.
Oline now lives “a pasture away from where she grew up.” The Prices’ grandchildren are the sixth generation to grow up on the family land that has remained a cattle farm. The family received the Century and Heritage Farm Award in 2021. The award is given by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to family farms that have been owned and operated continuously by the same family for a 100 years or longer. Their farm has been in the family for more than 125 years.
Located outside Auburn in a community called Beehive, Randy grew up on his family’s farm and was involved in agriculture. He attended Beauregard High School where his mother was teaching. His father was an appellate referee for the State of Alabama. While Randy’s father was involved in the farm, his grandfather managed the cattle.
Randy and Oline met in high school when they were showing cattle at 4-H shows and started dating. They married while Oline was attending Auburn University and Randy was at Southern Union.
The Prices have two sons, Cameron, who lives on the family land and manages C&H Farms and landscaping company, and Hunter, who is married to Lisa Collins, his childhood sweetheart. They have two children, Brooklyn, 11, a student at Samford, and Walton, 5, who is in kindergarten at Beauregard where Lisa teaches. They live next door to Oline and Randy. Brooklyn is continuing the family tradition of showing calves and has received awards.
Oline and Randy started the big Labor Day celebration after their sons were grown. It is a good time to get together before busy fall events and the kids becoming involved in school activities. The weekend before Labor Day is the end of the family’s Bulls, Bands and Barrels show that Hunter manages across the country.
Since it also kicks off the football season, sometimes the cookout turns into a big tailgate party. While most of the big Labor Day cookouts are at the Prices’ farm, sometimes they are held in Auburn as tailgates when it is an important football game. Oline and Randy’s football seats are the same ones that have been in his family since the late 1950s. The family enjoys tailgating before the games.
Oline, who has a love of cooking, assembles a menu filled with their favorite dishes for the Labor Day cookout.
Cameron, who graduated from Oklahoma State with a degree in meat science, does most of the grilling, which is generally his specialty: ribs. Sometimes another family member who enjoys grilling will help.
Dessert will be Oline’s mother’s recipe for homemade ice cream and her grandmother’s pound cake with fresh berries. Those recipes and many others were found after her mother passed away. Oline and her sister were cleaning out their mother’s house and found a big box of recipes that also contained many of their grandmother’s recipes.
Hunter’s favorite, Strawberry Congealed Salad, is always on the menu for the cookout. Oline’s sister first made the salad years ago, and it has remained a family favorite. Hunter likes it so much that he wanted it on the menu for his rehearsal dinner when he got married. Oline gave the recipe to the caterer to make enough for a 100 people.
Oline will make her special baked beans, which are easily mixed, and the recipe is easy to double or triple. She simply combines one can Bushes’ Vegetarian Beans, a can of seasoned black beans, a jar of Pace’s Salsa and bacon bits. She does not drain any of the containers and bakes the dish until most of the juices have been absorbed.
She will also serve corn on the cob. Sometimes she cooks the corn in a stockpot on the stove with a little salt and a stick of butter. If she is grilling the corn, she soaks the corn in husks in salted water for a while. She then puts it on the grill. When the husks are pulled back the silks come off too.
Oline and Randy assembled many of their favorite recipes and ones from friends in a small cookbook the first time Randy ran for state senator.
“It was a way to tell people about Randy, what he does and our family,” Oline said. “When we decided to share recipes and family stories, we looked at each recipe and remembered the people who gave us the recipe.”
They now have two small cookbooks.
Randy enjoys grilling and will make No Bake Chocolate Cookies, a recipe from a home economics class in high school. Their sons prepared the recipe growing up, and now the grandchildren make them. Sometimes Oline will add coconut or chopped dried blueberries or cranberries to the cookie mixture.
Since Oline enjoys cooking so much she was involved in the Alabama Legislative Club’s cookbook, “Around the Spiral Staircase Vol. 2” in celebration of Alabama’s Bicentennial. She helped gather the recipes and worked with Jay Lamar, who was the chairman, and other legislative wives on the fundraiser.
Randy has served six years as state senator for District 13, and Oline has been revenue commissioner for 27 years.
After Oline graduated from Auburn, she went to work for a national beef cattle publication, which required travel. When they began having children, she decided she did not want to be away from her family.
She began working in sales and news for Gary Fuller, who owned WKKR. In 1986, she was offered a job with the city of Opelika, and after that she worked with the Auburn Housing Authority.
When Mary Ingram retired as tax assessor in 1993 due to health reasons, Oline was recruited to run for the position and was elected in 1996. When the county voted to combine the office of tax assessor and tax collector in the 2002 election, Oline won. She became the first Lee County revenue commissioner.
Lee County has experienced significant growth since she was elected. At the time, the population of the county was about 80,000 at the most, and in 2023, the population was 184,000.
When Randy decided to run for state senator, Oline encouraged him. Randy’s father had been interested in politics, which led him to be interested and taking government classes in college. He knew he wanted to be involved in agriculture, as he was working on the regional level with cattle shows and sales.
He began showing cattle and managing purebred cattle sales across the country. As their sons were getting older, he decided he needed to do something else. Randy opened several small businesses.
When he became more involved in the Republican Party, Randy was appointed to the executive committee in Lee County and became chairman.
“One person I had the chance to talk to often was the late Col. Andy Pick,” Randy said. “He was a mentor. I appreciated him taking time to help me and pointing me to a direction in politics.”
While the Prices lead busy lives, they also have a farm to table meat business. The bulls they don’t sell go into their feed lot, and they will sell half of a steer. Sometimes there is a waiting list.
“I am proud of the little market,” Oline said. “I will give people recipes on how to cook the beef.”
She is sharing her favorite steak recipe that is served with blue cheese butter. Her breakfast casserole is also popular with the family.
“Cooking is therapy and my quiet time in the kitchen,” she said. “We try to get the family together one or two Sunday nights at our dining room table for dinner. After grace is said, our 5-year-old grandson, Walton, goes around the table and asks everyone to give him their positive words for the day. I look at the grandkids and think we are blessed.
“It has been an unbelievable busy summer with meetings out of town,” Oline added. “I am grateful we are all home and healthy. Before everyone gets busy with school, football games and other fall activities, we look forward to Labor Day for spending time with family and friends.”
Recipes
Artichoke Dip
This super quick and easy appetizer is one of Oline’s favorite “go to” recipes, and guests always come back for seconds.
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup mayonnaise (Kraft mayonnaise with olive oil works best.)
Break up artichoke hearts with fork and mix with remaining ingredients. Bake in Pam sprayed casserole dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve warm with assorted crackers.
Mushroom Logs
2 (8 oz.) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped
1 tsp. seasoned salts
1 egg, beaten
1 to 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles; press perforations to seal.
Combine cream cheese, mushrooms and salt; mix well. Spread mushroom mixture in equal portions over each rectangle of dough. Starting at long sides, roll up each rectangle jellyroll fashion. Pinch seams to seal.
Slice logs into 1-inch pieces, please seam down on an ungreased baking sheet.
Brush each log with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes four dozen.
Chicken Marinade
This is a flavorful, favorite marinade in our family.
½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic salt
Mix all ingredients well, and pour over chicken to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade and grill until completely cooked.
Oline’s Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Every cook needs a “go to” basic dessert, and this is the perfect one. You can’t go wrong with a pound cake and just by changing the flavor of the seasoning you can change the entire cake.
3 cups sugar
½ lb. butter, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
7 eggs, room temperature
Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream and the other half of flour. Add vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Set in cold oven and turn heat to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan five minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly.
Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.
Note: While the original recipe did not suggest this, sometimes I will add a teaspoon or two of orange or lemon extract for a lemon or orange pound cake.
Mama’s Ice Cream
A “generational” recipe in our family
2 large and 1 small can Pet Evaporated Milk
2 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
6 eggs
Cream sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add milk diluted with equal parts water. Add sprinkle of salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Mix and freeze.
Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
The Prices’ sons prepared Randy’s cookie recipe when they were growing up, and now Oline makes them with their grandchildren, Brooklyn and Walton.
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa
½ cup butter
½ cup milk
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
3 cups oatmeal, uncooked
Combine sugar, cocoa, margarine and milk in saucepan. Allow mixture to come to a boil and continue boiling for two minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt, vanilla and oatmeal. Drop with spoon onto wax paper. Let cool.
Hunter’s Favorite Strawberry Congealed Salad
Oline’s sister brought this congealed salad to a family get-together when Hunter was young, and he decided it was created expressly for him.
Two 3 oz. pkg. strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
Two 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup sour cream
2 bananas, mashed
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add partially thawed strawberries and stir well. Add banana and pineapple. Place half of mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 -inch dish. Put in refrigerator to congeal.
Allow other half to thicken slightly but stay pouring consistency. When refrigerated half is set, top with sour cream. Add remaining mixture and return to refrigerator.
Grits and Sausage Casserole
When Cameron was a student at Oklahoma State University, the farm was a stopping point for his classmates and fraternity brothers on their way to the beach and back during spring break. Randy would grill burgers, and Oline would always serve this casserole for breakfast, which was their favorite.
1 cup grits (not instant), cooked according to package directions
1 lb. bulk sausage, browned and drained on towels
½ to ¾ stick butter
¼ cup milk
Grated cheddar cheese (mild, medium and sharp), to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Cook grits. While still in pan, add cheese and butter and mix thoroughly. Add eggs and milk; mix. Add sausage and put in buttered casserole dish for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Special Macaroni and Cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
8 oz. container sour cream
1 large egg
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. pkg. macaroni, cooked
Cook macaroni according to directions; drain and set aside. Stir together first six ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in macaroni.
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Baked Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried green tomatoes are versatile, and can be prepared as a vegetable or side dish, an appetizer or a featured sandwich.
8 (½ inch thick) green tomato slices
Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1 Tbsp. bottled oil-free Italian dressing
½ cup soft breadcrumbs
⅛ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. onion powder
⅛ tsp. pepper
Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, brush dressing on each slice. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture on each tomato slice. Spray each slice with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Tomato Pie
1 deep-dish pie shell
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
½ cup green onions, chopped
1-1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
1-1 ½ tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper
2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
5 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (of your choice)
Punch holes with a fork in bottom of piecrust and bake for about 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Remove from oven and add a layer of cheese, onion and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Continue layering until ingredients are used except for ½ cup of cheese.
Mix crumbled bacon, mayonnaise and cheese; spread on top of the pie. Sprinkle with extra cheese, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Butter
When you are in the cattle business, you naturally eat a lot of beef. When we are celebrating special events such as birthdays, it is fun to dress the menu up. This tenderloin fits the order perfectly especially when it comes from our own C&H Farm beef.
2 ¼ – 2 ½ lbs. trimmed beef tenderloin
½ tsp. black pepper
¾ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread blue cheese butter over beef, then sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Place on a rack inside of rimmed pan. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes or until desired doneness.
Blue Cheese Butter
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Mix all ingredients together. Let stand 10 minutes, then spread over roast or top each slice with butter.
Garlic Shrimp and Grits
1 lb. unpeeled, medium size fresh shrimp, cooked
3 cups water
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup butter
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits, uncooked
1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh chives for garnish
Peel and devein shrimp. Bring three cups water, cream, butter and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking constantly, seven to eight minutes or until mixture is smooth.
Stir in shrimp, cheese and garlic. Cook one to two minutes or until heated thoroughly. Serve in casserole dish garnished with fresh chives.
Oven-Fried Catfish
Next to beef, catfish is Randy’s favorite meat, especially when it is fried. Oven-Fried Catfish allows him to enjoy one of his favorite meals without the guilt.
Light vegetable oil cooking spray
½ cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning
1 Tbsp. creole seasoning
Lemon pepper
Garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
4-5 catfish fillets
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet three times to coat well. Mix cornmeal and Greek seasoning on a large plate. Sprinkle creole seasoning, garlic powder and lemon pepper on each of the catfish fillets.
Coat catfish thoroughly with cornmeal mixture and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Dust each fillet with paprika. Coat catfish with vegetable oil spray. Bake on the bottom rack in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for about five minutes longer until crust is golden and fish flakes easily.
