An Old-fashioned Roadside Stand
Cook's Roadside Market sits just feet from the blacktop on U.S. 25 in Edgefield County, about 50 miles southeast of Columbia. It's modest compared to some in the state, but the white shed, built on what was once a country store, has an old-fashioned, homey feel. Fans supplement the natural breeze, and a large beach umbrella shades the baskets of peaches out front.

A list of available shelled beans is handwritten on an aluminum-rimmed board. Today, there are butterbeans and pinkeye peas, as well as bins of homegrown tomatoes, potatoes, and canned goods. Of course, the baskets brimming with peaches disappear as fast as they can put them out.

"Some of the best peaches are grown right here in Edgefield County, South Carolina," Raymond Cook claims. "They call this area The Ridge, and it's known for growing peaches. I don't fly, but they say you can see the sandy ridge from the air."

At Christmas, the Cooks send about a thousand greeting cards, encouraging customers to come back for strawberries, peaches, and produce. The personal touch seems to work. Loyal patrons come from all over the Eastern seaboard to get the Cooks' peaches.

The quality keeps customers clamoring for more, Raymond says. Ask him what makes a peach so juicy and sweet, and he'll just shrug. "That's a peach farmer's secret," he says.

The Peach Buzz J.E. Cooley Farms and Strawberry Hill U.S.A., Inc.: 3097 State 11 West, Chesnee, SC 29323; (864) 461-7225. The roadside market opens sunup to sundown daily April-September. Hours for the ice-cream parlor, which serves homemade peach and strawberry ice cream, are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. The restaurant is open 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. McLeod Farms, Inc.: State 151 South and U.S. 1 North, McBee, SC 29101; (843) 335-8611, (843) 335-8335, or www.macspride.com. The market on State 151 is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily year-round, with extended summer hours. The peach stand by the packing shed on U.S. 1 North is open late May-August. Cook's Roadside Market: 1224 Augusta Road, Trenton, SC 29847; (803) 275-2970 or www.mindspring.com/~pamelacook. Open daily mid-April-August. For a complete listing of certified roadside markets: Contact the South Carolina Farm Bureau at (803) 796-6700, ext. 4288; 1-800-628-4571; or www.scfb.org. In praise of peaches: Ridge Peach Festival, Trenton, June 21; Lexington County Peach Festival, Gilbert, July 4; South Carolina Peach Festival, Gaffney, July 11-20.

(For simple, seasonal side dishes that the whole family will enjoy, read "Tasty Southern Sides" on page 218 of the June 2003 issue of Southern Living.)