Salami Roll-Ups — The Fall Standard, Passed Hand to Hand

Harlan fall — the maples and the poplars going gold and red. Worked at the construction company in Lexington this week. The body holds. Most days.

Connie at the vet clinic, four shifts this week. Her back is tired. She does not say so. I see it. Mama is 85. She is the toughest person I have ever known. She still cooks every day in the company house in Evarts.

Sausage and apples Saturday. Pan-fried. The fall standard.

Travis called Tuesday. The landscaping company is busy. He sounds tired in a good way. Amber called from Louisville. Hospital is busy. Floor nurse to charge nurse to nurse manager — she is the most successful Hensley alive.

The creek was running clear. The turkeys were back. The week was the week.

Worked on a basement remodel job in Lexington. The work was good. The pay was good. The body is tired.

Drove to Pineville for parts Wednesday. The hardware store man knew me. We talked about the weather and the price of feed. Forty minutes for a five-minute errand. That is rural Kentucky.

I split a half-cord of wood Saturday. Slowly. The back does not let me work fast anymore. It got done. The wood was for the smokehouse.

Connie read aloud from a novel Tuesday evening while I worked on the bench. Some Appalachian writer she had picked up at the library in Whitesburg. The voice was the voice of where we live. We listened together.

I sat at the kitchen table Tuesday night working on the recipe project. Mama's soup beans. I cannot get the words right yet.

Connie cut my hair on the porch Tuesday afternoon. She has been cutting my hair for forty years. The barber in Pineville cannot do what Connie does, which is also love.

Connie made jam Saturday afternoon. Wild blackberries from the patch up the hollow. Twelve jars. The pantry is filling for winter.

The neighbor up the road — Old Roy, eighty-seven, lives alone — had a small heart scare. We took him soup beans Tuesday. Cornbread too. He cried a little when he ate. We all cry over soup beans eventually.

My back was tight after the wood-splitting Saturday. Took an Aleve. Slept eight hours. Got up.

Read the paper at breakfast Tuesday. The county news is not great. The mines have not come back and they will not come back. The young people leave. The hollows empty. We stay.

I checked the truck oil Saturday. The mileage on this truck is criminal.

The creek was running clear Sunday afternoon. I watched a kingfisher work the riffle. Did not move for an hour. Some Sundays the watching is the worship.

Drove the truck to the dump Saturday afternoon. Saw three deer crossing the road on the way back. The mountains have been giving back this year.

Amber sent the kids' school photos this week. Nadia is taller every year. Marcus has Amber's serious face. Little Betty has Mama's eyes.

I went up to Earl's grave at the Evarts cemetery Saturday. Brought a beer. Drank half. Poured the rest on the dirt. Some traditions are mine alone.

Travis sent a photo of Earl Thomas riding on the mower with him at a job site. The boy is wearing a Hensley Landscaping T-shirt that's too big. Three generations on a mower. I saved the photo.

The dog — old Beau, fifteen years old — slept by the wood stove all afternoon Tuesday. He used to be a hunting dog. Now he is a heating pad with opinions.

Sunday service at Harlan First Baptist when we go. Pastor preached about Ruth and Boaz. The choir sang. Connie wore her gray dress.

Saturday in Harlan County means pan-fried sausage and apples, wood-splitting, and whatever simple food you can put together with what’s already in the house — and these salami roll-ups are cut from that same cloth. Connie had a long week on her feet, Mama was already busy at the stove, and the last thing anyone needed was a complicated dish; what we needed was something you could set on the table fast, something that tasted like you meant it. These are that thing: no heat required, a few good ingredients, and the kind of no-fuss honesty that fits a week like this one.

Salami Roll-Ups

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 24 thin slices hard salami (about 6 oz)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Toothpicks, for securing

Instructions

1. Mix the filling. In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, green onion, roasted red pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried oregano. Stir until smooth and evenly blended.
2. Spread. Lay salami slices flat on a clean work surface. Spread a thin, even layer of the cream cheese mixture — about 1 teaspoon — across each slice, leaving a small border at the edge.
3. Roll. Starting from one edge, roll each salami slice into a tight cylinder. Press gently to seal the seam against the cream cheese.
4. Secure and chill. Pierce each roll-up through the center with a toothpick to hold its shape. Arrange on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let the filling firm up slightly.
5. Serve. Arrange on a platter and serve cold. These hold well in the refrigerator for up to two days, covered.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 580mg