Proving there are food stories everywhere, Turner Classic Movies recently aired a film that had this scene :

It's the 1930s or so. A poor Texas cotton-farming family -- father, mother, young daughter, son and gnarly granny (Beulah Bondi) -- are seated around a table, having a winter dinner. They are chewing on the wings of something or other, talking about having nothing to eat in the winter but meat, and who needs vegetables, anyway, dag gummit.

The topic turns to "spring fever," some illness that strikes in the spring without fail.

"Y'all notice that spring fever starts just when the vegetables start coming in," says Beulah (and I paraphrase), as she nods, squinty-eyed and knowingly. Everyone bobs their heads in agreement and keeps chawing on those meaty bones.

Come spring time, the boy young'un gets sick and grows what looks like a huge carbuncle on his face. His mother, worn skinny from working in the fields and caring for her family, wraps him in a blanket and takes him to the doctor. He says: "Get him some milk and vegetables. He'll come around."

Then comes the search for a free cow, cuz our family wears patches. They land one, courtesy of a big old cuss of a city slicker friend who has found fortune in the factories. The cow, dubbed Uncle Walter by the girl young'un, comes through (although how an uncle cow produces milk is beyond me).

Carbuncle disappears. Boy recovers.

The movie is "The Southerner," 1945, starring Zachary Scott, Betty Field, Bondi and Percy Kilbride (Pa Kettle from the "Ma and Pa Kettle" film series). It tells the story of the Tucker family, sharecroppers who decide to fight the odds to work their own cotton farm. It took the award for Best Film at the 1946 Venice Film Festival and drew three Oscar nominations, including for best director, Jean Renoir.

Great film. Rent it.

And avoid spring fever. Drink your milk, eat your veggies.

Mushrooms are veggies

The Western PA Mushroom Club will hold its first meeting of the year at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Fox Chapel.

Topic is "Carnivorous and cannibalistic fungi: Mushrooms that grow on people."

Become a member and receive a kit for growing oyster mushrooms and shiitakes.

Next month begins the club's weekly Saturday morning mushroom foray in local parks.

Lead by a club mycologist, participants collect and learn to identify mushrooms.

More information: pamushroomclub.org.

The club wants you to know that next month begins morel season.

I love mushrooms and steak.

Eggs are not veggies

But it's egg season.

St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown, will hold its Egg Eggstravaganza from noon to 5 p.m. March 29 at the church social hall.

Egg artists will demonstrate Eastern European pysanky; Polish drop-and-pull wax reliefs; Hungarian-style eggs; onion-skin dyed, etched or scratched goose eggs; vinegar-etched emu eggs; wood-burned eggs and others. Decorated eggs will be available for purchase.

There also will be a bake sale, crafts and stories for children and a Lenten lunch menu.

There is no admission charge. Call Bonnie at 724-438-8412 for more information.

The church is also offering the 13th edition of its Carpathian cookbook. It's $14 plus $3 postage and handling. E-mail carpathiancookery@gmail.com.

A taste of health

Giant Eagle's New Kensington store will host several programs this Saturday and Sunday on diabetes. They include tips on everyday management of the condition, including food and recipe presentations. Presenters include pharmacist Faith M. Sedlak, a certified diabetes and pharmaceutical specialist, and Giant Eagle nutritionist Judy Dodd, who will lead a tour of the store with an eye for shopping for diabetics at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

The store also will host makeup consultants from Larenim Mineral Makeup and L'Oreal, and free glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings.

For more information, contact the store at 724-339-4940.

Another CSA dinner

The meet-and-greet Community Supported Agriculture dinner tonight at Enrico's Biscotti, Strip District, 2022 Penn Ave., is sold out. But another dinner has been added for Wednesday. Meet members of the Pennsylvania Association for Agriculture and buy a CSA share. Dinner includes antipasto, brick oven pizza, beer and Enrico dessert. Cost: $20. Call 412-281-2602 to reserve.