Mary Helen Benford says she’s always believed anyone who can read can cook, but her Irish and English heritage clearly influenced her repertoire of recipes.

“I’ve always liked cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, but since we moved to the farm and I have this nice, big kitchen, I really enjoy it,” explains Benford.
With dishes such as Bangers and Mash and Mulligan Stew, Benford still embraces opportunities to refresh the recipes her grandparents enjoyed.

“My great-grandfather’s recipe for Mulligan Stew originally called for the more traditionally Irish lamb or mutton, but I prefer beef, so that’s how I’ve always made it. And Yorkshire Apple Crumble is traditionally served with whipped cream, but it’s really good with ice cream, too,” she says.

Born and raised in Washington D.C., Benford met her husband Frank while studying at Auburn University.
“His roommate was engaged to my roommate, and I think the two of them spent their senior year at Auburn trying to get all their friends engaged, too,” she recalls.
The couple moved periodically during Frank’s career as a statistician for USDA, raising their two children in California and Virginia before the couple returned to the Benford family farm in Chambers County.

“Frank’s great-grandfather purchased the farm in 1874, and we’re the fourth generation of his family to live here. At different times, this place has had cotton and other row crops, been a dairy, and had a huge kitchen garden. We have pecan and walnut trees; we grow muscadines and planted blueberry bushes. One of Frank’s main goals is to return the landscaping on the farm to what it was when his grandparents were active, and we’re working toward that,” says Benford.

Mary Helen Benford says she’s always believed anyone who can read can cook, but her Irish and English heritage clearly influenced her repertoire of recipes.
“I’ve always liked cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, but since we moved to the farm and I have this nice, big kitchen, I really enjoy it,” explains Benford.
With dishes such as Bangers and Mash and Mulligan Stew, Benford still embraces opportunities to refresh the recipes her grandparents enjoyed.
“My great-grandfather’s recipe for Mulligan Stew originally called for the more traditionally Irish lamb or mutton, but I prefer beef, so that’s how I’ve always made it. And Yorkshire Apple Crumble is traditionally served with whipped cream, but it’s really good with ice cream, too,” she says.
Born and raised in Washington D.C., Benford met her husband Frank while studying at Auburn University.
“His roommate was engaged to my roommate, and I think the two of them spent their senior year at Auburn trying to get all their friends engaged, too,” she recalls.
The couple moved periodically during Frank’s career as a statistician for USDA, raising their two children in California and Virginia before the couple returned to the Benford family farm in Chambers County.
“Frank’s great-grandfather purchased the farm in 1874, and we’re the fourth generation of his family to live here. At different times, this place has had cotton and other row crops, been a dairy, and had a huge kitchen garden. We have pecan and walnut trees; we grow muscadines and planted blueberry bushes. One of Frank’s main goals is to return the landscaping on the farm to what it was when his grandparents were active, and we’re working toward that,” says Benford.