BY FLORENCE GILKESON

Senior Writer

Moore County Democrats are selling cookbooks with the tongue-in-cheek title "Liberally Seasoned" as a fundraiser and a promotion of Sandhills food.

Distributed in time for the peach season, the cookbook includes a number of peach recipes contributed by Laura Auman Pitts and Nancy Auman Cunningham on behalf of the Clyde Auman family, longtime peach growers in the Sandhills.

One section of the book, "Affordable Fare," is being reproduced separately for distribution to the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care as a service to Coalition clients who are scrambling to feed their families, according to Clare Ruggles, treasurer of the local Democratic Party. The first 300 copies of this portion of the book are being distributed this month.

"Affordable Fare" contains nutritious recipes that can be prepared on a tight budget. Ruggles says that for each copy sold, the party will donate a separate copy of the "Affordable Fare" section to the Coalition.

Dudley Crawford took the photographs reproduced on the cookbook cover. The four pictures illustrate the four seasons of the Auman peach orchards near West End.

"We thought this appropriate for several reasons," said Ruggles. "The Auman family has played an important role in the Democratic Party for generations, and we've included a number of Auman family recipes in the cookbook."

Among the recipes are peach ice cream and sherbet, but Auman also provided a classic recipe for persimmon pudding and other family favorites.

Ruggles said another reason these peach orchard pictures are used is to illustrate the title, "Liberally Seasoned," and the subtitle, "Four Seasons of Recipes from the Sandhills and Beyond."

More than 50 local Democrats contributed recipes to the book.

Most recipes are serious and reflect local dishes, both traditional and modern. However, a few are whimsical, such as Anna Davenport's "How to Cook an Elephant." Ellen Marcus has provided a recipe for "Constitution Cookies," in which ingredients represent critical steps in the history of equal rights in this country. For example, the framers of the Constitution are the flour, the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote is the sugar.

In addition to Dudley Crawford, other local photographers were persuaded to make contributions to the book. They include Ellen Marcus and Bill Newton, a former chairman of the county party.

The cookbook costs $20, but a 10 percent discount is available to anyone buying 10 or more copies. Information about securing the cookbooks is available by calling the Democratic Party's county headquarters in Carthage at 947-1933 on any weekday afternoon. Checks may be written payable to the Moore County Democratic Party and mailed in care of Clare Ruggles, P.O. Box 601, Pinehurst 28370. The cookbook may also be purchased from members of the cookbook committee, including Sybil Ryan, JoAnne Ashton, Ellen Marcus and Ruggles.

Proceeds will be used to help cover operating costs, support election efforts and support candidates' campaigns.