I'll be the first to admit my ignorance to southern foods (and how often I giggle about the translations I'm given). I've vowed to someday (when my money tree grows ) to come down there just to journey through a food court. I need to know what grits taste like before I die. I was beginning to think that my local area had nothing to offer that "all y'all" ~giggle~ didn't have down there. I have to say; I was pretty pleased with finding something "new" to a southerner: Marionberry and Strawberry-rhubarb preserves. I live among the berries. Our family favorite is the huckleberry with the evergreen and marion (both blackberry varieties) pulling a close second. We also have filberts (hazelnuts), hops, and peppermint. Of course, a lot of things are grown around us, but these items are abundant. So, I thought it'd be interesting to see what grows in your local area that might not be found in abundance elsewhere.
Good friend of mine wrote a song called "Strawberry/rhubarb pie" and made it sound so good that I had to try that unlikely yankee concoction and have to admit that although it will never replace damsel berry pie, it was pretty good.
I can help and save you the trip. Grits taste like what you put on them butter, syrup to taste, salt, pepper, whatever. Other than that, it's sort of like chewing liquid sandpaper.
Try straight rhubarb pie, Penna Dutch style. Pretty good stuff, Maynard. Not too sweet unless over sugared.
Plain old stewed rhubarb is one of my favorites. It guess it's a little like New England women - a little sweet and plenty tart
Here in western Nevada peaches, apricots, and the like grow unbelievably well (sweet) -- it must be the hot sun and something in the soil that agrees with that genus of plants... just don't forget to water! Having grown up in Oregon, I've got to say that Tracy's right about huckleberries. The red huckleberry was my favorite for years, but the evergreen huckleberry would be my choice now. Then there's all the species of "blackberries" that will keep you up at night salivating.
On my own property I can easily find wild elderberries, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, and strawberries. The wild grapes weigh down the trees. In later summer as I walk through the woods, the smell of the wild grapes permeates the air and grapes the size of oversized marbles pelt the ground like purple balls of hail. The sound, as they fall into the leaf bed, is unmistakable and somehow comforting in their continuity through the years and their reminder that wild food is available. Butternut, black walnuts, hickory, hazlenuts and, of course, acorns abound and are ready for gathering in late summer, fall, and early windter but you have to get them before the creatures do. I have apple and cherry trees at my other house as well as a blueberry arbor and every third town in this area has orchards of all of these as well as peaches and pears. Because I'm not too particular about fertilized green grass, dandelions are frequently part of my diet and something I look forward to each spring. I still have some of the wonderful dandelion wine my mom used to make. No place in Connecticut is far from fresh shellfish although we have to be more careful now when harvesting due to contamination. Life is good.
Fried Pickles...Grits....Okra.....Chicken Fried Steak....Silver Queen Corn, right out of the garden...Oooooh! Homegrown Tomatoes, on sticky white bread with Dukes Mayo, and salt and pepper..... Cucumber Sandwiches... Fried Green Tomatoes! Pickled Okra... and is there any other kind of tea besides Sweet Tea??? ;-) I'm sure I'll think of more.... and loving the jelly!!!
Last night for dinner, I had grilled Mushrooms, Grilled asperagus, Grilled Okra, and grilled corn. George and Betty showed us about the grilled Okra; never done that before but it was pretty good. Redeye Gravy: Cook lots of salty country ham in a cast skillet, deglaze skillet with yesterdays coffee. Serve over catshead biscuits and grits.
I made hamburger steak for someone from North of the Mason Dixon line and he didn't know what it was..... and stir fry veggies, brown rice.... and ditto seasoning the pan with yesterdays coffee! Now...when you make dumplins'....do you make those long skinny kind or big ol fluffy ones?? and OMG... How did I forget BBQ?? make your tongue slap your brains out..... ;-)
The oven roasted pork roast with liquid smoke that they try to pass as BBQ in Florida makes me ashamed. BBQ has to slow smoke for at least 12 hours and will shake from the bone. It is seasoned with a vinegar based hot-sauce and served with slaw. You eat potato salad (mustard-based), although BBQ beans can be substituted in a pinch, with BBQ, not fried potatoes and it has to either be served with white bread or biscuits (butter-milk). Ribs have to slow smoke too for at least three hours or more and they get dry-rub, not that sweet drippy yankee sauce. Fried catfish needs either slaw or a spring greens salad with a tart dressing; My favorite is yellow mustard and mayonaise. Proper breading for fried catfish is to dunk in beaten eggs with a dash or two of Louisana hotsauce, then dredge in a mixture of cornmeal, flour, salt and black pepper and cayene. Hush-puppies are mandatory. You may serve fried potatoes or grits with catfish. White beans are also acceptable, if complimented with fresh vadallia onion slices and home-made tomatoe relish. Other fried fish may include sac a lait (crappie), bass, Blue-gill, or sauger. Do not serve salt water fish with a southern dinner, even though some of them are fit to eat. And never ever serve Talapia or any other grass eating carp. And don't forget a proper mint julip always uses quality bourbon.
My wife prefers the ones that don't rise; I like the big ole fluffy ones myself, although hers are pretty darn good. We got muscadine and scuppernog grapes growing wild around here. Also got possum grapes, huckleberries, black berries, damsel plums, mulberries, black walnuts, pecans of every variety, crab apples, and poke weed.
"Do not serve salt water fish with a southern dinner, even though some of them are fit to eat." SC, y'all never had some good fresh MULLET then. Best eating of any salt-water fish. I'm partial to the white roe myself, though lots of folks like the yellow roe. Served with cheese grits, BBQ beans and hushpuppies - very fine eating! Some more Deep Southern delicacies: Mayhaw Jelly, only available a short time of the year Gator (I actually ate my first taste of gator in North Carolina!) Conch steak and chowder (only if done RIGHT!) Key Lime Pie (and if it's green, it isn't the real thing!) I like our Florida BBQ. Though I gotta admit, that eight to twelve hour "falling off the bone" BBQ is mighty good too!
I've had fresh mullet and smoked prepared by folks thatproclaimed its goodness and I still think its garp. I lived in Florida for the past 17 years but finally got ran off by their excuse for BBQ.
I was telling Tracy about Mayhaw Jelly yesterday on the phone.. ...and you're right...If Key Lime Pie is green??? It's just not right....and I love conch fritters.... As for the BBQ, I moved here from South Carolina ...that's my home...and the BBQ there is as good as any I had in Memphis or anywhere else.... I've eaten gator, raccoon....I drew the line at opossum....but I suppose if I was hungry enough....I'd eat it... and SC? Yes, Vinegar, or Mustard based sauce......
All right now, all this talk of BBQ has me wantin' to fire up the que and get a couple of Boston Butts going "low and slow" And yes, I make my own dry rub, mop sauce, and BBQ sauce Oh, yeah, can't forget the "smoked fatties" - Take a 1lb "tube" of sausage remove plastic wrap. Slice sausage in half length wise. Press a "channel" in each half. Add your choice of cheese, diced pepper (spicy or sweet), onion, etc.) put the two halves back together press seems to seal. Wrap the whole thing with bacon strips and use tooth picks to hold the bacon on. Smoke at 225-250 for about 3 hours, or until done. When starting a butt in the morning I'll throw a couple of fatties on for breakfast.
I agree with all but the okra, I et it fried, boiled, deep fried, bbq'd, in grits, (love 'dem cheese grits) steamed, you name a way 'a cookin' 'dem okras,,,,,,,,,,I always try new foods many times 'cuz maybe they were cooked 'da wrong way,,,,,may be not. 'possom ain't bad a'tall. et skunk (no not that one)ha ha! carp, snails, slugs, (ech) worms, grubs, young birds still in the shell........ yeppers just about anything more than once, keep an open mind but forget the orkra
