A southern menu for a transplant friend

Well after the beautiful 4th and all the celebrations, we all should feel a renewed since of hope and commitment to our great nation and to those that keep us free. I’ll be seeing you around … Agnes

I was asked by a transplanted friend to give her a southern menu and the directions for preparation. Here is what I consider a southern menu:

Fried Chicken

Creamed Corn

Peas or Butter Beans with Okra

Or Green Beans with New Potatoes

Sliced Tomatoes

Sliced Vidalia Onions

Cucumbers in Vinegar

Pickled Beets

Corn Bread and Butter

Peach Cobbler or Pound Cake and Fruit

Sweet Tea

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Fried Chicken

To fry good chicken you need a cast iron pan, however a heavy aluminum such as the old Guardian Ware or Club Aluminum will work.

To prepare chicken: (This is for one fryer). Dis-joint chicken and cut into serving pieces. I always make a pulley-bone and if the breasts are large cut into three or four pieces instead of two. Generously sprinkle the chicken with salt. In a container with a lid, put some crushed ice and ½ cup cold water. Place the chicken on top of the ice and put more crushed ice on top of it. Cover and refrigerate overnight or all day. When ready to cook: drain chicken and coat with the following mixture: Sift together 1 and ½ cups self-rising flour, salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of red pepper. Once chicken is coated, let it rest on a pan while oil is heating.

Heat 1 to 2 inches of oil until it is at a good frying temperature. Carefully and slowing add chicken to pan, adding larger pieces first.

Let chicken brown on one side before turning (DO NOT PLAY WITH CHICKEN).

Set a pan partially over the chicken (Do not completely cover.) and cook until brown on the other side. Chicken should be done. Check close to bone to make sure. Line a pan with a couple layers of paper towels and place chicken on paper towels.

Put pan in a warm oven to keep warm.

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Southern Fried Corn

Cut corn from young tender ears. Scrape from the cob. In a very heavy pan or pot add enough bacon drippings or melted butter to generously cover the bottom. Add 3 to 4 cups corn and ½ teaspoon salt. If corn is not sweet enough, add ½ tablespoon of sugar. Add water to cover corn and stir.

Cook and stir until mixture begins to thicken. Simmer, stirring often for 30 minutes or until thickens and is done. (DO NOT BROWN)

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Peas, or Butter Beans with Okra or Green Beans with New Potatoes

Put a slice of salt pork in about 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. If you want to, this can be done at any time, refrigerated, and defatted. Prepare beans or peas and wash. Add to pot with meat and make sure that there is enough water to cover the beans or peas.

Salt to taste. (I always add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice and it doesn’t require as much salt.) Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until done. If you find it necessary to add more water, add boiling water. (I like to drain part of the pot likker into a saucepan and add some small pods of okra that has been wash to peas and butter beans. I leave a little of the stem left on. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until tender.

Time depends on how young and tender the okra is. Serve in a separate bowl … some people don’t like boiled okra. To green beans, I add small new potatoes that have been scrubbed clean and cook until fork tender.)

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Sliced Tomatoes and Vidalia Onions

This is something simple that I like to do in one of those ‘old’ divided bowls. I peel my tomatoes, slice and place on one side and peel and slice the onions on the other, sprinkle with a little minced parsley or basil and serve at room temperature.

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Cucumbers in Vinegar

Wash cucumbers, dry and slice in a bowl. Cover with cider vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

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Pickled Beets

3 quarts cooked and peeled red beets. In clean canning jars put 4 whole cloves and 1 medium cinnamon stick in each jar and fill with beets. Bring the following ingredients to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour syrup over beets.

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon salt

3 cups vinegar

1 ½ cups beet juice or water

Seal jars and process 20 minutes in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. (Since I no longer grow beets, I substitute the store brand of sliced beets, drain, use its juice, seal and refrigerate until used.)

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Corn Bread (Aunt Maggie’s way)

2 cups self-rising corn meal (White Lily)

2 eggs, slightly beaten with 1 cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons melted shortening

Put shortening in a cast iron frying pan and heat.

Mix all other ingredients together and pour the hot shortening into batter and stir to mix. Add more milk, if needed. Pour batter into the hot pan and bake in 425 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

(Aunt Maggie – no relation to us – made this recipe but reduced the amount of milk so that she would have a batter that would hold its shape when dropped into about 3 inches of hot fat. The batter was in the shape of little patties which she fried, turning only once. My children loved them.)

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Peach Cobbler

6 pounds peaches (peeled, pitted, and sliced)

¼ cups sugar

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoon lemon zest (grated lemon peel)

¼ cup lemon juice

Combine sugar, flour, and spices and toss with peaches. When juices began to flow, stir in lemon juice and peel.

Put filling in pan, dot with butter and cover with s good rich piecrust. Cut slits in crust for steam. Bake at 325 degrees until done. Serve warm or cold.

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Sweet Tea (1 gallon)

Tea is never boiled. Water is boiled. Bring to boil 4 cups water. Add 5 family size tea bags. Cover and let steep of 10 minutes. In a gallon container add ¾ to 1 cup sugar and pour in hot tea.

Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add ice to fill container (I use crushed ice from the ice maker.). Stir in set aside. (Add 2 cups boiling water over the tea bags and let set for a few minutes. Add to the tea.) Stir and when ready to serve add enough cold water to fill the gallon container. Serve cold.

All Southerns know that everything goes down better with sweet tea

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Recipe For Laughter:

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“I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”

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