Entering the holiday season

Hope everyone is enjoying this nice fall weather. It just reminds me that we are entering the Holiday Season and the year is almost over. Remember to get all those ‘Holiday Goodie Recipes’ together. I have got to do the same. Take care and I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes. 

I was asked for an ole time recipe for turnip greens and corn meal dumplings and fried apple pies made from dried apples.

Aunt Hallie Davidson’s Turnip Greens and Cornmeal Dumplings

(This is what she told me…Agnes.)

Put a piece of salt cured pork (streak of lean or ham hock.) in a pot and cover it with about 3inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until meat is done. Remove from broth and set aside to cool enough for you to chop.

Wash a mess of greens in several waters, roughly chop and add to boiling broth. You may have to add more water. She said that it was better to add hot water. Don’t add salt until you taste. If you have roots, peel and clean. When greens are done lay the roots on top of the greens and cook until done. Or you can remove the greens and gently cook roots in broth until done and remove with a slotted spoon. Mash or serve without mashing. This is how Aunt Hallie served hers. She had a large platter that she used. She put the chopped greens on one side, the roots on the other and the chopped meat in the center. The dumplings were served in a bowl alongside the platter and always with a plate of little fried corn bread and pepper sauce.

Corn Meal Dumplings or Corn Dodgers

1 cup plain cornmeal

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sour milk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

Prepare dumplings while turnip greens are cooking. Slowly stir cornmeal and salt into boiling water. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from heat and let cool. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Dissolve baking soda in sour milk. Alternately add flour and milk to cornmeal. Then add the egg and beat mixture for 1 minute. Drop by spoonful into simmering ‘pot likker’. Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. TO SERVE Remove dumplings with slotted spoon to a deep serving dish. Drain the greens and roots and pour the ‘pot likker’ over the dumplings.

Fried Apple Tarts

The dried apples need to be cooked, sweetened to taste and cold before putting the pies together to fry. I usually made them and freeze on a sheet tray and fry while they are frozen. Sometimes I cook the apples the day before and store in the refrigerator.

For the dough: You can make your own or use can biscuits. The following is the dough recipe that I use. You can store in refrigerator in air-tight container for several days, using as needed.

4 cups plain flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Sift together and put in a bowl. Cut in 1 cup Crisco until like coarse meal

1 whole egg, beaten

1 large can evaporated milk beaten into egg. Add to the flour/Crisco mixture and beat until stretchy. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Roll out and use a small saucer as the guide to cut your circle. Fill one half with fruit filling—being careful not to fill too full. Dampen the edges of the dough, fold over and press edges with fork to seal. Freeze or fry immediately. When you fry, heat a good vegetable oil (about 1 and 1/2 inches deep) to normal frying temperature, drop in pies and fry till golden, turning only once.

Table Ready Pepper Sauce for Vegetables (Peppers are still plentiful)

4 quarts hot peppers, washed (If leaving whole, cut 2 small slits in the sides of pepper) (You can cut down on the heat by substituting some sweet pepper for some of the hot or by de-seeding the peppers.)

Put the following in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil.

1 and ½ quarts of vinegar

1 quarts water

½ cup non-ionized salt

¼ cup sugar

Reduce heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add peppers, cover, turn off heat and let stand for 30 to 60 minutes. Put peppers in hot sterile jars, bring liquid to a boil, pour over peppers, and remove air bubbles, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes for pints and 10 minutes for quarts.