We have a meat dish made with beef cubed steaks from Paths of Sunshine. It is called Italian Braciole, and the meat and sauce is served over cooked spaghetti similar to the way we serve spaghetti and meatballs.
When Katharine Lune and her husband Rob bought their land in Archer and ended up naming it Heirloom Country Farms, they wanted to do something to help pay for the property but that would also contribute to their community. Farming seemed right even though she had no prior experience. “I figured it out as I went along,” she says. She runs the day-to-day operations while her husband is a web developer.
Among the four-footed and web-footed residents of the farm are Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, an endangered heirloom breed noted for a higher fat-to-meat ratio rather than conventionally raised pork. Many consider the meat to be more flavorful because of the marbling. Their recipe for Pork and Vegetable Stew found in Field to Feast sounds delicious.
In her book titled Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, Emily Meggett says, “I love cooking potatoes because it usually just takes a few ingredients to turn them into something you just can’t resist. These hash brown potatoes are easy to make, and the scallions add a bright, fresh flavor to the dish.
Miz Emily Meggett’s Collard Greens looks like a winner. She says collard greens have a special place in African American culture. I have some news for that fine lady: they have a special place in MY OWN culture, as well! I love collard greens and fix a potful for myself just about every couple of weeks. But if I don’t have collards, I use turnip greens. I season my greens with smoked ham, onion, garlic, salt, and a little bit of cayenne pepper. I use a tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar at the end of cooking. I don’t use any sugar or sweetener. I must confess, though, I cheat: I usually use frozen collards. But I do like fresh if I can find them.
Sis Pitman’s Apple Dumplings comes from one of our old favorites, Treasures and Pleasures. Try the baking powder that doesn’t have aluminum in the ingredients. It only costs a few cents more and leaves no bitter taste.
ITALIAN BRACIOLE
Recipe from
Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., Paths of Sunshine
6 cubed beef steaks
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons sliced pimiento- stuffed olives
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons flour
Season cubed steaks. Spread onion on steaks and roll. Secure with toothpicks. Place seams down in 10 x 6 x 2 baking dish. Combine chili sauce, broth, mushrooms, pepper, olives, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic and pepper. Pour over beef rolls. Bake 350 degrees about 1-1/4 hours. Arrange meat rolls atop spaghetti on serving platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices in measuring cup, skim off fat. Add enough water to make 1-1/2 cups liquid. Blend flour with cold water. Add to meat juices and cook until desired consistency. Spoon sauce over meat and pasta. Serves 6.
HEIRLOOM COUNTRY FARMS, ARCHER
PORK AND VEGETABLE STEW
Recipe from Field to Feast
1 (2 to 2-1/2 pound) bone-in pork shoulder or pork sirloin roast
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 to 6 small potatoes
3 carrots, cleaned and chopped
into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 stalks celery, leaves reserved, bottoms cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into half-
moon slices
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper
2 cups water, divided
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves
removed and crushed lightly
1 to 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped or 14-ounce can diced
tomatoes
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 loaf crusty French bread, for
serving
1) Trim roast well to remove excess fat. Season pork generously with salt and pepper; set aside. 2) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, carrots, garlic, celery and celery leaves, and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until vegetables are softened and golden brown. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. 3) Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork roast and sear each side until browned, about 12 minutes total. Remove roast from pan and coat in seasoned flour. Place roast over vegetables in the slow cooker. 4) Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, place over medium-high heat, and deglaze pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom. Pour into slow cooker. 5) Add thyme, tomatoes, bay leaves, and remaining 1-1/2 cups water to slow cooker. Cover with lid, cook on low 6 to 8 hours. 6) Before serving, discard bay leaves. Remove pork roast and pull meat into large pieces. Discard bone. Serve with vegetables, broth, and crusty French bread.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
HASH BROWN POTATOES
(HOME FRIES)
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
8 yellow or white potatoes (a little over 2 pounds), diced
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted
butter
2 scallions, chopped
Salt to taste
1) In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain well. 2) In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over low heat, taking care not to burn. Add the scallions and the potatoes to the skillet. Salt the potatoes according to taste. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. 3) When the potatoes are browned on the bottom, turn them with a spatula and brown the other side.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
COLLARD GREENS
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
1 bunch collard greens (1/2 pound)
1 (14-ounce) smoked ham hock
2-1/2 to 3 quarts water
Crushed red pepper
1-1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar, or 2 packages sweetener
Nature’s Seasons, to taste
1) Wash the collard greens in cold water three or four times to remove any sand or dirt. Pat dry using a paper towel. 2) Strip the collard greens, removing the center stem. Cut the collard greens lengthwise into small, bite-sized pieces. 3) Wash the ham hock. In a large pot, combine the ham hock and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the greens, covering them in the water. 4) Add crushed red pepper to taste, the vinegar, sugar, and Nature’s Seasons to taste. Increase the heat and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the greens for at least 2-1/2 hours. After 2-1/2 hours, taste the greens to test flavor and tenderness. Add more Nature’s Seasons and cook longer if necessary.
SIS PITMAN’S
APPLE DUMPLINGS
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka,
Treasures and Pleasures
6 baking apples
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in shortening. Add the milk and mix together. Roll out and cut into six squares. Slice an apple on each square. Mix 1-1/2 cups sugar with water, butter and vanilla. Boil mixture for five minutes and pour over dumplings which have been placed in a baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. May be baked and frozen.
