Country Baked Maple Ham from The Original Country Cookbook will be a hit at your table. It is simple to prepare and will be delicious.  

We have a recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, Recipes from Emily Meggett, she calls Okra Gumbo. You can use fresh or frozen okra and shrimp. She also puts a little sugar in the recipe and says it helps to cut the acid from the tomatoes. You can serve this gumbo alone or over a bed of white rice. 

The Apopka Historical Society shares their recipe for Potatoes Italian in Preserving the Big Potato. We thank those wonderful folks for all the good work they do for our community. 

How about a recipe for Sweet Corn Griddle Cakes? It comes from the 1982 Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival recipe book. Some folks might add a little vanilla for flavor and a tablespoon of sugar or more, to taste. Make sure your baking powder is not old or your griddle cakes won’t rise properly.* You may like to top off your plate of hot griddle cakes with butter and maple syrup. And, I just might add a couple pieces of hot crispy bacon with mine!  

*To test your baking powder, mix 1/2 teaspoon with a 1/4 cup boiling water. If it is still good, it will bubble vigorously. 

Amanda Thomas-Henke from north Georgia made Candied Pecans… right in my kitchen! (She’s my daughter!) The original author of the recipe, Amy, says, “They’re always a popular item at street fairs, ice cream parlors, and shopping malls. The smell is as intoxicating as cinnamon rolls!” 

COUNTRY BAKED MAPLE HAM 

Recipe from The Original Country Cookbook 
Published by Paragon Products, Inc., Pompano Beach 

8-pound ham 
3 quarts sweet apple cider 
2 cups raisins 
2 cups maple sugar 
2 teaspoons dry mustard 
1 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 cup water 

Simmer ham in cider for 2 hours. Drain, skin ham and cover it with paste made from maple sugar, mustard, cloves, and water. Place in a baking pan, pour cider over it, add raisins, and bake 2-1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Baste frequently. Make thickened gravy from cider raisin drippings. Serves 16 people. 

EMILY MEGGETT’S OKRA GUMBO 

Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett 

3/4 pound salt pork, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 onion, chopped 
1 bell pepper, chopped 
1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes 
1 can tomato paste  
Fill the tomato paste can three times with water and add to gumbo 
3 pounds okra, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or 2 pounds frozen cut okra 
Crushed red pepper 
Gold Medal seasoning salt 
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste 
Kernels cut from 2 ears fresh corn or 1 each 15-1/4 ounce can corn, drained 
1-1/2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional, but recommended) 

1) In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, fry the salt pork over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté together for 5 to 7 minutes, until translucent. 2) Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Rinse out the tomato paste can and refill the can with water. Pour the water into the pot. Repeat this process two more times. Bring to a boil over high heat. 3) Turn down the heat to medium and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more water. Add the okra, crushed red pepper, seasoning salt to taste, and the sugar. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 4) Finally, add the corn and shrimp. Stir and cook the gumbo over low heat for about 10 more minutes. Serve with rice or eat plain. 

POTATOES ITALIAN 

Recipe from Apopka Historical Society 
Preserving the Big Potato 

4 large baking potatoes 
1 teaspoon olive oil 
3 medium tomatoes, sliced 
1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1 cup provolone cheese 
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
1/2 teaspoon oregano 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1-1/2 tablespoon butter 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Oil a 9 x 13-inch casserole with the olive oil. Combine the three cheeses. Arrange potatoes, tomatoes, and onion slices in layers, sprinkling each layer with cheeses and seasonings, ending with a layer of potatoes sprinkled with the cheeses and seasonings. Dot with butter and bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the top brown. 

SWEET CORN GRIDDLE CAKES 

Recipe from Zellwin Farms Company 
Published by 1982 Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival 

1 pint grated corn 
1 cup (all-purpose) flour 
1 tablespoon melted butter 
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
Milk (around 3/4 cup) 

Combine all ingredients with enough milk to make a batter of the right consistency. Cook on hot griddle. 

SPICED CANDIED PECANS 

Submitted by Amanda Henke, Reader of The Apopka Chief  
Recipe adapted from Bellyfull.net 

1 pound pecan halves 
3 egg whites 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 cup granulated sugar 
1/2 cup melted butter 
1 cup powdered sugar 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions: 

1) Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and add in the vanilla and granulated sugar. 2) Toss in the pecans and coat thoroughly. 3) Pour melted butter on a greased baking sheet, then spread the pecans on top in an even layer. 4) Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes. 5) Remove from the oven and transfer to large Ziploc bag with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat. 

Details: 1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. 2) In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; add vanilla and gradually add sugar. 3) Toss in the pecans and mix gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are coated thoroughly. 4) Pour melted butter on the prepared baking sheet. 5) Spread the pecans out evenly over the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes with a spatula – DO NOT skip this step! They will look like a gloppy mess at first, but don’t worry! Keep turning as instructed and all will be well. 6) Remove from oven and cool for about 2 minutes. 7) Place powdered sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix; add in the pecans, seal and shake until coated. 8) Best served warm, but absolutely delicious even after a few weeks! A quarter-cup serving = 14 servings.