Shrimp or Chicken Curry is from What’s Cookin’? This recipe was contributed by Mrs. Myrtle Womble who suggests serving it over hot, steamy rice.
Southern Living’s Stir-Fry Pork and Cashews is delicious.
Mrs. Emily Meggett’s Collard Greens in her book Gullah Geechee Home Cooking 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.
Alice Beth Miner, who passed several years ago and who was a dear friend of all Apopkans, shares her Potatoes Del Monico through the Apopka Historical Society’s Preserving the Big Potato publication of mostly potato recipes.
Fresh Garden Relish from the Progressive Farmer’s SOUTHERN Cookbook is superb over turnip greens. I can see this addition of fresh chopped vegetables used with many different vegetable dishes, blackeyed peas included.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda’s A Taste of Heaven looks great. And you don’t have to roll out the pie crust!
From Stew Pot Favorites of Zellwood, we have a Cheese Biscuits recipe contributed by Mrs. Ruth McGowan.
MRS. MYRTLE WOMBLE’S
SHRIMP OR CHICKEN CURRY
Recipe from What’s Cookin’?
Published by
The Apopka Woman’s Club
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water)
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked, cleaned shrimp or
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Saute onion and curry powder in melted butter. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Add shrimp or chicken and the lemon juice. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.
STIR-FRY PORK AND CASHEWS
SOUTHERN LIVING’S
ALL TIME FAVORITES, 2009
1/2 pound boneless pork loin,
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons stir-fry sauce
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry-roasted or
unsalted cashews
Hot cooked rice
Garnish: green onions
1) Stir together first 4 ingredients. 2) Stir-fry pork mixture in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet 4 to 6 minutes; stir in cashews. Serve immediately with rice. Garnish, if desired. Makes 2 servings. Note: For four servings, use 1/3-cup stir-fry sauce, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and double all other ingredients. Proceed as directed. Makes 2 servings.
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.
ALICE BETH MINER’S
POTATOES DEL MONICO
Recipe from
Apopka Historical Society’s
Preserving the Big Potato –
A Collection of Potato Recipes
9 medium size red potatoes
parboiled
1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Peel and grate potatoes and place in a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole.
In a 1-quart saucepan, combine cheese, mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cream, and milk. Stir over low heat until cheese melts. Pour over potatoes. Do not stir. Bake uncovered 45 to 60 minutes. This can be assembled in advance and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature and bake as above.
FRESH GARDEN RELISH
ON TURNIP GREENS
Recipe from
The Progressive Farmer’s
SOUTHERN Cookbook
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium cucumber, peeled,
sliced, and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 medium-sized green pepper, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons French dressing
2 tablespoons vinegar
Mix and chill.
Birmingham serves superb food, many old as well as new recipes. Our favorite there (and we never saw it served elsewhere) is just plain turnip greens topped off by a fresh garden relish. These quantities are for six portions.
CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE
A Taste of Heaven from
First Presbyterian Church
of Punta Gorda
16 oz solid-pack pumpkin
12 oz evaporated skim milk
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup graham-cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup whipped cream
1) Beat pumpkin, milk and eggs until smooth. Mix in sugar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt; stir in crumbs. 2) Spray pie pan and pour in filling. 3) Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. 4) Cool pie on wire rack and refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream.
MRS. RUTH MCGOWAN’S
CHEESE BISCUITS
Recipe from
Stew Pot Favorites of Zellwood
1 pound cheese
1 pound oleo margarine
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Cut oleo margarine into flour until crumbly or the size of a pea. Add salt and grated cheese. Divide dough and roll to 1/4-inch thick. Cut with small biscuit cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet about 10 minutes at 425 degrees. These will keep in your freezer indefinitely.
