Hominy, okra and more featured in recipes from across the South

1968

From Charleston Receipts, we have Mrs. DeSaussure’s Chicken Country Captain. This recipe calls for two cut-up fryers. After you put the dish together, simmer in a covered roaster for an hour and a half to two hours at 275 degrees. I thought I had misunderstood Mrs. DeSaussure’s instructions when she said “simmer.” Simmer is not just a synonym for cooking, but a specific temperature range, the stage just before boiling when the liquid is in motion but almost no bubbles break the surface; a gentle technique that is useful for cooking not only vegetables, soup and stews, but even large cuts of meat. It helps to break down the fibers in the meat. You need a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan. I did some research and found other references to “simmer in the oven…” including one that says “too high a heat and the casserole will boil, and a ‘simmer’ that is closer to a boil will result in tough, dry meat.’”

Shirley Maples’ Hamburger Dish from New Vision’s Feeding the Flock. You will need a pound of hamburger, a box of Au Gratin potatoes, a can of mushroom soup, and a can of French Fried onions, then bake it at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Treasures and Pleasures, from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka, offers Kathy King’s Barbecue Beef which calls for three pounds of beef chuck and is cooked in a Crockpot for three or four hours.

From Charleston Receipts, we have Mrs. Izard’s Baked Hominy. Hominy is the big kernels of field corn, both white and yellow, which are then ground for our familiar morning grits or tortillas. You will see canned hominy in the grocery store which is the only way I have ever used it. Bake it in moderate oven until done.

Mushroom Newburg from Savannah Style is cooked in a skillet. You will need 1-1/2 pounds of whole mushrooms that you will cook in butter with onions and lots of other goodies on the stove. You can opt for using shrimp instead of mushrooms. The recipe says to serve this concoction over toast points but the recipe screams at me, “Serve me over rice.”

Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites shares Okra Creole. You will need a pound of frozen okra, a cup of frozen corn, a can of tomatoes and a cup of onion seasoning blend.

I looked up the onion seasoning blend and it is simply packaged frozen chopped sweet onions, crisp celery, green and red peppers and parsley flakes. So you may want to make your own… or not.

From a beloved reader, we have Joyce Lampp’s Lemon Bars. This is one of our favorite dessert recipes.

Please email your recipes to: news@theapopkachief.com or mail them to The Apopka Chief, P.O. Box 880, Apopka, 32704-0880. And send us not only your recipes but ideas for future recipe columns as well.

MRS. E. H. DeSAUSSURE’S

(ELEANOR CHARLTON)

CHICKEN COUNTRY CAPTAIN

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,

a Cookbook by

The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.

2 fryers, cut in pieces

1 bunch parsley (chopped)

4 green peppers (chopped)

2 large onions (chopped)

Cooking oil

1 (No. 2-1/2) can tomatoes

(3-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon mace

2 teaspoons curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 clove garlic (chopped)

Paprika and flour

1/2 box currants

Cooked rice

1/2 pound blanched almonds

Fry parsley, green peppers and onions in cooking oil slowly for 15 minutes. Put this mixture in roaster and add tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, then add garlic. Dredge chicken in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Fry till brown. Lay chicken in the sauce and simmer at 275 degrees in a covered roaster for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add currants a half-hour before serving. Arrange rice on a large platter, pour sauce over this and place pieces of chicken on top. Sprinkle toasted almonds on chicken. Serves 8.

SHIRLEY MAPLES’

HAMBURGER DISH

Recipe from

New Vision Community Church’s,

Feeding the Flock cookbook

1 pound hamburger

1 box French’s Au Gratin Potatoes

2 cups boiling water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

dash parsley flakes

1 small can French fried onions

Brown hamburger, drain and set aside. In greased casserole dish, pour boiling water over potatoes and let stand for 10 minutes. Add 1 can undiluted soup, milk and cheese sauce from Au Gratin package. Add parsley flakes and hamburger, stirring well. Place onion rings on top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

KATHY KING’S BARBECUE BEEF

from 1990 Presbyterian Women

First Presbyterian Church of Apopka

Treasures and Pleasures

3 pounds beef (chuck)

3 green peppers (chopped)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chili powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

2 cups chopped onion

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Add 1 cup of water and simmer 3 to 4 hours. Serve on rolls.

MRS. RALPH IZARD’S

(MISS EMMA WITSELL)

BAKED HOMINY

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,

a Cookbook by

The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.

1-1/2 cups hominy, cooked

1 heaping tablespoon butter

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup corn meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

While hominy is still hot, add butter and eggs beaten very light. Then gradually add milk and when well mixed, add corn meal and salt. The batter should be like thick custard. Pour in deep greased pan and bake in moderate oven (375 degrees). Serves 6 to 8.

MUSHROOM NEWBURG

Recipe from Savannah Style,

a Cookbook by

The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.

1/4 cup butter

1-1/2 pounds medium size

mushrooms

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

1/2 cup sherry

3/4 cup non-dairy creamer

3 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups boiling water

Pinch salt, cayenne, nutmeg

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons water

Parsley

Paprika

In a skillet, melt butter until foamy; add whole mushrooms and chopped onions. Cook until almost tender. Add sherry and simmer one to two minutes. Combine non-dairy creamer and flour; blend into mixture in skillet. Add boiling water and seasonings. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.

Beat egg yolks and two tablespoons water together; blend into skillet mixture and cook an additional minute. Serve piping hot in a chafing dish, garnished with parsley and paprika. Ladle over toast points.

Shrimp may be substituted for the mushrooms

The use of non-dairy creamer instead of cream prevents the possibility of curdling.

OKRA CREOLE

Recipe from

Southern Living All-Time Favorites

3 bacon slices

1 (16-ounce) package frozen sliced okra

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen onion seasoning blend

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Hot cooked rice (optional)

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Cook okra and next 6 ingredients in hot drippings in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Top with crumbled bacon. Serve over rice, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

JOYCE LAMPP’S LEMON BARS

Recipe from reader of

The Apopka Chief and

The Planter newspapers

Crust:

2 cups flour

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

Filling:

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and mix with flour and confectioner’s sugar. Pat mixture into ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mix lemon juice, eggs, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Beat with mixer until foamy. Pour mixture over hot crust. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with confectioner’s sugar.