Mrs. Meggett has a recipe for Chicken Perloo in her Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. She says, “Many of the one-pot rice dishes in the Lowcountry and the South can trace their origins back to west Africa. There’s jollof rice in West Africa, jambalaya in Louisiana, and here in the Lowcountry? We’ve got red rice and chicken perloo. Chicken perloo has a lot of the same European and African cooking styles you find in dishes like Spanish paella and Ghanaian jollof rice. However, tender chicken, broth, and perfectly fluffed rice make this a true Lowcountry dish.”
From our friends in Plains, Georgia, we are going to savor a couple of the recipes they have shared in the Plains Pot Pourri, which the Plains Jr. Woman’s Club published in 1977. Their Junior Pledge states: “I pledge my loyalty of junior clubwoman by doing better than ever before, what work I have to do, by being prompt, honest, courteous; by living each day, trying to accomplish something, not merely to exist.” It states on the membership page: Honorary Member; Mrs. Jimmy Carter. We feel honored to have been the recipient of this lovely book of recipes so many years ago. There is a note that says, “This book came from Glenn and Geraldine Woodward.” As I recall when they gave us the book, they mentioned they were former residents of the Plains area.
Mrs. Morris’ Crockpot Roast ‘n Noodles from Plains Pot-Pourri takes six hours in the slow cooker and is terrific for the busy person who wants to have a lovely meal at the end of the day. You only need to add the noodles at the end of cooking, and that might take another 15 minutes.
From the book, Field to Feast, we have a wonderful fresh salad using baby greens, strawberries and lime vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Gary Wishnatzki, third generation owner of Wish Farms, who is the grandson of Russian immigrant Harris Wishnatzki, a fruit and vegetable pushcart peddler in 1920s New York City. The summarization of this recipe says: “The citrusy tang of lime vinaigrette is a great match for the sweet strawberries. If you don’t like blue cheese, you can swap it for soft goat cheese, or leave it out altogether.”
From Savannah Style, try the black bean soup. They instruct us to “use only a wooden spoon for stirring.” I don’t know why and have tried looking it up. Does anyone out there reading this know why they say to “use only a wooden spoon for stirring.”
Dianne Barfield contributed a recipe for Jumbo Raisin Cookies to Plains Pot-Pourri. It sounds delicious and will probably make a pretty large recipe.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
CHICKEN PERLOO
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
6 tablespoons bacon grease or
vegetable oil
1/2 pound salt pork, cut into
1-inch chunks
1 cup roughly chopped onion
5 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon Nature’s Seasons
(Morton’s Nature’s Seasons
Seasoning Blend)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 pound cooked chicken thighs,
skin removed and roughly chopped
2-1/2 cups long-grain white rice,
unrinsed
1) In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease or oil over high heat. Once the grease or oil is shimmering, add the salt pork and cook on high heat for 1 minute. Pour the remaining bacon grease or oil into the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the salt pork for about 5 minutes, until browned. 2) Once browned, remove the salt pork from the pot and set aside. Leave enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and fry for 1 minute. Return the cooked salt pork to the pot and cook the onion and salt pork together over low heat for about 5 minutes, until onion just darkens. 3) Add the broth, Nature’s Seasons, and poultry seasoning and bring to a boil. 4) Once boiling, ad the chicken. Cook for about 2 minutesn, then add the rice. Adjust the heat to medium-low and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. 5) If using a steamer, transfer the rice mixture to the top of the steamer, cover and steam over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until done. If you’re using the regular pot, continue to cook the rice mixture on medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all of the broth. Once done, stir the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.
MRS. KAYE MORRIS’
CROCK POT ROAST ‘N NOODLES
Recipe from PLAINS POT POURRI,
Food Favorites of Plains, GA
2- to 3-pound beef roast
1 can Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 soup can of water
4 ounces uncooked noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Put seasoned roast, after being browned on each side in a frying pan, into the crock pot. Pour soup over the roast and add the water. Cover and cook on high until it comes to a good simmer. Turn to low and cook for 4 to 6 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, add noodles to BOTTOM of crock pot and cook on high.
GARY WISHNATZKI’S
BABY GREENS WITH
STRAWBERRIES AND LIME
VINAIGRETTE
Recipe from
Field to Feast, by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and Heather McPherson
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
8 cups lightly packed baby greens
1 pint strawberries, stemmed
and sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
6 tablespoons toasted and
chopped pecans
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
6 tablespoons crumbled cooked
bacon
1) Whisk together oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside. 2) Toss together baby greens, strawberries, and onion. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Top each serving with 1 tablespoons pecans, 1 tablespoon blue cheese, and 1 tablespoon bacon.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Recipe from Savannah Style, a
Cookbook by The Junior League
of Savannah, Inc.
1 pound black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium ripe tomato
1 bay leaf
1/2 medium onion
1/2 medium green pepper
1 garlic clove, unpeeled and crushed
…
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 level teaspoon crushed oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
…
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1) Wash beans and discard imperfect ones. Place in a deep bowl and cover with water 2 inches above beans. Soak overnight. 2) Next day, pour beans into a 3 to 4 quart kettle with the same soaking water. If necessary, add more water so that beans will be covered one inch above. Add to the beans: 2 tablespoons olive oil, whole tomato, bay leaf, 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper, crushed garlic clove. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to moderate, cover and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Use only a wooden spoon for stirring. Remove the bay leaf and what is left of the half onion, tomato, pepper and garlic. 3) In a skillet, heat 1/2 cup olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and green pepper until transparent. Add the garlic, crushed oregano, cumin, wine vinegar and salt. Stir to mix well and cook 2 minutes longer, then add to beans. Stir in hot sauce, cover and cook for a good half hour. Correct seasonings, and add sherry. Serve hot with cooked long grain white rice and raw chopped onions.
JUMBO RAISIN COOKIES
Recipe from PLAINS POT POURRI,
Food Favorites of Plains, GA
2 cups raisins
1 cup water
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup shortening
1-3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
Place raisins and water in saucepan, bring to a boil and boil three minutes. Cool. Do not drain. Mix dry ingredients and sift together. Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in raisins and liquid. Add vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture, blending well. Stir in nuts. Drop from tablespoon two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 2-1/2 dozen large cookies.
