We can thank our editor’s wife’s mother for her gift to us of this book titled Savannah Style. The Oyster Stew recipe below, which comes from this book, is really easy. If you can find freshly-shucked oysters, they are the best. If not, look for shucked oysters packed in water in your grocery store’s seafood section. You can actually freeze oysters and they’ll keep for about six weeks. Make sure you get your fresh oysters in a month with an “R” in the month’s name. Be careful not to let the milk scorch on the bottom or even get to the boiling point, and do not overcook the oysters. You can cook your oyster stew in a double boiler if you have the patience.
Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites has a fried catfish recipe that looks pretty good. Get that big black cast-iron skillet out and make it feel “loved” again.
Connie Polanshek’s Cantonese Meatballs served over rice is, simply said… wonderful. It is colorful and festive and delicious. This dish is shared in The Book of Morris Family Recipes.
Mary Jo Goodwin shares her Zucchini/Eggplant Creole in Treasures and Pleasures published by First Presbyterian Church of Apopka. This dish looks lovely, and Mary Jo says you can prepare it the day before you want to bake and serve it.
From The New York Times NEW Natural Foods Cookbook, by Jean Hewitt, we have Black Bean Soup. This recipe makes six to eight servings. Start the night before by soaking the beans overnight. You also need to puree the beans after cooking, which is kind of a pain in the neck, but, it seems to be less apt to produce uncomfortable gas when pureed and the soup is more pleasant to eat.
From our friends in Plains, Georgia’s Plains Pot Pourri, we have Mrs. Teressa Smith’s Homemade Ice Cream. This is a frozen treat, but it is probably frozen custard, not ice cream, because ice cream doesn’t include eggs. This will be a denser, richer dessert than ice cream. You can use any fruit you like, just mash it up.
OYSTER STEW
Recipe from Savannah Style,
a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.
1/2 cup water
1 small white onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 pint stewing size oysters
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint Half-and-Half
Pour 1/2 cup water into medium size saucepan. Add onions and celery and boil until slightly tender. Add oysters and cook until oysters curl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat and add butter. Pour in 1 pint of Half-and-Half.
FRIED CATFISH
Recipe from Southern Living’s
All-Time Favorites
6 (4- to 6-ounce) catfish fillets
2 cups milk
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Garnish: lemon wedges
Place catfish fillets in a single layer in a shallow dish; cover with milk. Cover and chill 1 hour. Combine cornmeal and next four ingredients in a shallow dish. Remove catfish fillets from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove from milk, allowing excess to drip off. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Dredge catfish fillets in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Pour oil to depth of 1-1/2 inches into a large skillet. Heat to 350 degrees. Fry fillets in batches about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on wire racks over paper towels. Garnish, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
CONNIE POLANSHEK’S
CANTONESE MEATBALLS
Recipe from Book of
Morris Family Recipes
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can (13-1/2 ounce) pineapple chunks, drained with liquid set aside
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
3/4 cup celery, chopped into chunks
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
Almonds
Mix together ground beef, chopped onion, breadcrumbs, and evaporated milk. Mix liquid drained from pineapple with vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Blend cornstarch with water and add to pineapple liquid mixture. Pour over browned meatballs. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter. Add vegetables and pineapple and cook for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with almonds if desired. Serve over rice.
MARY JO GOODWIN’S ZUCCHINI/EGGPLANT CREOLE
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka,
Treasures and Pleasures
3 to 4 zucchini
1 medium to small eggplant
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 medium to small onion
1 small green pepper (optional)
2 stalks celery
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Olives
Parmesan cheese or buttered bread crumbs
Wash and slice zucchini. Cook in salted water until just tender. Drain. Pare, slice, and cut the eggplant into small cubes. Cook as above. Do not let either vegetable get mushy. Slice onion, dice pepper and celery; saute in butter until tender. Add flour and mix. Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar and cook until thickened. Arrange zucchini, eggplant and sautéed vegetables in buttered casserole. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables. Slice a few olives over the top. Cover with Parmesan cheese or buttered bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (Better if prepared the day before and baked the day of serving.)
BLACK BEAN SOUP
THE NEW YORK TIMES NEW
NATURAL FOODS COOKBOOK
Copyright 1982 by Jean Hewitt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
1-1/2 cups black beans, picked over, washed and soaked overnight
6 cups homemade vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons brewer’s yeast
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1/2 cup lemon juice
Dry sherry to taste, optional
Lemon slices
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
1. Heat the oil in a heavy kettle and sauté the onion and celery until tender. Add the drained beans and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. 2. Puree in the container of an electric blender or food processor in batches, with the salt, pepper to taste, brewer’s yeast, flour, and celery seeds. 3. Return the pureed soup to the kettle and reheat, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in the lemon juice and sherry. If the soup is too thick, it can be thinned with more broth or water. Serve in bowls, topped with lemon slices, chopped egg, and onion. Yield: Six to eight servings.
MRS. TERESSA SMITH’S
HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
Recipe from Plains PotPourri,
Food Favorites of Plains, GA
4 to 6 eggs, depending on size
1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon flavoring, almond or vanilla
1 can condensed milk
2-1/2 cups mashed fruit
Milk, enough to fill ice cream freezer
Beat eggs, add sugar and enough milk to mix thoroughly. Cook until steamy, stirring to prevent sticking. Add condensed milk, fruit, flavoring and enough milk to fill freezer. Freeze with hand crank or electric freezer.
