Barbecue Ribs and Sauce from Emily Meggett’s recipe comes from her book, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. This treasure is done right in your kitchen! No trudging to the back yard to get the grill or smoker going.
Charles Pyburn, a long-time reader here in the neighborhood, has agreed to share his recipe for Potato and Leek Soup. He says, “When we visited Ireland in 2014, we ate at many pubs, and potato and leek soup seemed to be a staple in many of them. There were several versions, of course. I talked with a cook in one of the establishments while in Dublin, and this recipe is from one of our favorites. The fellow’s recipe called for using parsnips which I did not particularly like, so when I make my soup, I eliminate them.” You may need to add salt to taste.
We have Mrs. Meggett’s Biscuits from Scratch from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. She says, “Biscuits take practice, so if the texture isn’t right on the first try, try it again. When you’re rolling the biscuit dough, don’t fool with the dough too much. It will make them come out tough. You want to mix and roll the dough just enough so it’s combined, but not overly prepped. The number of biscuits from this recipe depends on the size of the cutter (18 to 20 for a small cutter, 9 or 10 for a large cutter).”
We found a great recipe for Spinach Salad from Allison Chase in New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock. Spinach is not only good for your constitution, it is a favorite of many of our readers.
Here is an Apple Sauce Cake recipe from The Original Country Cookbook, a little soft-cover recipe book I have loved and used for many years. This is one of those goodies you can go to for any occasion. It’s kind of an old-fashioned favorite for sitting around having coffee with a friend or for when you take a time-out.
EMILY MEGGETT’S BARBECUE RIBS AND SAUCE
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
2 slabs baby back ribs
1 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning salt, to taste
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 lemon, sliced
1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. 2) In large, heavy-bottomed pot, precook the ribs with the celery, onion, bell pepper, seasoning salt, and vinegar in 2 quarts of water for 35 to 45 minutes over medium heat, until the bones are just slightly peeking out, and the meat easily slides or peels off the bone. Remove the ribs from the stock and save 1-1/2 cups of the liquid. Save the chopped celery, onion, and bell pepper. Set aside. 3) Place the ribs in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan, uncovered. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off the grease. (Leave the oven on.) With a fork, mash the celery, onion, and bell pepper. 4) In a medium saucepan, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, mashed vegetables, and reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, pour over the cooked ribs. Place the lemon slices on top of the ribs. Cover. Return the ribs to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
CHARLES PYBURN’S POTATO AND LEEK SOUP
Recipe from Reader of The Apopka Chief Newspaper
Equipment:
Large stock pot or Dutch oven to cook in
Large crock pot to simmer
Blender preferable or a food processor
Ingredients:
2 large stalks of leeks
2 large baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks and set aside
2 large sweet onions
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
4 cloves garlic
1 pint heavy whipping cream
4 cubs chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon white pepper
Whole milk, as needed
Chives or green scallions to garnish and season
Optional – 2 to 4 slices cooked bacon chopped, to taste
Directions:
1) In a sink of cold water, trim off the leek root, if present. Slice the leek stalks longways and peel the white back and thoroughly wash (leeks tend to get dirty). 2) In a large soup pot or Dutch oven on low heat, place the butter to melt. 3) Chop the leek, only using the white and slightly green parts. 4) Peel the baking potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. 5) Dice the onions and four garlic cloves. Add to the soup pot. 6) Cook on medium-low heat, stirring until the leeks and onion get tender. 7) In a separate pot, add the cut-up rinsed potatoes and add enough water to cover. Cook at boiling until you can insert a fork, with some resistance. When done, drain the potatoes. 8) After leeks and onion are softened, add the cooked, drained potatoes and enough chicken stock to cover. 9) Cook the soup on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add any remaining chicken stock to help cool. 10) In batches, process in blender until smooth and the texture you want. Add to crock pot. 11) After soup is in the crock pot, slowly stir in the whipping cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can add in the whole milk to get the consistency that you want. Simmer on low for a few minutes to get to serving temperature.
EMILY MEGGETT’S BISCUITS FROM SCRATCH
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 large egg
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste
1-1/2 cups milk, whole or 2 percent
3-1/3 cups self-rising flour, preferably White Lily, plus more as needed, plus 1 cup for the counter and shaping
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) In a mixing bowl, using a spoon, mix together the Crisco, egg, and sugar until smooth. Add sugar according to desired sweetness. 3) Stir in the milk until the Crisco mixture is broken up a bit, then stir in the 3-1/2 cups flour. Mix until just combined. 4) Use the remaining flour for dusting the countertop, biscuit cutter, and dough. Sprinkle 1/3 cup evenly onto the countertop where the biscuits will be rolled out. Scrape the dough onto the flour, then sprinkle 1/3 cup on top of the dough so it will not stick to your hands. Pat the dough with your palms into a slab about 3/4 inch thick. Put 1/3 cup flour in a small bowl or a pile on the side to dip the biscuit cutter into. 5) Dip a biscuit cutter or the top of a small cup into flour. Cut biscuits and place on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving just a bit of dough between each cut (Use a metal spatula to transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheets, if necessary. They will be very delicate.). 6) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
ALLISON CHASE’S SPECIAL SPINACH SALAD
Recipe from New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock
1 bunch spinach, washed and torn
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and cut in pieces
1 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup sugar (less, if desired)
1/3 cup catsup
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 grated onion
Mix and serve.
APPLE SAUCE CAKE
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup raisins
2 cups apple sauce
1 cup nut meats of your choice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream sugar and butter together. Add raisins, apple sauce, and nutmeats. Sift flour, spices, and soda together and add to mixture. Gradually beat after each addition. Bake in 375-degree oven for 30 minutes.
