Cooks Books

Aller, Joan E. Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel, 2010.

The Appalachian mountain range follows a northeast to southwest line across Eastern North American and encompasses a large area of the United States from Maine to Alabama.  Known for their beauty and variety, these mountains have been inhabited by a variety of people, ranging from Native American tribes to European and African descendants. This month’s selection, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly, is a compilation of recipes from the Southern Appalachia area and is written by Joan E. Aller, an Appalachian transplant and artist.  

Ms. Aller begins the book with a short history of the area, focusing on the people that settled in Southern Appalachia over several centuries, starting with the first settlers, the Cherokee Native Americans.  The Melungeons - Spanish and Portuguese Muslims, black Africans and finally Scotch Irish and Germans also came to settle these strange and isolated mountains. This diverse physical and cultural landscape created from nature’s bounty a unique cuisine that lent a rustic beauty to hardscrabble Appalachian lives. 
The book starts slow, with breakfast recipes that are neither new nor terribly interesting.  Where this book shines is in highlighting time-honored recipes with cultural influences. Recipes for Fry Bread, Corn Pone and Dandelion Wine are the most intriguing to me. The bread and dessert sections are really the best, although the Country Store section runs a close third with its jams, jellies and pickle recipes. Check out Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly for a taste of the Appalachians. 

Melungeon Friendship Starter and Bread

Starter:

Makes about 4 cups

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

Use a wooden or plastic spoon to combine the sugar, flour, and milk in a large glass bowl.  Cover the bowl loosely with cheesecloth and secure the cloth to the bowl with rubber bands.  Store at room temperature for 17 days, stirring the starter once every day.  Do not stir on the 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, or 21^st day. 

On the 22^nd day, remove the cheesecloth and stir in the following:

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

That day, give 1 cup of starter each to 2 friends and keep the remaining 2 cups for yourself.  To keep the starter going, do not refrigerate the remaining starter.

Bread:

Makes two 9-inch loaves

1 cup starter

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ to 1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup dark raisins

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup chopped apples or dried dates (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease and lightly dust with sugar two 5 by 9 by 3-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine the starter, oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar and mix well.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.  Stir the flour mixture into the starter mixture until just combined.  Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, and apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer or table knife inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Wrap any leftover bread and refrigerate.  It will keep for about a week.

Grandma’s Fresh Table Pickles

Serves 4 to 6

¼ cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbsp sugar

¼ tsp celery seed

Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large cucumbers, sliced

1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped.In a large bowl, blend the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper.  Add the cucumbers and onion and stir to coat.

Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, but preferably longer.  The longer the pickles sit, the stronger the flavor will be.  Transfer, juices and all, to a pretty bowl and serve.