The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery is perhaps the best resource for anyone seeking knowledge about the traditional kitchen. More than just a cookbook, the work collects generations of wisdom about Appalachian foodways, from harvest to preservation, utensils to open fire cooking.
Folklorists and food editors praised the cookbook, originally published in 1984, which the University of North Carolina Press then republished in 1992. Editor Linda Garland Page, one of the original Foxfire students, is former director of the Foxfire Press, and editor Eliot Wigginton, recognized as one of America’s foremost educators, founded the Foxfire program in Rabun Gap, Ga.
The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center is integral to the program’s mission to promote Southern Appalachia’s sense of place and appreciation for local people, community, and culture as essential educational tools.
Sweet Potato Souffle
• 1 c milk
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• ½ tsp sale
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 c cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ¼ c raisins
• ¼ c nuts, chopped
Scald milk. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Add to sweet potatoes. Stir until smooth. Beat yolks and whites of eggs separately. Stir yolks into potato mixture, and then add nutmeg, raisins, and nuts. Fold in stiffly beaten whites and pour into buttered baking dish.
If desired and obtainable, arrange 5 marshmallows over the top. Bake in a moderate (350 degree) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Use as main course or dessert. Yield: 6 servings.
— From The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery
Chowchow
• 1 peck green tomatoes
• 2 large heads of cabbage
• 2 quarts small white onions
• 1 peck string beans
• 2 quarts sweet green peppers
• 2 quarts sweet red peppers
• ¼ c white mustard seed
• 2 oz white or black cloves
• 2 oz celery seeds
• 2 oz allspice
• 1.5 oz yellow mustard seed
• 1 oz turmeric
• 1 lb brown sugar
• vinegar
Chop the tomatoes. Let them stand overnight in their own juice. Drain well. Chop the cabbage, onions, beans, and peppers, mix together, and add the tomatoes, spices, and sugar. Put in a porcelain kettle, cover with vinegar, and cook 3 hours. When cool, seal in jars. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
— From The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery
•••
Okra Cornbread
I could make a whole meal out of buttered cornbread. The addition of vegetables renders this buttermilk cornbread absolutely divine. Except perhaps for fried chicken, cornbread is as close to religion in the South as any food gets. At the top of the list of cornbread sins is adding sugar. You’ll notice a complete lack of sugar in this cornbread recipe. Sugar is more often found in what is referred to scathingly as “Yankee cornbread.” Makes 6-8 servings.
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or corn oil
• 2 c medium-grind cornmeal (not self-rising)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ lb okra, stem ends trimmed, very thinly sliced
• 1 c sweet corn kernels (from about 2 ears corn)
• ½ poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 c buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or baking dish and heat in the oven from 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. Add the okra, corn, poblano pepper, and onion and toss to coat. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
Remove the heated skillet from the oven and pour the melted butter into the batter. Stir to combine, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Slice into wedges and serve warm.
— From Okra, by Virginia Willis, a University of North Carolina Press Savor the South cookbook.