The Southern Spread
Our culture, our history, our spirit, and our hospitality are some of the ingredients. Southern foods are heavily influenced by African, English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Native-American cuisine, and although most of them are served across the country today, there are foods in the U.S. that are strictly thought of as SOUTHERN. There’s Creole, Lowcountry, and Floribbean, and I’m not sure where fried chicken and deviled eggs fit into the mix, but to be sure, they perform with a southern accent. In “The Southern Spread,” we’re exploring southern foods and traditions.
This Month’s Feature:
Thanksgiving Sides
Why is it that the turkey always gets center-stage on the Thanksgiving table, when the sides clearly steal the show? In all fairness to the turkey, you can’t have a left-over turkey sandwich the next day without the turkey, but, from my personal standpoint, how exciting would the sandwich be without the homemade cranberry sauce, and, maybe a little cornbread dressing thrown on to boot?
The sides are where all the fun and creativity are, and it’s definitely where the participation and the “anticipation” come into play. Everybody has their favorite Thanksgiving side dish, and the holiday wouldn’t be the same without its inclusion.
A typical Southern holiday table might likely offer: cornbread dressing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green beans or green bean casserole, scalloped oysters or oyster dressing, salad (green and/or congealed), homemade cranberry sauce, old fashioned jellied cranberry sauce, Brussel’s sprouts, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, collards, squash casserole, cornbread and/or yeast rolls and biscuits, and of course, pumpkin and pecan pies drenched in whipped cream. Much of the above is what my family and I enjoy, and it generally covers everyone’s Thanksgiving fantasies. It’s a cardiologist’s nightmare, although they probably indulge in much the same thing on this particular holiday.
My personal favorite is the sweet potato casserole, so I’m including here the recipe our family uses. I like the one with mini marshmallows on top too, and it’s the one I remember from early childhood, but this is definitely my preference.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Ingredients
3 Medium sweet potatoes
¾ stick butter
Milk
1 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Orange zest to taste
Salt to taste
Ingredients for Topping
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup milk
½ stick butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup toasted salted pecans
Salt to taste
Potatoes: Bake the potatoes until tender. Peel, mash, and mix with the butter, brown sugar, and enough milk to make a soupy mixture. Add all seasonings and then cool. After cooling, add eggs and mix well.
Topping: Melt the butter and combine with the sugar and milk. Cook until it’s thick and bubbly. Cool. Add vanilla and beat well. Put topping on potatoes, sprinkle with pecans. Reheat in 400* oven until bubbly. Serves 6-8
Collards are a southern staple, and they’ve gained popularity because of their versatility. They’re often cooked with smoked ham hock, cooked down for a couple of hours until they’re extremely tender. They’re widely used alongside black-eyed peas and cornbread on New Year’s Day—or any day— and they’re added to bean soup, served with shrimp and grits, and sautéed and served alongside eggs and bacon.
The following recipe is a little bit of a twist on the traditional method of preparation, and it’s a keeper.
COLLARDS
Ingredients:
2 pounds collard greens
4 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Trim thick stems from collard greens; coarsely chop leaves. In a Dutch oven, sauté bacon for 3 minutes. Add onion; cook 10 minutes more or until the onion is tender and the bacon is crisp. Add the greens and cook just until they’re wilted.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until greens are tender, but not as much as they would be in the traditional method.
Thanksgiving is an uncomplicated holiday. It’s about family, friends, thankfulness, and FOOD, and maybe the reason the turkey is the star of the holiday table is that it’s the healthiest thing on the menu.
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