This is a time of the year for good, time-tested and tasty recipes. I know this is a column about Pastime memories, but these are some recipes that will fill that bill. So read on my friends.
Each really good recipe is one that is passed down from grandparent to parents and parent to children.
Somehow, as the years go by, these recipes become more and more special.
By Maylon Rice
As Thanksgiving approaches and Christmas also, I’ll not write about the best way to fry a turkey, or a bake ham or deep fry deer steak or sauté a duck, but I’ll get down into the real side dishes that make the holiday so special.
So, sit back, savor these recipes with a Bradley County flavor.
You can send me some recipes of young family’s best on social media or at the email at the bottom of this Pastime.
Who is to say you won’t see your legacy recipe as a Pastime soon?
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First, a staple and deer camp favorite from, my mom, Mattie Clark. She has not cooked these biscuits in the several years and is today unable to do so. But once upon a time, a good while ago, she was one heck of a biscuit cook, an avid deer hunter, talented nurse, welcome confidant. She is still a great mom.
Thanks to Saline River Chronicle for first posting this article
Deer Camp Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
10 teaspoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
¾ cup whole milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons, if needed
Preparation
Step 1: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal with some pea-size pieces.
Step 2: Using a fork, stir in the milk until just evenly moistened, adding up to 2 more tablespoons, if necessary, but stopping before the dough gets too wet. Scoop the dough into 8 rough mounds (about 1/3-cup each) and place them on the prepared sheets.
Bake the biscuits until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature. (I’ll add, if any are ever left over, they are mighty good cold as well).
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I’ve asked Stephanie Woodard Morgan for a couple of recipes passed down to her from her late mother-in-law, Wickie Word Morgan. She was the wife of Mr. Sonny, and mom of three Warren boys, Cliff, Mike and my classmate Charlie and a fantastic cook.
Miss Wickie, as I called her, hailed from the Arkansas delta city of Marianna and could cook some very elaborate and delicious dishes.
Over the years, I’ve sampled her fine cuisine and so I’ve reached out to Stephanie and asked for some of Miss Wickie’s recipes – especially her holiday recipes.
Pineapple Buttermilk Salad
Ingredients:
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 (six ounce) package of orange flavored gelatin
2 cups of buttermilk
1 8 ounce Cool Whip
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 ounce packaged unflavored gelatin.
Preparation:
Step 1: Combine the pineapple and sugar in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat when at a boil.
Step 2: Add the gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Let it cool
Step 3: Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Fold in the Cool Whip topping and pecans.
Step 4: Spoon the mixture into a 12 x 8 x 12 inch dish. Chill until it is firm
Cut the salad into squares and serve.
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Asparagus Casserole
This very well, for me, was my introduction to a long and happy existence with eating asparagus, that continues until today. From the kitchen of Ms. Wickie Morgan.
Ingredients:
3 16 ounce cans of Del Monte asparagus spears (drain 2, save 1 can of juice)
2 ounces of cut up Velveeta cheese
18 cracked saltine crackers
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 little bit of melted butter
Preparation:
Step 1: Heat the saved can of asparagus juices, the can of mushroom soup and the cut up Velveeta cheese until Velveeta is melted and mixed in.
Step 2: stir in half of the crushed saltine crackers – into the heated mix.
Step 3: Cut the drained 3 cans of asparagus spears into 1/3’s and fold them into the liquid and cracker mixture, pouring the mix into a 9 x 12 inch casserole dish.
Step 4: Sprinkle the remaining cracker crumbs on top and drizzle a little of the butter on top. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: In a preheated oven, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and light brown as the dish is uncovered.
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Serve warm or you can freeze and thaw to serve hot at a later time.
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On this day, near Thanksgiving and especially this year of 2024 , I am ever so thankful for everyone’s kind comments on these Pastimes of our beloved hometown of Warren.
I am also so thankful for all the many friends, both my age and older adults that love to cook and loved to see people appreciate their food.
If anything, in these very stressful time, is to come of out this Pastime, talk to your parents (if you got them), siblings, friends and the younger folks at your home about the love so many have poured into food to sustain us all – especially during the holidays.
Share your recipes with one another.
And share your memories of the recipes.
But most of all share some love this holiday.
That is a Pastime you will not forget, but savor as these recipes, I’ll wager.
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Send me a recipe but tell me who it is from and why you have it and what it means to you, to [email protected]
Happy Thanksgiving 2024 everyone.
