According to the Tennessee Wildlife Research Agency’s website, “dove are the most hunted and the most harvested migratory game bird in North America. There are about 450 million birds in the continental population. The overall harvest in the U. S. is 45 million birds. In Tennessee, some 100,000 dove hunters harvest an estimated 2 million or more doves annually.”

Talk about a “renewable resource”…. at the present time, hunters are not keeping up with the reproduction rate of the mourning dove.  A liberal limit of 15 birds per day in Tennessee is proof of their stability.

Tips for Handling and Preparing Dove:

-Clean dove and chill the meat as soon as reasonably possible. (Too often hunters put their bagged doves in an unventilated game vest, sit in the sweltering September sun, wait hours to clean their birds and then wonder why the meat has a strong taste.)

-In the field, keep doves in the shade, or even better in a cooler.

-Once the dove are clean, I like to place them in the refrigerator and let them sit overnight in a brine (salt water).  A friend recently suggested adding sugar and pepper corns to the brine.  I tried it with the last limit of doves with good results.

-For best results, prepare dove fresh before freezing.

-If freezing is needed, I like to place the dove in a zip lock back and then fill with water to reduce the chance for freezer burn.

-There are many good ways to cook dove.  My favorite is wrapped in bacon and grilled to medium.  This last batch of doves I experimented and cooked them like I would liver and onions.  I de-boned the breast and cooked in a skillet with onions, salt and pepper and then served on rice.  It was awesome!

Post and Pictures by Peter

The post Dove – Excellent Eating appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

One of the joys of summer is being able to walk out to the garden and literally “pick” what you want for supper!  We have found that okra grows easily here in the south and we make sure we plant plenty of it.  We like to use okra in gumbos and stewed with cherry tomatoes, but my favorite way to cook it is covered in cornmeal and fried.

My mom makes the best fried okra, period.  Growning up fried okra was considered a treat!  I learned how to make it by simply watching her cook.  Its simple and there really is no recipe… but I tried to put some measurements down as a guideline and starting point.  Feel free to experiment and adjust measurements…  that’s the fun of cooking!

Sunshine loves for me to cook fried green tomatoes in the summertime… so I had the idea of combining the okra and green tomatoes and cooking them together.  The result was two thumbs up and we’ve been eating them together like this for years!

2 cups of sliced okra pods
1 green tomato
1 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt
pepper

Start by picking (or buying) a mess of okra and green tomato(s).  Wash the okra and the green tomato in cool water.

Slice the green tomato up into bite size pieces.  Most people like to slice green tomatoes for frying and we do too, but for this dish we cut into bite size to match the okra.  Next, cap the okra and slice into 1/2″ pieces.

Next, pre-heat a skillet on medium high and add oil.  While the skillet is pre-heating, put your cornmeal and sugar into a ziplock bag.  Add the okra and green tomato and shake to make sure all is well coated.

Make sure the oil is good and hot, but not smoking before adding okra and tomatoes.  Once the skillet is ready, add okra and green tomatoes and fried until golden brown.  I have found it best to stir and turn the vegetables only a few of times to prevent knocking off the cornmeal.

Once golden brown, remove the okra and green tomato and let drain on a plate with several layers of paper towels.  As soon as you remove it from the oil give it a shake of salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

post by Peter, pictures by Sunshine

The post Fried Okra with Green Tomatoes appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Just last week a dear friend told me that she has been entertaining a ton this summer because it’s so easy!  I get it … it’s nice out, it’s not complicated to feed a crowd, the kids can run and play and it stays light for hours after dinner.  It’s a party on the patio, no house cleaning necessary.

This weekend we put together venison and vegetable kabobs.  So beautiful, healthy, fun and perfect for a crowd.

Our marinade of choice is always Dale’s.  And we found that no other seasonings were necessary.  The vegetables soak up a bit of the sauce and juices while grilling so they are deliciously flavorful as well.  Cook until the meat is medium-rare and the vegetables are tender, flipping occasionally.

He’s got the meat, I’ll get the melon.  Come on over.

post and pictures by Sunshine 

The post Summertime Meal – Grilled Venison Kabobs appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

We love this quick and simple souffle and think that once you try it you’ll be nuts about it too!  Thanks to my sister-in-law, Meredith, (again) for another great recipe!

Southern Zucchini Souffle
3 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
1 small chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 lightly beaten eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter

What to do: After grating zucchini, squeeze with a paper towel to remove some of the excess liquid.  Then combine all ingredients except butter and mix well.  Pour zucchini mixture into a 9×13 well-greased pan.  Drizzle melted butter over the top and then bake at 350 for 35 minutes until a knife comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Tips: The souffle will be puffed up when you pull it out of the oven and then will fall after about 5 minutes.  Don’t panic!  This is supposed to happen.

What’s a souffle? A soufflé is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert.  Thank you Wikipedia!

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Southern Zucchini Souffle appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

We picked at one of our favorite farms, with some of our favorite friends.  It takes a bit of winding through the back hills of Tennessee to get to this place, but the long drive and the glorious scenery are a major part of the experience for us.  On our drive to Valley Home Farm, Decker John actually said, “Mama, it’s so pretty in these valleys that I almost want to cry.”  Oh!  Melt my heart.

In our family, the golden standard for Strawberry Jam is the basic Sure-Jell freezer jam.  It’s not complicated, it’s not fancy, but it’s what we grew up on and it captures the sweetness of these ripe red berries exactly the way we like them.

As a newlywed, I had the great joy of living only a few hours away from my grandmothers.  Every spring for several years I would bring my fresh picked berries to my Mamaw’s house in Winston-Salem, and we would spend a day making jam.  We made enough for me and for her and a few extra jars to give away.  I love that she taught me exactly how to chop and smash the berries, that she emphasized the importance of stirring the Sure-Jell on the stovetop for exactly one minute as the directions said, and I love that when I spread my biscuit with jam I always think of her.

Legend has it, that I was given a taste of strawberry jam from the fingertip of this special lady during my first week of life!  No wonder I love it so.

Are berry picking and making jam family traditions for you?  

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Strawberry Jamming appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Right now we are only picking about 4 spears each day.  So they wait in a glass of water in the fridge until we have enough to cook for the family.

Once you’ve planted and waited for your asparagus bed to mature for harvesting, what is so fun about this vegetable is that it will produce shoots daily.  I’ve heard that during the peak of summer it’s possible to need to cut shoots twice a day just to keep up with the growth!

Sometimes we roast our asparagus in the oven, but when it’s fresh from the garden, all I want to do is enhance it’s naturally bright taste by just barely steaming it.  Amazing, and delicious.

Fresh Asparagus
asparagus stalks with woody stalks trimmed off
olive oil spray
kosher salt
What to do: Place washed and trimmed stalks in a pan and spray lightly with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle salt over stalks and then add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan. Bring water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and allow asparagus to simmer about 5 minutes until bright green and easily pierced with a fork. The trick is to cook it until the stalks are tender, but still firm and to stay far away from overcooking or letting the stalks become “bendy” or “mushy.”

Would you believe me if I told you that this little lady cleared the plate by herself!?
  

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Worth the Wait – Asparagus appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

We start by soaking these turkey tenders in beer for a solid 4 hours.  Once soaked, patted dry and dredged in an egg wash, we coat them in flour + seasonings and fry them up!  Nothing fancy – but plenty good!

If you are unable to use your turkey fresh, we recommend soaking it in salt water in the refrigerator for a day  before freezing.

The full recipe for this golden goodness is below…

Wild Turkey Tenders
4 Turkey Tenders – trimmed
1 Bottle of Beer
Egg
Milk
Vegetable Oil
Flour
Salt and Pepper

What to do: Marinate turkey tenders in beer for 4 hours, then remove tenders and pat dry.  Next, place tenders in egg wash and then coat in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper.  Place coated tenders in a pre-heated skillet with oil.  Make sure oil is hot, but not yet smoking.  Cook until golden brown on both sides and ensure that meat is cooked all the way through.

Tip: You can kick this recipe up a notch by adding some sausage gravy!

This recipe can be used for any part of the turkey.  We typically slice the turkey breast into serving size pieces and follow the same instructions.

post and pictures by Peter

The post Fried Turkey Tenders appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

I like to keep my chicken salad simple and then top it with spinach and tomatoes, or thinly sliced apples for some crunch. I prefer the fresh taste that sour cream and ranch give this recipe, and skipping on the mayo saves a few calories too! This recipe is great scooped up on crackers too for an afternoon snack.

Chicken Salad
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
3/4 cup sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix

What to do: Mix together and refrigerate until ready to serve. Chill until ready to use.

Most Southern cooks will have their own version of this sandwich spread. Cucumbers are so clean and refreshing and like the chicken salad, I like to keep it simple so that the cucumber flavor can shine through! Forget your healthy instincts when making this sandwich, I’m a believer that cucumber sandwiches must be served on white bread.

Cucumber Spread
2 large cucumbers, peeled and cored to remove seeds
1/2 onion chopped
8 ounce package cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dill

What to do: Place cucumber, onion and cream cheese into a food processor and mix. Stir in seasonings. Chill until ready to use.

by Sunshine

The post Spring Sandwiches appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Venison is remarkably low in fat, which makes it a much healthier red meat option.  The absence of the juicy fat means that this meat needs to be cooked carefully, overcooking will ruin it!  Whenever we’ve heard someone say they’ve tried venison and didn’t like it, our first thought is that they probably overcooked the meat.  Venison steaks need to be cooked no more than medium, with a pink center.

For those that are not sure they like venison, here is the dish we would serve to forever change their minds!  We used sliced tenderloins, which are considerably smaller than the backstrips.  Both are excellent choices for this recipe.

During the summer of our wedding engagement, my mom spent some time giving me a crash course in cooking.  I specifically remember one session devoted to cooking meat.  She held up a bottle of marinade and using Vanna White-like hand motions said, “Always have Dale’s in your kitchen!”

Do you use Dale’s?  It’s certainly a favorite of ours when it comes to marinating venison.  The strong and salty flavor of Dale’s can be overpowering when venison is marinaded too long.  We have found that a quick soak, or even brushing it on as the meat grills is just about perfect.

Bacon Wrapped Venison
venison tenderloin or backstrips cuts
bacon, cut strips in 1/2 lengths
Dale’s sauce
toothpicks

What to do: Cut tenderloin into evenly sized medallions about 3/4″ to 1″ thick.  Marinate meat in Dale’s sauce for 30 minutes. Wrap each piece of meat in 1/2 strip bacon and secure with toothpicks. Grill venison medallions on medium heat until bacon is browned and meat is cooked medium rare or medium. Flipping once during cooking, if possible.

It’s a good idea to always serve bacon wrapped tenderloin with potatoes!  Delicious!

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Bacon Wrapped Venison appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Simple, on-hand ingredients make these fun and fast to put together.  The crumb topping really sets these apart and if you leave the peel on your apples you can claim a little fruit serving as well.   Perfect for breakfast or a snack and even sweet enough for dessert, you might start making these every week!

Introducing the apple crumb muffin, courtesy of my sweet Southern sister-in-law, Meredith.

Apple Crumb Muffin
8 ounces sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced Granny Smith apples, peel on

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoon butter

What to do: Mix together sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla by hand. Next combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Add apples to batter and stir until distributed. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Mix together ingredients for topping and cut in butter. Sprinkle topping over all muffins and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 18 regular sized muffins.

Tip: The original recipe called for peeling the apples, using more sugar and less cinnamon. We made a few little tweaks and I think you’ll be perfectly pleased!

pictures and post by Sunshine

The post Apple Crumb Muffins appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Grits are a classic Southern comfort food.  Served simply with butter and salt or dressed up with cheese.  We love our grits topped with grilled shrimp and veggies.  We think you are going to love this version of smokey gouda cheese grits with red bell peppers and bacon… everyone loves bacon!

A true pantry staple.  Grits are simply a more coarsely ground version of cornmeal.  You can purchase grits ‘quick-cooking instant’ style, or you can buy them whole kernel, which take a bit longer to cook.  Look for them in the breakfast aisle beside the oatmeal, or better yet, find a local source that grinds them fresh!  Yummy recipe below…

Gouda Grits & Bacon 
2 cups grits
if using quick-cooking grits: 4 cups milk & 4 cups water
if using whole kernel grits: 5 cups milk & 5 cups water
1 1/2 cup grated smoked gouda cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound bacon

What to do:
Prepare grits by bringing milk and water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, stir in grits, cover pot and turn heat to low. Allow grits to simmer 5 minutes (quick-cook) or 30 minutes (whole kernel). Grits are ready once liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir in cheese, butter, salt and pepper.

In a frying pan, cook bacon strips until crispy. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from pan. Toss in red pepper and saute for 2 minutes before adding onion. Cook pepper and onion until translucent.

Spoon grits onto plate and top with peppers and bacon!  Serves 4

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Gouda Grits & Bacon appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Like many Cajun recipes, this soup starts with a roux.  We’ve included Mandy’s tips for stirring up the perfect roux!

Begin by melting butter on medium heat and stir in flour.  Continue stirring as flour and butter thicken and begin to brown.

Our gorgeous paper bag colored roux!

Add onions and Rotel to roux base.

Saute until onions are tender.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Mandy’s Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Soup
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes (use liquid)
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 pound peeled shrimp
1/2 cup green onions, diced
1 tablespoon parsley
8 ears of corn, cut off kernels and milk the cobb, or
1 can shoepeg (white) corn (do not drain)
2 cans golden corn (do not drain)
2 cans creamed corn

What to do:
Chop onion, set aside.  Make a medium brown roux using butter and flour.*  When done, add onions, saute.  If the consistency is dry or if it seems like it may burn or scorch, go ahead and add the can of Rotel tomatoes.  Add tomato sauce, water, corn and shrimp and simmer for 1 hour.  Add green onions and parsley, simmer 15 minutes, and serve.

Roux*
Ever made a roux before?  If not, we need to touch base on what you will be doing.  A roux is like a gravy; it’s browned flour and is used as a base to thicken soups, stews and gumbos.  It adds a great flavor and adds a nutty aroma.  You CANNOT leave the stove when making a roux.  You must constantly stir the skillet, or it will scorch.  It will take about 10 – 15 minutes for the color to turn and for the roux to be ready.

Melt the butter on medium heat and stir in flour.  Stir constantly!  The mixture will go through a phase where it bubbles and foams a bit.  Once the bubbles have gone away, the mixture will begin to darken.  The darker the roux the richer and stronger the flavor.  We are going for a medium roux for this recipe, a little darker than a brown paper bag.

Tip: like many soups, it tastes better the next day, so make a day beforehand and store in  the refrigerator.

by Peter, pictures by Sunshine

The post Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Soup + How to Make a Roux appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Honestly, it’s not a good idea to judge a dessert on it’s nutritional value.  It’s not there to give you energy or strength for the day.  It doesn’t have the responsibility of adding nutrients or fiber to your diet.  It’s not a part of the meal for any reason but pure pleasure.  Based on that requirement, this dessert is divine.  Fix it when you need a fast one for a crowd – you don’t want to be left with much of this in your fridge.  It might be worth adding an extra mile to your jog today.  :)

Oreo Heaven Dessert
1 package Oreos
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 16 ounce container Cool Whip
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 6 ounce instant chocolate pudding mix
2 1/2 cups milk

Crush Oreos (they do not need to be finely crushed) and stir in melted butter.  Put 3/4 of Oreo mixture in bottom of a 9′x13′ pan and spread evenly to create a crust.  In your mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until very creamy.  Fold in half of the Cool Whip.  Spread this cream cheese mixture over the Oreo crust.  I find it helpful to drop the cream cheese in large dollops and then gently spread them out with a plastic spatula.  Next, whisk the pudding into the milk until it begins to thicken.  Pour pudding evenly over cream cheese layer.  Pop the pan into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the pudding to chill and set-up.  After pudding is set, gently spread the remaining Cool Whip over the dessert and sprinkle with Oreo crumb topping.  Enjoy!

This dessert is rich!  The 9′x13′ makes enough to feed at least a dozen!

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Oreo Heaven Dessert appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Deer season is over and your freezer is stocked with venison.  Do you sometimes find that the more unusual cuts get lost in the shuffle as ground meat is easier to substitute in beef recipes?  We totally understand as ground and sausage seasoned venison are more common to find in our meals as well.  However, we are here to offer you a fantastic (really one of our very favorite) way to use the cubed steak cut.  (Of course, if your freezer doesn’t happen to be full of venison, you can make this same meal with beef.)

Fun fact: not only is the purple variety of cauliflower so much more fun, and a bit more flavorful, it is full of antioxidants called anthocyanins (which are found in other purple foods like red grapes and blueberries) and make this colorful food even better for you than the typical white vegetable!

Country Fried Steak (Venison)
4 cube steaks (about 6 0z each)
1/2 sleeve crackers (Saltine or Ritz)
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk, plus 1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
salt
pepper

What to do:
If frozen, properly thaw the venison cube steak (don’t microwave).  Rinse meat, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside.  Pre-heat skillet on med high and add oil.  It is important to have the oil hot when you add the meat so you don’t end up with a soggy mess!  Be careful to not have the oil so hot that it is smoking.

Take half a sleeve of crackers and crush them with a fork or potato smasher in a shallow dish.  We have used Saltines and Ritz and both work great.  Do not crush the crackers to a fine powder…leave the cracker crumbs about the size of bread crumbs.  Next add flour and mix together.  In a separate bowl, beat egg and mix with 1/2 cup milk.

Immerse cube steak in egg mixture and then place directly into cracker/flour mixture.  I use my fingers to press the meat into the cracker/flour to ensure all the little cuts in the meat are filled and coated.  Flip the meat over and repeat the process until as much cracker mixture as possible is pressed into meat.

Place meat in the skillet and cook until golden brown and then flip to the other side.  Limit the number of times you flip the meat as the breading will start falling off if you flip back and forth.  Salt and pepper the meat to taste.  Once both sides are golden brown, put on a pan in a 350 oven to finish baking for 15 minutes while you make gravy.
Serves 4

Country Gravy
2 tablespoons drippings
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
salt
pepper

What to do:
Using the same skillet, remove all but about 2 tablespoons of drippings from meat and reduce cooking temperature to medium.  Add 2 tablespoons flour and brown – while stirring and scraping the bottom of pan to ensure it doesn’t burn.  Add milk and continuing stirring and scraping the flour off the bottom to make sure it doesn’t scorch.  Adjust the temperature as needed to help the milk thicken.  If the milk is not thickening, increase the temperature and keep stirring.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Once the gravy is the desired consistency, reduce the temperature to low.  Salt and pepper to taste – we like a lot of pepper!

Roasted Veggies
1 bunch asparagus
1 head purple cauliflower
olive oil
kosher salt

What to do:
Rinse asparagus stalks and trim ends.  Rinse cauliflower head and cut off florets.  Line vegetables in a single layer on a jelly roll pan and drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt.  Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Do not overcook or vegetables will become soggy and lose their beautiful colors!  Same method used for these carrots.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Country Fried Venison Meal appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

I thought I had tasted just about every kind of jerky from beef and buffalo jerky to deer and elk jerky, but this goose jerky was new to me.  After the first sample, I knew Tyler was on to something here.  Goose makes excellent jerky.  And as I thought about it…goose meat has a color and texture that often resembles red meat – so it makes perfect sense to try making some jerky with it!

Here are Tyler’s step by step instructions for making goose jerky that will knock your socks off!

The first thing we are going to need is goose meat.  We have plenty!  Tyler and Josh pictured here with Raven after a successful Tennessee goose hunt!

Clean, wash and pat dry 4 lbs of goose breast meat.  Optional – I like to soak any wild game meat in salt water over night before using.

Cut the goose breast into thin strips – try to be consistent with the thickness.  Make sure you trim off any fat from the meat when making jerky.  Also, try cutting the meat across the grain for more tender jerky.

Mix together the marinade in a large bowl.

Add goose strips and make sure the meat is well coated and submerged in the marinade.  Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day take the marinated goose strips and place in the dehydrator.  The cooking time will vary depending on your dehydrator and the thickness of your strips.  It could take anywhere from 4 – 8 hours.  Keep an eye on it – the jerky is finished when they are completely dry, but not crispy.  Give it a try – it’s a great way to use goose meat!

Tyler’s Goose Jerky
4 pounds goose breast meat
2 Cups teriyaki sauce
2 Tablespoons Tabasco sauce
2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
2 Tablespoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoons meat tenderizer
1 Tablespoons Mrs. Dash
1 Tablespoons Red Pepper

What to do:  
Clean, wash and pat dry 4 lbs of goose breast meat.  Optional – I like to soak any wild game meat in salt water over night before using.  Cut the goose breast into thin strips – try to be consistent with the thickness.  Make sure you trim off any fat from the meat when making jerky.  Also, try cutting the meat across the grain for more tender jerky.  Mix together the marenade in a large bowl.  Add goose strips and make sure the meat is well coated and submerged in the marinade.  Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day take the marinated goose strips and place in the dehydrator.  The cooking time will vary depending on your dehydrator and the thickness of your strips.  It could take anywhere from 4 – 8 hours.  Keep an eye on it – the jerky is finished when they are completely dry, but not crispy.  Give it a try – it’s a great way to use goose meat!

by Peter, pictures and recipe by Tyler Hand

The post Tyler’s Goose Jerky appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Pan Fried Rabbit Tenders
cornmeal and flour
salt
Tony Chachere’s seasoning (or substitute salt and pepper)
oil
rabbit tenderloins

Trim and prepare tenders for frying. Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in large skillet over medium to high heat.  Dredge tenders in cornmeal / flour mixture on both sides until well coated.  Drop into heated skillet.  While cooking, season to taste with either Tony Chachere’s or salt and pepper.  Cook on each side about 2 – 3 minutes until browned and cooked through.  Do not overcook the rabbit.  Like other game meat it dries out easily and becomes tough.  Transfer to paper towels to absorb any excess oil before serving.

………………..

Roasted Carrots
carrots
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
dried dill

Wash and peel carrots.  Place carrots in a single layer in a jelly roll pan or casserole dish.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and dill.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Do not over cook!  These will be tender yet firm, overcooking will cause the carrots to lose their color and begin to dry out.

………………..

Turnip Greens
2 pounds turnip greens
ham hock (or meat of choice)
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Wash a mess of turnip greens and cut through the bunch several times to make them easier for your fork.  Set aside.  Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add a ham hock (or your meat of choice, if meat is uncooked, cook for 30 minutes before proceeding).  Reduce heat to medium and add a chopped onion and the turnip greens into the pot.  It will look like your pot is overflowing, but don’t worry, they will cook down significantly.  Add sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and ginger to the greens.  Cook with the lid tilted for 30 – 45 minutes, or until greens are to desired tenderness.  Taste and adjust seasoning for your personal preference.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Fried Rabbit Meal – Three Recipes appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

We love giving a fresh twist to classics and we are crazy about this spicy black-eyed pea dish from the lovely Paula Deen.  Try it out and let us know if these aren’t the best black-eyed peas you’ve ever tasted!  The only thing we do a little different is to use hog jowl instead of bacon and substitute a spicy instead of mild Rotel.  If you’ve never eaten hog jowl you really must give it a try.  Slice it thin and cook it just like bacon.  I find it to be sweeter and less salty than traditional bacon.  Hog jowl has a great flavor and its a good choice to season any Southern vegetable dish.

Hoppin’ John is a deep Southern variation of this dish that serves black-eyed peas over rice.  So rice or no rice, it’s up to you – but make sure to start the New Year off right and have black-eyed peas for your dinner.

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas or Hoppin’ John 
4 slices bacon (or sliced hog jowl)
1 medium onion chopped
1 16 ounce bag dried black-eyed peas (or field peas)
1 12 ounce can Rotel (mild, medium or hot)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water

What To Do:  
In a large pot, cook bacon until cripsy.  Remove bacon, crumble and save for topping the peas.  Saute onion in the bacon drippings until tender and translucent.  Pour rinsed (but not soaked) peas into pot, then add Rotel, salt, chili powder, pepper and water.  Cover and cook the peas for 1 hour over medium heat until peas are tender.  Top with bacon and enjoy!

Tips: 
Black-eyed peas are lentils and so they don’t need to be soaked overnight or for long periods of time before cooking.  Rinse them well and then toss them in the pot!
Serves 8

post and pictures by Sunshine 

The post New Year’s Spicy Black-Eyed Peas Hoppin’ John appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Credit goes to one of the  South’s fantastic cooks - Emeril Lagasse for this delicious recipe!  We made a few changes to the original recipe, follow along for a step by step guide to our version of Hunter’s Style Duck.

Cut meat into bite size pieces and season in a large pan with oil.

Brown meat on all sides.

Sprinkle with flour and continue stirring for several minutes.

Add vegetables to pan and stir until cooked.

Add garlic and tomatoes.

Add wine and stock to dish, and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

Serve over rice and enjoy the reward of your hunt!

Hunters Style Duck
2 Mallards (or 4 – 5 teal, or 1 domestic duck)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef stock

What To Do:
Cut duck into bite sized pieces.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Once oil is hot, add the duck and brown on both sides.  Sprinkle with the flour and continue to cook, stirring, for several minutes.

Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms.  Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Cook for 4 – 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and tomatoes.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and wine.  Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add the stock and reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 hour.  Serve over rice.  Makes enough to feed 8 hungry men!

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Hunter’s Style Duck appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

These New Orleans Style shrimp are so good my mouth is watering just looking at these pictures – it really is!  They are fiery and buttery and full of flavor!  And you won’t even believe how simple and quick they are to make!

All you need are shrimp, italian dressing, butter, pepper and lemons.  So simple!

Rinse shrimp.

Mix sauce.

Pour sauce over shrimp.

Bake until pink.

You will absolutely want to serve this with a thick slice of hot and toasty french bread – because this sauce is made for dipping!

New Orleans Style Shrimp

2-3 pounds shrimp with shell (fresh or frozen)
1 cup butter
1/4 cup pepper
8 oz italian style dressing
juice of 2 lemons

What to do:  Place rinsed shrimp in large roasting pan, if using frozen shrimp make sure they are completely thawed.  Combine ingredients for sauce and mix well.  Pour over shrimp and make sure they are well coated.  Roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until shrimp are pink.  During last 10 minutes of roasting, pop your bread in the oven to warm – you are gonna want to eat this right away!

Tips: This is a very kicky version, if you want a little less spice then use less pepper or try a Cajun seasoning mix instead.  This sauce recipe can be doubled and used for about 6 pounds of shrimp if you are feeding a crowd!  If the shrimp is your main course you can figure about 1/4 pound of shrimp per person – if it is an appetizer or is being served along with other heavy foods then you can count on each person eating a bit less.  Cooking time may need to be extended if doubling the recipe – 45 minutes for 6 pounds of shrimp.

This recipe came from my Auntie who lives and fabulously cooks in Augusta, Georgia – Home of the Masters and the Tea-Time at the Master’s cookbook – where this recipe originated.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post New Orleans Style Shrimp appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

While this way of baking cornbread may not go all the way back to that first generation of landowners, it certainly goes back many years.  Our host told the story of how she learned to make cornbread as a young woman – while her mother was in the bed with a bad back.  She remembers running back and forth to the bedroom asking if she had the right amount of each ingredient until she learned to make the cornbread on her own.  Today, she still mixes her batter in the same glass and measures them by their depth saying the cornmeal need to be, “right about here…”  Don’t worry, we’ve got the actual measurement of cornmeal for you in our recipe!

While Mrs Kathy makes her cornbread in her mother’s glass cup, often bakes it in her great-grandmother’s mini loaf pans and mixes up her batter by eyeballing and stirring, I began to wonder if it was going to take me years to master this recipe.  I couldn’t believe that her ingredients are almost the same as Martha White’s Southern Cornbread recipe on the back of the cornmeal bag!  So, if the special touch isn’t in the ingredients themselves, what is it that makes this cornbread so delicious?  It’s the order of steps, the cast iron skillet, and the hot bubbling oil she mixes into the batter!

Measure flour and top with egg.

Slowly add milk and stir until smooth.

Pour hot oil from skillet into batter and carefully stir.

Pour the batter into the sizzling skillet.

Bake until golden.

Slice and serve!

While this hot and golden cornbread topped with butter and local molasses is a true treat – it can’t beat spending the afternoon with friends – fellowship and food, it really doesn’t get any better than this!  Thank you Kathy and Beth for opening your home to my daughter and me and for sharing your recipe!  Read on to learn how!

Southern Cornbread (Martha White with a twist!)
1 egg
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 7/8 cup self rising enriched cornmeal

Here’s How:
Pour oil into cast iron skillet and heat in 450 degree oven.  Measure cornmeal into mixing bowl and then top with egg.  Add milk slowly while stirring batter until it is smooth and lumps are gone.  When oil is hot and bubbly, remove skillet from the oven and very carefully pour hot oil into the mixing bowl.  Stir oil into the batter.  (You will hear exciting sizzling sounds and this is when you may start drooling in anticipation of what’s to come!)  Once stirred, pour batter into hot skillet and bake for 20 min until golden.
Makes 8 slices.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Southern Cornbread appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

This week we’ve got a delicious stew that is simple and yummy.  Melt in your mouth venison vegetable stew.  Serve it with Southern Cornbread for the perfect winter meal!

Venison Country Stew
2 pounds of lean venison, cut into bite size morsels
1/2 cup flour
salt, pepper
3 slices of bacon
4 medium potatoes
8 carrots
2 onions
4 celery stalks with leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine

Here’s How: 
Place cubed and trimmed venison in a ziplock bag with flour, salt and pepper.  Shake until well coated.  Cook bacon in a large pan, remove bacon and keep the drippings in the pan.  Brown the floured and seasoned meat in bacon drippings.  You are not trying to cook the meat at this point – only browning the floured sides of each piece.  Transfer meat to greased dutch oven.  To drippings left in the pan, add 2 Tablespoons of flour; brown while scraping to get all of the salt, pepper that was remaining in the pan.  Pour 2 cups water into pan and slowly bring to a boil while stirring to create a gravy for the stew.  Pour gravy over venison, cover and cook at 325 degrees in the dutch oven for 1 hour.  Chop, peel and prepare vegetables.  After stew has cooked for one hour add vegetables, garlic and wine to the dutch oven and gently stir them in.  Add more salt and pepper to stew.  Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours.  More water can be added if additional gravy is needed.
Serves 6.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Venison Country Stew appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

This is our new favorite smoothie - even baby girl asks for “mo.”

Cranberry Clementine (Lime) Smoothie
3 cups ice
2 cups vanilla greek yogurt
1 cup orange juice
3 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1 lime, pulp and juice
1 clementine, peeled (or small orange)

What to do:
Toss items into your blender in the order listed. Put the lid on. Press go!
Makes 4 servings.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Cranberry Clementine Smoothie appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Corn and Potato Soup (With Bacon)
2 32 ounce bags of frozen corn
4 slices of bacon
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded & finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
10 red potatoes, diced
2 15 ounce cans chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

What to do:
Cook bacon in a large pot until browned, then transfer bacon to a plate with paper towels to drain.  Next add onion, jalapeno and garlic to bacon drippings and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for 1 additional minute while continuing to stir.  Add potatoes, corn, broth, half and half to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and let pot simmer about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Stir in tomatoes and heat through.  Serve with bacon crumbled on top.
Makes 10 servings.

Tips!
Sometimes I add diced ham to this soup to make it ever heartier for my dinner crowd!  Afraid of spice?  Don’t worry the pepper in this one only adds flavor – it’s not hot at all!

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Corn And Potato Soup appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Making this gravy (also called sawmill gravy) just exactly right is based on feel and look and taste… and like many family recipes, this is something that has been taught but has never been written down.

Today we’re putting this one on paper (well online really), and we know you can master it!  Step by step instructions and pictures are below.

Express your love with this Southern comfort food and soon your family will be saying….

(image via)

Southern Biscuits and Gravy
1 pound of your favorite sausage (we prefer Odom’s Tennessee Pride Mild)
2 Tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
salt & pepper

With stove turned to medium heat, brown sausage and drain off any excess grease if necessary, keeping about one tablespoon of drippings in the pan.  Sprinkle flour over the browned meat and stir until flour is absorbed.  Next, pour in milk and begin stirring slowly and steadily.  While you are stirring salt and pepper to taste.  At this point it is only a matter of time before the gravy thickens to the perfect consistency… don’t walk away from the stove!  Perfect gravy is thick enough to not be drippy, but thin enough to soak up with a biscuit!  When the gravy is ready, spoon it onto your favorite biscuit and serve right away.  More milk can be added if needed – the gravy will continue to thicken as it rests in the pan.

Tell us, did you grow up on biscuits and gravy too?

The post Biscuits and Gravy appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

 Pumpkin Rice Pudding Recipe
2 cups Arborio ice
4 cups milk
2 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon orange extract or 1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
brown sugar and cream for topping

What to do:
In a large pot bring milk, water, orange juice, orange extract/zest, vanilla, salt and rice to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium/low and cook for 20-25 minutes stirring continually until most, but not all, of liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and ladle half of rice mixture into serving dish.  In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Ladle remaining half of cooked rice mixture into bowl with seasoned pumpkin. Once thoroughly mixed, spoon pumpkin rice over plain rice and spread out evenly in dish.  To serve, top individual bowls with brown sugar and cream.

Serves 8

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Pumpkin Rice Pudding appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

This is a simple family favorite.  So simple in fact, I wouldn’t even call this a recipe, but it’s warm, yummy and just about perfect.

Here’s how:
Coarsely chop about 8 apples keeping the peel on, throw in a pot with about 1 cup of water, cover and let them stew on low to medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.

We like a really good sprinkling of cinnamon, no sugar needed.  This version makes for easy eating for little fingers, spoon or fork optional!  However, for a grown up version try slicing instead of chopping your apples.  This one works in the crock pot too, low setting for about 3 hours.

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Autumn Apples appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

The post Black Bean Stuffed Butternut Squash appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

The post Early Duck Season and a Bowl of Gumbo! appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

The post Dove on the Grill appeared first on Our Southern Roots.