Misc. Recipes

A couple weeks ago, on my way back to Forsyth from Spokane, I went through Helena so I could see my brother. We had a nice visit and while I was there he gave me three cookbooks that I did not have. One of them was called “The Treasury of White Trash Cooking.” There are stories to go with some of the recipes and it is quite entertaining to read. I thought I would include a few of the recipes so you could be entertained as well. For you cookbook collectors I would highly recommend this one! What a hoot!

Glennie Nell’s Roast Christmas Possum

1 live possum
1/2 c. vinegar
Kitchen Bouquet
Persimmon jam
5 or 6 slices of bacon
salt
pepper
8 to 10 medium sweet potaters
Now, Christmas possum is different from all other possum. It’s got to be caught, not killed, two weeks to a month before the cookin day. That’s right around late November. You can catch ‘em in the hen house, or up a ‘simmon tree or in a trap. It don’t make no never mind, long as he’s caught live, cause they got to be penned up so you can clean ‘em out. Feed ‘em nothin but corn bread and milk. That’ll fix ‘em up, fatten ‘em out, and get rid of all them no-good flavors. This makes possum as good as corn-fed pig. Then, when the time comes, kill ‘em quick, skin the rascal an git shed of all the insides.
Now you got a possum ready for cookin. Sink ‘em in a ‘namel dish pan or basin and make sure he’s good an covered. Then add a half cup of vinegar and let it soak in the icebox overnight. In the morning drain off the water and cut up the possum into rabbit pieces. Thata way the city folks’ll never know they eatin possum. An I’m a tellin ya it works. Boil the possum pieces in enough salted water until it’s done, but not fallin off the bone. This timin depends on the age of the possum. Sometimes it’s ready in a hour, other times it’ll take two. When it’s done, fish out the pieces and drain ‘em. That’ll git ridda just about all the possum grease. When it’s cool, so you can handle it, rub the rabbit-size possum pieces with salt and black pepper. Plenty. Then make a mixture of Kitchen Bouquet and half a jar of persimmon jam. I always make my jam just after the fist frost cause then it’s sweeter, that is, if the possums ain’t done et ‘em all. Just a teaspoon or two of the Kitchen Bouquet and stir it into the jam. Now, if you ain’t got persimmon jam, any light tastin one’ll do. Smear the stuff all over the pieces until you’ve got ‘em coated good. Lay on four or five slices of salt pork or bacon and surround it with ya greased sweet potaters. Put it in a hot oven at 350 degrees and roast, covered, for thirty minutes. Then uncover it and cook till it’s sizzlin browned but never burned (about another thirty minutes). Spoon the juice up on it every few minutes while it’s uncovered. I don’t think I know a soul that don’t surround their possum with sweet potaters, cause it takes just about a good hour for ‘em to bake. Be extry shore ya possum is done. They ain’t nothing in the world worst than bein accused of servin half-baked possum.
Now I will have to say that my grandmother used to make and you can also buy it at Van’s IGA.

Pickled Pig’s Feet

1 t. whole clovers
4 bay leaves
4 c. white vinegar
1 T. salt
1 t. sugar
1 large onion, sliced
1 hot green pepper, whole
Black pepper, to taste
Take all four feet. Clean and scrap ‘em till they spotless. Put in a pot and cover ‘em with salted water and boil ‘em until the meat is ready to come away from the bone. But don’t let it. Don’t forget to clip off the hoofs. In a pot go ahead and mix the vinegar, cloves, bay leaves, salt, sugar, onion, hot green pepper and black pepper. Cook to a boil for 20 or 30 minutes. Add 2 cups of the foot juice to the vinegar and stir. Put your feet in a jar so as they stand, if you can, and pour the vinegar over them. Cover and let ‘em sit in the icebox for 3 days to a week. The longer the better.
The following recipe reminds me of the succotash that my mom used to make. We always had a garden and she would let some of the green beans stay on the vine until they were very large; then we would split them open like we did the peas and combine them with the corn. I’m sure you could use the following recipe and substitute the beans for the okra, if you didn’t have okra.

Okra Succotash

3 c. okra
1/3 lb. bacon
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1 T. garlic, minced
2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1 c. corn
salt to taste
Boil and drain your okra to get the slime off. In a large skillet, brown the bacon. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic. Now mix in the okra and stir. Next, throw in the tomatoes, corn, and salt. Succotash should simmer on low for about an hour.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4-6 green tomatoes
2 T. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 T. butter
1 T. oil
Slice the green tomatoes about 1 1/2 inch thick. Mix the sugar, flour, and bread crumbs together and place the mixture in a shallow bowl. Dip both sides of the tomato slices in the dry mixture. Next, in a separate bowl, combine the milk and egg. Dip the tomato slices in this mixture and once more in the dry mixture. Heat up your butter and oil in an iron skillet and fry your tomatoes to a golden brown on both sides.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 c. sweet potatoes, mashed
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. mandarin oranges, drained
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
Combine the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, slat, and cinnamon. Whip them with a mixer until fluffy. Then fold in the oranges and marshmallows. Bake the casserole in a greased casserole dish for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Print this post