Issue 14

chicory

This plant was first cultivated some 5,000 years ago in ancient
Egypt as a medicinal plant. Ancient cultures like the Greeks and
Romans used the leaves in salads. It was brought here with
European settlers and is now considered a weed in most places.

Chicory is most well-known for its relationship with coffee. The
root is often ground and added to coffee to enhance its flavor
profile, and during the Civil War, it was used as a coffee substitute.
If you visit New Orleans, you’ll likely find chicory in your coffee.

But we think chicory is most valuable as a leafy green, packed with
potassium and magnesium. These nutrients are often depleted
from our familiar store-bought vegetables, and our bodies really
appreciate the boost. The greens are also known to help regulate
blood sugar, making them particularly helpful to people with diabetes.

Chicory is a bitter green, like kale, arugula and dandelion, and
it works well in salads or sautéed. You’ll find it growing along
roads, but it’s best to avoid heavily trafficked areas when foraging.

To Saute:
1. Boil chicory for 4 minutes.
2. Heat oil and spices in saucepan. Alternately, add chopped

anchovy.
3. Saute for 4 minutes until the chicory begins to wilt and serve.

For Salad
1. Add chicory, another leafy green of your choosing and pear

slices
2. Crumble a blue cheese and chop some pecan
3. Use a vinaigrette dressing or warm bacon drippings mixed with

maple syrup

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chanterelles

The chanterelle mushrooms found in western North Carolina
are a safe and delicious mushroom. They are also an excellent
mushroom for the novice forager. That’s because there are very many
species of poisonous mushrooms, and many look similar to edible
varieties. It is wildly dangerous to eat unidentified or misidentified
mushrooms, but there are no poisonous look-a-likes for chanterelles.
Chanterelles can sell for up to $50 a pound at specialty stores, but
in the spring, it’s likely that you can find a good many yourself.

You’ll find them growing near oak or other hardwoods, and their
bright gold color is very recognizable. They have a creamy white
solid flesh and they smell a bit fruity, almost like peaches or
apricots. They have false gills and irregular shapes, as shown
here. They grow on the ground, individually. You’ll find many
of them in close proximity, but they do not grow in a clump.

Select mature, firm mushrooms and leave the babies and the
older mushrooms alone. Cut them at the base. Once you find
a good patch, you can come back each spring to harvest them.

Chanterelles have a lot of water in them, and it’s easy
to prepare them in a way that makes them slimy.
Avoid those problems by following these directions.

To prepare:

1. Heat a pan without oil.
2. Wash your mushrooms and add to the pan.
3. Let the water cook out of them then remove from pan.
4. Heat oil and spices. We prefer a bit of garlic and salt.
5. Saute the mushrooms in your heated oil.
6. Alternately, you can slice the mushrooms very thinly and

let them dry for future use. Begin with step 4 if using dried
mushrooms.

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Plantain

This plantain is not related to the fruit that shares its name.
Instead, it is a common weed with edible seeds and stems. It’s also
known as one of the best remedies for bug bites and bee stings.
One of its common names is “White Man’s Foot.” This name stuck
because the plant arrived with settlers from Europe, “following the
white man’s footprint.” Broad leaf, narrow leaf and rattle snake
plantain are all very common in North Carolina, and it’s likely
your yard has a patch of this plant, waiting for you to discover it.

Old timers here will tell you plantain is more effective than penicillin,
and they make it into a tincture that is used to cure many ailments,
like staph and strep infections. They swear that if you get stung
and spot plantain nearby, a simple “spit poultice” will stop the pain.
Just pick a leaf, chew it up, then put it, spit and all, on your wound.

In addition to the notable medicinal properties, plantain is
nutritious and delicious when prepared as a leafy green.

To prepare:

1. Boil water and blanch the leaves for 4 minutes. This will
tenderize the leaves and remove the bitter taste that older
plants exhibit. Do not blanch the seed stalks, which taste a bit
like asparagus.

2. Heat oil, garlic and salt in a pan.
3. Add leaves and stalks and saute for several minutes.
4. Alternately, you can cut the seeds off the stalks and sprinkle

them on salads.

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Kudzu

Kudzu is an invasive and problematic plant in the Southern United
States. However, in Asia, this isn’t so, although it grows just as
well. The only difference is that in Asia, kudzu is a valued plant
and is gathered for food. There, it is also used to treat dysentery,
allergies, migraine headaches, diarrhea, fevers, colds, intestinal
problems and to help with the digestion of food and reduce blood
pressure. The leaves, roots, flowers and vine tips are all edible and
nutritious. The only inedible part, in fact, are the vines and seed pods.

Our grandmothers didn’t prepare kudzu, but we’re sure that if it grew
here abundantly in those days, they would have, and we should as well.

A kudzu patch can provide you with food all year long. In the
spring and early summer, pick young leaves. In late summer,
harvest the purple flowers, which smell like grapes. In the fall
and winter, when the green foliage has died off, the roots are at
their most nutritious. We do want to remind you to stay away
from busy roads, because the kudzu won’t be as clean, and
be careful of poison ivy, which often grows along with kudzu.

The leaves can be eaten many ways, including raw, in a salad. You can
also cook them down as you would collards, with a good slice of fat back,
or even deep fry them. They are said to taste similar to snow peas.

The flowers of the kudzu plant are sweet and delicate. Although they
smell like grapes, they don’t taste like them. You can eat them raw,
in a salad, or pour boiling water over them and steep for 4 minutes,
making a delicious tea. The flowers can also be pickled to make a syrup.

Kudzu root makes an excellent thickener. Collect some roots-you’ll
find small surface roots that you can peel like a sweet potato, and
large roots further down that you can cut up and dry. You’ll turn
these roots into a ground powder once dry (about 3 months).
You can use this powder to add to sauces, soups and gravies.

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Dandelion

Home Owners Associations hate them, but children love them. What
other common weed gives you the opportunity to make a wish and
watch seeds fly? But did you know that dandelions are absolutely
packed with valuable nutrients, including Vitamin A, E, K, B6, B2, B1,
and C and zinc? Dandelion is more nutritious than spinach and kale.

It is said that the Ancient Roman hero Theseus ate a dandelion
salad after killing the minotaur, and the plant has been eaten as
long as it has been cultivated. People carried dandelion seeds
from one land to another long before written history and for most
of history, it was considered a “delectable garden vegetable.”

Dandelion greens are bitter, like chicory and endives. The plants
are abundant, reliable, and easily identifiable. The greens can
be cooked like spinach or eaten raw, while the buds can also be
eaten. A strong tea can be made by drying and grinding the
roots. The roots can also be peeled and roasted. But most
closely tied to our Appalachian roots is fried dandelions, also
called fritters. This recipe uses the flowering head of the plant.

To Prepare Dandelion Fritters

1. Rinse dandelion buds in water with a bit of lemon juice added.
Make sure you remove the green parts. Use soon after you pick
them, while they are still open.

2. Mix a batter of cornmeal, flour, milk, egg, chili powder and salt
to the thickness of pancake batter.

3. Heat Oil in a pan.
4. Dip each bud into the batter and pan fry until golden brown,

about 2 to 3 minutes.

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Morel

Morels are the rock stars in the world of mushrooms. They are
delicious, with a meaty, nutty flavor, and they are prized. In the spring,
the black morels (Morchella angusticeps) appear first, followed by
yellow morels (Morchella esculentoides, Morchella diminutiva, and
Morchella virginiana). They are hard to find, but in western North
Carolina, you’ve got a real shot at it. Look for groves of ash, hickory,
tulip poplar or American Elm, then head to the outer edges of the
groves. If you see downed, rotting trees or rotting stumps, pay extra
attention there. You may also have luck if you follow small streams.

As with any mushroom, you must be very careful to avoid
misidentification, but fortunately morels have a distinctive look.
Once you cut into a morel, they are always hollow. False morels
will not be hollow and may have a reddish tint. You’ll do your
best hunting when the ground is moist, like after a rainstorm.
They grow best in cool weather as well, but they get much larger
as the season progresses, so don’t start too early. When you
gather morels, cut them off at the base with scissors or a knife.

To Prepare:
1. Cut off the dirty ends then slice the morel in half lengthwise.
2. Sear them in oil over high heat until they brown (don’t use

butter for this part).
3. Turn down heat and add sliced shallots and garlic and a large

pat of butter. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add a tablespoon of good quality, gluten free soy sauce, 2

tablespoons of beef broth and a splash of lemon and cook for 3
more minutes.
5. Add chives or other green herbs, along with salt and pepper.
Cook 2 minutes and serve.

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Red Clover

Red Clover is found all over the continental United States. Strangely,
it belongs to the legume family, which is the family of beans and
peas. The flowers of the clover contain calcium, chromium,
magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin
C. Traditionally, it’s been used to counteract breathing issues
like asthma, to strengthen bones, and to ease the symptoms of
menopause. Red clover contains phytoestrogen, which mimics
estrogen. The medicinal benefits can be quite strong, and if you
are pregnant or nursing, you shouldn’t consume red clover.

You can eat the young leaves and blossoms just as they are, or you
can collect them for many different types of recipes. In April, eat the
leaves, but May through September, the flowers are delicious. We
doubt that clover greens will ever top anyone’s lists of favorite foods.

If you want to eat the greens, we recommend mixing them with
scallions, garlic, potatoes and beef broth for a healthy soup.

We’d prefer to encourage you to experiment with the flowers.

To prepare Red Clover Jelly:

• 4 Tb (1 box) pectin
• 2 cups packed clover, blossoms only
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups sugar

1. Pour boiling water over the blossoms and allow to steep for 8
hours. Strain.

2. Sterilize your cans and prepare water bath for canning.
3. Mix water, lemon juice and pectin over high heat until boiling,

then add the sugar. Boil for one minute then remove from heat.
4. Fill jars then process in water bath to can, or eat right away.

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Elder

Elderberries are having a moment, and it seems that people
across the nation are excited about the immune system
benefits the berries of the elder plant provide. You can buy
elderberry syrup, elderberry tea and elderberry gummies to
help strengthen your immune system, and we are tickled that
people are taking advantage of what the berries have to offer.

While the elderberry craze is based on the plant’s medicinal qualities,
the berries also taste delicious. Long before people ate them to avoid
getting sick, people ate them for their delectable flavor. The berries
aren’t the only parts of the elder plant that have value! Elder flowers have
been eaten and used medicinally for hundreds of years. The leaves,
stems and roots, however, should be avoided and may even be toxic.

You can dry the flowers or make a tea out of them. Elder is rich in
bioflavonoids, mostly flavones and flavonols, which are known to have
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Elderflower
tea and elderberry syrup are wonderful remedies for a cold or flu.

When working with the berries, it’s important to cook them before you
eat them and that you do not include anything but the berries. Ignoring
this could lead to a cyanide buildup in your body. The most popular way
to process these berries is to make a syrup, and most recipes call for
dried elderberries. Since you’ll be picking them fresh, use this method:

1. Remove stems from 2 pounds of elderberries by freezing the
berries on the stem in a plastic bag, then banging it on your
counter. Pluck off stems.

2. Simmer the berries in water for an hour. Strain and press the
leftover to remove all juice.

3. Peel a 2 inch piece of ginger and grate into mix. Simmer at low
heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat then strain ginger.

4. Add one cup of honey and stir well. Store in refrigerator.

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Chickweed

Chickweed is a cool weather plant that followed settlers
from Europe and took root in yards all over the United
States. It likes moist soil and partial sun and features delicate
white flowers. Chickweed does have some look-a-likes. An
important clue is that chickweed does not have a milky sap. If
it looks like chickweed but does have a milky sap, leave it alone.

Chickweed tastes excellent, like corn silk, but its nutritional
content puts spinach to shame. It is packed with vitamin C,
as well as vitamins A, D and B. It’s also got iron, zinc, calcium
and potassium, making it a true nutrition powerhouse.

Chickweed has many traditional medicinal uses, and notably, weight
loss is one of them. Chickweed can help you feel full by eating
fewer calories. Chickweed is a noted anti-inflammatory, and it’s
been used to help rheumatism, arthritis, and menstrual cramps.

You’ll want to cook or eat your chickweed soon after you gather it.
It doesn’t like a refrigerator, which is the only explanation for it not
being consumed more widely, even though it was a very popular food
in the 1800s. The best way to eat chickweed is raw, either in a salad
or by itself. But you will get good results substituting it in any recipe
for spinach. You’ll find it tastes better and is just as easy to work with.

To prepare chickweed pesto:

In a food processor, blend:
• 1/2 cup walnuts, cashews, or pine nuts
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups chickweed loosely packed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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How - to

A roux (pronounced “roo”) is a mixture of flour and fat, and once
you’ve mastered the art of making a good roux, the culinary world
is at your fingertips. So many gravies, soups and sauces are at their
base, a simple roux. Even macaroni and cheese requires a roux.
There are three types of roux, categorized mostly by how long you
cook them. First is a white roux. This only gets cooked 2-5 minutes,
and it has a lot of thickening power. Second is a blonde roux. This one
is cooked for about 10 minutes and takes on a nice caramel color. Last
is a brown roux, which is cooked for up to 30 minutes. You’ll want to
make sure you stir it constantly so it doesn’t burn, but this is the most
flavorful roux.
But more important than the length of time you cook the mixture
are the ingredients. The fat you choose lies at the heart of your roux.
Any good meat or poultry gravy begins with the fatty drippings from
a cut of meat that you’ve cooked, but butter is also a very common
fat for this process. If you’re making a “cream of” soup, you begin
by sauteeing the vegetable, mushroom or meat in butter. It’s also
common, especially in the south, to add milk to your roux, as you do
when making gravies.

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Turkey gravy

• Cook a turkey and reserve all
drippings. Pour into a container
and use the fat that rises to the
top. Reserve the rest.

• Heat it on medium, then sprinkle
flour into mixture, stirring as you
go. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

• Add the (hot) drippings, stirring
as you go.

• Add heavy cream (or milk) until
it’s the texture you desire, then
salt and pepper.

Cream of mushroom soup

• Saute minced onion and garlic in
butter until soft. Turn up the heat
and add mushrooms, then cook
until they release their moisture.

• Use a little sherry to deglaze the
pan.

• Sprinkle flour over the
mushrooms and butter, stirring
as you go.

• Add about 2 cups of a liquid of
your choice and cook until the
mushrooms are tender.

• Slowly stir in heavy cream
and milk until the soup is the
consistency you desire. If you are
using this in a recipe, it should be
thicker than if you are eating it
as is.

• Garnish with fresh herbs and
sautéed mushroom.

Sausage gravy

• Cook ground sausage in a pan.
• Sprinkle in flour, stir and cook for

5 minutes.
• Slowly add in cream or milk until

the gravy is the right consistency.
Stir vigorously as you do this.
• Add salt and a lot of pepper.
• Serve over hot biscuits.

Mayonnaise Magic

Learning to whip up a batch of mayonnaise will give you a real step-up in the kitchen,
and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is, provided you have a food processor. It does
use a raw egg, but as long as you’re buying eggs, this is actually statistically very safe.

Into your food processor add one raw egg, a teaspoon of mustard
powder, a teaspoon of salt and a splash of oil. The less flavor an
oil has, the better it will taste in mayo. Don’t use olive oil, but
vegetable oil works fine. You have a lot of freedom in selecting
your oil. Food process this mixture until it turns pale yellow. Now
you are going to add one cup of oil, but the trick lies in doing it
slowly, just a few drops at a time. Once you’ve added all the oil,
squeeze half a lemon into the mix and give it one more blend.

It’s also so easy to turn your mayo into a delicious sauce or dip. You can be
creative, mixing herbs, oils and substituting flavored vinegar for the lemon.

Once you’re making your own mayo, you’ll want to use it much more often
than you did before, and you can use it in all sorts of recipes. Have you ever
put it on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich before you grilled? We like
the following additions to our mayonnaise.

• Mix in a tablespoon of grated • For a cocktail mayo, add a little
horseradish for a spicy update! sherry, sugar, basil and tomato
paste.
• Add 1 tablespoon of honey, a
tablespoon of mustard and a • For chili mayonnaise, add
tablespoon of lime for a tangy, turmeric, orange zest and
sweet honey mustard mayo. chili powder. You might also
substitute lime juice for the
• Add chopped chives, minced garlic lemon juice.
and crushed pepper for a savory
chive mayo. • To make bacon mayonnaise,
you replace the oil with bacon
• Use your own blend of herbs, grease, then store at room
including oregano, tarragon and temperature.
chives, basil, dill, parsley, onion
salt, or others. • For fruit salads, mix at even
ratios with homemade whipped
• Replace half your oil with sesame cream.
oil and add a splash of good soy
sauce for a dip that pairs well with • Add half a cup of chutney per
Asian-inspired meals. cup of mayo.

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Perfect Pimento Cheese

Classic Style Variation #1

• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar • 2 cups extra sharp cheddar
• 1 cup of mayonnaise • 1 cup of cream cheese
• 1 jar of diced pimentos • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• Garlic salt • 1 jar diced pimentos
• Cayenne pepper to taste
Grate the cheese and stir in the mayo,
pimento and garlic salt. For best Grate the cheeses together and add
results, let it get to room temperature the mayo and pimentos. Add your
when you are combining. pepper and other spices to taste.

Variation #2 Variation #3

• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar • 2 cups extra sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup cream cheese • 1 cup American cheese
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt • 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 jar diced pimentos • 1 jar diced pimentos
• Spices to taste • Spices to taste

Grate the cheese together and stir in Grate your cheeses and mix in your
the yogurt and pimentos. Add spices to mayo, pimentos and spices to taste.
taste.

Pimento cheese is a top ten food in most southern homes. To any of these
recipes you can add diced jalepenos to spice it up. Pimento cheese is served best
on freshly baked white bread, but there are lots of other things you can do with
it as well! Here are some suggestions:

• Add a scoop of pimento cheese to your scrambled eggs.
• On crackers or as part of a charcuterie tray, it can’t be beat.
• As a burger topper, melted, or even better, stuffed inside of your patty

before you cook the burger. The result is melted, bubbly and delicous.
• Fold pimento cheese into your grits.
• Melt on top of french fries.
• Stuff chicken breasts with pimento cheese then fry them.
• Make pimento cheese cookies using a cheese straw recipe modified

with pimento cheese.
• Add pimento cheese to your devilled egg mix!

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Carolina Style

In North Carolina, you don’t have to wonder how to dress your burger or your hot dog. We’ve
got an established list of condiments that we think do the trick. “Carolina Style” means your
dog or burger will be served up with chili, slaw and diced onions. Our columnist Granny
Eckard makes some of the best chili and slaw we’ve tasted, so we asked for her recipes.

Chili:

• 1 pound of lean ground venison or lean ground red meat
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Teaspoons of chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons of vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 8 Ounce tomato sauce w/ 1 Teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup water

Brown meat in olive oil. Then add
other ingredients one at a time,
excepting the tomato sauce,
which is mixed with the
cornstarch first. Simmer
for 30 minutes and
serve.

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Blender Slaw:

• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 4 baby sweet peppers
• Large handful of baby carrots
• Small bunch of broccoli
Blend each vegetable in a blender with enough water
to cover. After each blending, drain the vegetables,
using THE SAME water to cover the next vegetable.
Once all vegetables are blended, drain and
press out the water. Discard water.

Add to veggies:
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 Cup vinegar
• 3/8 Cup sugar

Add diced onions. Mustard is some-
times added to Carolina style hot
dogs and hamburgers, but most
North Carolinians prefer it with
just the three ingredients. Also
note that no cheese is served on
the burger or dog.

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In 1917, America joined World War I. Mostly, it’s the taste. As far as sodas
Food was scarce around the world, go, Cheerwine is unique. It’s much
and American troops needed much more carbonated than the average
of the meat and sugar that our soda, for one thing. That’s what makes
nation produced. “Food will win the it feel “cheerful” and lifting. It also
war” became a popular slogan, and has heavy notes of wild cherry, which
citizens were encouraged to reduce allow it to lean away from cloying
their consumption of meat and
sugar. It was against this sweetness. It’s the kind of taste
backdrop that L.D. Peeler you don’t quickly forget, and
created Cheerwine, in you do want to get more.
the town of Salisbury,
North Carolina. He’d In 1926, the brand
been looking for was trademarked,
a way to make and the company
soda with less experienced many
sugar and he bought successes, even
a wild cherry soda
recipe from a traveling remaining quite
salesman. This recipe profitable during the
evolved into the recipe for Great Depression. They
Cheerwine. The name was chosen were good stewards during
because the drink had a burgundy red the Second World War, and they
color and “cheery disposition.” donated old pieces of promotional
The drink became an instant hit. materials made of metal. Some
soldiers said that they could make
By 1920, the company had switched out the faint outline of the Cheerwine
from paper labels to bottles imprinted logo on the hull of the USS Intrepid.
with their name, and production The company also got a bit of a boost
was in full swing. You can view one in the 1950s, when President Dwight
of those early bottles at the North Eisenhower tasted a Cheerwine. It’s
Carolina Museum of History. It is said that his response was, “Ike likes!”
quite an honor to have an artifact in
that collection, and it’s a testament to The company stayed abreast of
how important Cheerwine is to our changes in the industry, offering their
North Carolina culture and history. first vending machine in the 1950s,
followed by the production of cans
So what is it that in the 1960s. Diet soda came in the
makes Cheerwine 1970s and plastic bottles in the 1980s.
so important to
the quintessential Through it all, Cheerwine has continued
North Carolinian to be produced by the same family.
experience? The family of L.D. Peeler is still at the
helm, producing this iconic soft drink
to exacting standards, without fail.

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In 2018, the company introduced the
slogan “Uniquely Southern.” We tip
our hat to the marketing team behind
this choice, and we agree that there is
something truly uniquely southern about
this drink. It is steeped in a sense of place.

That “place” is Salisbury, a town drenched
in celebrated history. The town hosts
an annual Cheerwine Festival. It began
as a centennial celebration but it was
so popular that the organizers knew
they had to bring it back. The last live
festival had over 50,000 Cheerwine
fans, and the 2020 online version
was award-winning, honored with
the Innovation award from the North
Carolina Recreation & Park Association.
The 2021 Festival is slated for September
18th, but certainly check their website
before you head that way, since times
are still a bit uncertain. You can visit
cheerwinefest.com for more information.

As valuable as Cheerwine is as a
delicious drink, it’s also very handy as
an ingredient. We went straight to the
source and asked the company about
their favorite recipes. They had so many
to share, and it was impossible to pick
a favorite, so we’re including a solid
handful. We hope you’ll try all of them!

1: Cheerwine Gelatin
• 2 cup Cheerwine

• 1 box unflavored gelatin
• Whipped cream
• Cherries

Soften gelatin by sprinkling it onto 1/8 a
cup of COLD water. Once it is absorbed,
add 1/8 a cup of boiling water and stir.

Pour Cheerwine into your glasses and then split
your gelatin mix between the cups. Stir. Drop in
cherries and chill. Serve with whipped cream.

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2: Cheerwine Brownies Preheat oven to 275°F. Place Ham on
parchment paper coated pan. Pour bottle
• 1 box brownie mix of Cheerwine over ham and cover with
• 1⁄2 cup Cheerwine sheet of aluminum foil, crimping edges
• 1 tsp almond extract down securely. Bake at 275°F for 10-
• Dark chocolate frosting of your choice 12 minutes per pound. Meanwhile, in a
stockpot combine 12oz of Cheerwine,
Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the box, bourbon, molasses, brown sugar, Dijon
substituting Cheerwine for the water. Add almond mustard, ginger, salt to taste and simmer
extract and stir. Pour into a 9×13” greased pan and until glaze thickens. Remove Ham from
bake as directed. Frost thickly once cool and enjoy. oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle
glaze over heated ham, separating the
3: Cheerwine Ice Cream slices as you pour. Bake at 425°F uncovered
for 8-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk 6: Cheerwine Bundt Cake
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 ½ cups Cheerwine • 3 cups sugar
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk • ¼ tsp salt
• 1 (13 oz) can evaporated milk • ½ cup vegetable shortening
• Milk (as needed) • 2 sticks butter (room temp)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
Put eggs and milk in double boiler and heat • 5 large eggs (room temp)
until steaming hot throughout. Add sugar and • 3 cups all purpose flour
stir until dissolved. Remove from heat; add • ¾ cups Cheerwine
sweetened condensed milk and evaporated • 3 tsp almond extract
milk. Chill; add Cheerwine. Put mixture into • 1 10 oz jar of maraschino cherries
4-quart ice cream freezer container and add • 4 cups powdered sugar
enough milk to bring mixture to fill line. • ½ cup melted white chocolate
• ½ stick butter
4: Cheerwine Bourbon Slushie • 4 oz cream cheese

• 2 bottles of Cheerwine Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour
• Ice cube trays Bundt pan (use a lighter color Bundt pan
• Bourbon or angel food tube pan). Beat the butter,
• Lime wedge for garnish shortening, and sugar in a large bowl
until light and fluffy. Add eggs in one at
Pour Cheerwine in ice cube trays and freeze a time, beating with each addition. In a
overnight. Pop 2 cups of ice cubes into blender separate bowl, mix salt, baking powder
and add 2 oz bourbon and blend until slushy. and flour. Add flour mixture to the butter
*Add additional Cheerwine in place of bourbon mixture in thirds, alternating with half of
or to make more slushy if more liquid is the Cheerwine. Beat only until the batter is
needed. Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy! smooth after each addition. Quickly beat in
2 tsp almond extract and ½ jar of crushed
5: Cheerwine Bourbon Glazed Ham maraschino cherries. Pour into greased
pan. Bake 1 hour and 15-30 minutes.
• 2 (12 oz) bottles of Cheerwine Cool cake on wire rack. Meanwhile,
• 1 (10-12lb) bone-in spiral cut ham make frosting. Mix powder sugar, white
• 1 cup bourbon chocolate, butter, cream cheese, ½ jar of
• 1/3 cup sorghum molasses crushed maraschino cherries and 1 tsp
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar almond extract until smooth. Once cake
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard has completely cooled, frost cake.
• 1/2 cup dried ginger
• Salt to taste

7: Cheerwine Hot Wings

• 12 chicken wings
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cheerwine 12 oz can (reduce by ½)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ cup Texas Pete hot sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the deep fryer to 375 ⁰F. Pour the 1 can
of Cheerwine into a small sauce pot along with
the garlic and reduce by ½ at medium heat.
Remove from heat and add the ½ cup of Texas
Pete hot sauce along with the olive oil and mix
well. Carefully place the chicken wings into the
deep fryer and fry them for approximately 10-
12 minutes or until golden brown, crispy and
fully cooked with an internal temperature of
165 ⁰F. Remove them from the fryer and drain
well. Season wings with salt and pepper and
place them into a large mixing bowl. Toss them
with the spicy Texas Pete and Cheerwine glaze.
Serve immediately.

8: Cheerwiggles

• 2 cups Cheerwine
• 1 cup white rum
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• zest from 1 lemon
• 5 packets (10 oz.) unflavored gelatin
• Sugar sprinkles for garnish

Combine rum, triple sec, and lemon juice in

large bowl. Slowly sprinkle in the gelatin, stirring

constantly. Allow the gelatin to bloom for 10

minutes. Meanwhile combine water, sugar,

and lemon zest in a medium pot, bring to a

boil, then reduce to low simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain the solids from the syrup and return the

syrup to heat along with the Cheerwine. Bring

to a boil then remove from heat. Pour the

hot Cheerwine mixture into the bowl with the

bloomed gelatin. Mix thoroughly and ensure

all gelatin is dissolved. Pour onto a sheet pan

for cookie cutter shapes, into individual molds,

or into ice cube trays. However you choose to

shape your Cheerwiggles, set them for at least

one hour in the fridge or until jiggly. Makes 24

shots. 81

9: Cheerwine Donuts over-mixing. You’re looking for everything
to be just combined. Spoon the batter
• 2 cups flour, sifted into the baking pans. They’ll rise a little, so
• 1 tsp baking powder don’t fill each hole completely. Bake until
• 2/3 cup sugar golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
•1/2 tsp salt Remove from the oven and transfer pan
• 2 eggs to a wire rack to let cool for 5 minutes.
• 1 tsp vanilla Tap the doughnut pan against the
• 2 tbsp canola oil counter a few times, then flip it over to
• 3/4cup Cheerwine slide the doughnuts out. This goes faster
Cheerwine Glaze: than pulling them out by hand, and often
• 4 tbsp butter times ends up a bit prettier as well.
• 3 tbsp Cheerwine
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (have Cheerwine Glaze:
extra on hand, just in case) Melt the butter, but let it cool enough to
• 1/2 tsp salt be comfortable to handle. Transfer to a
mixing bowl. Add the Cheerwine and salt,
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and stirring to get rid of the fizz and make it
lightly grease the doughnut pan. Sift easier to work with. Working with 1/2 cup
together the flour, sugar, baking powder, at a time, whisk in the powdered sugar.
and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a Working quickly (the glaze will set in
smaller bowl or measuring cup, whisk about 15 minutes), pour, spoon, or pipe
to break the eggs. Add the vanilla and over the doughnuts. Let the doughnuts
canola oil. Add this to the flour mix, rest for the glaze to harden, then enjoy!
then pour over the Cheerwine. Carefully
stir to mix everything together. Avoid

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10: Cheerwine Punch Pops

• 2 7.5-oz mini cans of Cheerwine
• 2 7-oz. cans of pineapple juice
• 1 mini can (7.5-oz) of ginger ale

Combine ingredients and pour into
Popsicle molds ¾ of the way to the
top. Set popsicle sticks in place and
store in freezer for at least 4 hours or
overnight until frozen. Popsicles are
ready to enjoy! ***For an adult treat
– add one of these pops to a glass of
Prosecco. Cheers!

11: Brown Sugar Cheerwine
BBQ Sauce

• 1 (12 oz) can Cheerwine
• 5 oz molasses
• 6 oz brown sugar
•10 oz prepared, tomato barbecue
sauce
• 2 oz distilled white vinegar
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 oz Liquid Smoke

Combine all ingredients in a heavy
saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat and
let cool. Pour into a container and
refrigerate until ready to use.

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audacious
aspics

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Gelatin is a superfood and it also preserve food. Tomato aspics, like the one
happens to work culinary magic. For the on the previous page, were present at just
last several decades, gelatin has been about every potluck our grandmothers went
mostly reduced to Jello. We don’t have to. Aspics have mostly fallen out of favor, in
anything against Jello, but we can’t say modern cuisine, except in the world of high-
enough positive things about gelatin. It end restaurants, where chefs use gelatin as a
falls into the superfood category because very handy tool in their tool box. But we think
it’s made almost entirely of protein, you might love a tomato aspic. If you enjoy a
specifically, glycine. Glycine is important good V-8 juice, or even a Bloody Mary, there’s
to brain health, and gelatin is mostly not much to dislike.
glycine. It’s also tremendously good for
your skin and hair. Traditional diets, Tomato Aspic
like those of our ancestors, are much
higher in gelatin content than are ours • 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (2 packets)
because they used “nose to tail” eating, • 1/2 cup hot water
not wasting any part of the animal. This • 1/8 cup cold water
meant they ate a lot more cartilage • 3 1/4 cups tomato juice
than we do, and we render gelatin from • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
cartilage. We need to replace the gelatin • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
we’ve lost in our diet because it is very • Poppy seeds
healing to our guts. It also protects our
joints, and maybe most importantly, Pour 1/8 of a cup of cold water in a bowl
helps us sleep. and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Once it
soaks up, stir in the hot water until all
Gelatin also does fancy tricks. It can gelatin is dissolved. Then, add tomato
suspend fruits, vegetables and meats, juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce
preserving their freshness, and it can and poppy seeds. Pour in mold and let
stablize whipped cream so that it forms set for at least 3 hours.
perfect peaks and stays that way for days.
“Aspic” is the word we use to describe We also think you’ll make good use of the
savory food that is suspended in gelatin. recipe for stablized whipped cream. So many
Meat aspics date back to prehistory, people resort to cool whip because their
when the gelatin whipped cream won’t hold its shape, but this
was used to is the solution to that problem!

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• 4 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pour the water, cold, into a bowl
and sprinkle on the gelatin. In food
processor, or with a mixer, whip
the cream until it forms peaks. Add
sugar and vanilla. Then microwave
the gelatin water for 8 seconds or so,
just until it melts, then slowly add it to
your whipped cream, as you are still
whipping. Use as normal!

Unflavored gelatin is clear and takes on
whatever flavor the liquid you use carries.
This makes it an ideal way to showcase vibrant
berries and fruits. You can make a simple fruit
gelatin without having to use Jello!

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Fruit Gelatin history, aspics are most certainly not a fad,
but instead a culinary tradition from which
• 2 Tablespoons of unflavored gelatin we could all draw inspiration. Try one and
• 2 cups of 7-up or sugar water with a we think you will agree! A simple chicken
and vegetable aspic is a great way to start
shot of lemon juice experimenting with gelatin, but this is a
• 1/8 cup cold water and 1/8 cup very great vehicle for creativity.

hot water Chicken Aspic

Pour the cold water in a bowl and sprinkle • 2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and
on the gelatin. Once it dissolves, stir in the shredded
hot water until the gelatin melts, then add
the 7-up. In molds, place sliced fruit, then • 1/4 cup water
gently pour your mixture. Chill. • 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 carrots, cooked and sliced
In the above recipe, you can substitute most • 2 sprigs rosemary
any liquid you’d like. There are a few things • 1 tsp. salt
like fresh pineapple, kiwi and papaya that • 2 tbsps. unflavored gelatin
will not allow the gelatin to set, so you’ll • Garlic powder
want to use canned versions of those fruits.
Pour water into a bowl and sprinkle
These days, we mostly put sweet fruit into unflavored gelatin. When it is absorbed,
our gelatins, but that hasn’t always been mix in 4 cups of hot chicken broth, with
the case. The oldest reference to aspics your salt, garlic powder other spices, to
historians have found dates back to the 10th taste. In your molds, place 3 carrot slices,
century. It was a ruby red fish aspic recipe then a mound of shredded chicken. Fill
made with fish heads and a good many with your broth and gelatin mixture. Chill.
delicious spices. As far back as the middle Garnish with rosemary.
ages, cooks developed many aspic recipes,
and in America, they gained prominence in Once you have the general technique of
the 1950s, before fading again, as if only a using gelatin down, you can change up
fad. But when looked at through the lens of your ingredients. You can use sashimi grade

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tuna, encase it in an aspic and top it with wasabi,
for instance. Truly, the choices are limitless.

Additionally, if you use enough gelatin, you can
make gummies. Since gelatin is unflavored, there
really is no limit to flavors of gummies...any liquid
can be gummied.

Gummies The Olde Hickory Station is the historic
train station in the center of Downtown!
• 1/2 cup of fruit juice Restored and operated by Olde Hickory
• 1 tablespoon honey Brewery, this restaurant and market offers
• 2 tablespoons gelatin seasonal, regional and imported specialties.
• gummy bear molds
828.322.2356 OLDEHICKORYSTATION.COM
Pour the fruit juice into a saucepan and
add the honey. Once hot, add gelatin then 232 Government Ave SW Hickory, NC
pour into gummy bear molds. Chill for one
hour.

Truly, gelatin offers endless possibilities. We
recommend using it to thicken your soups,
sauces and stews as well. We hope you enjoy
experimentation with gelatin!

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Getting intoJams
Everyone loves a good jam and there’s no better way to preserve
the sweetness of fruit than to make a jam. There is an endless
combination of flavors for jams, and once you understand
the basics of the recipe, you will feel free to experiment.
The words “jams,” “jellies,” and “preserves” are often used interchangeably,
but they have distinct meanings, based on the form of the fruit used
in the recipe. Jams use crushed fruit or pulp, while jellies use juice.
Preserves get their fruit in the form of syrups or gel, with chunks of fruit
in it. All of these use pectin and sugar to firm up something, usually fruity,
although you can certainly make savory jams, like bacon with peppers.

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When you are making a jam, the key is Waterbath canning is a process in which you
to use good quality fruit, a nice sugar submerge your cans into boiling water for a
and bottled lemon juice. Most recipes specified amount of time. Acidic foods can be
need pectin but certain slow-cook jams canned this way, but many other foods require
do not. All jellies will need pectin to set. a pressure cooker to can, like green beans.

The general recipe is as follows, and we The process for jellies is a little different, since
will use strawberries. You can replace the you are working with liquid instead of pieces
strawberries with most any kind of fruit you’d of fruit. Our key recipe uses muscadine
like, but be ready to adjust your sugar to taste. juice, but you can substitute juice you’d like.

Strawberry Jam Muscadine Jelly

• 2 quarts strawberries, cut and • 5 cups of fresh muscadine juice
chopped to yield approximately 5 • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
cups • 6 cups of sugar
• 1 box pectin (SureJell)
• 7 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon butter Bring the juices to a rolling boil then add
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 box of pectin. Add all sugar at once
• 1 box pectin (SureJell) and cook for exactly one minute. Skim
Put the crushed berries into a pot with the foam and pour into hot jars, using
lemon juice and stir the SureJell into the hot lids to close the jars and place in a
them. Add butter and bring this to a rolling waterbath canner (in a large pot, covered
boil. Add sugar and return to boil for exactly with boiling water) for 15 minutes.
one minute. Remove from heat and skim off
any foam with a spoon. Spoon your mixture Preserves are also a little different, and our
into precleaned and heated glass jars. Place key recipe will use figs. Figs are a great thing
heated lids on glass jars and close tightly. to make preserves with, mainly because
Place in a waterbath canner for 5 minutes.

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figs produce two fast harvests and
if you have a fig tree, you are likely
overwhelmed with figs twice a year.
This recipe doesn’t even need pectin.

Fig Preserves

• 6 pounds fresh figs
• 6 pounds granulated sugar
• 3 lemons (very thinly sliced

with seeds removed)

Clean and destem the figs. Put in a
pot and cover with the sugar. Leave
overnight. In the morning, cook it
over medium heat until the sugar
is dissolved. Stir constantly. Reduce
the heat to low and then add the
sliced lemons. Cook on low for 3
hours. Sterilize and heat your jars
and lids, fill and then submerge your
jars in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Watermelon is a special treat in the
foothills and it’s a great jelly souce.
Use the muscadine jelly recipe, but
replace the muscadine juice with fresh
watermelon juice mixed with 1/3 cup
of white wine vinegar. The best way
to get the watermelon juice is to food
process watermelon chunks then
strain the mixture, discarding the pulp.

To make a great jalepeno jam, you
can use the strawberry jam recipe
and replace the strawberry with a
pureed mixture of 2 jalapeno peppers,
3 medium green peppers and 1-1/2
cups white vinegar. Add some
cayenne pepper as it cooks, and some
green food coloring if you feel like it.

To make bacon pepper jam, you’ll use
the strawberry recipe, replacing the
strawberries with 3 peppers, 2 small
onions, and 4 cloves of garlic, the butter
with bacon grease, add some brown
sugar and maple syrup, and then near
the end you’ll add pieces of bacon.

Be sure you don’t skip the steps
of sanitizing your jars, and be sure
to keep your jars in the waterbath
long enough. Happy jamming!

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Pickling

There are two basic types of pickling. The first uses acid, generally vinegar, to lower the
pH of a food to prevent spoilage. The second uses a salty brine mix that encourages
fermentation. The good bacteria growth involved in fermentation discourages the bad
bacteria growth that spoils food. Our forebearers were skilled with both types of pickling,
and you can tell because of how often we use bread and butter pickles and chow-chow.

We have a few tips for either kind of pickling. First, always use fresh vegetables, and get
them from your garden or from a farmer’s market. Grocery stores will use wax and that
complicates things. Use pickling salt, NOT iodized salt. Aim for vinegar with approximately
5% acidity. And lastly, if you want crisper veggies, slice them up and then cover them in salt
for the night. Rinse them off in the morning and start your recipe! You don’t have to stop
with cucumbers. Pickled carrots are particularly delicious, but you can pickle most any food!

Bread and Butter Pickles Chow Chow

• 10 cups cucumbers, sliced • 1/2 cabbage head, shredded
• 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced • 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 cup canning salt • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup sugar • 1/2 cup fresh corn
• 1 cup water • 1 cup diced tomato
• 1 cup white vinegar • 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar • 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 3 tablespoons mustard seed • 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon celery seed Put your cabbage in a large bowl and toss
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns with the salt. Leave for 30 minutes then rinse.
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed Vigorously press the cabbage to release
• 6 bay leaves any liquid. Now add the other ingredients
Combine the cucumbers, onions and to your bowl. Transfer this to jars, pressing
salt. Mix in a little ice. Wait 2 hours then down to get any air out that you can. Pour
drain, rinse and drain again. Mix other the brine over the mixture. All of the solid
ingredients over high heat and bring matter should be submerged into the
to a boil. Fill hot and clean jars with brine. Cover the top with cheesecloth or a
your cucumber/onion mixture then coffee filter and secure. Wait 4-5 days then
fill each bottle with the brine you have it should be properly fermented. Serve,
boiled. After screwing on lids, process or put on a lid and put it in the fridge.
for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

94

95

Charcuterie

4 7
35 6

2 13

A perfect charcuterie board is a mix of savory, 1
salty and sweet, with crunchy elements, cheeses
and spreads. This one contains products regional
to NC unless noted. We got most of them from
the excellent shop at the Olde Hickory Station.

1: Ridge Blue from the Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery
in Fairview 2: Sweet Sopressata by Cheshire Pork
in Elon 3: Golden raisins soaked in moonshine
made by Mayberry Spirits Distillery in Mount Airy 4:
Proscuitto from Edwards Ham in Surry, Virginia. 5:
Creamy Classic Chèvre Log from Goat Lady Dairy in
Climax 6: Bertie County Honey Roasted Peanuts 7:
Black Label White Cheddar from Ashe County Cheese
in West Jefferson. 8: Hot Sopressata from Cheshire
Pork in Elon 9: Apples from Sugarloaf Orchard in
Wilkes County 10: Cloister Honey from Charlotte 11:
Horseradish Cheddar from Ashe County Cheese12:
Elderberry Ginger Pecan Jam from Norm’s Farms
in Missouri 13: Mack’s Livermush from Shelby 14:
Homemade pickles (pg 94) 15: Rosemary and Garlic
Crackers from The Accidental Baker in Beau9f6ort.

89 15

10
11
12

14

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Southern Classics

Southerners have a tendency to know how to cook, and there are a handful of recipes
that most every Southerner knows. We’re sharing our favorite versions of these recipes.

Fried Chicken

• 2 tablespoons pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Chicken, cut into legs, wings, breasts, etc.
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 cups of fat. This is usually peanut oil but you can use most fats, so long

as they have a high smoke point.
Mix your spices in a small bowl. Whisk the buttermilk with the egg and salt then add 2 tablespoons
of the spice mixture. Put this in a gallon size Ziploc with your chicken and make sure all the
chicken is coated. Let it sit between 4 to 8 hours, giving it an occasional flip. Then, whisk flour,
cornstarch, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and the remaining spices in a large bowl and add
about 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk brine from the bag and mix. Then, coat your chicken in that
mix. Fry your chicken in hot oil for 6 minutes on first side and 4 on the next side, then transfer to
350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the thickest part of a breast is 150 degrees.

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THE PERFECT RECIPE
ALWAYS INCLUDES THE
FINEST INGREDIENTS

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