JUNE 21 2009

 

Following our new practice, these are the ideas and recipes from our special on June 21 in which we look at great things related to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Established in 1934 (about a year before I was established), the Great Smoky mountains are a vital part of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina and are protected to be there for generations to come. In this special, we have visited several places which deserve our attention concerning the park. The first of these is the wonderful Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend. If you have not visited these good folks, please do so. It is part museum, part park, part entertainment venue, and all good. Established by gifts and grants from all level of government and more importantly by a large number of private citizens, this center is not part of the park system, but is in a close partnership with the park service. You should check out their summer concert series in a wonderful ampitheater at the Center. 

 

We also visit the ever wonderful and ever beautiful Cades Cove. This visit was made more meaningful by a visit with Ruth Davis whose family lived in the cove long after it became part to the park system. Her stories, and recipes, added much to our visit. The Cades Cove Preservation Association has published two books called Recipes, Remedies & Rumors based on information supplied by folks who lived in the cove. It has stories, pictures, historical documents and of course, recipes. You can get copies of this book at the Heritage Center in Townsend or by contacting the Association at www.korrnet.org/ccpa. A third volume is expected next year.

 

Finally, we rode the dragon to Fontana Village Resort at Fontana Dam North Carolina. If you take one of the great boats these folks rent at the dock there you find yourself with Nantahala National Forest on one shore and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the other. You will also find a great array of places to stay from a beautiful lodge to cabins of all sizes. And this is a resort. If you like hiking, fishing, swimming, boating or just rocking on the porch you can find it all at this beautiful resort. By the way, these folks have two great restaurants and I guarantee you will find something there for every taste. Be sure to eat breakfast at the Montview Bistro. Where else are you find stuffed French toast made with fabulous home made bread or a treat called the “Hillbilly Benedict”. Do go find out about these yourself. You are not required to ride a motorcycle to get there.

 

Now we have talked enough. Let me give you some recipes.   These are given as examples of the good food that we think about when we think about this region.

 

About 8 cups of cooked, cubed potatoes

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 hard boiled eggs, cut into large pieces

1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles (or sweet pickle relish)

1/4 cup chopped dill pickles (or dill pickle relish)

4 TBSP dill pickle vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup salad mustard

salt to taste

 

You may use potatoes boiled in the jacket. Peel and dice them. If you peel the potatoes before cooking, cut them into small pieces, cover with water and boil until just barely tender. Drain and continue with the recipe above. Add all other ingredients and stir together lightly. You may adjust the amount of mayonnaise, mustard and salt to suit your taste. Serve at room temperature. If any happens to be left, be sure to refrigerate it. 

 

 

2 cups long grain rice

3 cloves garlic; minced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 soup cans water

1 cup sour cream

8-10 pieces of chicken

1 small onion; diced

2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 stalk celery; diced  

salt and pepper to taste

 

To a 12" Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven add rice, soups, sour cream, onion, celery, garlic, Worcestershire, and water. Stir to mix. Season chicken with poultry seasoning and salt and pepper then place over top of rice mixture. Cover Dutch oven and bake using 10-12 briquettes under the bottom and 14-16 briquettes on the top for 90 minutes. Turn the pot on the coals about every 30 minutes and turn the lid about the same amount. 

 

If you happen not to have a Dutch Oven or a place to build a fire, you can do this good dish in the oven. Just put the ingredients into a heavy pot (cast iron is best) with a good tight lid and place in a 350 deg oven and allow to cook about the same amount of time. This is a little trouble, but it is worth it. Oh and one last thing. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and bone in, skin on drumsticks for this dish.

 

Made by Nancy Davis from a recipe put into Recipes, Remedies & Rumors by Lendel and Helen Abbott.

 

            Pint jar of dried fruit (be sure to find air dried apples not sulphured)

            Pint jar of water

Place in a 2 quart saucepan both fruit and water, bring to boil and cook until done (apples will cook up and be thick). Add sugar to taste and allspice to taste. Cool fruit. 

 

Roll out biscuit dough, thin. Cut out ovals, approximately 5x6 inches. Place cooked fruit on half of oval. Fold over other half, seal edges with fingers or thumb. Fry in a cast iron skillet with butter or lard. TURN ONLY ONCE !!!!

 

May use bananas. Slice crossways about ¼ inch thick. Place on ovals of dough, cover with a tablespoon of sugar. Seal and fry as above.

 

 

            2 cups self rising corn meal mix

            milk (sweet or buttermilk will work)

 

Mix milk into corn meal mix until it has about the consistency of heavy cream. Drop by about ¼ cupsful of batter onto a preheated cast iron skillet or griddle which has been greased with shortening (or even better, bacon grease). On medium heat, fry until bubbles form and the cornbread is starting to brown on the edges. Turn and cook about the same amount of time on the other side. Be careful to not to have the pan (or griddle) too hot or the bread will burn on the outside before it cooks inside.

 

A nice, modern twist on this traditional recipe is to add about 4 oz of grated Pepper Jack Cheese to the batter before you fry the bread.

 

These recipes are both great as an add-on to almost any simple dish. The crema is drizzled onto one of the best treatments of mountain trout that I have ever eaten. It would also be great for a grilled chicken breast. In case you are interested, the trout had been butterflied and rubbed with a fine herb mixture. It was then roasted and served with a terrific chick pea, tomato salad.

A recipe from Montview Bistro

Fontana Village Resort

 

 

2 cups sour cream

1 lime juice

1 cup  cilantro leaves

1 pinch salt and pepper

 

Blend all ingredients in blender until mixture is smooth.

 

 

10 large tomatoes

2 cups white balsamic vinegar

6 cups blended oil

5 large basil leaves

            salt and pepper

 

Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Place in preheated smoker and smoke at 225 degrees for approx. 30 minutes. Allow tomatoes to cool completely in refrigerator. Remove skins and puree. Add vinegar and blend well. Slowly add oil. When mixture is nice and smooth add basil leaves and blend for 10 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

There is no salad in the world which would not benefit from this dressing.

 

I hope you enjoyed our visit to the wonderful places in and around the park. I especially hope you will go see them for yourself.