Gideon Laney and Rosie Duckworth with a mound of just-harvested potatoes. Courtesy of Hunter Library, Western Carolina University.
Chapter 13
ROOT CROPS
A couple of generations ago, an Appalachian garden without “taters,” or a main meal without this amazingly versatile root crop, was almost unimaginable. This staple of the regional diet remains of critical importance. As one commenter on Tipper’s blog put it, “As long as you have a tater, you have a banquet.” Or in the words of Jim’s Grandpa Joe, “Eat taters; they’ll stick to a man’s ribs.” After all, most of those residing in the region had Scots-Irish roots, and a notable though often overlooked aspect of that background was heavy dietary reliance on root crops. The massive migration of Irish settlers as a result of the potato famine of the 1840s is well known, but the Great Famine did not have that marked an impact on the southern Appalachians. Most of those who settled the area, while often having roots in the British Isles, immigrated earlier.
Still, these hardy pioneers’ utilization of Irish and sweet potatoes, along with other root crops such as turnips, onions and carrots, was extensive. Additionally, other root vegetables, including parsnips, leeks, beets, radishes, kohlrabi and Jerusalem artichokes, also entered the picture with some frequency. One of the great advantages of most root crops was that they kept well, and—with proper storage or, in some cases, just mounding or covering them where they grew—it was possible to have root crops available right through the winter. Strings of onions and bins filled with potatoes or turnips covered with straw were an integral part of the food picture on Appalachian homeplaces.
Gideon Laney and Rosie Duckworth with a mound of just-harvested potatoes. Courtesy of Hunter Library, Western Carolina University.
Cheese Potatoes
4 large potatoes sliced into fairly thin French fries
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ stick butter
Lay potatoes in the bottom of a baking pan; a 9" x 13" pan works well. Season to taste. Pour evaporated milk over potatoes; sprinkle with cheese. Cut butter into pieces and add to top of cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
TIP: Sprinkle parsley on before baking for a prettier presentation.
—Tipper Pressley
Soupy Potatoes
Potatoes
Water
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Soupy potatoes are a mainstay of the diet found in the Appalachian Mountains. Peel potatoes and quarter. Cover with water and add salt, pepper and butter to taste. Stew until desired tenderness is reached.
—Tipper Pressley
Candied Sweet Potatoes
4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 8 medium ones),
peeled and sliced into 1-inch-thick rounds
½ cup brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons butter
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
¼ cup water
Place sweet potatoes and enough water to cover them in a saucepot; heat to boiling over high heat; reduce to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until potatoes are barely fork tender. Drain; place potatoes in a 2-quart casserole. Heat brown sugar, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and water until butter melts—about 3 minutes—stirring often. Pour over sweet potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring about halfway through. Potatoes should be tender and slightly browned.
—Tipper Pressley
Candied sweet potatoes ready to serve. Tipper Pressley.
Fried Onions
Onions are well loved in Appalachia. From seasoning other dishes to being cooked up in a medicinal fashion, they are used in many ways. One of the simplest approaches to preparing onions is to slice them and fry them in butter or bacon grease until they are tender and brown around the edges. Slow and long cooking is the trick to getting wonderful, deep color and flavor. Fried onions can be eaten as a side dish; used as a topping for hamburgers, hot dogs or other meats; or even served with scrambled eggs. They are often fried together with sliced potatoes.
—Tipper Pressley
Baked Onions with Cheese
5 to 8 onions, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons water
Shredded cheese
Add sliced onions to a greased baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with water. Cover dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the onions are tender. During final 10 minutes of cooking, top with shredded cheese and remove cover.
—Tipper Pressley
Stewed Turnips
Turnips are often grown in the gardens of Appalachia. An easy, quick way to use them is offered in this recipe.
Turnips
Water
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Quarter turnips, cover with water and add salt, pepper and butter to taste. Stew until your desired tenderness is reached.
TIP: If the turnips are woody or tough on the outside, they will need to be peeled prior to cooking.
—Tipper Pressley
A batch of freshly pulled turnips. Tipper Pressley.
Mustard Greens and Turnips
1 peck greens
2 or 3 turnips
2 slices streaked meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash a big bait of greens fresh from the garden, being sure to give them multiple rinses to remove all dirt and grit. If they are overly large, it is best to remove the stems. Chop up two or three turnips in small pieces (diced is best). Place greens and turnips in a large pot with plenty of water. Throw in a couple of slices of streaked meat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until greens and turnips are done. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot.
Be sure to save the cooking liquid (often called pot likker, although strictly speaking, pot likker is a cabbage-based dish). It makes for mighty fine eating when you dip a chunk of cornbread in it or, as Grandpa Joe used to do, pour it in a bowl and crumble cornbread over the rich, vitamin-filled juice. Turnip greens can also be cooked this way, but my personal preference is for mustard. Collards are the green of choice here in South Carolina where I now live, but you can have my part of them.
—Jim Casada
Harvesting a mess of mustard greens. Tipper Pressley.
A picking of greens. Tipper Pressley.
Roasted Potatoes
Roasting potatoes offers a different way of serving this Appalachian staple, and they go well with about any meal as a hearty side dish.
1 large or 2 small potatoes per person
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Carefully scrub the potatoes; leave the skin on. Slice in rounds about ¼ inch thick. Coat lightly with vegetable oil and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 375-degree oven. Cook for 10 minutes or so and check to see if the sides of the slices touching the cookie sheet are brown. If so, use a spatula or tongs to turn; otherwise, cook a bit longer. Continue cooking until slices are nicely browned and slightly crisp on both sides and mealy in the middle. Serve piping hot.
NOTE: Leftovers can be saved and reheated in a frying pan for a side dish with breakfast.
—Jim Casada
Potato Soup
Throughout much of Appalachia, the standard remedy when someone has the mollygrubs (feels poorly) is not chicken soup but potato soup. Rich and savory, it’s easily prepared and a welcome dish—if you’re sick or not—especially in cold weather.
Peeled potatoes (figure 1 or 2 per person)
1 large sweet onion
½ stick butter
1 cup chicken broth or stock
2 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chives, bacon bits or grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Cut potatoes into ¼-inch slices and boil until they break apart readily. Meanwhile, as potatoes are cooking, slice onion and sauté in a pan with half of the butter until translucent. Drain most of the water from the potatoes, then add broth, onion, milk, remaining butter and seasonings to a large pot. Stir while reheating. Serve piping hot. Serves 4 to 6.
TIPS:
—Jim Casada
Simple Baked Potatoes
When it comes to satisfying food simplicity, a properly baked potato is mighty hard to beat. But not all baked potatoes are equal. Microwaving gives you edibles in a hurry, but the skin won’t have the crusty crunch that is so satisfying. Much the same holds true if you use aluminum wrap and bake your tubers in the oven. Yet a couple of simple tricks of the tater trade can make a world of difference. Here’s the traditional route to success.
Newly dug potatoes waiting on the ground. Jim Casada.
A bountiful handful of spring radishes. Katie Pressley.
Cornmeal-coated squash fried to a golden brown. Tipper Pressley.
A handful of ripe, husked ground cherries. Jim Casada.
Red okra tastes the same as green, but its striking color adds visual appeal on the stalk or before cooking. Tipper Pressley.
A hefty harvest of morel mushrooms. Jim Casada.
A sprawling patch of ramps promises a springtime feast. Don Casada.
Red Delicious apples ready for picking. Jim Casada.
A simple, one-man cider press squeezes out a run of apple cider. Jim Casada.
A batch of newly gathered apples spread out on a mountain porch prior to being worked up. Tipper Pressley.
A cluster of pawpaws at harvesttime. Jim Casada.
Vines laden with blackberries just beginning to ripen. Jim Casada.
Mulberry juice. Tipper Pressley.
Biscuits, butter and jelly—an enduring Appalachian treat. Tipper Pressley.
Canning bread-and-butter pickles. Corie Graddick.
Shelves laden with colorful canning jars holding summer’s rich bounty. Tipper Pressley.
Freshly gathered pears waiting to be worked up. Tipper Pressley.
Punch bowl cake. Tipper Pressley.
Open-faced blackberry pie. Tipper Pressley.
A maypop (or passionflower) bloom. Tipper Pressley.
A loaf of pecan-studded zucchini bread. Tipper Pressley.
A traditional southern Appalachia breakfast—country ham, redeye gravy, biscuits, eggs and grits. Tipper Pressley.
Summer’s rich bounty for supper. Tipper Pressley.
Robert Scoville frying trout streamside in Pisgah National Forest. Jim Casada.
Making a pan of sausage gravy. Tipper Pressley.
A native persimmon tree laden with fruit in early autumn. Jim Casada.
A fine field of corn with mountains in the background. Tipper Pressley.
A Buchanan family picnic. Courtesy Hunter Library, Western Carolina University.
Honeybees busy on corn tassels. Don Casada.
A near-ripe apple hangs from a tree in late summer. Tipper Pressley.
An Appalachian homestead and its adjacent garden. Don Casada.
Susan Casada in her family’s garden. Don Casada.
1 baking potato per person
Vegetable oil
Butter
Coarse sea salt
Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes—high-starch ones, such as the old Appalachian favorite, Kennebec, or store-bought Russets, are best. Dry the potatoes and coat thoroughly with vegetable oil. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt, turning so all sides are well salted. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour—time will depend on the size of the potatoes—until fully done. You can check by holding one in an oven mitt and squeezing it gently. If it yields, the potato is ready to eat. The end result of baking potatoes in this fashion will be a crisp skin enclosing inner goodness just begging to be popped open and loaded with real butter.
TIP: Through the addition of ingredients such as sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, chives, bits of dried cayenne pepper, bacon crumbles, fried streaked meat morsels or other goodies, a large baked potato can become a meal. This is especially true with a salad as a side dish.
—Jim Casada
Roasted Carrots
Carrots
Oil (olive oil works particularly well)
Salt and pepper to taste
Scrub or peel carrots and chop to desired size. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay carrots out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
TIP: Baby carrots can be left whole.
—Tipper Pressley
Carrot Salad
1 cup carrots, grated
1 large apple, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss the first four ingredients together. Add mayonnaise to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
TIP: This salad may be altered by increasing or decreasing ingredients according to individual preference.
—Tipper Pressley
A raw carrot salad. Tipper Pressley.
Carrot, Raisin and Pineapple Salad
1 cup grated carrots, chopped with an ulu or knife
½ cup raisins
½ cup canned pineapple slices or chunks, drained and cut into small pieces
Mayonnaise
Stir the carrots, raisins and pineapple together and then mix in mayonnaise to taste (do not use too much). A pinch of sugar can be added if desired, and for extra crunch and a taste difference, the same is true of chopped pecans.
TIP: For a color-consistent salad, use golden raisins.
—Jim Casada
Pecan Crunch Sweet Potatoes
1 stick butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
Combine butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar. Add to mashed sweet potatoes and spread mixture in a baking dish.
Topping
⅓ stick butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Mix topping ingredients and crumble over potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. This has long been a traditional dish at Casada family gatherings.
—Jim Casada