Grandmama's Vegetable Soup

My maternal grandmother made the best vegetable soup I've ever had. Grandmama used whatever vegetables were available from the garden. Boy, did they have a garden!

I've never been able to exactly replicate her soup but here's a good approximation. Or you can use whatever you have available. Since I don't garden, I use a mixture of fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables.

1 ham bone with attached meat
or
country ham pieces, chopped

Simmer the ham in 2 quarts of water for at least 2 hours. Remove the bone and reserve the broth. Allow the meat to cool. Remove a meat from the bone and chop fine. Return the meat to the pot.

12 oz Corn
12 oz Green Beans
12 oz Butterbeans
2 15 oz cans of Tomatoes, chopped
1 can Rotel
12 oz Carrots, sliced
12 oz Okra, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium cabbage, cored and chopped
Hot sauce to taste (My favorite is Marie Sharps Fiery Hot.)
Salt to taste (Be careful! The country ham provides a lot of salt.)
Pepper to taste

Add all ingredients up to the onions to the stock and ham. Add enough water or stock to cover all ingredients by 1 inch. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer at least 2 hours. Adjust seasoning. Add the cabbage and simmer another 30 minutes. Add the hot sauce and adjust seasoning a final time.

Serve with cornbread.

This makes a rather large batch of soup. Even the starving horde composed of myself and my cousins could never eat it all. Thankfully, it freezes well!

Italian Cream Cake

One of my favorite cakes made by my paternal grandmother was the Italian Cream cake. It's a cake I don't see much anymore. So I present it here.

Cake Layers

1 stick butter
1/2 C of shortening
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 C coconut (packed)
5 eggs, separated
1 C pecans, chopped

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, flour, soda, salt, and buttermilk and cream well. Add nuts, coconut, and flavorings. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 boxes 10 X sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C pecans, chopped

Cream the cream cheese and margarine. Add sugar and vanilla. Cream well.  Added pecans and mix well.

Frost the cake layers and the top.

Source: Taste and See that the Lord is Good, "ABC" Senior Adults, First Baptist Chruch, Sylvester, GA. 2008 Morris Press Cookbooks.

Uncle DF's BBQ Sauce

I recently shared my grandmother's BBQ sauce recipe. Her brother also had a good one. In the name of variety and equal time here it is.

• 1 large lemon
• ½ C water

Half and squeeze the lemon and add to water in a saucepan. Boil until tender. Strain.

• ½ C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbls Hot Sauce (I use Marie Sharp's Fiery Hot)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 Tbls A1 Steak Sauce
• 2 C ketchup

Add all ingredients to the strained lemon water. Bring to a low boil. Bottle when cool.

Add 6 oz of horseradish for cocktail sauce.

Granny's BBQ Sauce

Differing opinions on styles of BBQ and BBQ sauces have probably started more fights than differing political opinions.

My paternal grandmother made a wonderful BBQ sauce that I dearly love. I find it goes equally well with pork, beef, or chicken. And while I have not tried it on other meats I feel it will work well with most.

• 1 C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 C Ketchup
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 
• 2 Tbsp of hot sauce (Granny used Tabasco. I like to use Marie Sharp's Fiery Hot)
• 2 Tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp  black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon

Combine all ingredients and bring to a low boil. Bottle when cool.

Pierogies and Onions with Kelibasa and Pineapple

Pierogies are something that I didn't grow up eating in the South. I discovered them when a friend's wife served them at a big dinner one night. I fell in love with them that night. Then when we lived in Alaska I found a Russian delicatessen that sold freshly made pierogies. Yum.

Over the years I have served pierogies as a side dish. As time passed it evolved into what I present in this recipe. This recipe is actually for two dishes that complement each other.

Pierogies and Sauteed Onions

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 4 Tbsp of butter
• 1 C water
• 1 1lb box of Mrs. T's Four Cheese Frozen Pierogies
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the onions and sautee in the butter over medium heat until they begin to caramelize. Add the water and pierogies. Cover and steam for about 10 minutes while moving the pan gently to keep the pierogies from sticking.

Kielbasa and Pineapple

• 1 lb of kielbasa sausage
• 1 20 oz can of pineapple chunks, drained with the liquid reserved

Slice the kielbasa into coins. Cook the sausage over medium heat stirring frequently. Once the sausage is browned add the pineapple chunks. Stir until heated thoroughly. Add about half the liquid and cook until slightly thickened.

Serve the two together and enjoy!

Pinto Beans and Corn Bread

Let's talk about comfort food. Dried beans were always a staple in my family. Even to this day, one of my favorite meals is Pinto Beans and Corn Bread.

The lowly bean doesn't need much to help it. If you've got a leftover ham bone, great! Or some country ham trimmings and pieces.

• 2 C dried pinto beans
• 2 qt water
• ham bone or country ham trimmings and pieces
• salt and black pepper to taste (be careful if using country ham)

Wash and sort the beans. Cover the beans completely with water and soak overnight.

The next day you will drain the water from the beans. Place the beans in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add the water and ham bone. Make sure that the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until beans are tender usually 1 1/2  to 2 hours. Check the water level in the beans as they cook. Top off the water as needed. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper.

• 1 egg
• 1 C milk
• 2 C of self-rising cornmeal (or substitute 1 1/2 C plus 6 Tbsp of cornmeal and 2 Tbsp of baking powder)
• 2 Tbsp of vegetable or bacon grease

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. I use a 12" cast iron skillet to cook my cornbread. Add the oil to the skillet and place in the oven to preheat for 5 to 8 minutes. Beat the egg and add the milk. Mix well. Slowly add the self-rising cornmeal until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully make sure that the grease completely coats the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve the pinto beans and cornbread with butter and your favorite hot sauce. I like Marie Sharps Fiery Hot. You can find it on Amazon.

Sausage and Potato Soup

This soup is my version of The Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. It is simple, quick, and hearty.

• 1 lb of sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean's Sage sausage or substitute your favorite sausage)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4-6 potatoes, chopped
• 4 cans of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1-2 tsp of your favorite hot sauce (I prefer Marie Sharps Fiery Hot Sauce. It's a habanero sauce with a carrot base. Wonderful flavor!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 qt milk
• 2-3 C kale (I use a package of frozen kale)

In a dutch over or a large soup pot, brown the sausage and drain. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the potatoes and stir. Add the stock, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over low to medium heat until the potatoes are tender. This usually takes 15-20 minutes.

Add the milk and kale. Bring the soup back up to temperature while stirring often. Do not boil.

Serve with garlic bread.

Taco Soup

One of my favorite cool weather meals is soup. I prefer hearty soups and stews.

Taco Soup

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 2 cans of beef or vegetable stock
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can mild or hot chili beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 (1 oz) package ranch dressing mix
• Shredded cheese (topping)
• Sour cream (topping)

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess fat, add taco seasoning. Add the remaining ingredients – except for the cheese and sour cream, and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Serve soup topped with cheese and sour cream along with tortilla chips.