Once more these two recipes come from the book, “Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, and Scuppernong Wine.” I keep praising this book, and I have to tell you all once more…I really believe you will really enjoy this book. It is very entertaining, and hard to put down!
This recipe is for Bonnie, and is actually from a man in North Carolina, too. The man’s name is Frank Pressley and is from Cullowhee, N.C. He says he likes to cook up a mess of poke and eggs every spring to remind him of his childhood days in the mountains. P. 274
Frank Pressley’s Poke and Eggs: (In Frank’s own words)
- Large bag of poke
- ¼ cup bacon drippings
- 4 eggs, boiled and chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices of bacon
- A few drops of vinegar
- A sprinkle of sugar
- A handful of dock (if available)
I break off just the tender leaves on top and the buds. I leave it (the plant)where it’ll sucker out and make more. I take the tender shoots to the house, chop it up and put it in the pot, cover it with water, and parboil it 5 minutes. If dock is available, I put in a handful to cook with the poke.
I pour that water off and parboil it again for 5 minutes with salt and pepper, and drain it off for a second time. Then I fry the bacon good and crisp and put the poke in the skillet and crumble the bacon up in it.
I heat it good and fry it ‘till it’s sorta tender, put a lid on it and smother it a bit and then put a few drops of vinegar on it and sprinkle the chopped eggs on top. Sometimes I sprinkle a little sugar on it. Usually though, I like it pretty natural. Pg. 274
Pot Likker Cornmeal Dumplings
This next recipe comes from Mr. Henry W. Lix of Oak Ridge Tennessee, and was given to The Oak Ridge Junior Service League for its inclusion in the league’s recipe collection. It was handed down to her from her mother and grandmother.
Pot Likker Cornmeal Dumplings
You must have one large pot of turnip greens boiled with ham hocks. Start from scratch, with turnip greens fresh out of the patch and smoked ham bone or hocks. Or use chopped turnip greens canned, simmered an hour with the ham, which should already be boiled tender.
Mix 2 tablespoons minced onion (fresh, young ones with part of the green tops are best), into 1-1/2 cups unsifted cornmeal. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Stir in enough boiling pot likker from the greens to make a dough. When slightly cooled, mix in one egg thoroughly. Take this by spoonfuls and shape into small patties about ½ inch thick. Lay them gently on top of the simmering greens. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until done. Pg. 278