Light Italian Wedding Soup

• ¼ package of meatballs
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 heads escarole (2 pounds total), cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped (You could use Swiss chard instead)

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add broth and tomatoes (with juice); bring to a simmer.
• Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes.
• Add as much escarole to pot as will fit. Cook, gradually, adding remaining escarole, until wilted and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 more minutes.
• Thin soup with water if desired.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve soup sprinkled with Parmesan.

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp double-acting baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup shortening
• ¾ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Into medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in buttermilk to make a soft dough.
5. On lightly floured surface, knead dough about 6 times. (Do not handle dough too much or biscuits will be tough.)
6. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough ¼ inch thick.
7. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds; place onto large cookie sheet.
8. Place scraps close together and reroll (do not knead); cut into rounds.
9. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Strip Dumplings

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp double-acting baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup buttermilk

1. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Stir in buttermilk until well blended.
3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and not sticky to the touch.
4. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut into ½-inch-wide strips, then into 3-inch long pieces.
5. Drop strips into large pot of simmering homemade vegetable soup, stewing chicken, or chicken soup.
6. Cover and simmer 12 minutes or until strips are done.

Ham with Red-Eye Gravy

This is a favorite Southern dish. My mother would usually serve it with plain grits. We would use home-cured ham, but now I chose ham steaks.

• 1½ pound ham steak
• 2 cups water

1. About 30 minutes before serving, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ham steak, cut about ½ inch thick; turn and cook until browned and heated through.
2. Remove ham to platter.
3. Add water to pan drippings.
4. Over medium heat, with spoon, stir drippings to loosen from bottom of pan; heat to boiling and boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve gravy over ham and grits.

Black-eyed Peas

This is a real favorite of mine. It also becomes Hoppin' John when rice and additional seasonings are added.

• 1 16-oz package black-eyed peas
• 1 lb salt pork

1. Night before, in a large bowl soak peas in water that just covers the peas.
2. About 2 hours before serving, in a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, place 2 quarts water.
3. Drain peas and add to Dutch oven along with salt pork, sliced or cut into chunks.
4. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until pork is tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 3 pounds green tomatoes
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup shortening

1. About 30 minutes before serving, cut ½-inch thick slices from 3 pounds green tomatoes.
2. In pie plate, combine flour, salt and pepper.
3. Dip tomato slices in flour mixture to coat well on both sides.
4. In large skillet over medium heat, fry tomato slices, a few at a time, in shortening until golden on both sides and heated through.
5. Drain on paper towels. Serve piping hot with the main course.

Hush Puppies

After frying fish or rabbit, my mother would drop spoonfuls of dough into the hot fat for a crispy fritter to accompany the meat. We also threw some to the dogs to keep them from barking!

• 1½ cups enriched cornmeal
• ½ cup regular all-purpose flours
• 1 green onion, minced
• 2 tsp double-acting baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
• Bacon drippings

1. About 30 minutes before serving, in a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, onion, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a cup, beat together milk and egg.
3. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.
4. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, in about 1-inch hot bacon drippings, fry tablespoonfuls of batter until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes
5. Lift from fat with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Pie

• 1 9-inch unbaked piecrust
• 2 17-ounce cans sweet potatoes
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbls melted butter
• 2 Tbls lemon juice
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

1. About 1 hour and 10 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Drain any liquid from sweet potatoes.
3. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except crust.
4. Spoon into piecrust.
5. Bake 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Goulash soup

• 2 medium onions
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 large peppers, one red and one green
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 10½ oz lean stewing beef
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1¼ pints beef stock
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• ½ tsp chopped marjoram
• 3 drops Tabasco sauce

1. Peel and slice the onions.
2. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
3. Cut the peppers in half and remove the stalks, seeds, and white ribs. Wash and slice into fine strips.
4. Place the tomatoes briefly in boiling water (do not cook them), rinse with cold water and remove the skins. Remove the cores and cut the tomatoes into quarters.
5. Rinse the beef under cold running water and pat dry. Cut it into small cubes. Brown the meat well all over in the olive oil.
6. Add the stock and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the vegetables and tomato paste and season with salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika, caraway seeds, and marjoram.
7. Simmer for about 15 minutes and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and Tabasco sauce.
8. Cook the soup until the meat is tender then shred it and return to soup.