We are so fortunate to have Janet Crow, a cook of renown, who has her own Facebook page, Janet’s Appalachian Kitchen, and has published several cookbooks. I urge you to check out her Facebook page and see what you have been missing. Now Appalachian cooking is as much a part of my heritage as sweet iced tea, so I was hooked the first time I came across her page and have been a devoted reader ever since. Not only is she a fantastic cook but she has an incredible story to share with us this month.
“Cooking has been a part of my life since I was old enough to stand on a kitchen chair and stir a pot, helping my grandmothers in their kitchens as well as in Mama’s. I grew up around true Southern cooks and real Southern food. The lessons they taught me in the kitchen have been treasured in my memories and in my own kitchen.
“Mama and Daddy were also big influences on my learning how to cook. Sitting down to suppers of fried salmon patties, hot biscuits and gravy, and a glass of sweet iced tea was enough to make any young girl want to learn how to cook. Mama had her specialties just as much as Daddy did and I am happy I learned many of them. It makes being away from home easier when I cook one of these meals because the memories of sitting at the supper table with my family are closer when I fix the meals I grew up with.
“Born in 1965, I was raised in Dallas, Georgia, about a rock-throws distance down the road from one set of my grandparents. My other grandparents lived in Tucker, Georgia, which made it harder to spend time with them. But when we would go to visit, I can remember it feeling like we were going on vacation because the drive, back then, seemed to take forever. Eventually, they did move closer … right next door as a matter of fact; so visiting with them became a whole lot easier.
“My Papa Rackley was a farmer and he grew just about everything you can think of in his garden. When summer rolled around the family would gather underneath big ole shade trees in their yard to help shell peas, string beans and shuck corn along with so much more. He planted enough for the whole family and sold some to help pay the bills. One of my favorite memories of those times is the first time he let me ride on his lap, helping to steer the tractor as we headed to the bottoms to pull corn. He would shuck one right in the field, take a bite of that fresh corn and then share it with me. I would then ride in the back of the trailer he was pulling, sitting right on top of the corn that had just been pulled.
“Papa Hembree also had a green thumb for gardening and when they moved next door he planted a pretty nice size one for him and Nannie. I can still see him out in that garden tending to all the vegetables he had planted and Nannie cooking them up for supper.
“I am a wife, mother of two and grandmother of four, two boys and two girls. Eventually, the hustle and bustle of a growing city became more stressful than peaceful. I liked the small town feel Dallas used to have and missed that; so my husband and I chose to move to where he grew up in West Virginia in 2006. The town we now live in reminds me of my childhood with dirt roads, kids playing outside till dark, and just an overall simpler and slower pace of life.
“In December 2012, I was diagnosed with stage 3 vulvar cancer and I am happy to say that I am currently three years into remission. My cancer diagnosis truly changed my life and how I look at life now. After three months of grueling chemo and radiation treatments, I was finally winning my battle. When I became strong enough, my husband and I took a much needed camping trip. As I was preparing our supper, campfire style, I had the thoughts of sharing my family recipes with others. That is when I started Janet’s Appalachian Kitchen on Facebook.
“My page grew rather quickly. Before I knew it, folks wanted me to write a cookbook so they didn’t have to copy and paste the recipes. With my mounting medical bills, I knew it would help to pay them down so I self-published ‘Janet’s Appalachian Kitchen … Recipes From the Heart.’ That original cookbook has now turned into a series of five volumes. My heart has been overjoyed with the response, along with the continued prayers and support my kitchen followers give me every single day.
“I have been blessed in so many ways and I am humbled each and every day, not taking a moment for granted. Prayer, love and good ole Southern cooking is all one needs to feed the soul.”
Mary Delph is an associate editor with AFC Cooperative Farming News.
You may email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 1 (12-ounce) package frozen cauliflower, thawed to room temperature In a bowl, place cauliflower. Whisk together butter, oil, turmeric and house seasoning. Pour over cauliflower and toss to coat well (the turmeric will give it a hint of yellow color). Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spread the cauliflower out on the pan. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove and toss cauliflower. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Note: If using fresh cauliflower, the roasting time will take a little longer till tender.
HOUSE SEASONING Garlic powder Use equal amount of all ingredients. Combine and store in an airtight container.
NANNIES MIXED GREENS 1 bunch turnip greens Wash greens three times in a sink full of water. Drain. Chop. Place in a large pot. Add water and bring up to a boil, cooking till they begin to reduce in size by half, about 15 minutes. Add bouillon cube, ham hocks and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Uncover and remove ham hocks, allowing them to cool slightly. Pull meat off and return to pot. Season with salt and pepper before serving. Note: Depending on size of bunches, you may need a tad more water if you like a lot of pot likker. Mine completely filled a 5 quart pot before cooking.
CABBAGE AND NOODLES Servings: approximately 3 3 strips of bacon, sliced In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in pan. Add onion to pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook onion for 1 minute. Add cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in boiling water for 7-8 minutes or until done. Drain noodles and set aside. Season cabbage with house seasoning, sugar and salt. Add noodles to skillet and toss to combine well. Top with bacon just before serving.
I am looking for cooks of all ages, cooking traditions and skill levels to feature in this column. I want to hear from those in Alabama as well as our out-of-state readers. The simple requirements for being a featured cook are to love to cook (and eat) and to share your story with us. Get those recipes coming! Any featured cooks during 2016 will receive a free copy of our new cookbook. — Mary |
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES Makes approximately 2 dozen 1 cup sugar In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
SOFT YEAST ROLLS ¾ cups warm tap water In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, add the water, yeast and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Allow to sit for 5-6 minutes, until foamy. Meanwhile, heat milk and butter for 1 minute 15 seconds in microwave. Remove and let cool 5 minutes. Add 1 cup flour, ¼ cup sugar and salt to bowl. Begin mixing on low speed to combine. Pour in milk/butter mixture and add 2 cups more flour. Mix for a minute or so. Check texture of dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour … mine took 3¼ cups total. (The humidity in your area will make a difference as to how much more flour you use.) Let mixer work dough for 2 minutes.In a lightly floured surface, place dough. Form into a ball. Place in a lightly buttered bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let rise till double in size, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and knead a couple times. Roll out to a square and cut into 14 pieces. Lightly form each piece till rounded, or you can leave them square if you like. Place in buttered 9×13 pan. Cover again and allow to rise for 1 hour. Brush the tops with a little melted butter. Bake at 350° 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are golden.Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can easily mix this by hand.
OLD FASHIONED Makes 10 patties 1 (6 ounce) can skinless/boneless pink salmon, drained In a bowl, combine salmon, onion, salt and pepper. Stir in egg, buttermilk, cornmeal and flour. Combine well. In a medium-size iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼” oil. Drop by spoonful into hot oil and flatten out just a tad. Fry, in batches, about a minute per side or until golden brown. Drain on a paper sack or paper towel-lined plate.
AUNT EMMA’S POUND CAKE 6 large eggs, room temperature In a mixing bowl, use electric or stand mixer to beat eggs and sugar for 1 minute. Add butter and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Alternately add flour and whipping cream to the bowl, mixing well after each addition. Once all is incorporated, add vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Pour batter into a prepared (greased and floured) tube pan and place in a cold oven. Set oven to 325° and bake for 1½ hours. Remove and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out. |
