Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South: #10 {Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich}

Making this Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich should come with a warning. You're gonna be shopping and cooking your heart out, making a total of 9 recipes in order to assemble this bad boy!

Ready to make a mess and drive yourself batty? Okay, here we go. I'll warn you right now, this is going to be a long post. There's lots of steps and 9 recipes, ok? 

We're going to start by preparing and making the Pulled Cubano Pork. Either start the night before or wake up early the day of because your pork needs to marinate in Jared's Pork Rub, a seasoning blend consisting of 13 special seasonings for several hours or overnight. Then it is going to roast in the oven for several hours until it's fork tender and can be pulled and sprinkled with something called Chicken Salt, which consists of salt; pepper; cayenne; and paprika. This is going to be some very well seasoned and delicious pork, and we do love our pork in Kentucky!

While the pork is in the oven let's get started on the other 6 recipes. After all, this isn't idle hour. To heck with enjoying summer break, you have work to do! 

Next I suggest making the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce because it needs about 45 minutes to cook. This is a delicious barbecue sauce that is a wonderful combination of flavors: sweet, slightly spicy, and a little zippy. It's a combination of garlic, ketchup, cola, Worcestershire, steak sauce, spices, vinegar and Bourbon. It thickens wonderfully and is great on this sandwich, but so many other things as well.

Next you need to make your Kentucky River Beer Cheese and Special Sauce because we ALWAYS need time for our sauces and beer cheese to combine so the flavors meld. If you're unfamiliary with beer cheese it's a spreadable cheese and this one is made with purchased spreadable Cheddar cheese; beer; Bourbon; hot sauce, and seasonings and spices.

The Special Sauce is a mayo-based sauce that is unlike any other mayo- based sauce I've had. It's heavy on the mayo with some Dijon, sliced green onions and a lot of Parsley. It's herbaceous and oniony.

Then you're going to make a simple cornmeal dredge for your dill pickles slices and get some Fried Pickles going.

You'll want a hearty baguette or mini baguettes and you'll be ready to assemble your sandwich. I toasted my baguette, but that was not in the recipe. This is going to be ONE LOADED SANDWICH! You're going to start with a layer of the Special Sauce, followed by a layer of thinly sliced red onion, then shredded lettuce. Then you'll add the pulled pork, the beer cheese, the barbecue sauce, and top the sandwich with the fried pickles. 

Next you'll need to pretend that you've had a long night out on the town because this is one of those sandwiches you'd probably eat in the middle of the night! There is A LOT going on and it's one of the messiest things I've ever eaten, but it is very good!

If you want a more simple sandwich I'd go with the baguette, a smear of beer cheese, pulled pork, barbecue sauce and maybe the fried pickles.

There are a lot of ways to serve this sandwich and all of them are delicious! 

 **Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook.  

*This is the last week of the Southern Summer Series! 

 Wallace Station Pulled Cubano Pork

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

3-3-1/2 pound boneless pork butt (shoulder)

1/4 cup Jared's Pork Rub (recipe follows)

Wallace Station Chicken Salt (recipe follows)

Rub pork butt with Jared's Pork Rub and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425F. Place pork butt in a baking pan and roast, uncovered, 30-40 minutes, until the rub begins to darken and char. Reduce heat to 300F. Remove roasted pork from the oven and add water to a depth of 1/2 inch in the pan. Cover and continue baking 1-1/2 - 2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 200F and the meat is very tender. Remove the roast from the liquid and cool slightly. When the meat can be handled, discard any visible fat and pull the pork into shreds using two forks. Season lightly with Wallace Station Chicken Salt. The pork can be used to make quesadillas or tacos or tossed in barbecue sauce for pulled pork sandwiches. The leftover pan juices can be chilled, causing any fat to rise to the top and solidify. After discarding the fat, the rich broth can be used as part of the stock for Whitesburg Soup Beans.

Jared's Pork Rub: Mix together 6 tablespoons light brown sugar;  6 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 3 tablespoons leaf oregano; 2 tablespoons dry mustard; 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 6 tablespoons ground sweet paprika; 3 tablespoons ground cumin; and 3 tablespoons dried thyme and store tightly covered.

Wallace Station Chicken Salt: Mix together 1/4 cup kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; and 1/4 teaspoon ground sweet paprika and store tightly covered.

Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

4 (6-inch) Po-Boy baguettes or French baguettes

1/2 cup Special Sauce*

24-28 thinly sliced red onion rings

2 cups (6 ounces) shredded iceberg lettuce

1-1/4 pound Wallace Station Pulled Cubano Pork*

1/2 cup Kentucky River Beer Cheese*

1/2 cup Bourbon Barbecue Sauce*

24 Fried Pickle slices*

For each sandwich split a baguette partway through, leaving a hinge. Open the bread and slather 2 tablespoons Special Sauce on the bottom. Cover with 6-7 onions rings; 1/2 cup shredded lettuce; 5 ounces pulled pork; 2 tablespoons warm beer cheese; 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce; and 6 warm pickle slices. Using a squeeze bottle helps distribute the barbecue sauce evenly over the sandwich ingredients. Repeat for more sandwiches. Serves 4  

Special Sauce: Place 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard; and 1/4 teaspoon white and black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Add 1/2 bunch curly parsley, stems removed; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 clove garlic, chopped; and 1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Add this to the mayonnaise and spice mixture and mix well. Chill 30 minutes before using.  

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and saute 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup ketchup; 1 cup cola (Coke); 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce; 1/4 cup steak sauce; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; and 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and mix well. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened. Add 2 tablespoons bourbon and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm on Po-Boys or other sandwiches. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 2-1/2 cups.

Kentucky River Beer Cheese: Immerse 2 (6-1/2 ounce) tubs spreadable Cheddar Cheese in a bowl of hot water until softened, or soften in a microwave 1 minute on 30 percent power. If the cheese is still firm, stir and continue to microwave on 30 percent power in 15-second increments until softened. In a medium bowl, with a mixer, whip cheese and 2 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale or your favorite beer; 1 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon; 2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground sweet paprika; 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Continue to whip until well blended. Taste for seasoning. Chill until ready to use. Makes 2 cups. 

Fried Pickles: Heat canola oil in a deep skillet or small kettle fryer to 350F. Drain 24 dill pickles slices slightly and dredge in 1/2 cup Weisenberger Mill Fish Batter Mix or Tyler's Cornmeal Dredge (1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika). Lower carefully into hot oil and fry for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain well. Use to garnish sandwiches or serve as a snack with remoulade for dipping.

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South: #9 Blackberry Crumble Pie! {And American Pie #4}

Somewhere in the world a woman wakes up. She's middle-aged, right on the cusp of 50. Everything hurts. Her body, her mind, her whole world. Her youngest just graduated high school and is going out into the world. Her husband travels for work during the week. She wakes up alone. After years of child-rearing, and chaos, the house is quiet. The home and everything in it is old, bought when the kids were young, back when raising kids felt like it would last a lifetime. Even the dog, begged and pleaded for by kids and their precious little voices, was in fact old and frail. The woman's mom, her best friend, had passed years ago. The other grandparents hanging on, but ailing. Sometimes the woman had her own health struggles and felt like her body was betraying her.

The world was in a state the woman didn't recognize anymore. There were screens everywhere and a lot of talk about AI. She had become the age where she started to struggle with technology, turning her debit card every which way at the checkout, struggling to keep up with her iphone, bumbling about on her new Macbook. Once upon a time she watched a black and white TV, played kickball and foursquare with friends, ran wild in the streets, and drank from the garden hose. Back then the world felt safe and sound. The world was full of promise. Nowadays, it doesn't feel that way at all.

She doesn't recognize this new life. This new chapter. It feels like everything was coming to a close. An ending. The phase were you lose things. She worries over her kids flying the nest, she worries over losing her Dad. She worries about losing her own health. Losing the dog. Losing, losing, losing.

The woman sits alone in the empty house that feels way too big now. She tries to find the answers to big questions like, "why didn't anyone tell her the best time of her life was when she was in her 30's and the kids were little, both her parents were alive, and she had perfect health?" She wonders how this new phase of her life with grown children, aging parents, and an aching body can possibly beat those younger years when EVERYONE she loves was together. And, again, she turns on the TV, she inevitably goes on social media, and SHE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD she lives in. She is nostalgic about the good 'ol days. She would happily drink water from the garden hose again.

She is old enough to know there is no point in dwelling. She knows there is nothing that can be done. She has to move forward. She tries to stay busy. She reads books. She goes for long car rides in the country. She visits family and friends. She tries her best to take in all the good times because she knows they're fleeting. She cherishes time with friends and family.

She does kitchen therapy. She takes a drive out into the country and buys blackberries from the farm, the same farm she used to take her kids to. She watches the other mothers with her kids picking blackberries. She hears the little boy say, " this is the best day ever" as he eats blackberries with the juice running down his chin. She remembers when her boy was little and said the same. She wants to tell the mom to cherish those days, but she doesn't wanna be one of those people, so she says nothing. She drives home with her blackberries listening to her new audiobook. It's quiet and peaceful, but it used to be loud with both kids in the backseat. She misses the noise, but she turns up the audiobook. She's trying.

When she gets home she washes the berries and starts making the pie crust. She has plenty of berries because no little hands have been gobbling them up. She kneads the dough and rolls it out. Her hands are busy, but her heart is hurting. The house is too quiet. The house and the dog groan with age. Years ago she made the same pie and the kids were loud, the kitchen was new, the dog was playing and barking. Laughter filled the air.

She bakes the pie and starts to work on the crumble topping. Again, her hands are busy working the butter, oats, and sugar. She thinks about how there were three policemen shot for no reason in her old hometown. On their lunch break, towards the back of a dead end road, they stopped to eat their lunch and a man with an assault rifle attacked them. She worries about the state of the world. The world her aging parents have to see. The one her kids have to live in, hopefully for many years. The world she doesn't recognize. The old dog chokes in her sleep and the woman snaps out of her deep thoughts. She looks up at the kitchen ceiling and sees the water damage from the tub upstairs. The light over the kitchen island makes a loud tink sound and the light goes out. The house creaks. The house is old.

Where did all years go? It feels as if they all went by ALL OF A SUDDEN, when her youngest crossed the stage on graduation. Everything changed then. 

The woman puts the pie in the oven and she remembers her husband and youngest will be home soon. Her daughter is coming over for dinner. She is thankful for that, but one of the policemen has just died. She can enjoy a Blackberry Crumble Pie with her family tonight, but somewhere in her hometown a family cannot. It reminds her of all the suffering in the world. The women flashes to her biggest suffering of all, back when her mom was dying. She remembers when her mom whispered to her "Life is for the living, baby. Promise me you will live life to the fullest when I go." The woman remembers her promise. She pulls the most beautiful pie out of the oven and she whispers, "I'm trying my best, mom." 

The house is full of laughter and noise when the woman serves the pie. Everyone is raving about how delicious it is and how the crumble topping really makes it. Someone loves it with vanilla ice cream and someone else loves it all on its own and for a short time all is as it once was and the woman is so grateful. 

She remembers her hero, the one she called Gramps. She remembers something he used to say all the time back when she was a teenager. He'd tell her over and over "The key to life is learning how to adjust." Her teenage brain didn't understand it. She used to think it was so funny. But over the years she thinks of him often, wishing he was around to give advice, and she'd remember. She'd hear his big voice boom saying "the key to life is learning how to adjust" and she'd laugh. She was old enough to get it. She thinks of this now and she says to herself,  "I have to learn how to adjust to this new normal. It will take time, but I have to keep trying."

And she cuts herself a slice of pie.

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. *THIS BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE PIE IS #9 IN THE SOUTHERN SUMMER SERIES FROM JUST A FEW MILES SOUTH.

Blackberry Crumble Pie

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 1 9" pie

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon iodized salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

2-1/2 - 4 tablespoons cold whole milk

Filling

1-3/4 pounds (about 6 cups) fresh blackberries, washed and drained

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup cornstarch

Crumble

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

pinch iodized salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) frozen unsalted butter

For The Crust: Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is broken into very small pieces and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar and then slowly pour in milk, pulsing until the dough comes together. Remove from the processor and knead on a floured surface several times. Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Roll out the pie crust, fit it into a 9" pie pan, and flute the edges. Chill until ready to fill.

For The Filling: In a large bowl, mix blackberries and lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cornstarch. Pour the sugar mixture over blackberries and mix well. Place the prepared crust on a parchment lined baking sheet. Mound the berry mixture in the crust and bake 30 minutes.

For the Crumble Topping: While the pie is baking, pulse oats in a food processor into a large crumb. Pour into a small bowl and combine with brown sugar, flour, and salt. Grate frozen butter into the oats mixture and toss together by hand. After the pie has baked 30 minutes, pull it from the oven and top evenly with the crumble. Reduce heat to 350F, return the pie to the oven, and continue baking another 30-35 minutes, checking often, until the berry filling bubbles through the topping and the crumble is crisp, golden brown, and cooked through.

Cool pie to room temperature, allowing the filling to set, before serving. Serve a slice as is, or with whipped cream and/or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

 

 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South: #7: Ladies Who Lunch Eat Hot Chicken Salad!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook.  

If you live in The South and you're a lady who lunches, then you are MOST DEFINITELY going to be eating chicken salad. You're going to be eating it cold on salads, croissants, toast points, and as tiny little tea sandwiches. You're gonna be eating all the different versions: cubed chicken and shredded chicken, chicken salad with fruit, chicken salad without fruit, chicken salad with nuts and without nuts. Chicken salad will be served on cucumber slices, apple and pear slices, and in celery. And just when you think chicken salad CANNOT be served in any other way, it will be served HOT!

Yes, you read that right, HOT. Paula Deen has a version where chicken salad is baked with crumbled potato chips on top and my cookbook, Just A Few Miles South by Ouita Michel, has a Hot Chicken Salad consisting of: chopped chicken, wild rice, white rice, sliced water chestnuts, cream cheese, mayo, white Cheddar cheese, sour cream, red onion, diced celery, and salt and pepper, to taste.

So look...I would be remiss if I didn't include some type of chicken salad in my Southern Summer Series and I'm surprised I've made it to week #7 without it, BUT here we are, Ouita Michel's Hot Chicken Salad. BECAUSE...there is just absolutely no stopping us with Every.Single.Version. of Chicken Salad down in the South. If one thing is for sure, we ladies down South will be eating chicken salad for lunch.  

And let me just tell you now...this version is so delicious it should come with a warning! The creaminess of the chicken, with the crunch of the water chestnuts, and the golden brown crispy bits along the edge of the casserole... this is chicken salad heaven! It's truly a must make dish!

Hot Chicken Salad

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 14-16 servings

3-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey

3/4 cup dry wild rice, cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup white rice, cooked according to package directions

2 (8-ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup minced red oinon

1 cup small-diced celery

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a deep 13x9" pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. 

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling around the edges and hot in the middle. It's pretty much a rule that you have to serve this with a nice green salad on the side.  

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #6: Whitesburg Soup Beans and Buttermilk Cornbread!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

We're over halfway through with our Southern Summer Series, which is kinda sad because that means that summer is a little over halfway over. But, things are still delicious so that's good. This week we have a Kentucky staple from the hills of Appalachia, Whitesburg Soup Beans and Buttermilk Cornbread.

This is complete and total comfort food and it's really not all that unhealthy either. 

The beans take about 7 hours, four to five hours to soak and then another two hours to cook, so plan accordingly. The cornbread only takes about 20-30 minutes, and you should serve it as hot as can be straight from the skillet so have the beans hot and ready to go!

The soup beans are mild but flavorful and comforting and they pair so dang well with the Buttermilk Cornbread. 

When it comes to the cornbread, try to save yourself some bacon fat to season the bottom of the cast iron pan before adding the cornbread batter in. The cast iron pan and the bacon fat heat up in the pan and the pan should be really hot when you pour the cornbread batter in. You should hear a sizzle. This ensures a really nice crust on the bottom. The skillet cornbread bakes up fast, 15 minutes or so and you wanna serve it straight away with a nice ice cream size scoop of butter on top.

Now you're ready for total comfort food. Ladle some soup beans in a bowl and cut yourself a wedge or two of cornbread and get to dippin'!  

Whitesburg Soup Beans

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 2 quarts

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 cup chopped white onion

5-6 ounces boneless country ham, diced

1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons kosher salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pick pinto beans for pebbles, rinse until clean, and place in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover with cold water and soak 5-6 hours. Drain. Return to the pot, cover beans with about 3 quarts of water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down to a slow simmer and continue to cook until the beans change color and are slightly softened but not mushy, about 2 hours. Taste for seasoning. Serve with Buttermilk Cornbread or Hoecakes.

 

Buttermilk Cornbread

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 1 large skillet bread or 12 wedges

1-1/3 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, beaten

1-1/3 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings

Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 400F. In a medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, buttermilk, and melted butter and mix well with a whisk. Carefully remove the hot cast-iron skillet from the oven and drop in 1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings, swirl quickly to coat the pan, and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes, until the butter bubbles and turns dark golden brown. Remove the skillet from the oven again and pour in the batter. Return immediately to the oven and bake 18-23 minutes, until the edges are brown and the center is firm to the touch. Cut into 12 wedges. Serve immediately with butter and/or Whitesburg Soup Beans. 

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

 

 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #5: Buttermilk Chess Pie! {and American Pie #3}

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we have a dessert! A traditional southern pie, Buttermilk Chess Pie. Chess pie is a custard dessert pie made with eggs, sugar, butter and flour in a pastry crust. It is usually flavored with lemon juice and vanilla and is sometimes thickened with cornmeal. 

There are a few theories about how the pie got it's name. One is that it refers to a "chest" where pies were stored before refrigeration. Another theory is that it comes from a Southern accent of mishearing "just pie" or "jes' pie." There is another theory that it might be a variation of cheese pie, but there's no cheese in the recipe so I think the name takes roots in the southern accent itself.

This Buttermilk Chess Pie is not thickened with cornmeal. In fact, it has very few ingredients. Once you blind bake the pie crust things come together very quickly. A quick mix of eggs, melted butter, sugar, flour, salt, buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and nutmeg and you're ready to pour it in the pie shell and bake.

 I've had versions of Chess Pie several times, but this is my first time making it. It is sweet and creamy like custard with subtle hints of vanilla and lemon. It's a subtle pie, but one that is delicious and that you can likely make with pantry ingredients. You can serve it like is, or dollop a little whipped cream on top with some berries on the side. 

Buttermilk Chess Pie

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

1 recipe Midway Bakery All-Butter Pie Crust, blind baked*

3 large eggs

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

 

Midway Bakery All-Butter Pie Crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 stick butter (cut into small pieces), 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar, 2-1/2 to 4 tablespoons cold whole milk. Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is broken into very small pieces and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar and then slowly pour in milk, pusling until the dough comes together. Remove from the processor and knead on a floured surface several times. Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. 

To blind bake a pie crust, roll out the dough, line a pie pan with it, flute the edges, and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Freeze the crust in the pan for as least 30 minutes. While the crust is freezing, preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the crust from the freezer and line it with parchment paper, allowing about 2 inches to hang over the sides to serve as handles for lifting. Make sure to fit the parchment snugly into the angle where the bottom meets the sides. Fill the pan to the top with uncooked dry beans or rice or ceramic pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Using the parchment handles, remove the weights from the pie, reduce the temperature to 325F, and continue baking 15 minutes, until the crust has dried out and is light golden brown. Allow it to cool to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The rice or beans can be reused as pie weights many times. 

For the Buttermilk Chess Filling: Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add butter, sugar, flour, and salt. Then add buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and nutmeg, if desired. Mix to combine.  Pour into the cooled pie shell. Bake 40 minutes, or until the center is firm and set when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack before serving.   

 

 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #4: {Benedictine and Two Sandwiches with Benedictine} A Must-Have Kentucky Derby Spread!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we've got a Kentucky Derby Must-Have, Benedictine! If you haven't heard of Benedictine spread or sandwiches, let me elaborate. Benedictine Spread has roots in Louisville, where it was created by Jennie Benedict in, author of The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. Benedictine is a spread made with cucumbers and cream cheese invented near the 20th century. It is used for making cucumber sandwiches, but it also used as a dip or combined with meat in a sandwich. Some recipes use mayonnaise or green food coloring, but the recipe below does not include either of those. 

This recipe for Benedictine comes directly from the daughter of Jennie Benedict, Lisa Laufer and people say it is the best around. Benedictine is often served with smoked trout on hoecakes (recipe for hoecakes shared last week), or with bacon. Chef Ouita says she likes a BB&T - Benedictine, Bacon, and Tomato on white bread, but that the spread is good on crackers or crudite as well.

Today I have Benedictine two ways: the first, above, is the Benedictine spread on rounds of white bread topped with a sliced cucumber and finely minced parsley. The second, below, is a BLT sandwich with Benedictine spread. Both are equally delicious and great on a hot day! 

Benedictine

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes about 2 cups

2 large cucumbers (about 9 ounces each)

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

onion juice to taste; start with 1/2 teaspoon (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

3 - 4 dashes hot sauce

Peel cucumbers, retaining a bit of skin for color. Puree in a food processor. Squeeze cucumber puree in cheesecloth, removing as much liquid as possible. This keeps the spread from being too runny. Cucumber juice is delicious in a Bloody Mary or chilled with a splash of lemon and vodka. Combine all ingredients in a mixer or food processor and mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Note: For onion juice, grate one-quarter of a peeled onion on a cheese grater and squeeze out the juice using cheesecloth. 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South
 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #3: {Honeywood Hoecake Burger with Cheese Salad and Marinated Cucumbers}

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we've got Chef Ouita's Honeywood Hoecake Burger with Cheese Salad and Marinated Cucumbers. It's down home delicious! 

In Just A Few Miles South Ouita says, "All hoecakes are variations of corn pone. Around these parts, corn pone is thought of as cornbread batter baked in a round skillet or round cake pan. A hoecake is smaller and cooked in a skillet or griddle. The kitchen staff at Wallace Station makes big, thick corn pones in cast-iron skillets each day, and hoecakes are griddled each day at Windy Corner Market, Honeywood, and Zim's. The big ones are a delicious accompaniment to soup beans, and the little silver-dollar-size ones are used for canapes. Honeywood created a Hoecake Burger, sandwiching two thin patties and our Cheese Salad between two hoecakes." 

This Hoecake Burger is different than any other burger you've ever tried! I can promise you that! You have two thin burger patties with nice crisp browned edges with the fluffy hoecakes and their wonderful toasty corn flavor, then you layer on the rich Cheese Salad which accentuates the browned beef and the refreshing and crispy Marinated Cucumbers with the Smoky Ketchup. They say this burger is best eaten with a fork and knife, but I managed just fine with my hands. This burger was down right delicious! 

Griddle up some hoecakes today and give this one a try!  

Honeywood Hoecake Burger

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 4

8 (3 ounce) burger patties

salt and pepper for seasoning

8 (4-inch) hoecakes*

1/2 cup Cheese Salad*

12-16 slices Marinated Cucumbers*

1/2 cup Smoky Ketchup*

For The Burgers: Cook burgers on a grill or in a skillet to the desired temperature, seasoning with salt and pepper. Smash them into thin patties. While burgers are cooking, cook hoecakes on a heated griddle. 

For Each Burger: Place 2 burgers on a hoecake, top with 2 tablespoons Cheese Salad, 3-4 slices Marinated Cucumbers, and 2 tablespoons Smoky Ketchup, and cover with another hoecake. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cheese Salad

8 ounces shredded white Cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

To make Cheese Salad: Blend all ingredients in a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes about 2 cups.

Marinated Cucumbers

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Marinated Cucumbers: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes 2 cups.

Smoky Ketchup

1-1/4 pounds (1-1/2 large) sweet onions, trimmed and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 cup Major Grey's Chutney or other mango chutney

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup malt vinegar

To Make the Smoky Ketchup: Saute onions in both oils over medium heat until softened and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Put onions in a food processor, add remaining ingredients, and puree. Chill before using. Leftovers can be used as a glaze for meatloaf or as a condiment on meatloaf, pork, or turkey sandwiches. Makes about 3 cups. 

Hoecakes

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

To Make the Hoecakes: Whisk cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a small bowl. Add egg and buttermilk and whisk well to combine. The mixture should be pourable. Let batter rest about 10 minutes. Heat an electric skillet to 350F or use a cast iron skillet. Pour or ladle batter onto the heated surface and cook until golden brown on both sides. Makes about 1-3/4 cups batter; 14 small hoecakes or 7 large hoecakes. 

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South