Posted on 09/30/2019 4:08:25 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’ve had a request from Freeper MomwithHope to post this month on ‘Hearty Fall Fare’ - and even though it’s still hot here in DC, with Wednesday threatening record-breaking temperatures, the leaves are falling and the trees are beginning to morph into their Autumn glory. We can smell Fall.
One of my first posts to FR, before I officially began this cooking thread, was about Virginia Peanut Soup. I can still remember how surprised I was on tasting it - while there was little in the soup other than peanuts, it was so rich and the flavor so unexpected. I originally posted a link to a recipe that was non-dairy:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/virginia-peanut-soup/14444/
But here is a recipe, enriched with cream, from the King’s Arms Tavern in Williamsburg:
https://www.history.org/Almanack/life/food/fdpnutsp.cfm
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I’ve been interested in things to do with nuts, and recently remembered a recipe for spiced nuts from ‘Russel Wright's Menu Cookbook’, written by the industrial designer’s daughter, Ann Wright, from her memories of growing up; these would go nicely with drinks in front of your first hearth fire of the season:
Margaret Spader’s Chinese Spiced Walnuts
6 C. Water
2 C. Walnut Halves
½ C. Sugar
1 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes
2 C. Salad Oil (any vegetable oil without a really pronounced flavor.)
Kosher Salt to Taste
Bring water to a boil in a 2-qt heavy saucepan. Add walnuts, reheat to boiling, and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under hot running water, and shake to drain well.
Turn the walnuts into a bowl, add the sugar and pepper flakes, and toss to coat the nuts.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan or electric skillet, heat the oil to 350 degrees. (Oil should be about 1 inch deep.)
Add half the walnuts, stirring occasionally, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a cloth towel (not paper as the hot nuts have a tendency to stick) or place the nuts in a colander over a deep bowl, so that the oil drains off. Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss gently to keep nuts from sticking together.
Fry the remaining walnuts. Keep tightly covered, these should keep for 1 to 2 months in the refrigerator. Makes 4-1/2 cups.
If you’re into Low-Carb/Keto/Paleo, here is a savory spiced nut without sugar:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/spiced-mixed-nuts-3058563
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Also from The Spruce Family, here are some clever but easy patterns for carving jack-o-lanterns:
https://www.thespruce.com/free-jack-o-lantern-patterns-4061776
(The painting at the beginning of this post is Camille Pissarro's 'Harvest', 1882.)
-JT
This month: Hearty Fall Fare! and a little arts-and-crafts. Post your favorite warming Fall recipes.
(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message).
-JT
kalee posted that "Peanut Soup is our family’s traditional first course on Thanksgiving.
We pass a little pitcher of bourbon at the table so the adults may add some to their soup.
We also serve unsweetened whipped cream and chopped peanuts for garnish. "
I just adore all the Southern recipes and traditions.
Adding the bourbon, unsweetened whipped cream and chopped peanuts is sensational.
I never remember whether it is more or less rain that results in the nicest fall colors on the trees.
But I moved into my current office on April 1, and saw everything sprout and turn green over miles (I”m high-up.)
Today, I noticed things turning faintly gold/orange/burnt sienna - and I think we’re going to have nice colors here, this year.
3 cups chicken broth
28-36 ounces, weight Canned Whole Tomatoes, Cut In Half (undrained)
1 whole Vidalia Onion, Diced
4-6 whole White and/or Red Potatoes, Cut In Half
12 ounces, weight frozen Butter Beans (Lima Beans, for you Yankees)
12 ounces, weight frozen corn
4 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken (I prefer thighs smoked or grilled ahead of time)
1/2 cup bacon (or fat back for taste)
1-½ tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt, or to taste (depends on how salty The broth is)
Pepper to taste (black, white, cayenne...)
1 tsp of paprika
Boil the tomatoes, potatoes and onions in the broth till the potatoes are tender. Remove the potatoes and squish them (not mashed, chunky is fine!). Return them to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Return to a boil then simmer for 3-4 hours.
Serves eight (so make extra and freeze for later)
After browning, set on a plate and cover to keep warm.
Dump the kraut in the skillet and add some sliced thin onion, no salt and fresh ground pepper (I like a lot)
Stir well, turn the heat up a bit and every 5 minutes or so stir again. You will want to keep your vent fan on.
Kraut will start to brown, you can turn down the heat a little. Lots of steam, but the dry kraut when sautéed this way gets sweet and goes so well with the pork.
Total browning time is about 30 minutes. Every 5 minutes I would give a stir and not let it get too brown or crispy. The volume will shrink too. When it is done, push into the center, add the juice that has collected from the pork, lay the pork on top of the kraut, cover right away, turn off the heat and let sit at least 10 minutes.
Hope you enjoy. After all these years I wanted to share this in memory of Dad. He was a really good cook. Letting it sit for the 10 minutes is vital, the pork will cook the rest of the way and if you hit it right will be just perfectly done and moist.
Looks and sounds amazing. A local restaurant we like has Brunswick stew on the menu but it looks nothing like this. Soups and stews are my favorites, hubbys too.
My husband would love that. His every-year New Year’s Dinner is pork and sauerkraut.
(It’s taking this Virginia-descended girl a long time to get him to eat BlackEye Peas...but every year, hope springs anew. Someday, I’ll come up with the right spices :-)
Hey - My Granny was as ‘Virginia’ as they ever came; and she called them ‘Limas’.
(Looks like a good recipe :-)
I have served this in sourdough rolls scooped out into bowls.
My mother in law hates soggy bread so she gets hers sliced and buttered on the side.
LOL, I’m from the south, South Chicago that is. Have never eaten a black eyed pea and I have no idea what hominy is. LOLOLOL
I was thinking about Thanksgiving yesterday. Peanut soup as a starter is non-negotiable for my family. I can vary sides and desserts, even the turkey, but peanut soup has to be the first course. :)
Bourbon and the whipped cream/chopped peanut garnish move the soup from great to spectacular in my opinion.
Recently we had boiled peanut Hummus with a drizzle of pepper jelly as an appetizer at a restaurant. It was delicious! I am hoping to recreate it for New Year’s Eve.
Your dad and I would have hit it off!
I took the pictures yesterday when I made this. Had to use store bought kraut as I don’t start mine until late October.
Thanks for posting that recipe!
Oooh. Hominy fried in bacon grease - heaven on a plate :-)
Just a slide - he was on a destroyer in WWII. They called him the Russian because of his name although he was a Serb. He could not stand the cooking on the ship. He had never been away from home and just could not eat what they were serving. He started becoming friends with the cook and when the cook had bones to throw away Dad asked for them and a burner and would make soups and stews out of the cooks extras. Pretty soon the guys on the ship wanted Dad’s cooking and starting lining up.
OK what is hominy??
Hominy is white corn, boiled. (As I understand it.)
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