Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard

[GlorifiedRice]

BTW "Forklift" would be a great name for a restaurant

[Wayne]

 

I still have not had a look at the book however I went online to re-watch the collards episode.

To make a long story short her use of blanched trimmed collards as a wrap for dolmades piqued my interest and I ended up using them as a substitute wrap for lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice with a chicken, pork, mushroom and greens filling. The collards were trimmed, briefly blanched, shocked then used to wrap the parcels. Parcels then steamed 15 minutes to finish.

Results: The collards looked great however I did find them still tough. In the episode the dolmades were steamed for even less time yet seemed to be an easy bite.  I wouldn't do it again however I think substituting collards for cabbage in a braised cabbage roll would work quite well. I've got a lot of collards.

I plan on trying the tomato pie as I'm still pulling lots of tomatoes from the garden. Looks great from up-thread photos.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2016 by Wayne (log)

[Shelby]

15 minutes ago, Wayne said:

 

I still have not had a look at the book yet however I went online to re-watch the collards episode.

To make a long story short her use of blanched trimmed collards as a wrap for dolmades piqued my interest and I ended up using them as a substitute wrap for lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice with a chicken, pork, mushroom and greens filling. The collards were trimmed, briefly blanched, shocked then used to wrap the parcels. Parcels then steamed 15 minutes to finish.

Results: The collards looked great however I did find them still tough. In the episode the dolmades were steamed for even less time yet seemed to be an easy bite.  I wouldn't do it again however I think substituting collards for cabbage in a braised cabbage roll would work quite well. I've got a lot of collards.

I plan on trying the tomato pie as I'm still pulling lots of tomatoes from the garden. Looks great from up-thread photos.

 

 

I grow collard greens.  They get tough for sure.  I pressure cook mine for a good 45 mins to get tender--and that's with the main "stem" down the middle removed.

 

I think the collards would still work if you blanched them a little longer and/or steamed them longer?  I might try using them as a cabbage roll wrap.......

 

edited to say....I meant to also add that the younger the collard leaves are (smaller) the more tender.

Edited October 12, 2016 by Shelby (log)

[Anna N]

15 minutes ago, Wayne said:

 

I still have not had a look at the book yet however I went online to re-watch the collards episode.

To make a long story short her use of blanched trimmed collards as a wrap for dolmades piqued my interest and I ended up using them as a substitute wrap for lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice with a chicken, pork, mushroom and greens filling. The collards were trimmed, briefly blanched, shocked then used to wrap the parcels. Parcels then steamed 15 minutes to finish.

Results: The collards looked great however I did find them still tough. In the episode the dolmades were steamed for even less time yet seemed to be an easy bite.  I wouldn't do it again however I think substituting collards for cabbage in a braised cabbage roll would work quite well. I've got a lot of collards.

I plan on trying the tomato pie as I'm still pulling lots of tomatoes from the garden. Looks great from up-thread photos.

 

 

I am suspecting that the variety of collard that is available to us in Ontario is very different from the cabbage collard that she is using.  She goes into some detail about this in the book.  

 

 Edited to say but since you are growing your own perhaps you are growing the same variety.  

Edited October 12, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[blue_dolphin]

37 minutes ago, Wayne said:

I plan on trying the tomato pie as I'm still pulling lots of tomatoes from the garden. Looks great from up-thread photos.

Yes, do this!  For me, the contrast of flavors and textures from the roasted and fresh tomatoes stands out the most when it's hot.  When cooled to room temp, they were more melded together, and the sum seemed greater than the separate parts.  The bottom crust was still crispy for several hours, though it got pretty mushy after an overnight in the fridge.

 

Today, I made the Elbow Lick Tomato Sandwich and it's also a keeper.  The smoked corn mayo is a delicious accompaniment to the tomatoes.  On A Chef's Life, she made the sandwich on one of the big round, doughnut-shaped loaves of Sweet Potato and Onion Bread and cut it into individual wedges for serving.  I have not tried making the bread yet so I used a loaf of multigrain bread I picked up today at Sprouts.  

The recipe uses a smoked corn mayonnaise and I have neither a grill nor smoker but I ordered some applewood chips and set up a stovetop smoker in my pressure cooker.  Also, I only had 2 ears of corn so I threw some Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn kernels into the bottom of my steamer (smoker???) basket. 

Here's the before:

 

I took the pressure cooker outside to open it, expecting billows of smoke.  It wasn't that bad but you can see a little smoky color on the corn:

 

Sandwich assembly:

The recipe says to 'slather' the bread with the mayo and with the corn kernels in the mayo, you are guaranteed a fairly thick layer.  I used slices of Cherokee and yellow pineapple tomatoes, plus the pickled onions included in the recipe.

The sandwich:

The Elbow Lick name is very appropriate.  Eat this one outside or with plenty of napkins at the ready - 3 layers of juicy tomatoes does not make a dainty tea sandwich!

Before making this, I thought I might want to sneak in some crispy bacon, but no, it's perfect just like it is.

[gfweb]

The smoked corn mayo seems to be the star here. Tomatoes are great, but not lifechanging at their best in a sandwich.

 

I think I'd make a chicken salad sandwich with it and the pickled onion.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2016 by gfweb (log)

[gfweb]

I'm seeing roasted smoked grapes in my future

[blue_dolphin]

6 minutes ago, gfweb said:

The smoked corn mayo seems to be the star here. Tomatoes are great, but not lifechanging at their best in a sandwich.

 

I think I'd make a chicken salad sandwich with it.

I agree.  I plan to thin it out with some buttermilk and use it to dress a salad with sous vide chicken breast, baby spinach and some of the tomatoes and pickled red onion leftover from the sandwich.

Edited to add: If I had more fresh corn on hand, I'd put some of that in the salad, too.

Edited October 12, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Jacksoup]

@Shelby "this book is like coming home to a cozy house". That did it for me.  I grew up on my granny's southern Texas cooking.  Ya'll have enabled my IP and CSO purchases.  Why not this?  I'll probably have to buy a stovetop smoker because of all of you as well.

[Wayne]

 

@Anna N

The variety I grow is Champion, an open-pollinated hybrid resistant to bolting. I'd be interested in knowing what cultivar she describes. 'Cabbage collard' may be a specific cultivar or it may be a local colloquialism .

 

@Shelby

I do try to harvest the leaves young but doesn't always happen. Cabbage rolls soon. Maybe caldo verde with collards. I'm learning.

 

 

[Wayne]

7 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Yes, do this!  For me, the contrast of flavors and textures from the roasted and fresh tomatoes stands out the most when it's hot.  When cooled to room temp, they were more melded together, and the sum seemed greater than the separate parts.  The bottom crust was still crispy for several hours, though it got pretty mushy after an overnight in the fridge.

 

Today, I made the Elbow Lick Tomato Sandwich and it's also a keeper.  The smoked corn mayo is a delicious accompaniment to the tomatoes.  On A Chef's Life, she made the sandwich on one of the big round, doughnut-shaped loaves of Sweet Potato and Onion Bread and cut it into individual wedges for serving.  I have not tried making the bread yet so I used a loaf of multigrain bread I picked up today at Sprouts.  

 

 

Hopefully I have the time next weekend to attempt the tomato pie.

That smoked corn mayo looks intriguing. Fresh corn is long over here however next time I use the smoker I'll piggy-back some corn alongside and give it a try. Nice photos.

 

 

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, Wayne said:

 

@Anna N

The variety I grow is Champion, an open-pollinated hybrid resistant to bolting. I'd be interested in knowing what cultivar she describes. 'Cabbage collard' may be a specific cultivar or it may be a local colloquialism .

 

@Shelby

I do try to harvest the leaves young but doesn't always happen. Cabbage rolls soon. Maybe caldo verde with collards. I'm learning.

 

 

Definitely not a colloquialism. 

 

"In Eastern Carolina we favor a variety called the cabbage collard. Until recently, your only chance of growing these sweet, light green, quick-cooking leaves was if you knew someone with a stash of seeds or if you bought baby plants from the Collard Shack in Ayden, North Carolina. But because of interest in heirloom vegetables and Southern cuisine, the cabbage collard has crossed state lines. Several seed companies online now offer cabbage collard seeds."

[Wayne]

47 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Definitely not a colloquialism. 

 

"In Eastern Carolina we favor a variety called the cabbage collard. Until recently, your only chance ....

 

Thanks for the info. A quick search didn't reveal any Canadian sources however I have a friend with Seed Savers Exchange Canada and is a Test Planter so I'll see what she says. Sounds like a great varietal.

 

[Kerry Beal]

22 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

Shelby, you will love her tv show on PBS and pretty well all the episodes are on line.  Start at the beginning!

mine's coming Thursday, hope I am back from the airport when the Purolator truck comes...it's Brian behind the wheel....yes I know his name.  I see him on a regular basis, ha, ha

UPS - and his name is Greg. And he likes chocolate! I've seen him drive by in the morning when my car isn't there for some reason - and he returns when he sees my car. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

UPS - and his name is Greg. And he likes chocolate! I've seen him drive by in the morning when my car isn't there for some reason - and he returns when he sees my car. 

 

 

Ah, yes, when I had a business it was Lindt for the UPS driver and Lindt for the letter carrier.  And for that matter Lindt for my children and grandkids.  My younger son once said single sourcing presents was pretty tacky but if one did, the Lindt store was a good choice.

 

I recall one time after a most satisfying dinner, standing with a German representative of a very good Swiss customer outside the then closed for the night Lindt store in Princeton.  I asked if Lindt exported the good stuff to the US?  He replied "They don't export the good stuff to Germany."  ...not to be compared to your chocolate of course.

 

I think I'll wait on Deep Run Roots from the library and reserve judgment.  Southeastern US is not a cuisine that typically turns me on.

 

 

[Anna N]

@JoNorvelleWalker

 

 I have to say that it's not a cuisine that draws me in either and yet I couldn't put the book down. There is something about her (written) voice and the way she re-imagines the cuisine that gets me past collards and pot liquor. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I'm the next person to get it.

 

[rotuts]

""   re-imagines the cuisine ""

 

exactly

[blue_dolphin]

On 10/8/2016 at 0:58 PM, Anna N said:

Edited to add:

 And then the watermelon pickles and then the bacon wrapped pickles!

 

 

I did finish up a small batch of the watermelon rind pickles and I really like the flavor.  My thin-rind watermelon likely gave a maximum yield of fruit but was not the best choice for the pickles but I was curious to try the recipe so I went ahead.  

I posted a picture of them in the jar over on the preserving thread and on my plate in the breakfast thread.  As I mentioned on the preserving thread, I was interested in trying the flavor combination used in the brine:  white wine vinegar, sugar, cloves, coriander, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, lemon juice and sliced lemon and orange peel and I really like the result.  

 

Sadly, I don't think the thin little pickles lend themselves to the bacon wrapped pickle recipe but having enjoyed them along with a slice of prosciutto, I can imagine the combination will be excellent and I hope to try it next summer when watermelons are again in season.  

 

[Yiannos]

I have to confess, the main reason I bought this book is how can I not buy a cookbook with an entire chapter devoted to watermelon?

[Wayne]

 

I dropped into my local Chapters and had a look at the book yesterday evening (ended up over an hour). Read a chapter that would most interest me and another chapter I would find least interesting and enjoyed both.

I'm sold.

 

 

[quiet1]

7 hours ago, Wayne said:

 

I dropped into my local Chapters and had a look at the book yesterday evening (ended up over an hour). Read a chapter that would most interest me and another chapter I would find least interesting and enjoyed both.

I'm sold.

 

 

 

I love this approach.

[gfweb]

I figured out that the Grape/sausage/Brussels sprouts thing should have the grapes cooked with the cut side down. Really nice caramelization that way.

[gfweb]

12 hours ago, gfweb said:

I figured out that the Grape/sausage/Brussels sprouts thing should have the grapes cooked with the cut side down. Really nice caramelization that way.

 Like, Duh, right?

 

But the photo shows them with the cut side up, so ...

[Shelby]

I made the Creamed Collards with Pickled Collard Stems yesterday (pg. 429).

 

These are good.  The little pickled, spicy pieces of the stem really go well and help cut the richness of the dish.  She uses it as dip or a spread.  I used it as a side dish for fried chicken  .

 

Fresh picked collards.

 

The pickling process.  I did these the day before so they spent a day and a night in the fridge.  Very pickl-y and spicy.  Good.

 

 

The stewed collards.  I didn't have a ham hock so I used pork tasso.  And, I cheated.  Vivian does hers on the stove.  I used the Instant Pot.  I did these on high for an hour.  Nice and tender.

 

 

Finished.  Very creamy and smokey with a kick of pickle and heat from the stems.