the kentucky fresh cookbook

The KenTuCKy Fresh CooKbooK Maggie Green The UniversiTy Press of KenTUcKy... The Kitchen Toolbox 335The Modern Kitchen and Pantry 335 Cooking Methods and Food Preservation Techniques 33

The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

The

KenTuCKy Fresh

CooKbooK

Maggie Green

The UniversiTy Press of KenTUcKy

Copyright © 2011 by Maggie Green

Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University

All rights reserved

Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky

663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008

Includes bibliographical references and index

isbn 978-0-8131-3376-8 (pbk : alk paper) — isbn 978-0-8131-3378-2 (ebook)

1 Cooking—Kentucky 2 Cooking, American 3 Cookbooks I Title tx715.g811485 2011

641.59769—dc22

2010052269

This book is printed on acid-free, 30% post-consumer recycled paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials

Manufactured in the United States of America

Member of the Association of American University Presses

To Warren, who never doubted,

never asked why, and never gave less than his entire self, and to our three children, Stuart, Julia, and Neil This book is as much about our journey as it is about my own.

Live in each season as it passes:

breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.

—henry david thoreau

vi the kentucky fresh cookbook

The Kitchen Toolbox 335

The Modern Kitchen and Pantry 335 Cooking Methods and Food Preservation Techniques 337

Equipment List 339

Publications, resources, and festivals 341

Kentucky Produce Availability chart 348

A calendar of Menus 353

index 359

Recipes by Category

Appetizers and Party-worthy food

Cheese Dip with Chutney, bacon,

and Green onions 53

beer Cheese hummus 53

buffalo-style Turkey Meatballs 54

Guacamole Deviled eggs 110

spicy Garlic beer Cheese 154

Kentucky Dill Dip 155

Cream Cheese olive nut spread 221

Turnip Greens Dip 261

spicy Cheese Wafers 324

brown sugar spiced nuts 325

Kentucky Kettle Corn 326

endive Cups with Goat Cheese

and Almonds 333

Garlic Walnut spread 333

Morning food

Lemon blueberry Cornmeal Muffins 17

shaker Pumpkin Muffins with Walnuts

and Flax seed 18

Mini Lemon Cream scones 46

Chocolate Cherry scones 47

Kentucky Coffee Tree scones 48

Mile-high buttermilk Pancakes 72

Multigrain Flapjack Mix 73

Multigrain Flapjacks 73baked eggs with Parmesan and herbs 98Mushroom and Asparagus skillet Frittata 100

Kentucky Cornbread strata 120Country ham and Green onion breakfast Casserole 121baked stuffed French Toast with blackberry Jam 148

banana bourbon Walnut French Toast 149

Crunchy Pecan Granola 171overnight oatmeal with yogurt and berries 172

Creamy steel-Cut oats 199stone-Ground Grits with Kentucky honey and Dried Fruit 200

big-Crumbs Crumb Cake 228sour Cream Coffee Cake 230Cornmeal Waffles 253sour Cream Gingerbread Waffles 254Pork sausage Goetta 279

slow Cooker Vegetarian Goetta 280herbed Pork sausage Patties 281oven-Fried breakfast Potatoes 281soft buttermilk biscuits 310Cream biscuits 311

x recipes by category

Preserves

homemade strawberry Freezer Jam 150

oven-baked Pumpkin butter 255

Concord Grape Preserves 256

soups and chili

White bean soup with Pasta and Kale 36

Lentil soup with red Wine and

Parsley 38

Potato soup with White Cheddar

and Ale 39

Fresh salmon Chowder 40

navy bean soup with ham and

bourbon 41

sweet Potato Vegetable soup 42

White bean and Chicken Chili 53

estill County shiitake soup 129

Cincinnati Chili 287

smoky Chili non Carne 289

Vista Grand buffalo or Venison Chili 290

sandwiches, Burgers, and Breads

Cast-Iron skillet soda bread 79

Almond-Crusted Grouper sandwiches 86

stone-Ground Cornmeal hush

bluegrass Cheese burgers 143

bacon benedictine sandwich 222

herbed beer batter bread 240

root beer sloppy Joes 247

buffalo sliders with smoky remoulade sauce 262

Cornmeal Pizza Dough 272red Grape, Caramelized onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza 274

shaker Cornsticks 292buttermilk Cornbread 293Chili Cheddar Cornbread 294silver Dollar Corncakes 295

salads and slaws

Winter Chopped salad 22blood orange Ambrosia 27Winter Citrus salad with Arugula 30Winter Wheat berry salad 63Modern Caesar salad with salt and Pepper Croutons 67

spring salad with Poppy seed Dressing 109

Wilted Lettuce with hot bacon Vinaigrette 114

Mixed Greens salad with sweet Garlic Dressing 116

smoked Trout and Watercress niçoise salad 130

bibb Lettuce with Fresh Chive Vinaigrette 132

spring radish salad 137bowtie Pasta with spinach and Almonds 155

Pea and Peanut salad 157blueberry spinach salad 160roasted Potato salad with olives and Capers 162

sweet and sour Creamy Coleslaw 179sunflower slaw 180

nina’s Potato salad 182

recipes by category xi

Watermelon and Cucumber salad 207

Cornbread and Tomato salad 208

Fresh Corn and Lima bean salad 216

Dried Cherry and Pecan Chicken

salad 220

red Cabbage hot slaw 239

Mixed Greens with Pumpkin seeds and

Dried Cranberries 248

Fall salad with Pears and Maple balsamic

Vinaigrette 265

broccoli, Apple, raisin salad 275

Greek salad with Creamy Dressing 286

spinach and roasted sweet Potato salad

with Maple-Mustard Dressing 303

endive and Pear salad with Walnuts 318

Beans, Grains, and Pasta

yellow basmati rice Pilaf 24

spicy stewed black-eyed Peas and

skillet red beans 58

spicy butternut squash and

Chickpea stew 59

black bean burritos 60

Cilantro Lime rice 62

Cardamom brown rice 62

Creamy Penne and Cheese 87

Arugula Pesto over Angel-hair Pasta 138

red beans and rice with Chili

Vinaigrette 157

sweet bourbon baked beans 183

Beef, Pork, and Lamb Main Dishes

slow-roasted Pork shoulder 23homemade Italian Meatballs 35Flank steak with red Wine Pan sauce 65Kentucky barrel Ale stew 77

Cola Pot roast 81honey bourbon Glazed ham 106burgoo 125

herb-Crusted Lamb Chops 133Flat Iron steak with brown sugar rub 161Grilled bourbon Pork Tenderloin 167Ale-8 one slow Cooker Pork barbecue 175oven-roasted sausage with Potatoes and rosemary 238

roasted Tenderloin of beef 316

Poultry Main Dishes

Chicken Pie 28oven-Fried boneless Chicken Thighs 82split Grilled Chicken 146

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Lemon-herb oil 166Moist Grilled Chicken breasts 205Chicken sausage with squash and Fresh herbs 211

Chicken and Cornmeal Dumplings 243stovetop bourbon barbecue Chicken 246roasted brined Chicken 264

roasted brined Turkey 299

xii recipes by category

fish and seafood Main Dishes

Pan-roasted salmon 80

Pecan-Crusted Kentucky rainbow

Trout 91

hearty Catfish Cakes 92

Kentucky honey–Lime Grilled salmon 144

shrimp and Creamy Grits 235

Peel-’n’-eat barbecue shrimp 236

vegetables and other side Dishes

spicy braised Greens 64

oven-roasted root Vegetables 66

Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes 78

Garlic roasted broccoli with Almonds 83

sweet Gingered Carrot Matchsticks 84

olive oil Mashed Potatoes 84

Fresh basil beans 206

Grill-roasted Corn on the Cob 213

Chunky ratatouille 215

Pan-roasted brussels sprouts with

brown sugar 248

Maple-roasted Apples and onions 249

oven-baked sweet Potato Fries 249

Maple Mashed sweet Potatoes 266

braised Kale with Diced Tomato 266

Cornbread or Traditional bread

Dressing 301

Peggy’s Corn Pudding 302

sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping 304

White Cheddar Grits 317

condiments, sauces, and Dressings

Fresh Parsley sauce 24Mama Maggie’s Italian Meat sauce 33spicy Marinara sauce 34

Mustard-Caper Tartar sauce 87spicy seasoning Mix 93honey Lemon Vinaigrette 116sunflower herb Dressing 117Warren’s Vinaigrette for Mixed Greens 118

Green Goddess Dressing 118Garlic scape Pesto 163Mint simple syrup 165basic barbecue Dry rub 177Warren’s henry bain–style barbecue sauce 178

brown sugar bourbon barbecue sauce 178

Fresh Peach salsa 213smoky Tomato salsa 214basil Walnut Pesto 217bread and butter Freezer Pickles 218Margaret’s Chili sauce (Mamaw’s Ketchup) 219

sour Cream Whipped Cream 242smoky remoulade sauce 262Thirty-Minute Pizza sauce 273bourbon Cranberry relish 305

Dessert and sweet Things

Warm bread Pudding with Kentucky bourbon sauce 25

Vanilla bourbon Cup Custards 29Warm Chocolate bourbon Cakes 68brown sugar bourbon Whipped Cream 69

rich Chocolate sauce 69

recipes by category xiii

shaker Lemon Pie 89

All-butter Pie Crust 90

one-Pan Pecan brownies 94

everything Cookies 104

Italian Cream sheet Cake 112

bluegrass Piettes 127

bourbon Chocolate Walnut Pie 128

sour Cream Lemon Loaf Cake 131

Fresh strawberries with Vanilla bourbon

Zabaglione 136

rhubarb Crisp with Granola Topping 139

buttermilk black-’n’-blue berry

Cobbler 186

nina’s Coca-Cola Cake 188

Fresh blackberry sheet Cake 189

Golden buttermilk sheet Cake 191

Moist Carrot sheet Cake 192

homemade Vanilla Ice Cream 195

homemade Waffle Cones 196

Peach blueberry Pecan Crisp 209

one-Pan Chocolate Chip Pecan

blondies 223

Mini black Forest shortcakes 241

Gingerbread with sorghum 250

Concord Grape Piettes with Pecan

streusel Topping 268

Cream Cheese Pastry 269

Deep-Dish bourbon brown sugar

Apple Pie 271

spiced Pumpkin Pie with brown sugar

bourbon Whipped Cream 306

bourbon Mincemeat Pie 307Kentucky blackberry Jam Cake 319black Walnut sheet Cake 321shortbread Cutouts 327Margaret’s bourbon balls 328buckeyes 329

Tiny Fruitcake Cookies 330

frostings and icings

Vanilla bean Cream Cheese Frosting 193Chocolate Fudge Frosting 194

soft Caramel Icing 194

Drinks

Kentucky Irish Coffee 79bourbon Mint slushies 124Mojito 164

blueberry Mojito 165Fresh herbed Lemonade 184sweet Iced Tea 185

Arnold Palmer 185Kentucky Wine Cooler slush 210bluegrass breeze 263

Carl’s Pendennis Club Punch 298Whipped hot Chocolate 314Café Mocha Mix 314

bourbon ball Cocktail 331bacon bourbon Cocktail 332

Preface

to write a Kentucky cookbook I am the fifth daughter from a large Lexington

family one of my grandfathers was Czechoslovakian, one grandmother and

another grandfather were Irish, and one great-grandmother hailed from Kings Mountain, Kentucky Like all of my seven siblings, I’m a second-generation gradu-ate of the university of Kentucky, so suffice it to say our blood runs blue My family doesn’t farm, and I grew up smack dab in the middle of Lexington, three blocks from Commonwealth stadium I don’t bake my own bread very often, and my mom bought loaves of bread, along with assorted hostess fruit pies, at the discount

bread store I don’t run a restaurant, and eating out is the exception, not the rule other than some experimental tomato and pepper plants in a raised bed, I don’t grow a large vegetable garden That being said, my knowledge of food and meals originated in the kitchen of my childhood home and in the kitchens of my rela-tives These kitchens weren’t decorated with granite countertops, televisions, and fancy pots and pans, but they were filled with the work of putting meals on the table almost every day

The kitchen in my parents’ home was command central for our family of ten and a place where family meals were cooked every day, all year long The custom-built table in the adjacent “eating room” was testimony to the importance of

these meals The table was twice as long as it was wide and required special-order tablecloths and lots of chairs When it was time to eat, we crammed as many

people around that table as would fit—aunts, uncles, step-grandmothers, cousins, boyfriends, and stray friends from college Meals also played a large role in family celebrations My mother, my grandmother, and my aunts Mary and eileen made sure that every birthday, graduation, baptism, confirmation, first communion,

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, and st Patrick’s Day included a meal, cake and ice cream, a cold glass of milk or maybe some pie and iced tea, and, for those old enough to imbibe, a bourbon and water

I didn’t give much thought to Mom’s routine night after night but now, as an adult and a mother, I understand the planning, time, and commitment her daily meal preparation involved.

During my high school and college days, I spent my free time reading cookbooks

While one sister had her nose buried in Johnny Tremain or Little Women, I had mine buried in What’s Cooking in Kentucky and volumes of Southern Living’s Annual Recipes

I studied the recipes as if they were scientific formulas, and on special occasions I cooked from said books: veal scaloppine for my handsome boyfriend, frozen fruit salad for a family dinner, or black Forest cake for my dad’s birthday sometimes I was happy with the results of my cooking and baking, and sometimes I wasn’t, but failure didn’t deter me even when the layers of the cake were so lopsided they almost slid off the plate, my aunt Mary always stood by my efforts “Maybe the oven racks are warped,” she’d quip as we loaded the dishwasher

As a family, we traveled to my grandmother’s kitchen on the other side of the tracks, where she cooked for herself, my aunt Mary, and anyone who happened

to be visiting at the time Mamaw could make anything taste delectable: stewed chicken, meatloaf, baked ham, pork chops, “something green,” iced tea, soft yeast rolls, and apple dumplings on other occasions, we drove to Ludlow to visit my great-grandmother and her niece Frances, where we witnessed an apartment kitchen in action We’d eat a homemade turkey dinner off rickety card tables while their huge tomcats hid under the bed After we had our fill, Dad granted us per-mission to walk to Farrell’s Drugstore to get a breath of fresh, cool air The ther-mostat was set way too high for us leggy Kroboth girls, clad modestly in sweaters, wool skirts, and thick tights on sunday afternoons we’d drive the back roads from Lexington to my aunt eileen’s farm in stamping Ground After a hike to the back

of the farm or perhaps a romp around the pond, we’d leave our muddy shoes on the porch and proceed to the kitchen to share a ham dinner with slices of white and brown bread, potato salad, tomato aspic, a relish platter, and the best yellow cake with caramel icing that side of Fayette County outside of my family’s kitch-ens, I gobbled down watermelon pickles at shaker Village, egg salad sandwiches at

preface xvii

Wheeler Pharmacy, and fried banana peppers and cornmeal-crusted catfish at hall’s

on The river, and I shared slices of pecan pie with my sisters at a tiny diner under the looming bridge at Camp nelson

Wherever I went, food intrigued me but I soon realized that behind the food I joyed was a kitchen, and in that kitchen was a person who, like it or not, was doing whatever she or he had to do to get the food on the table After some soul-search-ing, I decided to trade my engineering major at uK for one in food and nutrition

en-My sister Frances, my boyfriend Warren, and even my mother were sure this choice predestined me to a life sweating over a hot steam table serving hot dogs with a potato option Despite their trepidation, I switched majors, graduated with honors, and took great pride in my career as a registered dietitian working in clinics, hospi-tals, and nursing homes

The deeper I delved into nutrition, the more I realized the connection between cooking and nutrition, between cooking and health, and ultimately between cook-ing and home To enhance and expand my nutrition degree, I enrolled in an inten-sive twelve-month culinary arts program at sullivan university in Louisville During that time, my eyes and my taste buds were opened to the beauty and craft of cook-ing of all the things I learned from the chef instructors, the concept of choosing high-quality ingredients at their peak of freshness, and then handling and cooking them with care and respect, made an indelible impression on me

I now enjoy the best of three worlds: food, nutrition, and cooking I have worked

as a personal chef, cookbook editor, food and nutrition writer, and industry tant having the opportunity to write a cookbook and share my love for Kentucky and the craft of cooking is, in my opinion, nothing short of providential

consul-never has there been a greater call to unleash the potential of our kitchens and make them places of action, places where families cook, eat, and live together, one meal at a time As a society, we’re concerned about our health, the safety of our food, and the personal and environmental impacts of our food choices These rea-sons, along with food’s ability to bring people together, drive me into my kitchen to cook with fresh, seasonal, and even traditional Kentucky ingredients My hope is to inspire cooks of all ages to do the same every day, all year long

If there’s something I need to know about a recipe, an ingredient, a Kentucky ducer, or a Kentucky food tradition, I’d love to hear from you you can write to me

pro-at hello@KentuckyFreshCookbook.com, visit www.KentuckyFreshCookbook.com, or contact me via the university Press of Kentucky at www.kentuckypress.com

Acknowledgments

cook-ing showing up at the cutting board every day to prepare fresh, home-cooked meals is really no different from showing up at the computer every day to write Day after day, week after week, and year after year, whether putting words on

paper or vegetables in the pan, the job continues Love is what brings me into my kitchen, and it has brought forth this book For the most part, I wrote it alone, but

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the other major players in this unfolding kitchen drama

My leading man and the best male cook I know, Warren Green stood beside me every step of the way In his largehearted way, he said yes to washing pots and pans, lighting the grill, running to the grocery, and reading bits and pieces of this work Without his encouragement, this book might have been shredded with our eight-year-old tax returns I am forever grateful to the workings of the universe for bringing us together, keeping us together, and providing the ways and means to live in a home with an action-packed kitchen

our three children, stuart, Julia, and neil, are the heart of what I do They are the cream in my coffee, the olive oil in my sauté pan, and the salt in my soup They are the real reason I stand at my cutting board night after night I hope they pass

on to their friends and families their love for freshly prepared meals and the mitment, trust, and faith that build when you look over the mashed potatoes at someone you care about day in and day out

com-My mother Peggy Kroboth and my late father Carl P Kroboth Jr cared for our family, provided meals, and planned trips in and around Kentucky Thanks to

them, I have a strong sense of my Kentucky home I meant it when I said I never worried about where my next meal was coming from, and I thank them for sup-porting me and for using silver julep cups, bone china plates, and linen tablecloths every now and then

My aunt eileen saves newspaper and magazine recipes and articles for me like

no other When I visit, she is more interested in how I’m doing than anything else

My late aunt Mary Kearney knew my favorite foods and served them when I came to visit I miss her funny comments and her smile In more ways than one, she was one of my biggest cheerleaders.

My mother-in-law nina Green and my late father-in-law henry L Green know

me, warts and all, and have supported me through our years of gathering around the virtual “smoke pit” sharing stories, photos, meals, and memories of family, friends, vegetable gardens, and horses

My sisters Kaye, Theresa, Anne, barbara, Mary, and Frances and my brother Carl run the gamut from advisers to confidants not many cookbook authors can say they’ve shared a kitchen table and a bathroom sink (not to mention pig treats, chopped salads, pinto beans, scones, pad Thai, orange whips, and more than a few cream pies) with such a smart, savvy group of siblings More than the memories and the food, I thank each of them for their encouragement during this project and for helping me remember the gift of having a large family

Wayne, Lori, and Mike are Warren’s siblings, and I love them like my own I couldn’t have asked for more well-rounded group; they’ve known me for a long time and still manage to make me laugh I am grateful for their support in all our cooking endeavors

one of the best parts of having a large family is the people who are added to it when those we care about—in this case, our siblings—fall in love Kevin, Jack, Mike, stewart, bob, bill, Dawn, Tara, and sam are the best, and if they were here, I’d raise

my glass and toast them all

Father Mark Keene and the staff and parishioners of st Agnes Parish are an important part of my northern Kentucky family When I celebrate the liturgy with them I know northern Kentucky is where my family belongs Their witness to faith, hope, and love reminds me that the writing of this book was possible only through the grace of God The love and support of my friends from other parishes,

in particular Kay, Marianne, and Mary, helped me persevere in this project while maintaining proper perspective and balance in my life

At the university Press of Kentucky, I thank Laura sutton, my former editor who saw the potential for this book before I even knew I would be capable of writing it she helped shape this book from concept to manuscript When Anne Dean Watkins seamlessly took over as my editor at the press, she made finishing this project

Ashley runyon, and Cameron Ludwick worked tirelessly to market, promote, and

publicize this book, and I am forever grateful to them for getting The Kentucky Fresh

word out Ann Malcolm worked behind the scenes with Laura and Anne Dean,

and I’m quite confident the work she does plays an important role in the less movement of proposals, manuscripts, and contracts sara and brian Turner of Cricket Press created the beautiful cover art and illustrations for this book, add-ing local color and flair erin new worked hard to create a unique design, and her professional touch has given this Kentucky cookbook a wonderfully fresh look And

seam-my heartfelt thanks to Judy Davis, who brought the book “home” with the creation

of a functional index I am thrilled Judy was one of the last people to touch the book proofs, and I can confidently say we are all better off because of that

ethan and susan becker are largely responsible for my initial splash in the

cookbook world by trusting me to help them edit the 2006 edition of Joy of Cooking

Their friendship has been a source of great joy, and it was an honor to work with them on America’s favorite cookbook

shirley Corriher and her dear husband Arch are true friends who taught me how to push a peanut up a mountain, beat sugar and butter together for a long time to get a tall cake, and search for the out-of-place em dash I feel privileged

to have worked with them and am relieved they still answer the phone when I call

to chat

Although the culinary program at sullivan university brought us together, sara Gibbs and her husband Tom would be my friends even if we didn’t cook I thank them for the advice, phone calls, and manuscript review And sara is the person I’d call if I wanted to know how much flavor I had when I was forty-five days old

bill Thomas, publisher of Inside Your Town, welcomed my contribution of the

“From My Kitchen Table” column for his paper many years ago Thanks to him, I’ve learned a great deal about writing for the public—how to tell a story and share a recipe, which are what food and cooking are all about

Abby Dodge, author of Desserts 4 Today, went above and beyond for this book,

reading both the proposal and the manuscript If I were able to deliver a pie to her every day, I would do so to show my gratitude for her hard work rebecca Gray,

expert editor for the Joy of Cooking and author of American Artisanal, also took the

time to read my proposal and offer her advice about the shape of the book

Finally, I thank all my family and friends who have come over for dinner at one time or another Friends and family add spice, spark, and verve to life Cooking for them makes me a better person, and in the end, relationships are what sharing a meal is all about: conversation, a glass of wine, and don’t forget a good piece

of cake

The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

Introduction

beliefs, political leanings, age, skin color, nationality, and social status aside, the need for food unites us We all need to eat, and at the end of the day, we all need to share time with those we care about

The globalization of our nation’s food supply and the move from farms to cities and suburbs have reduced our reliance on local agriculture At the same time, these changes have reduced our reliance on cooking and, in a strange way, our reliance on one another

Canned goods, frozen foods, packaged meals, and quick-serve restaurants have changed the landscape of the modern kitchen With an abundance of ready-to-eat

food available at any time and at any price, no one needs to cook anymore In the car,

on the couch, at a gas station, at a ball game, and at the mall, cooked food to fill our hungry bellies is everywhere Whether it is delivered to our door, handed to us in a bag through a window, or served at a table in a restaurant, food is available without our ever having to cook That was not the case just a few generations ago

As a result, home kitchens have changed from sticky, well-used rooms with refrigerators full of leftovers to showplaces with stainless-steel appliances, barely stocked refrigerators, and rarely used ovens Cooking has become something some-one else does for us We complain of being too tired to cook, too liberated to cook, too busy to cook, too educated to cook, and unable to cook And guess what? We don’t have to cook

With the lack of cooking comes a loss of cooking skills our advanced society has produced a generation of young adults who have never watched anyone cook and don’t understand why anyone might need to know how to cook And frankly, it’s starting to show Despite the abundance of readily available food, we still experience malnourishment, obesity, disordered eating, hunger, and loneliness Food and drink are abused, leading to chronic illness, social disorders, and environmental concerns obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and alcoholism are the price Kentucky, and most of the nation, pays for this abundance of food and drink

2 the kentucky fresh cookbook

still, I suspect that many Kentuckians are like me They love Kentucky and the unique food traditions it offers They enjoy the balance of Kentucky’s changing sea-sons They want to be rooted more in Kentucky traditions and in family and friends, but in our time-starved society, they aren’t sure how to go about it To me, the answer

is plain and simple: cook fresh meals at home with real ingredients

Cooking fresh meals is a conscious decision to nourish ourselves and others with wholesome ingredients, rather than relying on prepared food When I choose to cook using seasonal ingredients instead of assembling a meal from the contents of boxes and jars, I become acquainted with those ingredients, and cooking becomes a social endeavor, a way for people I care about to gather together and share a freshly pre-pared meal Taking time to cook fresh meals at home is an investment in a way of life When I cook, I give myself permission to slow down and say no to the busyness

of the world even though the world around me doesn’t slow down, I do as I chop, listen to the radio, and cook As a result, my children slow down too, and as we move through at least a part of the day a bit more slowly, it heightens our awareness of one another and the time we spend together

This book, then, is about cooking in a Kentucky kitchen, in sync with the seasons and in sync with those we feed This book is a by-product of what I do almost every day and have done for more than twenty-three years with the help and support

of my husband Warren In our kitchen we cook meals for our children and their friends, our friends, our families, ailing friends, and even strangers in need of food sometimes we invite friends over for dinner, but many times we eat alone, just the five of us rarely a day goes by that we don’t cook something from scratch in our kitchen This day-in, day-out cooking is not steeped in television fanfare, gourmet recipes, or exotic ingredients nor do I want it to be I plan meals, shop for ingredi-ents, and cook because of my love for the people I cook for, my esteem for the craft

of cooking, and my profound regard for Kentucky’s traditions, ingredients, seasons, recipes, and people

each chapter in the book is based on one calendar month This contemporary format offers a year-round approach to cooking each chapter is stocked with recipes that use cooking methods, traditional Kentucky ingredients, and locally produced foods appropriate to the season The Kitchen Toolbox, which follows the month-by-month chapters, offers suggestions for stocking a pantry, as well as tips about various cooking methods and ingredients used in the recipes Throughout the book I mention websites and other sources of information, ingredients, and supplies; these resources are listed in the Publications, resources, and Festivals section Different foods are available at different times of the year, and some cooking methods are preferred over

introduction 3

others, depending on the temperature outside To facilitate cooking and eating more

in sync with the Kentucky seasons, a chart at the end of the book shows when fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs are in season in Kentucky Also provided is a section con-taining menus for entertaining, special occasions, or family suppers using the recipes

in the monthly chapters All this should go a long way toward helping Kentucky cooks feel more at home in their kitchens and realize that they don’t need unusual ingredients or equipment to cook fresh food at home

I believe that any act of cooking done with love and care has the potential to form the simplest ingredients into a memorable meal I also believe that a shared meal has the potential to transform those who partake in it, in both tangible and intangible ways sharing fresh, home-cooked meals can make Kentucky a healthier, more welcoming, and more hospitable place, if you can imagine such a thing

trans-Kentucky-Grown and -Produced Food

Kentucky has a stunning array of seasons—the complete cycle of winter, spring, summer, and fall As a result, we enjoy a mix of food grown in each season, ex-cept for the wintertime When I started paying more attention to what’s seasonally available in Kentucky, I began to fully appreciate the seasons—fall tastes different from summer, which tastes different from spring I also realized what wintertime meant to our pioneer ancestors With snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, not much grows outside

If Kentuckians ate only locally grown food, we wouldn’t be enjoying olive oil, sugar, coffee, pineapples, oranges, lemons, bananas, avocados, kiwi fruit, or rice yet even the pioneers who lived off the land bought and traded ingredients they were unable

to grow or produce themselves Today, mass production, global transportation, and relentless food marketing has introduced such a variety of ingredients into our kitch-ens that local and seasonal awareness, much less eating in tune with the seasons, has become almost unheard of, and it’s certainly not necessary It’s not uncommon

to walk into a supermarket and find fresh berries and melons in January, asparagus

in December, and year-old apples in the summertime sadly, this produce is not from Kentucky and, more often, not even from the united states As it stands right now, most Kentuckians can eat any food year-round, making our food supply homoge-neous and allowing all of us to eat the same things, no matter where we live or what the season

4 the kentucky fresh cookbook

In her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Kentucky native barbara

Kingsolver describes a twelve-month journey during which she and her family

“documented our year of procuring as much of our food as possible from neighboring farms and our own backyard.” I read this book in the summer of 2007 while lounging

by a lake in Michigan and shared Kingsolver’s excitement in supplying her own food and her sense of dread at the bareness of the pantry in the wintertime I enjoyed the book for what it suggests—that we all pay more attention to where our food comes from and make an effort to get our food from where we live What I struggled with, though, is how to do what Kingsolver did every day when I have a life outside of growing and procuring food, outside of canning and preserving my own food, and outside of raising my own chickens, pigs, and sheep—that is, outside of an agrarian lifestyle I cook, but by and large, I depend on a supermarket to sell me at least 50 percent of what I cook What I have settled on is a compromise, a sensible balance

between local eating in the strictest sense of the word and full reliance on processed

food for my meals This is a more realistic approach, at least for me so I not only cook fresh meals but also buy as much locally grown and produced food as I can find, afford, and stomach

There are several reasons I support eating food grown and produced in Kentucky First, it is good for Kentucky and good for local businesses Thriving businesses make our communities vibrant For this reason alone, it makes sense to buy as many local ingredients and as much fresh produce as possible second, food that’s grown in Kentucky travels a shorter distance to our plates, and this helps preserve its flavor I can almost guarantee that fresh produce purchased from a farmer who picked it this morning will taste better than produce that has been sitting in the display case at the supermarket for several days and in a produce warehouse prior

to that When I cook with fresh Kentucky-grown or -produced ingredients, I find they need very little doctoring up In fact, these fresh ingredients can magically turn one into a better cook so from a taste perspective, eating locally grown food makes sense Third, eating locally grown and produced food keeps us in touch with Kentucky’s seasons We participate more fully in our food and our cooking when

we realize that strawberries are not a winter fruit and that pumpkin isn’t available, fresh from Kentucky, around Derby Day If we take the time to enjoy the seasons and anticipate the foods they provide, we’ll have fewer unrealistic expectations about year-round food availability

one of the most important reasons to buy locally grown and produced food, ever, is relationships—relationships with the people who grow and produce the food, and relationships with the people we cook for These relationships make us better

how-at communichow-ating and better how-at negotihow-ating, and when we talk to one another about

introduction 5

our food, about our days, and about our lives, our communities grow stronger buying local food and cooking fresh ingredients at home allows us to get back in touch with the people we care about the most

In the end, eating locally means shopping differently for ingredients and cooking fresh meals with those ingredients To me, local eating is about the benefits to our state’s economy, the food’s taste, seasonal changes, and our relationships Local eat-ing is not a virtue to be extolled at all times and at all costs; nor should we look down

on others who eat less locally than we do We’re all in this together, and every bit of Kentucky-grown or -produced food we buy or cook is a good thing

Don’t expect to make changes overnight start slowly, and make decisions based on your food budget and local availability enjoy every aspect of eating more locally and seasonally enjoy the people, the relationships, the flavor, the quality, and, best of all, your role in supporting local and seasonal food producers you could even become a local food producer yourself by planting a garden or at least growing some herbs and tomato plants on the patio our connection to food grows when we are connected to how food grows

Listed below are some sources, both online and off, to help you find locally grown and produced food be aware that it’s up to producers to register their farms or prod-ucts with the relevant websites, so not all producers will be listed For that reason, it’s important to get to know the food producers and farmers in your area and then help spread the word about their products

• Visit the Local Harvest website to search for Kentucky farmers’ markets,

Kentucky family farms, and other sources of seasonal Kentucky food

• Find locations of “u-pick” farms at the Pick Your Own website

6 the kentucky fresh cookbook

• Search the Eat Wild website for sources of Kentucky pasture-raised poultry, beef, buffalo (or bison), pork, and other edibles

• Visit the Kentucky Proud website to narrow your search by county and

product category And look for the Kentucky Proud sticker or shelf tag—the official trademark of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture designating Kentucky-produced food from blackberry jam to country ham—on prod-ucts at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and roadside stands but note that although a barbecue sauce might be Kentucky Proud, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all its ingredients (ketchup, sugar, onions, etc.) were grown or

produced in Kentucky; it only guarantees that the sauce was made in

Kentucky, underscoring the importance of talking to the producer to find out the food’s origins

• Use the Kentucky Farm Bureau brochure and website The bureau certifies roadside markets, including greenhouses, Christmas tree farms, vineyards, wineries, and meat and cheese farm markets

• Shop locally Markets that support local growers and sell Kentucky products, local baked goods, pasture-raised poultry and beef, Kentucky cheese, and Kentucky Proud products are numerous in our communities Talk to the owners and “shop with your feet.”

• Search the good old-fashioned Yellow Pages for foods or farms If you find something local sold at a local market, jot down the contact information and make a few phone calls Then help spread the word

• Join a local chapter of Slow Food USA, a group dedicated to the pleasure of food and committed to community and the environment

• Subscribe to or pick up copies of EdibleLouisville or EdibleOhioValley These locally

produced magazines celebrate the artisans, growers, and producers of our region who bring local food to our plates and our tables

Produce

Just as the garden changes with the seasons, so should produce purchases Learn when certain vegetables and fruits are in season in Kentucky, and buy them as they become available Fresh produce cooked and eaten in its peak season tastes supe-rior to food grown in hothouses or other conditions intended to mimic the outdoor season To help guide your purchases, see the seasonal produce availability chart at the end of the book

introduction 7

reevaluate your relationship with produce not grown in Kentucky—avocados, bananas, grapefruit, clementines, oranges, pineapples, kiwi, lemons, limes, man-goes, and cranberries, to name a few someone who eats only local food, called a

locavore, might eliminate these foods, but that’s an individual decision; there is no

right or wrong answer I do encourage buying these products during their natural growing seasons from a state or region as close to Kentucky as possible (for rea-sons of transportation)

Join a community-supported agriculture (CsA) program CsA involves buying a share in a farm’s harvest for a season, and in return, the shareholder is entitled

to part of the harvest on a regular basis, typically weekly, picked up at a

desig-nated location This shared harvest philosophy allows subscribers to embark on an adventure of sorts, as the ups and downs of food production are experienced and enjoyed some shareholders trade work on the farm (rather than cash) for part of the harvest, and some CsA programs also include eggs, meat, or poultry in addition

to produce, depending on the farm CsA boosts local agriculture and secures an income stream for the farmer running a CsA program The Kentucky Department of Agriculture maintains a list of CsA participants, and the Local harvest website can

be searched as well

Preserve produce for use in the winter An excellent place to learn about

canning and other methods of preserving food is the Kentucky Cooperative

extension service; its extension agents offer classes on home food preservation Freezing is one of the easiest methods of food preservation The national Center for home Food Preservation has valuable information about freezing and other methods, as does the Pick your own website set a goal of preserving a differ-ent fruit or vegetable every week Freeze a batch of green beans, make some

homemade strawberry Freezer Jam (page 150), cook and can some of Margaret’s Chili sauce (page 219), or make a batch of bread and butter Freezer Pickles (page 218) There is nothing more rewarding than opening a jar of homemade jam

in the middle of winter or cooking frozen green beans from the garden for the Christmas buffet

At the end of summer, fill a “root cellar” with long-storing vegetables and fruits such as apples, potatoes, winter squash, onions, turnips, carrots, and garlic some root vegetables can even be stored in a heavily mulched garden Check with a local county extension office or the national Garden Association for helpful information about root cellars

8 the kentucky fresh cookbook

Meat and Poultry

Kentucky is the second-largest beef-producing state east of the Mississippi and the eighth largest beef-producing state in the nation beef and dairy cattle were brought

to Kentucky from britain, and although our pioneer ancestors might have kept cows for milk, they didn’t rely on them for meat, for two reasons First, many families had only one cow, and they didn’t want to slaughter it for beef and lose the dairy products

it provided second, before the advent of modern refrigeration and freezing ods, one cow was too large for one Kentucky family to eat on its own Typically, when

meth-a cow wmeth-as slmeth-aughtered it wmeth-as split meth-among severmeth-al fmeth-amilies meth-and then preserved or stored

some Kentucky beef is grass fed, also called pastured or pasture-raised beef These cows are allowed to graze and eat grass, clover, and rye, as opposed to

cows raised on feedlots, where they are fed corn and other grains Grass-fed beef

is raised more like nature intended cows to be raised, and the resulting meat is higher in some fatty acids and vitamins and lower in fat than feedlot-raised beef Grass- or pasture-raised beef is also likely to be produced without antibiotics and growth hormones Through the Kentucky Proud program, steaks and other cuts

of beef from Kentucky cattle are available in retail markets remke Markets in northern Kentucky and Critchfield Market in Lexington both sell Kentucky Proud beef (Incidentally, the Kentucky Proud label doesn’t guarantee the beef is natural, organic, or hormone free.)

If possible, buy a side of beef from a local farmer Much like buying head-on cal shrimp (see page 233), the price of a side of beef refers to the hanging weight price Double the hanging weight price to arrive at the comparable price per pound Kentucky beef farmers can often be found at local farmers’ markets, selling their meat among the produce and value-added farmers and food producers For a bit of fun, visit Kentucky’s Fort harrod beef Festival held at the Mercer County Fairgrounds

lo-I like to buy chicken raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and without any saline or flavoring solutions injected into the bird In northern Kentucky I buy turkeys from Tewes Poultry Farm or Kremer’s Market, and I can buy pasture-raised chickens from a supermarket in my area For other pasture-raised poultry farms, visit the eat Wild website

For more about pork, see page 284

introduction 9

Eggs and Dairy

Local eggs are plentiful Depending on locale, even some city-dwelling Kentuckians raise their own chickens for eggs, and farmers often sell eggs as a value-added busi-ness My aunt eileen raised chickens, so throughout my life I’ve had the good fortune

to experience the orange-colored yolks of “country eggs.” store-bought, factory eggs pale in comparison to the freshness and flavor of farm-fresh eggs Farmers’ markets often showcase local egg vendors; also, you can visit the eat Wild website

Kentucky is fortunate to have both small and large dairies Louis Trauth Dairy, southern belle Dairy, Dean Milk, and Flav-o-rich are larger dairies, and rebekka Grace is a smaller cooperative dairy Although buying Trauth milk supports the economy in northern Kentucky, these milks are often pooled and sold into a co-op that obtains milk from both inside and outside Kentucky

Graeter’s ice cream is hard to beat It’s made in Cincinnati by a small, pot process, and with additional locations in northern Kentucky, Louisville, and Lexington, Graeter’s is a local tradition other small-batch producers of gelato and ice cream are springing up across Kentucky as well support them and spread the word

French-Flour, Cornmeal, and Grains

A Central Kentucky treasure is Weisenberger Mill, which produces flour, grains, cornmeal, and grits Many markets and stores sell Weisenberger products, and they can also be ordered from its website For bread, shop at local bakeries, but be sure to ask if they make the bread dough themselves some bakeries ship in frozen dough from a faraway food plant and then bake it on-site

Wine

Visit one of the wineries or vineyards popping up all over Kentucky and participate

in a wine tasting some grape varieties are perfectly suited to the Kentucky climate The Kentucky Vineyard society’s website offers a search option for vineyards or wineries in specific areas

10 the kentucky fresh cookbook

What About organic?

Certified organic food may be free of man-made pesticides and chemicals, but it can still mean big business, as evidenced by the organic cheese puffs made by a large food producer and sold at supermarkets being certified organic does not ensure that any food is local or from a small, quaint, family-owned farm, nor does “certified organic” imply nutritious

everything from apples to fruit-ring cereal is available in organic form, ing it easy to misconstrue organic food as healthy food In reality, this is not the case A lot of organic foods on the market are highly processed and tightly pack-aged and have traveled a long way to reach the dinner plate In addition, eating all organic food can be expensive, and it does not promote Kentucky farmers or Kentucky food producers or take advantage of the seasons of the Kentucky garden and orchard

mak-That being said, I may buy organic produce from the supermarket if something locally grown or in season isn’t available The main reason is to reduce my ex-posure to pesticides and to support more eco-friendly agricultural practices but sometimes organically raised produce isn’t available, or the cost is prohibitive That’s why I prefer to feed my family with food grown and produced in Kentucky,

as much as possible I’ve found that the growing practices of many local ers are often close to organically certifiable practices, but either the farmers are unable or unwilling to pay for the u.s Department of Agriculture organic desig-nation or they haven’t passed the time frame for eliminating synthetic fertilizers from their fields

farm-The Organic Dirty Dozen

The environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides ranks forty-seven

commercially raised fruits and vegetables according to the amount of pesticide residue after rinsing or peeling The following twelve conventionally raised super-market fruits and vegetables—dubbed the “organic Dirty Dozen”—are the most contaminated with pesticides: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nec-tarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale, collard greens, potatoes, and

grapes When I buy any of these fruits and vegetables from a supermarket, I buy

organic if it is available

introduction 11

The Clean Fifteen

The following fruits and vegetables—dubbed the “Clean Fifteen”—had the least pesticide residue: onions, avocados, eggplant, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, cantaloupes, watermelons, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, and honeydew melons For these vegetables, buying organic is not

as important if the concern is strictly pesticide residue

using the recipes

not all the ingredients in this book are fresh in the strictest sense of the word I use

canned ingredients, frozen fruits and vegetables, and even soda pop in a few savory and sweet dishes If a fresh, local version of an ingredient isn’t available, consider substituting a frozen or canned counterpart The goal is fresh, home-cooked food, but not always as a result of using only fresh ingredients

every time I prepare a new recipe, I have to make my own judgments That’s the nature of cooking The more experienced one gets at cooking, the easier these judg-ments become Although I have written, tested, and tweaked the recipes in this book, your results will depend on how hot your oven heats, how full you fill your skillet, and a multitude of other factors For this reason, I give clues about doneness in most recipes I may recommend baking a cake for 35 minutes, but if the cake looks and smells like it’s fully baked at 30 minutes, check it using the applicable test for done-ness and proceed accordingly

Providing recipes in a book like this one is loaded with apprehension on my part because I want everyone to be a successful cook I want this to be a book that is read, used, and enjoyed I suggest reading a recipe in its entirety before embark-ing on the cooking process Chop and measure ingredients first so everything is ready before the cooking begins Taste the food as the recipe proceeds Most recipes recommend a specific quantity of salt and pepper, but in the end, food should be salted and spiced to suit one’s own taste and personal preference, which may not match mine

To me, one difference between an average cook and a good cook is the latter’s tention to the details of selecting ingredients and seasoning food That said, fresh herbs, fresh citrus juice, fresh garlic, freshly ground spices, and the judicious use of

at-12 the kentucky fresh cookbook

salt all go a long way in making a good cook With any ingredient, I recommend buying the highest quality one can afford Fresh ingredients that are grown, trans-ported, and stored with care need little embellishment to produce delicious results

To ensure success with the recipes in this book, I offer the following suggestions:buttermilk: I use a fair amount of buttermilk in my cooking unless otherwise noted, I use low-fat (cultured) buttermilk If buttermilk is not available, use butter-milk powder or homemade buttermilk To make homemade buttermilk, see

page 50

Capers: The small, unopened buds of a caper bush, capers vary from the size of

a small green pea to that of a large olive They are sold in supermarkets near the pickles, olives, or chutneys For the recipes in this book, I use the smallest size of caper, also known as nonpareil Packed in brine, they add a sharp, salty flavor to salads, pasta dishes, and sauces

Flour: unless otherwise specified, I use unbleached all-purpose flour To sure the flour, stir it in the bag or container, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, and level off the flour with the straight edge of a knife Whole wheat flour is specified in some recipes, and 100 percent whole wheat flour is readily available

mea-in supermarkets A newer blend called white whole wheat flour contamea-ins all the whole-grain goodness but lacks the heaviness often found in baked goods made with traditional whole wheat flour

Garlic: Fresh, peeled cloves of garlic impart a wonderful flavor to food, but some recipes call for high-quality garlic powder one-eighth teaspoon garlic powder equals the power of about one small clove of garlic Pressing garlic is a fast way to use fresh garlic and is interchangeable with mincing (minced garlic is used fre-quently in the recipes)

herbs: From late March through november, when fresh herbs are in season, I use fresh as much as possible During the wintertime (December through late March), I use high-quality dried herbs, in one-third less the quantity of fresh, in soups, stews, and chilis and on roasted meats and vegetables I crush the dry herbs between the palms of my hands as I add them to the food to help release their essential aromas and oils If I haven’t dried my own herbs, I buy them from Penzey’s or at the super-market in small quantities that I can use in about six months Large bottles of dried herbs aren’t always the best deal because the essential oils dissipate over time Lemon juice: There’s no doubt that fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest are

my choices for all recipes I store a few lemons in the refrigerator so I have them on hand They are one simple ingredient with unlimited potential to brighten up a pot

of soup, a pie filling, or homemade vinaigrette

introduction 13

Milk: I use skim milk in recipes, unless otherwise noted

olive oil: I buy a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil General cooking is not the place for expensive or boutique olive oils save those for fresh salads or bread

dipping

Pasta: I use a variety of dry pasta shapes in both traditional and whole-grain styles of course, whole-grain pasta offers more of a nutritional punch, but any pasta will work, including those based on grains other than wheat

Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is my first choice for all recipes season to taste, as everyone has a different tolerance for black pepper

salt: When testing these recipes, I used iodized table salt (the iodine provides an important nutrient) or fine-grained sea salt Kosher salt, with its larger crystal size,

is a better choice in some recipes

Tomato paste: Despite their small size, cans of prepared tomato paste always seem to be too big When a recipe calls for a tablespoon of tomato paste, one is faced with the challenge of how to store what’s left over one solution is to portion the tomato paste by tablespoon onto a baking sheet and freeze it; the frozen lumps can be stored in a zip-top bag or you can buy a squeezable tube of tomato paste and keep it in the refrigerator, ready to dispense a small portion at a time