I remember eating fried peach jacks whenever I went to Dinner on the Ground at a small country church in eastern North Carolina. Dinner on the Ground all over the south celebrated the end of revival – they called it Homecoming. Like peach jacks, these celebrations are a fading tradition.

A great southern treat, these jacks are made from cooked dried peaches in a crust that is fried in lard. Someone has to do it now that Paula Deen is in trouble. Well, you can fry these in canola oil if you choose, but I just wanted to recreate the goodies of my youth.

So I gathered up my stuff and visited friend Nancy and we fried up peach jacks. A Southern Plate cookbook author even cooked these up on the Today Show.

Southern Peach Jack Recipe

Peach Filling (Make filling the day before you plan to make the jacks)

• 1 6-ounce package of dried peaches*
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups water (Add water if it cooks out before peaches are soft)
• 1 cup sugar

Simmer peaches and water in a small saucepan for 45 minutes to an hour until peaches are soft. Be careful, they tend to stick. Add water if needed. Add the sugar and cook 15 minutes more, stirring often. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight. You will have 2 1/2 cups peaches.

Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• Extra flour for dusting cutting board and rolling pin.

Frying

• 1/2 – 1 cup lard for frying

Or you can use canned biscuits. Friend Nancy uses canned biscuits and her peach jacks are fabulous.

Stir together the flour and salt. Using two forks, cut in the shortening. Add milk and stir. Separate into 8 to 10 portions. Using the extra flour and a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a 6″ round. Roll dough as thin as you can without tearing dough.

If you are using canned biscuits, roll each biscuit on a floured surface or waxed paper. Roll as thin as possible; each round should be about 6 inches across.

Put 2 Tablespoons cooked peaches in the center of the rolled dough. Fold the edges over to make a half circle. Crimp edges with a fork. Trim off excess dough.

Melt lard in a medium-size frying pan. Grease should be quite hot before you fry jacks. Fry jacks until they are golden in color. Turn and brown the other side. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Continue until all jacks are cooked.

The sweet, tangy taste of Peach Jacks is a treat. They are good cold but, oh, so good when they are hot.  Yum!

Yield: 6-8 jacks

* Use dried fruit . . . in the south, we used dried peaches, apples or cherries. Fresh fruit just doesn’t have the zing.

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‘Tis the season to make, give & enjoy homemade spirits with
this easy-to-follow recipe for festive Cranberry Liqueur

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

I LOVE cranberries and I try to use them any way I can – I even float them in my kitchen sink on Christmas Day. So I knew that Cranberry Liqueur just had to be wonderful – and it is. This liqueur is my original recipe and it is a gorgeous, clear-red libation.

Since it takes 3 weeks of steeping before being ready to bottle & serve, now is the time to start prepping your very own batch of homemade Cranberry Liqueur so you’ll have plenty on hand for entertaining, seasonal gift-giving and ringing in the New Year!

Another reason to love this recipe? Nothing goes to waste! After 3 weeks of soaking the cranberries in quality vodka, simply strain to separate them from the liqueur. Reserve these vodka-infused berries and serve them as-is, or as a festive topping for homemade sorbet or ice cream. Remember, they can make you tipsy!

Big Mill B&B Homemade Cranberry Liqueur

    1 cup water
    2 cups granulated sugar
    2 cups *fresh cranberries, washed & picked through, discarding bad berries *
        (See note at end of recipe if wanting to substitute frozen cranberries for fresh)
    1 tablespoon grated orange rind
    1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
    2 cups quality vodka
         (For a stronger alcoholic mixture, swap some of the water with vodka, to taste).

Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer sugar syrup for five minutes, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Stir in the cranberries, grated orange rind and orange juice concentrate. Remove syrup mixture from heat and cool enough so that the mixture can be safely poured into a blender or food processor. Using the chop setting, pulse so that the berries are just slightly chopped.  Allow the mixture to cool.

Add vodka and stir.

Pour into a large glass jar, cover and store in a cool, dark place for three weeks, stirring every few days.  If this is made during the winter it can be stored in a cool, dark place. If it is made in warm weather, store in the refrigerator.

After steeping for three weeks, strain the mixture several times using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth until the liquid appears clear red with no berry residue. Reserve the vodka-soaked cranberries for another use.

Pour liqueur into glass jars. Cover and store both the liqueur and the reserved pulp in the refrigerator. (This reserved pulp is great for other things such as topping ice cream and sorbet!)

Yield: 2 ½ to 3 cups liqueur. You can easily double or triple this recipe; I usually make enough to fill a gallon jar.

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

*Note – If substituting frozen cranberries for fresh, simply reduce the amount of water called for in ingredient list.

I have found that fresh cranberries will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, and for months in the freezer. Simply remove the berries from the bag and store in a plastic strawberry or blueberry container with air vents. Every week you will need to pick through and discard any bad berries.

Bottoms Up!

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It’s late summer and figs are ripe… so gorgeous and
luscious, they hardly look real. Each one is a work of art.

After I take many photos of these just-picked figs, I make Chloe’s Fig Preserves.  North Carolina mystery writer Margaret Maron shares her Fig Preserve Recipe on Serious Eats.

One of my favorite ways to eat these preserves is with warm, creamy brie. This dish makes a great presentation, it is fast and easy – guaranteed to be a hit at the party.

Creamy Brie with Fig Preserves

    * 1 wedge of Brie cheese (about 16 ounces)
    * 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)
    * 1/2 pint warm fig preserves (1 cup)
    * 1 box (4 & 1/2 ounces) Carr’s Table Water Crackers or similar plain crackers

Unwrap Brie and let stand at room temperature for several hours before serving; place in a warm spot so that cheese will be soft.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread slivered almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from oven, cool and reserve.

To serve, place Brie on a serving plate and pour preserves over the cheese. Preserves will run over the sides and onto the serving dish. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top and serve with plain water crackers like Carr’s.

Yield: about 1 dozen or more servings

When it is cold outside, pull out a jar of fig preserves and remember summer.

(I first published this recipe on Inn Cuisine)

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The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission has issued a challenge to Bloggers who blog about food – create an original sweet potato recipe. First thing I had to do was learn how to spell "potato." … amazes me that it has no "e."  You can follow the contest on their Facebook page.

My dad grew lots of sweet potatoes here on the farm at Big Mill. My brother John told me that some years the Sweet Potato House would be full, so they had to store them in other buildings – like tobacco barns and buildings. That was the year they raised 5,000 bushels of sweet potatoes. They liked special varieties – Hayman, Puerto Rica and Georgia Red. No one here dared raise Jewel potatoes…they just weren't as good.

When my mother baked a cookie sheet full of sweet potatoes, they were so sweet that the juice crystallized on the pan. She never made sweet potato soup, but I know she would have liked it.

Chloe’s Gourmet Sweet Potato Soup is creamy without any cream. Good for all those lactose intolerant folks. And – no flour thickeners, so it is gluten free. This is a delicate soup that is a good accompaniment to any meal.  It is a real show-stopper.

Chloe’s Gourmet Sweet Potato Soup

For the two-color soup, make two batches.

Ingredients:

•    4 Tablespoons canola or corn oil, divided
•    2 cups leek, sliced, white parts only, divided
•    1 1/2 pounds red sweet potatoes (about three medium-sized or two large potatoes). 
      Buy the darkest red sweet potatoes available.
•    1 1/2 pounds light colored sweet potatoes like Hayman, Japanese, Murasaki
      or O'Henry (about three medium sized or two large potatoes)
•    1 cup water, divided
•    4 cans (14½ ounce) good quality vegetable broth
•    2 teaspoons orange zest, divided

You will also need for garnish:

•    Sprigs of fresh chives
•    Edible flowers, like pansies, nasturtiums, violets, Johnny-Jump-Ups

To make the red sweet potato soup:

In a medium sized fry pan, heat 2 Tablespoons canola oil. Add ½ cup sliced leeks. Sauté the leeks on medium heat until tender, stirring often. Do not let the leeks brown. Remove from heat.

Wash and peel the red sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Add the red sweet potatoes to the pan with the leeks. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 can of vegetable broth. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Repeat this procedure with the light-colored sweet potatoes.

Working in batches of different colors, add the sweet potato and leek mixture to a blender. Add remaining half can of vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon orange zest. Pulse gently to make a puree. Add more vegetable broth as needed to achieve the consistency of thin pancake batter. Optional – For a perfectly smooth soup, run the soup through a kitchen sieve.

Using two medium sized sauce pans, heat soups, using low heat and stirring often. Add more broth as needed. Gently pour about 1/2 cup of the red sweet potato soup into a wide, flat soup bowl, allowing soup to settle. Gently pour 1/2 cup of the light colored soup into the other side of the soup bowl. Repeat for each serving of soup.

Garnish with a chive sprig and an edible flower.

This soup can be made ahead of time. Heat each batch separately before serving. You may have to add more vegetable broth or water because the soup tends to thicken as it cools.

Serve warm. Yield with both batches: 7-8 servings.

Bon appetite!
                                  
 

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Cranberries – no food says Christmas holiday recipe quite like a cranberry.

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

Any time I can use cranberries in a recipe here on the farm at Big Mill B&B, I do.

This great-looking Cranberry Salad is one of my favorites and was featured by Inn Cuisine.  My mother-in-law, Ginny, used to make this salad for every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, along with four turkeys. One turkey was the centerpiece and the others went to homeless shelters in Atlanta. Oh, and we ate one of the turkeys.

Chloe’s Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 orange, washed
1/2 cup orange juice
12-ounce bag cranberries, washed and picked over
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon key lime juice or lemon juice
3 packages unflavored gelatin (3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water

Remove stems from orange. Cut into pieces, leaving peel on.  Cut into pieces and put into blender with orange juice. 

Pulverize. Add cranberries, sugar and mix thoroughly, but do not completely pulverize.  (This part of the salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator).

Add celery and nuts and lemon juice.  Blend again.  Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water.  Add 1/2 cup boiling water.  Add to cranberry mixture. 

Spray a four-cup mold with cooking spray.  Pour cranberry mixture into mold and chill until set.  Unmold onto a pretty dish and garnish with a piping of mayonnaise.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Bon appetit and MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at Big Mill B&B.

Virginia Tuttle was happiest when she was cooking and she loved to share. Her recipes live on and I think of her every time I make this tasty Cranberry Salad. There will be more recipes inspired by Ginny coming on Chloe's Blog. 

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Want to make a special gift for the cook in your life?

And for not much money? Homemade vanilla extract is the perfect gift – everyone cooks. And at Big Mill B&B, vanilla is one of our favorites.

But not all vanilla beans are equal. If I can even find vanilla beans in eastern North Carolina, they are usually all dried up. But with some diligence good beans can be found. (See below) Vanilla beans come from a climbing orchid and each has its own special quality – some redolent of cherries, bourbon, cinnamon, even prunes.

The different beans have myriad flavors like Madagascar, Bourbon, Tonga (I almost took a boat delivery job to Tonga in my youth), Papua New Guinea, Mexico (I did go there in my youth), Tahiti, Indonesia, and Tahitensis & Planifolia Blend (the most typical vanilla.)

The more I read about vanilla beans, the more I am intrigued by them. Each bean is hand-picked and hand-pollinated. Now we know why they cost so much.

Recipe for Vanilla Extract

3 or 4 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka *(some recipes use bourbon, light rum or brandy)
Cute glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid

Using a very sharp knife, slit into each bean except for an inch at the end. If you cut too much the seeds will come out and cloud the vanilla. This isn't a problem, just doesn't look as pretty. You can strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter if it bothers you.

Put beans into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with the vodka. Shake.

Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month – longer is better. Shake the jar every once in awhile. This wonderful elixir will last for years. As you use it up, just add more vodka, and give the bottle a shake or two.

* This cute little Absolut Vodka bottle has 200 ml of vodka, just short of a cup. Bend the beans to fit in the bottle. The next size of Absolut Vodka is 375 ml (almost 2 cups) and the beans will fit in the bottle easily.

I used three beans for the smaller bottle and six beans for this larger bottle, just remember to use  3 beans per cup of vodka. It isn't necessary to use the high quality of vodka like Absolut, but I really like the bottle!

Just a thought – Commercial vanilla extract often has a sweetener added to take away the bitter aftertaste.  You can add simple syrup (sugar water) if you want.

Bon appetit.

PS — In case you're wondering where to buy vanilla beans …

Penzey's sells good vanilla beans and during the holidays you can sometimes find beans at discount places like Trader Joe's, BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco. In fact, yesterday I found them at a Costco in Atlanta - 10 beans for $11.99. 

Also – The blog Heavenly Homemakers has struck a deal with Olive Nation to get seven beans for $9.99 with a 10% discount and free shipping on beans. You can go to Heavenly Homemakers for the code to get your discount and free shipping. And, San Francisco-based Vanilla Saffron Imports has a pound of vanilla beans for $19.95. Ordering online makes the shopping easy. 

For a lesson on all things vanilla, check out this page at Arizona Vanilla Company.  Fun place, plus they also sell Vanilla beans. 

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Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving
without a mouth-watering pecan pie on the table

 
This year we have a bumper crop of pecans here on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and, oh, they are good! Luckily a few are falling early – usually they wait and fall when it is 20 degrees outside.

Cathy at Conceptual Cuisine Catering right here in Williamston, NC, does the gourmet candlelight dinners for our guests here at the inn.  With a little begging she shared her Pecan Pie Recipe with us. So this is as good as it gets in the old south — Bourbon Pecan Pie.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe
from Conceptual Cuisine

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts like Pillsbury's rolled crusts (15 ounces) found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store (you will need one for the bottom crust and one for leaf decorations)
• 2 cups pecans
• 3 eggs + 1 egg white (reserved)
• 1 cup light Karo Corn Syrup
• ¼ cup melted butter (if using unsalted butter add ¼ teaspoon salt)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons good bourbon
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack at the middle position. Spray a 9-inch or 10-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.

To Make Crust:

Remove pie crusts from refrigerator at least 15 to 20 minutes before using. Gently unroll one crust onto floured cutting board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with four. Carefully place the crust inside the pie pan, leaving at least 1-inch of the crust overhanging. Pierce bottom of crust several times with a fork.

To make pie filling:

Chop the pecans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 whole eggs. Add corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and bourbon. Stir until well blended.
Add chopped pecans and stir until combined. Set aside.
 
To make decorative leaves:

Unroll second pie crust onto lightly floured board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with flour. Using autumn leaf cutters*, cut enough leaves to go around the outer edge of your pie. Place cut leaves on waxed paper. If you are using a scalloped pie dish, it will take approximately 30 leaves; fewer if using a standard round dish.

To assemble pie:

Pour filling mixture into pie crust.

Using the reserved egg white, gently brush the back side of the pastry leaves. Brush the outside ¼-inch of the pie crust with the egg wash. Place leaves around crust, overlapping slightly. Press gently to adhere. Brush egg wash over the leaves.
 
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until pie is set; pie should have a gelatin-like consistency. A knife or straw inserted halfway between the center and the edge of the pie should come out clean. Check the pie after 30 minutes of cooking. If the crust is browning too much, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the pie.

Remove pie from the oven and cool on a rack. Pie should be completely cool before slicing. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Here in North Carolina we often top our pecan pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe for pecan pie

*Williams Sonoma has some really nice fall leaf pastry cutters and also the Artisan ruffled pie dish that we used for our pie.

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Ah, figs … a wonderful way to welcome Indian Summer to the South.

If you are lucky enough to have a friend who offers you figs, gladly accept.

There was a time when everyone's grandmother had a fig tree at the home place. I am lucky to live and work at Big Mill B&B – it is my home place. We have the old orchard, but the fig trees are small.  So when Michael called and offered figs, I went forthwith. Even North Carolina mystery writer Margaret Maron stops writing to make fig preserves.

Before you commit,  make sure you have time to deal with the figs. When figs are luscious and ripe, the clock is ticking fast – you might be able to keep them for a day.

A great way to savor the flavor of figs all year long is to make Fig Preserves; they are mouth-watering on homemade biscuits.  I have worked on this recipe and I think it is perfect, humbly speaking. My recipe is worthy of the old South, a fact that now promotes me to "Miss Chloe."

A friend, Nancy Rascoe, who owns the bed and breakfast 1812 on the Perquimans in Hertford, NC, teaches manners — "Miss Nancy Teaches Manners." (You have to watch this video!)  Don't you just love the South? I will tell you, "Miss Chloe" takes some getting used to; my mother was Miss Chloe. It really is a term of respect and endearment.

A word of caution:  Once committed to making preserves, don't stray from the project. I'm serious.  Don't answer the phone, the doorbell or anything else. This is science. You will be so glad in December when you show up at the party with fig preserves on roasted brie (recipe forthcoming).

Chloe's Fig Preserves

2 pounds ripe figs (4 cups prepared figs)
7 cups sugar
Scant 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
Zest from two of the above lemons
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 pouch liquid pectin, like Certo (3 ounces)

Wash and drain the figs, handling carefully. Remove the stems and cut the figs in half. You should have 4 cups of cut or mashed figs.

Measure 7 cups sugar into a large mixing bowl. Wash the lemons and grate the peel from two of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from the lemons. You will need a scant 1/2 cup of juice. Check the expiration date on the pectin. Don't use if it is out of date.

Place figs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and butter into a large cooking pot (at least an 8 quart pot). Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the figs, leaving chunks. Stir and bring this mixture to a full, rolling boil; a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the liquid pectin and return to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for exactly one minute, stirring the entire time.

Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized jars. Process according to your canning instructions.

Yield: 7 half-pints, plus some for tasting.

Don't fret, you all can still call me Chloe or Chloe Ann!

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