All Good Southern Cooks Have a Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe

Southerners Love Our Sweet Pickle Relish

We don’t buy the relish, we make it ourselves from old family recipes. Each family has its own recipe; some add peppers and onions. I like the simple one.  Often we just chop up last year’s sweet cucumber pickles. You just can’t make southern chicken salad without Sweet Pickle Relish. This recipe is the best!

Aunt Effie’s Switch-House Salad Dressing (Miss Effie’s Dressing)

My Aunt Effie ran an after-hours place called The Switch, so named because it was beside the “switch” for the railroad tracks. It was a popular spot for night owls, tobacco buyers and peanut graders who were in town during the harvest season.

The Switch After-Hours Steak House was a Jumping Place in its Day

Teeney cooked the best steaks on a cast iron wood-burning stove. Yes, all the food was cooked on a wood-burning stove. The menu was T-bone steak, baked potato and tossed salad with Effie’s famous dressing. Aunt Effie told me it was her recipe — we will never know. I do know it was good.

Effie’s Sweet Tart Salad Dressing is Perfect for Mixed Green Salads

Click to get Recipe for Effie’s Dressing

It seems all banana breads taste the same. Well, not this banana bread.

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Banana Bread has a Secret Ingredient

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• • 1 large egg
• • 1/4 cup corn oil
• • ¾ cups sugar
• • 1 teaspoon vanilla
• • 1/4 cup milk
• • 1/2 cup mashed over-ripe banana 1 VERY RIPE banana
• • 1 cup self-rising flour
• • 1 dash salt
• • 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• • 1/3 - 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 mini loaf pans with cooking spray with flour like Baker's Joy.
• Whisk the egg in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the sugar, corn oil, vanilla, milk and stir. Stir in the mashed bananas.
• Stir the flour into the banana mixture. Add chopped nuts.
• In a small bowl mix the Tablespoon of flour and the blueberries until berries are coated with flour. This will keep berries from "bleeding" in the bread. Gently stir the blueberries into the bread mixture.
• Fill loaf pans about 1/2 to 3/4 full; don't be tempted to overfill, the loaves will be ugly.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer or straw inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on rack and serve with butter or cream cheese.
• Yield: 2 small loaves

This Banana Bread is the Best Ever!

click to get the recipe for this Best Banana Bread

This Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup with Bone Broth is the best soup I have ever eaten. It is not cheap, about $30 to make or $3.75 a bowl – but it’s a meal and worth every penny. Made with tender beef, fresh vegetables, and slow-simmered broth, it’s a full meal in a bowl. I am not a meat-eater, but this hearty soup could persuade me.

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Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Cost: 3.75

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs lard
• 2-3 lbs bone-in chuck roast
• 1 lb oxtails
• 2 -28 oz cans whole tomatoes This is really good if you have home-canned tomatoes.
• 1 -14.5 oz can beef broth or more
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs dried parsley or a hand full of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large clove garlic mashed
• 6 large carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
• 4 medium potatoes washed and cut into chunks with skins left on
• 3-4 ears fresh corn cut off the cob
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 stalks celery cut into small pieces
• 1 -12 oz pkg frozen Lima beans frozen Lima beans (12 or 16 oz.)

Instructions

• Sear the Meat

  1. In a large stew pot or Dutch oven, melt the lard over medium-high heat.

  2. Add the beef roast and oxtails, searing them for 4–5 minutes until browned on all sides. This helps lock in flavor.

  3. Once browned, remove the meat and bones from the pot and set aside to cool slightly.
• Build the Stew Base

  4. To the same pot, add the canned tomatoes (use kitchen scissors or a knife to chop them directly in the pot).

  5. Stir in the beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic

  6. Simmer this flavorful tomato broth over medium heat for 5–7 minutes while the meat cools.
• Prepare and Simmer the Meat

  7. Once cooled, cut the roast beef into bite-sized chunks.

  8. Return the meat, oxtails, and any bones back into the pot.

  9. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to develop.
• Add Vegetables

  10. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, Lima beans, and corn.

  11. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until all vegetables are fork-tender.
• Final Touches

  12. Remove any remaining bones from the pot.

  13. Carefully remove meat from the oxtails, discard bones, and return the meat to the stew.

  14. Stir well and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with toasted rustic bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9038IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay lodging Williamston, NC 252-799-8787 near Washington, Greenville, and Windsor, NC

This is the best Corn Pudding I have ever tasted – and it is made with canned corn. If your budget is tight, this is a great dish to make, especially for those “pot-luck” dinners. It also has an amusing history — a friend Mary Anne gave me the recipe and now everyone thinks it is mine!

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Creamy Corn Pudding

This Luscious Corn Pudding is so good you won't believe it is made from canned corn.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Resting Time15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, southern

Keyword: corn pudding recipe, southern food

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Cost: $10

Ingredients

• 1 15 ounce can corn, drained
• 1 14.5 ounce can creamed corn
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepepr (Optional ground black pepper)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter (melted = 1/2 stick)
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x12x2 inch baking pan.
• Mix the corn and creamed corn. Stir in the pepper, salt, melted butter, sugar and four
• In another large mixing bowl, whisk the 4 eggs. Add milk. Add the corn mixture and stir.
• Pour into baking dish and fill almost full.
• Bake at least an hour and often longer until the corn pudding does not "jiggle." You can insert a spoon or knife into the center part to see if it is runny. If it is, then it needs to cook longer. Sometimes it takes 1 1/2 hours to set and be done.

Notes

This recipe was given to me by friend Mary Anne.  Take note -  this Corn Pudding is definitely not diet food.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

Let me know if you try this recipe.

Big Mill B&B, Williamston, NC 27892  tel. 252-792-8787

 Who can resist a pretty flower? Some of them, you can eat!  Spring and Summer offer many edible flowers; fall has fewer, but they are beauties – and easy to grow.

A fun thing to do with edible flowers is to freeze them in ice cube trays for drinks and punch. You can use these in any season. Here is how to do it – it’s easy as 1-2-3! Click to see how to make Edible Flower Ice Cubes – it’s EASY

Who says Bone Broth has to be boring? This Beef Vegetable Soup made with bones is the best I have ever tasted. The secret – BONES.

This soup uses bone-in chuck roast and oxtails. Another secret ingredient is lard.  Our grandmothers were right – lard is great.

Click to get Chloe’s Bone Broth Beef Vegetabl Soup Recipe

These tiny bottles of Peppers and Vinegar are a must-have for any southern cooks to serve with greens like collards. They also make great gifts.

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Hot Pepper Vinegar

Hot pepper vinegar is a great condiment, and if you make it in small jars it makes for a great gift.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Rest7 days d

Total Time7 days d 15 minutes mins

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hot pepper vinegar, hot pepper vinegar recipe, how to make hot pepper vinegar

Servings: 8 small jars of Pepper Vinegar

Calories: 65kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1 pound of small hot red peppers the peppers must fit into the mouths of the jars
• 1/2 gallon distilled white 5% vinegar

Instructions

• The small individual 875 ml wine bottles are great for making this pepper vinegar; you can also buy pretty decorative bottles. Be sure to use only clear glass jars. Wash jars and remove labels if there are any. Basically, any jar will work – some folks use Mason jars. I like to use small jars so that I have more bottles of pepper vinegar to give away.
• Trim any long stems on the peppers. Pack as many peppers as you can get into the jars. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to stuff the peppers in the jar, being careful not to damage the peppers. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves.
• Using a funnel, fill each jar with the distilled vinegar, covering the peppers. Set on a shelf and in a few weeks you will have glorious hot pepper vinegar. You can refill the jars several times.

Notes

This does not need to be refrigerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 81.5mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Biscotti is perfect for those who don’t want a super sweet confection. I like to bundle up a few Biscotti, tie them up with a festive ribbon, and take as a house gift or as my donation to the the Christmas party.

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Cranberry Almond Biscotti

The biscotti will keep for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry almond biscotti, cranberry almond biscotti recipe

Servings: 36 Biscotti

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 2½- cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼- cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs if mixture is too dry you may need to add another egg
• 2 large egg yolks reserve the egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1½ cup slivered almonds reserve ¼ cup
• Zest of one lemon or lime
• 1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries like Craisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a large, heavy cookie sheet.
• Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In another large bowl mix eggs and egg yolks together. Add vanilla, almond flavoring, 1 ¼ cup of the nuts, cranberries, and the zest to the eggs.
• Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just barely blended. You will have to use your hands and perhaps add another egg or you can use some of the reserved egg whites if the mixture is too sticky to form.
• Using greased hands, form dough into three 4-inch by 9-inch (or thereabouts) rolls that are 2 inches thick. Mixture will be sticky and you will have to use your hands. Using a greased spatula, gently place the “rolls” on greased cookie sheet, making sure the rolls are several inches apart.
• Press reserved almonds on top of the shaped dough.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough will hold together. Remove from oven and cool slightly. (You must not cool the biscotti too much because they will get too hard to cut). When cooled slightly, gently slide the rolls to a floured cutting board and gently cut through each roll at an angle into 1½- inch pieces. Turn each piece on its side and place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake again for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each piece onto another side. If you prefer harder biscotti, turn biscotti and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Click to read Chloe’s clever serving suggestions…