Carolina Kitchen

NC Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are as hot today as fondue pots were in the ’70s, but easier to serve from. Give yours a North Carolina theme with local products and recipes spotlighting the state’s foods, from okra to mountain trout. Add local cheeses and veggies and dig in!

Unless otherwise noted, recipes on this page are from Debbie Moose (debbiemoose.com), who has authored seven cookbooks and is a former food editor for The News & Observer in Raleigh.

Mountain Trout Snack Spread The creamy texture of this spread balances out the smoky fish flavor of the trout, and you can make it ahead of time. 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons sour cream ½ cup smoked trout, coarsely chopped with skin removed ¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped ¼ cup green onion tops, coarsely chopped ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Put the room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream and trout in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the herbs and black pepper, and pulse just until combined but flecks of the green herbs remain.

Put the mixture in a covered container and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Serve with celery sticks or crackers. The spread can be made up to 2 days ahead of serving.

Yield: About 2 cups Pepper-Chive Crackers Homemade crackers can include any flavors you like, and add a rustic touch to appetizer spreads. You can also control the salt level. Rolling thin makes them crunchy, but they’re still pretty good even if you don’t quite hit the mark. For a richer flavor, substitute unsalted butter for the shortening. 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper ½ teaspoon dried chives 2 tablespoons chilled shortening (or butter), cut into chunks ⅓–²⁄₃ cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, pepper and chives. Add the shortening and use a pastry blender to cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough milk to make a smooth dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly into a ball. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into approximately 2-inch squares. If they’re unevenly shaped, it’s OK. Transfer the squares to baking sheets (an offset spatula is good for this).

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden and just beginning to brown, but still mostly white. Let cool on the baking sheets before storing in airtight bags or serving.

Spicy Pickled Okra Select small okra pods for these pickles. Pickling salt, available in supermarkets and hardware stores, is very fine, pure salt. (Table or iodized salt may darken the brine or the pickles.) Only use jars meant for home canning; don’t use old mayonnaise jars or other types of jars. 4 hot peppers (Habanero or, if you dare, Carolina

Reaper) 4 large cloves garlic, peeled 4 teaspoons whole brown mustard seeds 3 pounds fresh okra, stems trimmed 3 cups white vinegar 3 cups water ⅓ cup pickling salt Just before you plan to fill them, wash 4 pint canning jars, lids and rims, and sanitize them either by submerging in simmering water for several minutes or putting them through the dishwasher. Set aside.

Put enough water in a boiling-water canner to cover the jars and bring to a boil.

Cut peppers in half. Remove seeds for less heat, if desired. Drop 1 pepper (both halves) into each jar. Add 1 garlic clove and 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds to each jar. Pack the whole okra pods into the jars. Stuff them in tight, but leave about ¼ inch of room at the top.

Bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil, then pour it into the jars over the okra, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top. Gently poke between the pods with a wooden skewer to release any air bubbles. Add the lid and screw on the rim.

Process at a boil in the canner for 15 minutes. Remove and place on a rack or folded dish towel. When cool, store in a pantry. For best flavor, store for about 4 weeks before opening. Note: If you don’t want to can the pickles, allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature after filling, then store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 4 pint jars

Practice Safe Canning

New to canning? Visit carolinacountry.com/safecanning to learn more about proper food preservation.

carolinacountry.com/recipes We take food seriously. Search more than 1,000 recipes by name or ingredient, with a new recipe featured every week!

Fruit Cocktail Pie Each month, we’re taking a look back at some old favorites from our recipe archive. For August, check out “Fruit Cocktail Pie” from 1969. See this recipe and more at carolinacountry.com/kitchencorner.

Send Us Your Recipes

Contributors whose recipes are published will receive $25. We retain reprint rights for all submissions. Recipes submitted are not necessarily entirely original. Include your name, address, phone number (for questions), and the name of your electric cooperative. Mail to: Carolina Country Kitchen, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC, 27616. Or submit your recipe online at: carolinacountry.com/myrecipe.

From Your Kitchen

Butterscotch Pie

with Meringue Topping Take your time to savor the rich, smoky-sweet flavor of this pie, topped with billowy meringue. You can also top it with fresh whipped cream and fancy it up by drizzling some butterscotch topping over it! 1 refrigerated pie crust 1 cups whole milk 1⅓ cups brown sugar, lightly packed 5½ tablespoons flour

Pinch salt 3 egg yolks 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 large egg whites, room temperature ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup sugar

Follow directions to bake store-bought crust.

Heat milk to medium heat in a pan on the stove. Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat egg yolks; add to flour and sugar. Gradually add this mixture to warm milk; cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir well and pour into baked crust.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For the meringue, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, a little at a time, on high until you have stiff, glossy peaks and sugar is dissolved. Spread over hot filling, sealing edge to the crust.

Bake 12–15 minutes or until meringue is golden. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour and then refrigerate for 3 hours or more before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe courtesy of Ruby Hyatt of Statesville, a member of EnergyUnited