Family Recipes Remembered

By Britt Allgood

June is just around the corner (at least at the time I’m writing this article) and with it comes my birthday. Another year around the sun. But more importantly, June is also the month for Father’s Day. Dads sometimes get the short end of the stick when it comes to celebrating their “Day”. Make sure you spoil the dads in your life this year. Father’s Day is significant for me and my brother this year because it’s the first Father’s Day since our Dad passed away.

My Dad loved to eat but he was also a pretty decent cook in his own right. You couldn’t beat him for a farmer’s breakfast with all the trimmings. He could even make biscuits but Moms were a little fluffier. I recall early breakfasts before hunting and fishing trips served at 3 or 4 am. We would save some biscuits and meat for a late-morning snack along with a thermos of coffee.

Dad was also somewhat of a barbeque pit master. Memories of summer holidays like Independence, Memorial, and Labor Day

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cabbage

1 head green cabbage cut into 8 to 10 wedges

Bacon 1 slice per cabbage wedge (use pork bacon)

Paprika • Salt • Black Pepper • Cayenne pepper optional Aluminum foil almost always involved pork barbeque that had been slow-cooked on a pit of hot hardwood coals. All the family and friends pitched in on these occasions with many taking the late night/early morning shifts tending the pit. The meals always included baked beans, baconwrapped grilled cabbage, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and deserts as far as you could see. If you got lucky, there was homemade ice cream.

Preheat your grill or oven to 400oF.

Remove the suspect outer leaves. Cut a medium to large head of cabbage into 8 to 10 wedges minus the core. Tear off enough aluminum sheets to wrap each wedge of cabbage.

Wrap a wedge of cabbage with a slice of bacon and place on aluminum foil. Sprinkle each wedge with salt, pepper and paprika. Add a pinch or two of cayenne if you want some heat.

Wrap the foil around the prepared cabbage and place directly on the oven rack or on a baking dish with a rack to avoid drips in your oven. Bake for about 1 hour at 400oF and then reduce heat to 350oF and continue baking for 1 to 2 more hours or until the foil packets are soft when you squeeze them. Serve hot with a little tabasco or additional salt and pepper to taste.

Note: you don’t have to use the entire head of cabbage, I have done a couple of servings of this and used the rest of the cabbage for other dishes later.

Dad was one of nine children and when the family had a gathering, it was huge. Now I live on the east coast and miss those gatherings. The older family members are passing and my cousins now have grown children and even grandchildren. These days, I carry on these memories through my food. My neighbors can all tell when I break out the smoker to make some old-fashioned barbeque.

So this Father’s Day and all summer long, I hope that you celebrate family and friends and share the foods that are special to you. I’m sharing a few recipes that help round out these celebrations so Live, Laugh, Love, and Eat Well.

Barbeque Dry Rub

½ cup butcher salt • 4 tablespoons coarse ground pepper

2 tablespoons ground coriander • ½ cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons smoked paprika (regular paprika if you don’t have smoked)

4 tablespoons dried thyme • 4 tablespoons chili powder

8 tablespoons ground cumin

Optional: 2 tablespoons fine ground coffee

Mix up in a bowl and transfer to a Mason jar or jar with a tightly fitting lid. Keeps for months.

Apply to meat and rub all over. Allow to sit in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Cook meat on grill or smoker depending on desired end results. Also good on pork chops as a light rub before grilling.

I use on pork ribs and chicken and cook on grill, in oven or preferably in smoker.

Jean’s Crazy Quick Cobbler

1 ½ LB frozen peach slices OR 29 oz can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup

1 cup self-rising flour • 1 cup sugar plus additional sugar for peaches

1 cup milk • ¼ to ½ tsp cinnamon optional

Preheat oven to 400 F. If using frozen peaches, thaw them out and place in a bowl. Add sugar to peaches to reach desired sweetness. Once your peaches are sweetened and thawed, transfer them to an 11 x 9 baking dish. If using canned peaches, place them directing into the baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cup of sugar and milk (cinnamon if desired) until well blended. Pour the batter over the peaches and bake for 30 minutes or until set and top is browning. Serve warm plain or top with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You can use other fruits but remember that you want some moisture and sweetness from the fruit or the cobbler will be dry.