Sunday dinner in East Tennessee, fresh from Chuck Shuford’s garden.
This is a summer lunch we prepared in early August.
Those are pole lima beans, fresh-off-the-vine blackeye peas and what I believe is a Celebrity tomato, all from the garden. The slaw is a delicious chipotle slaw that also goes wonderfully with fried catfish. Of course, we have to have cornbread to round out the meal. Please note there is no sugar in the cornbread. This is not a cake. In the South, at least, we don’t hold with sugar in the cornmeal.
CHIPOTLE SLAW
2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (wear gloves please!)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 pound shredded white cabbage (about 1 cup)
1/4 pound shredded red cabbage (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Make the Chipotle Slaw by combining the chipotle pepper, mayonnaise, honey and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Stir well, then add the shredded cabbage, red onions, green onions and stir to thoroughly combine. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and refrigerate until ready.
CORNBREAD
(I cook this in a # 5 cast iron skillet and we think it’s the perfect size)
Preheat oven to 425
In a mixing bowl whip 1 egg with a wire whisk. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of baking soda and mix thoroughly. Add 1 cup of cornmeal and while stirring slowly add 1 cup of buttermilk. (This should make a medium thick batter).
Put two 2 tblsp. of bacon grease or safflower oil or whatever oil you use into the skillet and let it get smoking hot on a burner on the stove. Add half the oil to the batter and mix well. Immediately pour the batter into the skillet and place the skillet on the bottom rack for 5 minutes and then move to the middle rack for 12-15 minutes more. This should give you crispy golden brown crust. When the cornbread’s done, I merely turn the skillet over a cooling rack and the bread falls right out of the pan.
You can also add sliced onion to the hot oil and let sizzle for just a few seconds before pouring in the batter if you want something a little different.
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