All-Appalachian Cookout: Extras

All-Appalachian Cookout: Extras

Summer cookouts in Appalachia usually are more than a weenie roast. My half-sister and her husband built their own smoker from an old barrel and often will cook half of a hog, seasoning it by splashing apple wine on it as it cooks and occasionally taking a peck from it to see if it’s done.

That half a hog would feed a lot of people – more than I have room to accommodate at my house. We often throw some wieners on the grill, along with traditional hamburgers or chicken burgers, but we don’t limit ourselves. Pork chops, shrimp, bratwurst, chicken and steak appear as main courses of a grilled meal, but accompaniments are important no matter what the featured dish is.

One good extra, whether for a ham dinner or a picnic, is deviled eggs. But you have to know how to boil an egg first.

Recently, the newspaper where I work full-time as a copy editor and columnist provided the grilled chicken and ribs for a luncheon, and employees were asked to bring the extras. I volunteered deviled eggs, my boss’s favorite.

The evening before the luncheon was also the evening I attend yoga class, and in my rush to get to class on time, I goofed up a few before I produced enough to fill my beloved Tupperware egg carrier. Being a true columnist, I’m always turning over rocks in the back yard looking for true-life ideas to write about, so I filled a column with my cooking disaster.

The day after the column appeared in the newspaper, an 80-year-old lady named Edna Davenport called to tell me how to properly boil eggs. It turns out Edna is a member of my boss’s church.

Edna advises cooks to bring to a boil and cover your pot of eggs. Turn them off, and leave them for a half-hour.

My mother lets them simmer on low for a half-hour. Other sources recommend leaving them to steam 15 to 20 minutes, then to cool them with cold water and peel them immediately, as the shells are easier to remove if removed soon after cooking.

Deviled Eggs

• A dozen large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and split in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Empty all the yolks into a medium-sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add butter, mustard, vinegar and pickle juice and mix well. Mix in salt and pepper. Taste. If you want it tangier (for me, it must be tangy) add a little vinegar. If you want more mustard flavor, add mustard. If you like the layer of pickle flavor, add more pickle juice. Also, consider whether you need more salt and/or pepper.

I know this is vague, but the only way to get deviled eggs the way you like them is to taste the yolk filling before you fill the eggs. But remember to take the tiniest taste, because you want to have plenty of filling for the whites.

Some people like to serve deviled eggs sprinkled with paprika; in fact, that’s the Southern way. I also like to slice green olives and place a slice on top so that the pimento stuffing shows.

This is a basic deviled egg recipe, and it’s my favorite. Some people like to add sweet pickle relish into the filling. I say those cooks should appear before a firing squad, but you might try it and see if you like it.

Two kinds of salads mandatory for summertime meals are potato salad and macaroni salad. Everyone has his or her way of making both of these salads, but I make them the way I like to eat them.

Potato Salad

• 6 large potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 cup salad dressing
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper

Place potatoes, jackets on, in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down (medium low) and allow to cook about 45 minutes. Cool in cold water and set aside.

Hard-cook eggs. Cool, peel and dice. Also dice onion and slice celery. Place in large bowl.

When potatoes are thoroughly cooled, peel and dice. Mix with onion and celery.

In small bowl, mix relish, salad dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with vegetables in large bowl. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Macaroni Salad

• 8 ounce box macaroni
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion
• 2 cups broccoli, woody stems removed

Bring pot of water to a boil and add macaroni. During the last two minutes of cooking, add broccoli. Drain.

While pasta and broccoli drain, peel cucumber and dice. Also dice tomato and onion. Place all vegetables in a large bowl. Add drained pasta and broccoli.

For dressing, mix together the following, then toss with pasta and veggies:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

The preferred dessert at many cookouts is watermelon. Melons and squashes grow well in our soil and are in abundance by July. It’s not unusual to see common areas at workplaces with zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes and green beans laid out for the taking.

Berries are beloved, too, and this dessert, given to me by retired school teacher Mae Stallard of Williamson, W.Va., relies on the beautiful and delicious strawberry. It’s simply called Strawberry Dessert.

Strawberry Dessert

• Box of vanilla wafers, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 quarts strawberries, cleaned and sliced
• 2 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin
• 1 8-ounce container whipped topping

Mix together vanilla wafers, nuts, sugar and butter. Reserve 3/4 cup of mixture and press the rest of the mixture into a 13 by 9 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Allow to cool thoroughly.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer. Add sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and beat until creamy. Pour on top of cooled crust.

Mix together thoroughly strawberries and gelatin. Spread on top of cream cheese mixture. Spread on top of that whipped topping and sprinkle on top of that reserved crust mixture. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.

Printed with permission from www.suite101.com.
About the Author:  Lee Ward -  For the last 20 years, I have been working as a professional journalist in newspapers, magazines and radio. Currently, I am the Lifestyle Editor at a daily newspaper, The Independent in Ashland, Ky. I am always interested in freelance writing or editing opportunities and working on my fiction and poetry. I can be emailed at hillygator@msn.com.