SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

Yams are native to Africa and Asia, and 95% of them are grown in Africa. Yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes. African slaves in the 17^th century began calling the soft orange colored variety “yams” because they resembled the yams in Africa, but they are sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are classified as either "firm" or "soft". True yams are only found in international markets. The USDA had to label them to distinguish the two different varieties we find in the grocery stores today. The Label "Yam" has to be accompanied by "sweet potato". To make it simple, there is the light "firm" sweet potato and the "soft" orange colored sweet potato. The southern Thanksgiving recipe for candied yams is actually orange flesh sweet potatoes.

1 medium sweet potato, cooked until very soft

2 t brown sugar

2 t grated orange zest

½ t ground ginger

Cut potato in half and scoop out flesh into a medium bowl.

Stir in the sugar, orange zest, and ginger.

Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

2 ½ cups all-purpose White Lily flour or Southern Biscuit flour

2 T aluminum-free baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t fine sea salt

7 T frozen unsalted butter

1 cup cold buttermilk

Cooked sweet potato mixture

½ t paprika

1 T melted butter, for brushing on biscuits

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place rack in center of oven.

Sift flour with baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.

Unwrap most of the butter, but keep the wrapper on the very end to hold on to.

Grate the butter, using a box grater, directly into the flour mixture.

Leave a tablespoon of butter for melting to brush on the tops of the biscuits.

Quickly mix with a spoon and then make a well in the center and mix in the buttermilk, sweet potato mixture, and paprika.

With floured hands, place on a lightly floured surface.

Gently fold the dough in half and repeat four more times. This creates layers, but you don’t want to overwork your dough.

Sprinkle top with flour and gently pat down with your hands to about a 1-inch thick round.

Cut with a floured 2 to 2 ¾-inch biscuit cutter. Do no twist the biscuit cutter.

Place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet or a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet, with biscuits lightly touching each other.

Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 12 to 15 biscuits

GREAT GRANDPARENTS

George M Markham, Maranda Stone & family. My grandfather, Charles Robert Markham is the boy in the front row on the left. Lee County, Virginia, c1886.

OPEN-FACED EGG SALAD SANDWICHES

A delicious and classic egg salad recipe should be in everyone's lunch repertoire. Some people like the eggs chopped but I prefer them pushed through a ricer. If you don't have a ricer, use a potato masher. Now, let me address the lettuce. I like to use a soft lettuce of the butterhead family. You will find them labeled Bibb, Butter, Buttercrunch, Thom Thumb, and Boston. I easily found Bibb lettuce for my sandwiches. Bibb lettuce was developed by John Bibb, a Kentucky farmer, in the mid 1800s.

6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

2 stalks celery, with leaves, minced

¼ cup finely diced red onion

2 T snipped chives

2 T melted unsalted butter

6 T good quality mayonnaise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Good quality bread, toasted

Mayonnaise for spreading on toast

Soft Bibb lettuce

Pinch cayenne pepper

Using about 2 eggs at a time, place in a hand-ricer and press through into a medium size bowl.
Alternatively, you can mash the eggs with a potato masher to the fineness you like.

Add celery, red onion, chives, and melted butter.

Stir in mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add a small amount of mayonnaise to each slice.

Place a leaf of lettuce on top of each slice of bread.

Spoon on the egg salad and add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

Serves 4 to 6

GORGONZOLA, ROSEMARY, & WALNUT CRACKERS

This is a delicious cracker to serve with fruit. You can freeze the tightly wrapped log before baking. Remove from the freezer a couple of hours before you plan on baking to let thaw.

½ cup walnuts

8 T unsalted butter, softened

8 oz Gorgonzola or blue cheese, softened

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 t sea salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

2 t minced fresh rosemary

1 egg beaten with 1 T water

Place walnuts in a food processor and process until finely chopped, but don't make butter out of it.

Pour walnuts in a dry non-stick skillet and toast until lightly golden brown.

Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cheese together until smooth.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Mix for 1 minute. 

Alternative, you can do this in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Turn dough out onto a piece of wax paper.

Roll into a 10-inch long log.

Brush the log with the egg wash.

Spread the walnuts out and roll the log in the walnuts, pressing lightly.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least for 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the log into thin slices and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until lightly brown. 

Cool and serve at room temperature with grapes and figs.

Makes about 12 crackers

OVERNIGHT SUPER PORRIDGE WITH FRUIT

We have all heard about 'super foods' now. This is truly a super breakfast and one of my favorites! Try to buy organic ingredients, as much as possible. Start the oats the night before and the oats will cook in just 8 to 10 minutes in the morning. Add any of your favorite fresh and/or dried fruit. This would be great for your children on school days, just add a hard boiled egg for protein, and this will keep them full until lunch.

3 cups water

¾ cup Scottish or Irish steel-cut oats

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch ground ginger

Pinch ground cinnamon

Soak the oats overnight.

Bring water to a boil.

Add the oats, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. 

Simmer 1 minute. 

Cover pot, let cool, and then store overnight in refrigerator.

The next morning cook the oatmeal on low for 8 to 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.

4 dried figs, thinly sliced

4 dried apricots, thinly sliced

4 dried plums (prunes), thinly sliced

½ apple, diced

2 T dried cranberries

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Fresh blueberries (when in season)

2 t ground flax seeds

2 t chia seeds

2 t flax seed oil

2 t raw unfiltered honey (preferably organic)

Spoon the oats into 2 to 3 bowls and evenly divide with the rest of the ingredients.

Serves 2 to 3