Vegetable Recipes - Southern Grown Vegetables

Down here in the south we love our vegetables, preferably fresh from the garden, but we will buy frozen or canned when necessary..

If using frozen or canned vegetables add about a teaspoon of oil to the water while cooking.

When washing greens, always lift leaves from water, never drain water off. In this way, any sand or grits will settle to bottom of pan, rather than through the leaves.

Next time you have snap beans, try snipping them instead of snapping.

When cooking dried beans always let them soak the recommended time on the package.

Pinto Beans

Fill the family up with a delicious meal that doesn't cost very much.

  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups dried pinto beans
  • 1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Place ham hock and salt in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Cook ham, covered, over moderately high heat until water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes.

Add beans, onion, and pepper to ham and cook covered, for approximately 3 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Remove meat from the ham bone and serve a little of the meat with each serving of beans.

Butter Beans

Butter Beans served with fried pork chops, squash, fried corn, cornbread and sweet tea. Fill the family up with a delicious meal that doesn't cost very much.

  • 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen speckled butter beans
  • 2 1/2 c. water
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook butter beans in 2 1/2 cups water with 2 teaspoons salt until tender.

Meanwhile, cook bacon crisp, crumble and set aside.

Saute' garlic and green onions in bacon drippings until tender.

Add butter beans to skillet along with sugar, salt, pepper and crumbled bacon. Simmer until thoroughly heated.

Stewed Yellow Squash

Stewed Squash is one of my favorite country foods, great served with any meat and other vegetables and a chunk of onion and cornbread.

  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2-3 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 sm onion, chopped
  • 2-3 Tbs bacon drippings
  • 4-6 med. squash

Wash squash. Cut into slices. Boil until tender.

Drain and mash. Add salt, pepper, sugar, onion and bacon grease.

Cook until onions are real soft and squash is slightly brown.

Turnip Greens

Turnip Greens are a favorite country food, great served with any meat and other vegetables and a chunk of onion and cornbread.

  • 1 ham hock or 3 slices bacon
  • 4 Tbs. bacon grease
  • 1 - 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 small frozen package greens
  • 2 - 3 tsp. sugar

Boil ham hocks until half tender. Add turnip greens, sugar, bacon, grease and salt.

Cook on low heat 30-35 minutes or until tender.

String Beans

String Beans are delicious served with fried chicken, rice and gravy, homemade cornbread and sweet tea. Homemade chocolate chip cookies are great for dessert.

  • 2 qt. canned beans
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 tsp. salt

Drain green beans and put in pot. Add enough fresh water to cover beans about 2 inches; add bacon.

Boil until beans are tender and water is almost gone from pot.

Creamed Corn

Creamed Corn is one of my favorite country foods, great served with any meat and other vegetables and a chunk of onion and cornbread.

  • 6 ears corn, shucked
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbs fresh chopped chives (optional)

Cut corn from cobs and put in a large saucepan with butter, water, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt.

Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stir occasionally, until tender, about 6 or 7 minutes.

Scrape cobs in a small saucepan to extract milk. Whisk in cream and flour.

Allow to come to a boil, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Carefully pour cream mixture and 1 cup of corn with some of the cream into a blender and puree. Stir puree into corn and simmer for 5 minutes.

(optional); Stir in chives.

season with salt and pepper.

Boiled Okra

This boiled okra recipe was served often when I was growing up. My Mom served it with homestyle roast, potatoes and gravy, cornbread and sweet tea.

  • 1 qt. tender okra with 1/2 in. stems
  • 1 tbsp. bacon drippings
  • 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
  • salt to taste

Place okra in a pan with just enough cold water to cover okra. Bring to a boil and add vinegar.

Boil until fork tender. Do not stir okra while it is cooking.

Add the bacon drippings and salt to taste. Carefully lift okra from pan to serve.

Black Eyed Peas

Don't forget the onion, cornbread and sweet tea.

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 lb. dry black eyed peas
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 smoked ham hocks
  • salt and pepper to taste

Rinse dry peas thoroughly, remove any debris or bad peas.

In a large pot, bring 3 cups water to a boil with peas, bay leaf, ham hocks, salt and pepper.

Reduce to a simmer and cook,uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until ham hock and peas are tender.

If peas are done and ham hock requires more cooking, simmer ham hocks in water in a separate pot until ham is done and easily pulls away from bone.

Cool ham hocks and remove meat from the bone. Stir ham into the peas, add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Stewed Potatoes

When I cook I always have to prepare these potatoes for my son they are his favorite. They are so simple to cook and are great served with any meat and other vegetables and a chunk of onion and cornbread.

  • 6-8 med size potatoes
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 tsp salt

Fill a pot about 1/2 to 3/4 full of water and add salt. Put on to boil.

Peel potatoes and cut into thick slices. Add potatoes to boiling water.

Reduce to a simmer and cook,uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until ham hock and peas are tender.

After it returns to a boil, cook until fork tender.

Drain potatoes in colander. Pour back into pot and add butter and salt. Stir to allow butter to melt.

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