Peach Cannoli's

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Dash of Salt
1/4 cup Butter milk
1/2 Cup Marsala Wine
1 Egg
Vegetable Oil For Frying

Filling
2 1/2 Cups Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Chopped Roasted Pecans
1/2 Cup Peaches copped fine
1 Vanilla bean scraped of seeds

To make the shells:
Mix together the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Begin to add the Butter milk then the wine, adding enough so that you have formed a fairly firm dough.
Knead for a few minutes until smooth. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for about one hour.
Half the dough, and roll thinly to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 4 squares. Place a metal tube diagonally across each square, and wrap the dough around the tube. Seal the edges with a little beaten egg.
Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches a temperature of 375 degrees F. Drop one or two tubes into the hot oil at one time, and cook until golden. Remove from the pan, cool, and gently slide the cannoli shell from the tube.
Continue to make the rest of the shells in this manner.
To make the filling:
First let the ricotta sit in a strainer over a small bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to remove excess whey.
Mix the ricotta with the rest of the ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Fill each cannoli shell carefully, and sprinkle with a little extra powdered sugar if desired. Serve with a scoop of Ice Cream.

Rockefeller Salad

3 eggs
1 10 oz package of Mr. Pete’s Seasoned Cajun Oyster Fry
20 oysters, shucked
1 pound baby spinach
1/2 pound mixed greens
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

For Vinaigrette
2 egg yokes
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
black pepper, to taste

Separate two of the egg yokes from the whites.

In a food processor or steel bowl and whisk, beat the egg yokes, 1/4 cup of the blue cheese and Dijon. Slowly emulsify the oil into the egg mixture. When it begins to look creamy, add the lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk, pepper, and herbs. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites in a bowl. Dip the oysters in the egg whites, then into the seasoned flour mixture.

Deep fry in oil at 375ºF for about 1-2 minutes or until crispy.

Toss the mixed greens and spinach with the vinaigrette. Top with the fried oysters, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.

Busters and Grits

1 qt canola or peanut oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

4 eggs (beaten)

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. creole or Cajun spice

6 soft shell blue crabs cleaned and trimmed

For grits you need:

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1 cup fine ground white corn grits

6 tbsps. butter

4 tbsps. mascarpone cheese

Salt and black pepper

For a pan sauce you need:

1 cup crab, picked through for shells

3 cloves garlic minced

1 green onion (chopped)

2 dashes hot sauce

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup celery root, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 sprig fresh thyme chopped

1 sprig tarragon leaves chopped

1 bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1 cup clam juice

Salt and black pepper

Preheat a deep-fryer with the canola or peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, cornmeal, flour and Creole or Cajun spice using a wire whisk, until smooth.

In a medium-size saucepan bring the water to a boil over medium heat and slowly add the grits, while stirring constantly. Once the grits come to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the milk, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over moderate heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery root, and pepper flakes. Cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

Add the thyme leaves, tarragon leaves, bay leaf, cream, vermouth and clam juice to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and reduce the sauce by half, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.

Dip the soft-shell crabs into the cornmeal batter and carefully add them to the hot oil, 1 at a time. Fry until golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, before removing to absorbent paper towels and seasoning with additional salt.

Once the grits have cooked for 20 minutes, stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter and the mascarpone cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reheat the Crab Pan Sauce to a slow boil and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the hot sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat once the butter has been added.

To plate this dish, spoon the grits into individual bowls with a generous amount of sauce ladled around the grits and topped with a fried soft-shell crab.

Justin Wilsons Hush Puppies

Justin Wilson said, "Hush puppy is an old Southern term that originated after the Civil War. People didn't have enough for themselves to eat let alone feed their dogs, so when the old hounds started barking from hunger, they would throw pieces of fried corn bread to them, yelling, Shut up dogs!, Hush Puppies!!"

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

ground cayenne pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons hot bacon drippings or oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste)

Deep fat or veggie oil for frying

Combine all dry ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, onion, and oil or bacon drippings. Mix well. Drop in deep hot fat by spoonsful and brown on all sides.

Cold Buttermilk and Cucumber soup

A very simple yet good recipe on a hot day!!

2 cucumbers, peeled , seeded and chopped

1 cup watercress (optional, grows wild at camp branch here)

2 cups buttermilk

sprig of fresh dill

salt and pepper

celery seed

Cut up the cucumber. pulse in a blender with the watercress until it is finely chopped. Thin with buttermilk. Season with dill,celery seed, salt and pepper.

This is delicious either with the watercress or without it. I like to sprinkle a few minced chives over the top.

Country Fried Steaks

  1 cup vegetable oil

    1 pound round steak, cut into 4 (4-ounce) pieces

    Salt

    Freshly ground black pepper

    1 egg, beaten

    3 cups milk

    1/4 cup buttermilk

    1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Heat the oil in a heavy 9-inch cast iron skillet, to 360 degrees F. Using a meat mallet, pound out the steak. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Combine the egg with 3 the buttermilk. Put 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a shallow pan and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the steaks in the flour, coating each piece evenly and tapping off any excess. Drip the steak in the egg wash, coating it completely and letting the excess drip off. Dredge again in the flour, shaking off any excess. Fry the steaks in the hot oil, until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

Carefully pour off the oil, leaving behind about 1/4 cup of the oil along with the brown bits. Over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 3 cups milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking constantly. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin it.

Add the steaks back to the gravy and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Let cook on low for at least one hour, the longer the better. Check often adding milk or water if needed. After cooking low and slow taste and add any needed seasoning.  Serve the fried steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans and Homemade biscuits.

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

1/2 c. butter

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. chopped pecans

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, adding 1/2 cup sugar at a time. Blend in vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time.

Combine flour and salt; add small amount of butter to mixture at a time. Stir in buttermilk. Sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped pecans in bottom of pie crust, then pour the custard mixture over the chopped pecans. Bake for 1 hour. Add remaining pecans on top and bake 20-30 minutes This is best served at room temperature. I serve this with a cherry puree that I make by just pureeing a can of cherry pie filling in a blender.

Sea Trout Almondine

This can be done with fresh water Trout or any other white flesh fish.

8 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Salt, to taste

4 fresh sea trout fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each shopping list

All-purpose flour, as needed

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Sauté the almonds in butter until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Season the buttermilk with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dip fish in buttermilk, then roll in flour, coating both sides. Shake excess flour from fillets.

Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and sauté fillets until golden brown. Remove fish. Place on warm serving plates and keep hot.

In the same skillet, add the lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, and toasted almonds. Sauté for 1 minute until hot. Pour over fish, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Buttermilk Pecan Pralines

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

Large pinch salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 pound butter (1/2 stick, or 4 tablespoons)

2 cups pecans

Stir the buttermilk and sugar together plus soda and salt, and cook in deep pot, stirring all the time until mahogany brown in color. Add vanilla, butter and beat till almost thick. Add nuts and drop by spoonful on marble slab or parchment paper to cool.