\nchefs, and co-producers attending the Georgia Organics Conference<\/a> in Athens, Ga.
\nThe theme of the conference was “Reclaiming Agriculture,” with the spotlight on
\n“culture.” The keynote speaker, Slow Food International founder Carlo Petrini,
\ngave an inspiring speech calling on all there to remember that Slow Food<\/a>‘s mission is not simply to support local food, but
\nto preserve local, cultural food practices.
\nHe suggested that if we can reconnect food to culture, we can restore a healthy
\nrelationship with food. He stressed that we must get back to the place where
\nfood is sacred, with important ties to both family and religion, just as
\nanimals were sacred to the hunter gatherers thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One of the greatest problems with our current industrialized
\nfood system, Petrini argued, is that we have become so preoccupied with price
\nthat we have forgotten all about value. He suggested that we combat the higher
\nprice of good, clean, and fair food by valuing it more and wasting less.
\nCurrently 22,000 tons of food are wasted daily in the United States. No wonder
\nwe insist on it being cheap; we are buying twice as much as we need.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Carlo Petrini inspires farmers and cooks in GeorgiaPetrini challenged us to take a hard look into our <\/p>\n “Who is the 3-star Michelin chef who invented this dish?” <\/p>\n Petrini’s words struck a chord with me. I have long been <\/p>\n The basis of the soup is what we in the South refer to as potlikker<\/a>, a mineral-rich broth leftover <\/p>\n Regardless of its origins, potlikker and greens are an <\/p>\n Here, with these historic Southern dishes, I proudly <\/p>\n Homemade corn dumplings turn potlikker soup into a satisfying meal. Potlikker Soup with Greens, Turnips, and Corn Dumplings<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The cooking liquid from yesterday’s mess (the Southern <\/p>\n 1 bunch of greens: collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, or chard <\/p>\n Bring the pork stock to a simmer in a large soup pot. Wash <\/p>\n Peel and dice the turnip and add it to the stock along with <\/p>\n Make dumpling batter (see below). Drop the batter by the <\/p>\n Rich Pork Stock<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3 smoked ham hocks or 6 pieces of bacon or a ham bone and a few ham scraps <\/p>\n In a soup pot, place the ham hocks and cover with the water. <\/p>\n Corn Dumplings<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Makes about 20 dumplings<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1 cup of white or yellow, fine or medium cornmeal <\/p>\n Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n The time has come to make delicious and easy bread at home<\/a><\/p>\n Ask Umbra on eating in<\/a><\/p>\n
\nrefrigerators, where we were sure to find “parsley begging for mercy,” and
\nencouraged us to be less wasteful cooks. He called on chefs and home cooks alike
\nto bring back the art of recycling leftovers, invoking the great Italian
\npeasant soup ribollita<\/a>, which is made from yesterday’s leftover beans,
\ngreens, and bread. He also praised Georgia’s collard greens, which he called “a
\nmonument to Georgia.” The greens are resilient and easy to grow, cooked in a
\nrich pork broth made of less desirable cuts of pork or various pork scraps, and
\nserved with simple, aromatic corn bread for a satisfying meal.<\/p>\n
\nPetrini teased, encouraging us to recognize the wisdom and resourcefulness of
\nthe traditional culture from which the dish arose. “I want to travel the world
\nand speak of your collard greens,” he exclaimed to a laughing—but proud—Georgia audience. <\/p>\n
\ntroubled by how the environmental and good-food movements in the U.S. largely
\nignore traditional food knowledge and culture. So today I offer you a recipe
\nfor soup that is delicious, nutritious, economical, resourceful, recycled, and
\nan ingenious product of my traditional food culture.<\/p>\n
\nfrom cooking a pot of greens that was born out of privation. It is said to have
\nits origins amongst slaves who had to feed their own families with the
\nleftovers from the big house. Little did the well-to-do masters know, they were
\ntossing out the most nutritious part of their pot of greens.<\/p>\n
\nimportant and beloved dish for all Southerners, regardless of class or race.
\nThose nutritionists who scold us for boiling all the nutrients out of our food
\ndo not understand the way we eat. We know well the value of the potlikker, and
\nwe relish it ladled over a wedge of crispy cornbread. We save it for the
\nmakings of tomorrow’s soup. We’re even known to sip it in a juice glass
\nalongside our supper. We use it to make cornmeal dumplings (see recipe below),
\nalso known as Indian dumplings, as they were one of the first foods English
\nsettlers in coastal Virginia and North Carolina learned to make from Indians.
\nThis dish has persevered for 400 years (though admittedly gets scarcer every
\nyear) and is most commonly found on top of a pot of greens.<\/p>\n
\nsalute the American Indians, slave cooks, and homesteaders with whom these
\ndishes originated, as well as my grandparents and my parents who made sure to
\npass the love and value of these foods on to me. I for one am happier eating
\npotlikker soup with corn dumplings at my Mama’s house than eating in the finest
\nMichelin-starred restaurants in France. <\/p>\n
\nterm to designate a potful of greens), is often recycled as
\na base for soup (along with any leftover greens). Here, however, we
\nstart from scratch.<\/p>\n
1 medium to large turnip or rutabaga
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
~ 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltiness of your pork stock
Rich Pork Stock, recipe below (you may substitute a stock made from simmering a several parmesan rinds, a smoked turkey wing stock, or a rich chicken stock)
Corn Dumplings, recipe below<\/p>\n
\nyour greens well. Remove tough stems and cut large leaves in half lengthwise.
\nJulienne the greens so that you have thin strips about 3 inches long and
\n1\/8-inch wide. Add greens to the pork stock.<\/p>\n
\nthe chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, and salt to the
\nstock. Cover and simmer the soup
\nabout 1 hour and 15 minutes. You may need to add a bit more water if your soup
\nlooks too thick. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper as
\nneeded.<\/p>\n
\nteaspoonful into the simmering broth. Cover the pot and cook until the
\ndumplings are firm and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Serve with pepper
\nsauce (pepper-spiked vinegar) or hot sauce.<\/p>\n
10 cups water<\/p>\n
\nBring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 2 to 2.5
\nhours. Strain the broth and discard the hocks or other seasoning meats. You
\nshould have about 8 cups of stock.<\/p>\n
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup hot potlikker
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1\/4 cup chopped scallions or onion (optional)<\/p>\n
\na bowl. Stir in potlikker, a little at a time, to make smooth batter that is
\nstiff enough to hold together. Vigorously stir in the egg, then fold in the
\nscallions or onions. Let the batter rest for a few minutes.<\/p>\n
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