Southern Cooking- Cooking with Green Beans, Broccoli and Carrots

I love the Southern food I grew up with.  Why wouldn’t I?  Of course Southern food is not known for its virtues as healthy cuisine.  This would even hold for vegetables.  Actually, when I was growing up, “vegetables” were potatoes, corn, lima beans, blackeyed peas and such.  Naturally I know now that these foods are actually “breads” or starches, nutritionally speaking.  We occasionally had green beans or cabbage, but with bacon or fatback, or pan drippings from fried bacon or fatback.  Or with the ever-present pork lard.  Even in the 70s, all of my relatives had a 5 gallon tin of lard in the pantry.  So in defense of Southern-style vegetables, I would say they’re tasty, and better than not eating vegetables at all.  Recently I saw a program on Discovery Health about obese children.  One of the nurses in the program was talking with a young girl about eating vegetables every day.  The girl asked if she could eat the vegetables with cheese on them.  The nurse replied “I don’t care if you eat them with chocolate on them, I just want you to eat them.”  So here goes with my first installment of tasty, but not particularly healthy Southern-style vegetables. 

In this hub: 

Green Beans with Cucumber Salad

Broccoli with Mock Hollandaise Sauce

Slightly Sweet Green Beans or Carrots

My paternal grandmother served this combination frequently.  She put potatoes in the green beans.  Then cucumber salad was served on top of the beans and potatoes. 

4-6 pickling cucumbers

1 sweet onion

¼ c apple cider vinegar

½ c mayonnaise

¼ c water

Salt

1- Peel and dice cucumbers and onion. 

2- Blend mayo, vinegar and water until smooth.   

3- Add salt and pour liquid mixture over cucumbers and onion. 

4- Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, or overnight. 

You could substitute 6 baby cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers, which do not need peeling.  Regular “waxed” cucumbers will do, but are my least favorite choice, and will need to be peeled and possibly seeded. 

Serve green beans and potatoes with a generous serving of cucumber salad over the top, including the juice. 

GREEN BEANS

1 extra large can of green beans, about 48 oz, or 2 large cans, about 27 oz each

2 to 4 Tbsp bacon drippings

2 to 3 medium potatoes

1- Peel and cut potatoes into 1 to 1½ inch cubes.  Cook and drain. 

2- Empty green beans and liquid into a large pan. 

3- Add bacon drippings and potatoes. 

4- Heat over medium heat until thoroughly warmed. 

I use Hannover green beans.  They are already tender, and don’t require extensive cooking.  Green Giant green beans are tender too.  I always use cut green beans, not French.  You can use frozen green beans, but these take longer to cook.  Southern-style green beans are always cooked until soft and tender. 

Use fresh green beans for a real treat.  These of course will take extended cooking time.  Many Southern cooks use a pressure cooker, or just cook for a couple hours.  You can put a couple pieces of fatback instead of bacon drippings. 

For healthier, but less Southern green beans, you can season with vegetable oil or Knorr chicken bouillon powder. 

You can use Old Glory green beans which are already seasoned Southern-style.  They come with or without potatoes. 

See also my hub, My Turkish-Inspired Cuisine- Green Beans and Rice Pilaf for another way to prepare and eat green beans. 

I never had broccoli until I was 18 years old. I was in tech school for radiologic technology. One day in the hospital cafeteria, there it was. I had to ask what it was. One of the techs told me it was broccoli and to be sure to have them put the “Hollandaise Sauce” on it. I’ve loved it ever since.

BROCCOLI

1 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets, or fresh broccoli

Salt

1- Put 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of your steamer. Place steamer basket on top and cover. I have a stainless steamer that is graduated on the bottom so that it fits over several of my saucepans.

2- When water starts to boil, add broccoli to steamer basket, sprinkle with salt, and cover.

3- Steam broccoli until tender, about 12-15 minutes. There will be a slight change in the color of the broccoli.

You can get frozen organic broccoli from Costco, a package with 5 1-lb bags for about $5.

I no longer use a microwave. If you have not yet been convinced about the hazards of microwaving, or the depletion of nutritional value of microwaved food, and still swear by your microwave, then I will reluctantly tell you it takes 7 to 10 minutes to cook broccoli in a microwave steamer.

MOCK HOLLANDAISE

1 c mayonnaise; I use Duke’s

¼ c lemon juice

Using a wire whisk, blend lemon juice into mayonnaise. Add more lemon juice if needed for desired consistency or tartness.

Serve mayo mixture over hot broccoli.

See also my hub, Duke’s Mayonnaise- Secret Weapon for Tasty Southern Dishes, for broccoli casserole recipe.

Many Southern cooks add a tablespoon or two of sugar to vegetables.  One of my family’s favorite restaurants is Shealy’s BBQ in Batesburg-Leesville S.C.  My mom and I are reasonably sure that Mrs. Shealy adds sugar to her green beans, which also have ample grease to season. 

Carrots are another vegetable I never had at home growing up.  I enjoy them from time to time.  I especially like the cooked baby carrots at Cracker Barrel.  They are sweet, which I’m certain is not just from the natural sweetness of the carrots.  Try 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and butter when cooking baby carrots.  If you need a quick side dish, the Green Giant Llessur baby carrots are very tender.  Just add butter and sugar. 

FAST AND EASY RECIPES:

12 Super Fast, Cheap and Easy Main Dishes

12 Super Fast, Cheap and Easy Pasta Recipes

8 Super Fast, Cheap and Easy Casseroles

Super Fast and Easy Soups, Stews and Chowders

OTHER GREAT RECIPES:

My Very Favorite Vegetable Soup- Almost Like Mom’s

More Soups, Stews and Chowders

Southern Cooking- Grits and Tomato Gravy

Southern Cooking- Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Dunbar Macaroni

My Turkish-Inspired Cuisine- Green Beans and Rice Pilaf

Duke’s Mayonnaise- Secret Weapon for Tasty Southern Dishes

MOM’S CAKES:

Mom’s Best Layer Cakes- Japanese Fruit Cake

Mom’s Best Layer Cakes- Peter Paul Cake

Mom’s Best Layer Cakes- 7-Up Layer Cake

Mom’s Best Layer Cakes- 14 Karat Cake

Mom’s Best Pound Cakes

Cake Frostings

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS:

Thanksgiving Southern Family Feast Recipes

Fruitcake and Christmas Cookie Recipes

Recipes- My Family’s Traditional Christmas Treats