To say that I love to cook would be an understatement.
I’m more than happy to fire up the oven and see where the pots and pans take me. This little column is my way of celebrating one of the things we do best around here—eating!
Whether it’s dinner on the grounds, community bake sales, or summer barbecues, food connects all of us across time and culture. Some of the best cooks I know were born and raised in the Black Belt. To honor them, I want to share their contributions and bring them to your table.
This first recipe is an old one from the Tucker and Hurt side of my family: ambrosia. This variation is quite simple in terms of being “food for the gods,” but with only three ingredients, you end up with a pleasing dessert all around. Make sure to use a glass bowl so the layers show, as this will show off all your effort.
Ambrosia
Ingredients
- Fresh grated coconut
- Sugar
- Oranges, cut into bite-size pieces
Directions
In a clear glass bowl, alternate layers of coconut and oranges. Sprinkle each layer of oranges with a small amount of sugar (1 to 3 Tablespoons, depending on the size of the bowl). Follow with a bit of the fresh coconut juice. Begin and end the layers with coconut.
Cover and refrigerate several hours.
This keeps well and is perfect to make the day before.
Sure, there’s fancier ambrosia out there, but this pairing easily impresses and is a nice, light option (for those of you with New Years’ resolutions). For those of you recovering from the holidays, consider this a trifle you won’t regret having. Sure, you could put booze in it, but that’s more of a Thanksgiving tonic than a January pick-me-up.
This time of year, for some reason, I’ve been able to find a coconut every so often. If you’ve never opened a coconut, here’s a rundown:
Use a clean Phillips head screwdriver or icepick to poke a hole in the top of the coconut; using a hammer, lightly, to drive it through. Drain the juice of the coconut through a strainer (lined with cheesecloth) over a bowl, shaking to help it along.
Now, grab your work gloves and your hammer and pound away! Once a crack starts forming, follow it with the hammer. Eventually you’ll be able to break it open and scrape the “meat” out with a spoon!
Since we don’t have very many coconut trees in the Black Belt, I won’t tell anyone if you use the frozen stuff. If you do, however, I’d advise grabbing a can of Coco Lopez or some coconut juice to stand in for the fresh stuff.
Remove the frozen coconut from the bag and defrost in a bowl in the fridge, preferably overnight. I find it helpful to toss the defrosted coconut in a couple teaspoons of the coconut juice/Coco Lopez to “hydrate” it, if you will.
This all depends really on the size of your bowl, so the amount of ingredients may vary—use your best judgement. Worst case scenario, you end up with fresh fruit to use in other recipes.
If you have any recipes from your Black Belt kitchen you’d like to share, we would love to have them. Recipes may be sent to greensborowatchman@gmail.com, or submitted by mail to:
P.O. Box 550
Greensboro, Alabama, 36744
