The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

By Maggie Green

“A seasonal culinary journey that guides home cooks through a year in a Kentucky kitchen, highlighting the best local dishes of the Bluegrass region.” —Tastings

With more than two hundred recipes, this book guides both aspiring and experienced cooks in the preparation of delicious meals using the delightful variety of foods found in Kentucky.

Maggie Green welcomes readers with her modern and accessible approach, incorporating seasonally available Kentucky produce in her recipes but also substituting frozen or canned food when necessary. She complements her year of recipes with tidbits about her own experiences with food, including regional food traditions she learned growing up in Lexington, attending the University of Kentucky, and raising a family in Northern Kentucky. The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook acknowledges the importance of Kentucky’s culinary and agricultural traditions while showing how southern culture shapes food choices and cooking methods.

Green appeals to modern tastes using up-to-date, easy to follow recipes and cooking techniques, and she addresses the concerns of contemporary cooks with regard to saving time, promoting good health, and protecting the environment. The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook contains a year’s worth of recipes and menus for everyday meals, holiday events, and special family occasions—all written with Kentucky flair.

“Green, whose new cookbook reads like notes from a lifelong Lexington friend, finds the best of what is ripe and ready to eat each month of the year.” —Lexington Herald-Leader

“The collection of recipes inside, with the author’s notes included, would be a lovely meal to cook for Mom, to serve while watching the Derby, or just to celebrate a beautiful spring day.” —Kentucky/Cincinnati Enquirer

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9780813139463

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by Maggie Green

Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University,

Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University,

The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society,

Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University,

Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky,

University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University.

All rights reserved.

Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky

663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008

www.kentuckypress.com

15   14   13   12   11       5   4   3   2   1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Green, Maggie.

    The Kentucky fresh cookbook / Maggie Green.

         p. cm.

    Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8131-3376-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-8131-3378-2 (ebook)

1. Cooking—Kentucky. 2. Cooking, American. 3. Cookbooks. I. Title.

    Tx715.g811485 2011

    641.59769—dc22

2010052269

This book is printed on acid-free, 30% post-consumer recycled paper meeting

the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in

Paper for Printed Library Materials.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Member of the Association of American University Presses

To Warren, who never doubted,

never asked why, and never gave less than

his entire self, and to our three children,

Stuart, Julia, and Neil. This book is as much

about our journey as it is about my own.

Live in each season as it passes:

breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.

—HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Contents

Recipes by Category

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Kentucky-Grown and -Produced Food

Buying Tips

What About Organic?

Using the Recipes

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The Kitchen Toolbox

The Modern Kitchen and Pantry

Cooking Methods and Food Preservation Techniques

Equipment List

Publications, Resources, and Festivals

Kentucky Produce Availability chart

A calendar of Menus

Index

Recipes by Category

Appetizers and Party-worthy Food

Cheese Dip with Chutney, Bacon, and Green Onions 53

Beer Cheese Hummus 53

Buffalo-Style Turkey Meatballs 54

Guacamole Deviled Eggs 110

Spicy Garlic Beer Cheese 154

Kentucky Dill Dip 155

Cream Cheese Olive Nut Spread 221

Turnip Greens Dip 261

Spicy Cheese Wafers 324

Brown Sugar Spiced Nuts 325

Kentucky Kettle Corn 326

Endive Cups with Goat Cheese and Almonds 333

Garlic Walnut Spread 333

Morning Food

Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins 17

Shaker Pumpkin Muffins with Walnuts and Flax Seed 18

Mini Lemon Cream Scones 46

Chocolate Cherry Scones 47

Kentucky Coffee Tree Scones 48

Mile-High Buttermilk Pancakes 72

Multigrain Flapjack Mix 73

Multigrain Flapjacks 73

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Herbs 98

Mushroom and Asparagus Skillet Frittata 100

Kentucky Cornbread Strata 120

Country Ham and Green Onion Breakfast Casserole 121

Baked Stuffed French Toast with Blackberry Jam 148

Banana Bourbon Walnut French Toast 149

Crunchy Pecan Granola 171

Overnight Oatmeal with Yogurt and Berries 172

Creamy Steel-Cut Oats 199

Stone-Ground Grits with Kentucky Honey and Dried Fruit 200

Big-Crumbs Crumb Cake 228

Sour Cream Coffee Cake 230

Cornmeal Waffles 253

Sour Cream Gingerbread Waffles 254

Pork Sausage Goetta 279

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Goetta 280

Herbed Pork Sausage Patties 281

Oven-Fried Breakfast Potatoes 281

Soft Buttermilk Biscuits 310

Cream Biscuits 311

Preserves

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam 150

Oven-Baked Pumpkin Butter 255

Concord Grape Preserves 256

Soups and Chili

White Bean Soup with Pasta and Kale 36

Lentil Soup with Red Wine and Parsley 38

Potato Soup with White Cheddar and Ale 39

Fresh Salmon Chowder 40

Navy Bean Soup with Ham and Bourbon 41

Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup 42

White Bean and Chicken Chili 53

Estill County shiitake Soup 129

Cincinnati Chili 287

Smoky Chili Non Carne 289

Vista Grand Buffalo or Venison Chili 290

Sandwiches, Burgers, and Breads

Cast-Iron Skillet Soda Bread 79

Almond-Crusted Grouper Sandwiches 86

Stone-Ground Cornmeal Hush Puppies 88

Muffulettas 101

White Cheddar Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches 102

Linen-Napkin Dinner Rolls 111

Whole-Egg Spoonbread 135

Bluegrass Cheese Burgers 143

Bacon Benedictine Sandwich 222

Herbed Beer Batter Bread 240

Root Beer Sloppy Joes 247

Buffalo Sliders with Smoky Remoulade Sauce 262

Cornmeal Pizza Dough 272

Red Grape, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza 274

Shaker Cornsticks 292

Buttermilk Cornbread 293

Chili Cheddar Cornbread 294

Silver Dollar Corncakes 295

Salads and Slaws

Winter Chopped Salad 22

Blood Orange Ambrosia 27

Winter Citrus Salad with Arugula 30

Winter Wheat Berry Salad 63

Modern Caesar Salad with Salt and Pepper Croutons 67

Spring Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing 109

Wilted Lettuce with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette 114

Mixed Greens Salad with Sweet Garlic

Dressing 116

Smoked Trout and Watercress Niçoise Salad 130

Bibb Lettuce with Fresh Chive Vinaigrette 132

Spring Radish Salad 137

Bowtie Pasta with Spinach and Almonds 155

Pea and Peanut Salad 157

Blueberry Spinach Salad 160

Roasted Potato Salad with Olives and Capers 162

Sweet and Sour Creamy Coleslaw 179

Sunflower Slaw 180

Nina's Potato Salad 182

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad 207

Cornbread and Tomato Salad 208

Fresh Corn and Lima Bean Salad 216

Dried Cherry and Pecan Chicken Salad 220

Red Cabbage Hot Slaw 239

Mixed Greens with Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Cranberries 248

Fall Salad with Pears and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette 265

Broccoli, Apple, Raisin Salad 275

Greek Salad with Creamy Dressing 286

Spinach and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Maple-Mustard Dressing 303

Endive and Pear Salad with Walnuts 318

Beans, Grains, and Pasta

Yellow Basmati Rice Pilaf 24

Spicy Stewed Black-Eyed Peas and Kale 31

Smoky Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes 56

Curried Chickpeas with Golden Raisins 57

Skillet Red Beans 58

Spicy Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew 59

Black Bean Burritos 60

Cilantro Lime Rice 62

Cardamom Brown Rice 62

Creamy Penne and Cheese 87

Arugula Pesto over Angel-Hair Pasta 138

Red Beans and Rice with Chili Vinaigrette 157

Sweet Bourbon Baked Beans 183

Beef, Pork, and Lamb Main Dishes

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder 23

Homemade Italian Meatballs 35

Flank Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce 65

Kentucky Barrel Ale Stew 77

Cola Pot Roast 81

Honey Bourbon Glazed Ham 106

Burgoo 125

Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops 133

Flat Iron Steak with Brown Sugar Rub 161

Grilled Bourbon Pork Tenderloin 167

Ale-8 One Slow Cooker Pork Barbecue 175

Oven-Roasted Sausage with Potatoes and Rosemary 238

Roasted Tenderloin of Beef 316

Poultry Main Dishes

Chicken Pie 28

Oven-Fried Boneless Chicken Thighs 82

Split Grilled Chicken 146

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Lemon-Herb Oil 166

Moist Grilled Chicken Breasts 205

Chicken Sausage with Squash and Fresh Herbs 211

Chicken and Cornmeal Dumplings 243

Stovetop Bourbon Barbecue Chicken 246

Roasted Brined Chicken 264

Roasted Brined Turkey 299

Fish and Seafood Main Dishes

Pan-Roasted Salmon 80

Pecan-Crusted Kentucky Rainbow Trout 91

Hearty Catfish Cakes 92

Kentucky Honey-Lime Grilled Salmon 144

Shrimp and Creamy Grits 235

Peel-‘n’-Eat Bbarbecue Shrimp 236

vegetables and Other Side Dishes

Spicy Braised Greens 64

Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables 66

Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes 78

Garlic Roasted Broccoli with Almonds 83

Sweet Gingered Carrot Matchsticks 84

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes 84

Roasted Asparagus 108

Steamed Asparagus with Toasted Sesame Mayonnaise 126

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Parsley 134

Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes 181

Fresh Basil Beans 206

Grill-Roasted Corn on the Cob 213

Chunky Ratatouille 215

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Brown Sugar 248

Maple-Roasted Apples and Onions 249

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries 249

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes 266

Braised Kale with Diced Tomato 266

Cornbread or Traditional Bread Dressing 301

Peggy's Corn Pudding 302

Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping 304

White Cheddar Grits 317

Condiments, Sauces, and Dressings

Fresh Parsley Sauce 24

Mama Maggie's Italian Meat Sauce 33

Spicy Marinara Sauce 34

Mustard-Caper Tartar Sauce 87

Spicy Seasoning Mix 93

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette 116

Sunflower Herb Dressing 117

Warren's Vinaigrette for Mixed Greens 118

Green Goddess Dressing 118

Garlic Scape Pesto 163

Mint Simple Syrup 165

Basic Barbecue Dry Rub 177

Warren's Henry Bain-Style Barbecue Sauce 178

Brown Sugar Bourbon Barbecue Sauce 178

Fresh Peach Salsa 213

Smoky Tomato Salsa 214

Basil Walnut Pesto 217

Bread and Butter Freezer Pickles 218

Margaret's Chili Sauce (Mamaw's Ketchup) 219

Sour Cream Whipped Cream 242

Smoky Remoulade Sauce 262

Thirty-Minute Pizza Sauce 273

Bourbon Cranberry Relish 305

Dessert and Sweet Things

Warm Bread Pudding with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce 25

Vanilla Bourbon Cup Custards 29

Warm Chocolate Bourbon Cakes 68

Brown Sugar Bourbon Whipped

Cream 69

Rich Chocolate Sauce 69

Shaker Lemon Pie 89

All-Butter Pie Crust 90

One-Pan Pecan Brownies 94

Everything Cookies 104

Italian Cream Sheet Cake 112

Bluegrass Piettes 127

Bourbon Chocolate Walnut Pie 128

Sour Cream Lemon Loaf Cake 131

Fresh Strawberries with Vanilla Bourbon Zabaglione 136

Rhubarb Crisp with Granola Topping 139

Buttermilk Black-‘n’-Blue Berry Cobbler 186

Nina's Coca-Cola Cake 188

Fresh Blackberry Sheet Cake 189

Golden Buttermilk Sheet Cake 191

Moist Carrot Sheet Cake 192

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream 195

Homemade Waffle Cones 196

Peach Blueberry Pecan Crisp 209

One-Pan Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies 223

Mini Black Forest Shortcakes 241

Gingerbread with Sorghum 250

Concord Grape Piettes with Pecan Streusel Topping 268

Cream Cheese Pastry 269

Deep-Dish Bourbon Brown Sugar Apple Pie 271

Spiced Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar Bourbon Whipped Cream 306

Bourbon Mincemeat Pie 307

Kentucky Blackberry Jam Cake 319

Black Walnut Sheet Cake 321

Shortbread Cutouts 327

Margaret's Bourbon Balls 328

Buckeyes 329

Tiny Fruitcake Cookies 330

Frostings and Icings

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting 193

Chocolate Fudge Frosting 194

Soft Caramel Icing 194

Drinks

Kentucky Irish Coffee 79

Bourbon Mint Slushies 124

Mojito 164

Blueberry Mojito 165

Fresh Herbed Lemonade 184

Sweet Iced Tea 185

Arnold Palmer 185

Kentucky Wine Cooler Slush 210

Bluegrass Breeze 263

Carl's Pendennis Club Punch 298

Whipped Hot Chocolate 314

Café Mocha Mix 314

Bourbon Ball Cocktail 331

Bacon Bourbon Cocktail 332

Preface

Other than my Kentucky roots, I might not be the most obvious choice to write a Kentucky cookbook. I am the fifth daughter from a large Lexington family. One of my grandfathers was Czechoslovakian, one grandmother and another grandfather were Irish, and one great-grandmother hailed from Kings Mountain, Kentucky. Like all of my seven siblings, I'm a second-generation graduate of the University of Kentucky, so suffice it to say our blood runs blue. My family doesn't farm, and I grew up smack dab in the middle of Lexington, three blocks from Commonwealth stadium. I don't bake my own bread very often, and my mom bought loaves of bread, along with assorted Hostess fruit pies, at the discount bread store. I don't run a restaurant, and eating out is the exception, not the rule. Other than some experimental tomato and pepper plants in a raised bed, I don't grow a large vegetable garden. That being said, my knowledge of food and meals originated in the kitchen of my childhood home and in the kitchens of my relatives. These kitchens weren't decorated with granite countertops, televisions, and fancy pots and pans, but they were filled with the work of putting meals on the table almost every day.

The kitchen in my parents’ home was command central for our family of ten and a place where family meals were cooked every day, all year long. The custom-built table in the adjacent eating room was testimony to the importance of these meals. The table was twice as long as it was wide and required special-order tablecloths and lots of chairs. When it was time to eat, we crammed as many people around that table as would fit—aunts, uncles, step-grandmothers, cousins, boyfriends, and stray friends from college. Meals also played a large role in family celebrations. My mother, my grandmother, and my aunts Mary and Eileen made sure that every birthday, graduation, baptism, confirmation, first communion, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, and St. Patrick's Day included a meal, cake and ice cream, a cold glass of milk or maybe some pie and iced tea, and, for those old enough to imbibe, a bourbon and water.

Mom leaned heavily on German-inspired foods to keep my father's food idiosyncrasies in check, including pork roast, breaded pork cutlets (or Wiener schnitzel, as my family called it), and red cabbage. Other staples were roast beef, meatloaf, spaghetti, fresh vegetables, mashed potatoes, and salad. She whipped up meals for our family with the budgeted grocery money she tucked away in the kitchen drawer. Although these meals weren't particularly fancy, they were fresh and appeared regularly and without a hitch, at least as far as my young four-eyed self could tell. I never worried about where my next meal would come from. As a child, I didn't give much thought to Mom's routine night after night. But now, as an adult and a mother, I understand the planning, time, and commitment her daily meal preparation involved.

During my high school and college days, I spent my free time reading cookbooks. While one sister had her nose buried in Johnny Tremain or Little Women, I had mine buried in What's Cooking in Kentucky and volumes of Southern Living's Annual Recipes. I studied the recipes as if they were scientific formulas, and on special occasions I cooked from said books: veal scaloppine for my handsome boyfriend, frozen fruit salad for a family dinner, or black Forest cake for my dad's birthday. sometimes I was happy with the results of my cooking and baking, and sometimes I wasn't, but failure didn't deter me. Even when the layers of the cake were so lopsided they almost slid off the plate, my aunt Mary always stood by my efforts. Maybe the oven racks are warped, she'd quip as we loaded the dishwasher.

As a family, we traveled to my grandmother's kitchen on the other side of the tracks, where she cooked for herself, my aunt Mary, and anyone who happened to be visiting at the time. Mamaw could make anything taste delectable: stewed chicken, meatloaf, baked ham, pork chops, something green, iced tea, soft yeast rolls, and apple dumplings. On other occasions, we drove to Ludlow to visit my great-grandmother and her niece Frances, where we witnessed an apartment kitchen in action. We'd eat a homemade turkey dinner off rickety card tables while their huge tomcats hid under the bed. After we had our fill, Dad granted us permission to walk to Farrell's Drugstore to get a breath of fresh, cool air. The thermostat was set way too high for us leggy Kroboth girls, clad modestly in sweaters, wool skirts, and thick tights. On sunday afternoons we'd drive the back roads from Lexington to my aunt eileen's farm in stamping Ground. After a hike to the back of the farm or perhaps a romp around the pond, we'd leave our muddy shoes on the porch and proceed to the kitchen to share a ham dinner with slices of white and brown bread, potato salad, tomato aspic, a relish platter, and the best yellow cake with caramel icing that side of Fayette County. Outside of my family's kitchens, I gobbled down watermelon pickles at Shaker Village, egg salad sandwiches at Wheeler Pharmacy, and fried banana peppers and cornmeal-crusted catfish at Hall's On The River, and I shared slices of pecan pie with my sisters at a tiny diner under the looming bridge at Camp Nelson.

Wherever I went, food intrigued me. But I soon realized that behind the food I enjoyed was a kitchen, and in that kitchen was a person who, like it or not, was doing whatever she or he had to do to get the food on the table. After some soul-searching, I decided to trade my engineering major at UK for one in food and nutrition. My sister Frances, my boyfriend Warren, and even my mother were sure this choice predestined me to a life sweating over a hot steam table serving hot dogs with a potato option. Despite their trepidation, I switched majors, graduated with honors, and took great pride in my career as a registered dietitian working in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes.

The deeper I delved into nutrition, the more I realized the connection between cooking and nutrition, between cooking and health, and ultimately between cooking and home. To enhance and expand my nutrition degree, I enrolled in an intensive twelve-month culinary arts program at Sullivan University in Louisville. During that time, my eyes and my taste buds were opened to the beauty and craft of cooking. Of all the things I learned from the chef instructors, the concept of choosing high-quality ingredients at their peak of freshness, and then handling and cooking them with care and respect, made an indelible impression on me.

I now enjoy the best of three worlds: food, nutrition, and cooking. I have worked as a personal chef, cookbook editor, food and nutrition writer, and industry consultant. Having the opportunity to write a cookbook and share my love for Kentucky and the craft of cooking is, in my opinion, nothing short of providential.

Never has there been a greater call to unleash the potential of our kitchens and make them places of action, places where families cook, eat, and live together, one meal at a time. As a society, we're concerned about our health, the safety of our food, and the personal and environmental impacts of our food choices. These reasons, along with food's ability to bring people together, drive me into my kitchen to cook with fresh, seasonal, and even traditional Kentucky ingredients. My hope is to inspire cooks of all ages to do the same every day, all year long.

If there's something I need to know about a recipe, an ingredient, a Kentucky producer, or a Kentucky food tradition, I'd love to hear from you. You can write to me at [e-mail], visit www.KentuckyFreshCookbook.com, or contact me via the University Press of Kentucky at www.kentuckypress.com.

Acknowledgments

Writing a book is a labor of love, and in a strange way, it mimics cooking. Showing up at the cutting board every day to prepare fresh, home-cooked meals is really no different from showing up at the computer every day to write. Day after day, week after week, and year after year, whether putting words on paper or vegetables in the pan, the job continues. Love is what brings me into my kitchen, and it has brought forth this book. For the most part, I wrote it alone, but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the other major players in this unfolding kitchen drama.

My leading man and the best male cook I know, Warren Green stood beside me every step of the way. In his largehearted way, he said yes to washing pots and pans, lighting the grill, running to the grocery, and reading bits and pieces of this work. Without his encouragement, this book might have been shredded with our eight-year-old tax returns. I am forever grateful to the workings of the universe for bringing us together, keeping us together, and providing the ways and means to live in a home with an action-packed kitchen.

Our three children, Stuart, Julia, and Neil, are the heart of what I do. They are the cream in my coffee, the olive oil in my sauté pan, and the salt in my soup. They are the real reason I stand at my cutting board night after night. I hope they pass on to their friends and families their love for freshly prepared meals and the commitment, trust, and faith that build when you look over the mashed potatoes at someone you care about day in and day out.

My mother Peggy Kroboth and my late father Carl P. Kroboth Jr. cared for our family, provided meals, and planned trips in and around Kentucky. Thanks to them, I have a strong sense of my Kentucky home. I meant it when I said I never worried about where my next meal was coming from, and I thank them for supporting me and for using silver julep cups, bone china plates, and linen tablecloths every now and then.

My aunt Eileen saves newspaper and magazine recipes and articles for me like no other. When I visit, she is more interested in how I'm doing than anything else. Her words are encouraging, and the clear glass cookie jar in her kitchen is always full of Little Debbie snacks, which I'm welcome to reach in and enjoy.

My late grandmother Margaret Rose O'Neil Kearney lovingly shared with me her name, her love for real mayonnaise, and lessons about how to live as a city girl in Kentucky.

My late aunt Mary Kearney knew my favorite foods and served them when I came to visit. I miss her funny comments and her smile. In more ways than one, she was one of my biggest cheerleaders.

My mother-in-law Nina Green and my late father-in-law Henry L. Green know me, warts and all, and have supported me through our years of gathering around the virtual smoke pit sharing stories, photos, meals, and memories of family, friends, vegetable gardens, and horses.

My sisters Kaye, Theresa, Anne, Barbara, Mary, and Frances and my brother Carl run the gamut from advisers to confidants. Not many cookbook authors can say they've shared a kitchen table and a bathroom sink (not to mention pig treats, chopped salads, pinto beans, scones, pad Thai, orange whips, and more than a few cream pies) with such a smart, savvy group of siblings. More than the memories and the food, I thank each of them for their encouragement during this project and for helping me remember the gift of having a large family.

Wayne, Lori, and Mike are Warren's siblings, and I love them like my own. I couldn't have asked for more well-rounded group; they've known me for a long time and still manage to make me laugh. I am grateful for their support in all our cooking endeavors.

One of the best parts of having a large family is the people who are added to it when those we care about—in this case, our siblings—fall in love. Kevin, Jack, Mike, Stewart, bob, bill, Dawn, Tara, and Sam are the best, and if they were here, I'd raise my glass and toast them all.

Father Mark Keene and the staff and parishioners of St. Agnes Parish are an important part of my Northern Kentucky family. When I celebrate the liturgy with them I know Northern Kentucky is where my family belongs. Their witness to faith, hope, and love reminds me that the writing of this book was possible only through the grace of God. The love and support of my friends from other parishes, in particular Kay, Marianne, and Mary, helped me persevere in this project while maintaining proper perspective and balance in my life.

At the University Press of Kentucky, I thank Laura Sutton, my former editor who saw the potential for this book before I even knew I would be capable of writing it. She helped shape this book from concept to manuscript. When Anne Dean Watkins seamlessly took over as my editor at the press, she made finishing this project much easier. Melinda Wirkus managed and fine-tuned the production schedule with precision, and I thank her for working with me so gracefully. Linda Lotz bravely helped shape the manuscript into one in which the stories and recipes ebb and flow like the seasons of the year. Thanks also to the proofreaders and anonymous reviewers who helped make this a better book. John Hussey, Mack McCormick, Ashley Runyon, and Cameron Ludwick worked tirelessly to market, promote, and publicize this book, and I am forever grateful to them for getting The Kentucky Fresh word out. Ann Malcolm worked behind the scenes with Laura and Anne Dean, and I'm quite confident the work she does plays an important role in the seamless movement of proposals, manuscripts, and contracts. Sara and Brian Turner of Cricket Press created the beautiful cover art and illustrations for this book, adding local color and flair. Erin New worked hard to create a unique design, and her professional touch has given this Kentucky cookbook a wonderfully fresh look. And my heartfelt thanks to Judy Davis, who brought the book home with the creation of a functional index. I am thrilled Judy was one of the last people to touch the book proofs, and I can confidently say we are all better off because of that.

Ethan and Susan Becker are largely responsible for my initial splash in the cookbook world by trusting me to help them edit the 2006 edition of Joy of Cooking. Their friendship has been a source of great joy, and it was an honor to work with them on America's favorite cookbook.

Shirley Corriher and her dear husband Arch are true friends who taught me how to push a peanut up a mountain, beat sugar and butter together for a long time to get a tall cake, and search for the out-of-place em dash. I feel privileged to have worked with them and am relieved they still answer the phone when I call to chat.

Although the culinary program at Sullivan University brought us together, Sara Gibbs and her husband Tom would be my friends even if we didn't cook. I thank them for the advice, phone calls, and manuscript review. And Sara is the person I'd call if I wanted to know how much flavor I had when I was forty-five days old.

Bill Thomas, publisher of Inside Your Town, welcomed my contribution of the From My Kitchen Table column for his paper many years ago. Thanks to him, I've learned a great deal about writing for the public—how to tell a story and share a recipe, which are what food and cooking are all about.

Abby Dodge, author of Desserts 4 Today, went above and beyond for this book, reading both the proposal and the manuscript. If I were able to deliver a pie to her every day, I would do so to show my gratitude for her hard work. Rebecca Gray, expert editor for the Joy of Cooking and author of American Artisanal, also took the time to read my proposal and offer her advice about the shape of the book. Joyce Pinson shared her expertise on Kentucky gardens and reviewed the produce chart for this book.

Sis and Warren Heist, Tom, Emily, Amy, and the staff at Kremer's Market are enthusiastic local supporters of The Green Apron Company. The many cooking classes we taught were entertaining ways to connect with their customers and share a common love of fresh ingredients, cooking, and eating together.

Peggy Kroboth, Kaye Flamm, Anne Frazier, Barbara Burch, Mary Anderson, Frances Banks, Lori Bright, Tara Williams, Becky Moening, Janie Neff, Laura Tilford, Stuart Green, Julia Green, Warren Green, and the readers of From My Kitchen Table have cooked recipes from this book. For their comments and suggestions on ways to improve this book's flavor and appeal, I am grateful. And I thank Theresa Renaud for her photography and camera skills and general willingness to help out.

Finally, I thank all my family and friends who have come over for dinner at one time or another. Friends and family add spice, spark, and verve to life. Cooking for them makes me a better person, and in the end, relationships are what sharing a meal is all about: conversation, a glass of wine, and don't forget a good piece of cake.

Introduction

As humans, our need for food and nourishment is common ground. Religious beliefs, political leanings, age, skin color, nationality, and social status aside, the need for food unites us. We all need to eat, and at the end of the day, we all need to share time with those we care about.

The globalization of our nation's food supply and the move from farms to cities and suburbs have reduced our reliance on local agriculture. At the same time, these changes have reduced our reliance on cooking and, in a strange way, our reliance on one another.

Canned goods, frozen foods, packaged meals, and quick-serve restaurants have changed the landscape of the modern kitchen. With an abundance of ready-to-eat food available at any time and at any price, no one needs to cook anymore. In the car, on the couch, at a gas station, at a ball game, and at the mall, cooked food to fill our hungry bellies is everywhere. Whether it is delivered to our door, handed to us in a bag through a window, or served at a table in a restaurant, food is available without our ever having to cook. That was not the case just a few generations ago.

As a result, home kitchens have changed from sticky, well-used rooms with refrigerators full of leftovers to showplaces with stainless-steel appliances, barely stocked refrigerators, and rarely used ovens. Cooking has become something someone else does for us. We complain of being too tired to cook, too liberated to cook, too busy to cook, too educated to cook, and unable to cook. And guess what? We don't have to cook.

With the lack of cooking comes a loss of cooking skills. Our advanced society has produced a generation of young adults who have never watched anyone cook and don't understand why anyone might need to know how to cook. And frankly, it's starting to show. Despite the abundance of readily available food, we still experience malnourishment, obesity, disordered eating, hunger, and loneliness. Food and drink are abused, leading to chronic illness, social disorders, and environmental concerns. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and alcoholism are the price Kentucky, and most