SUPER SIDE DISHES FOR THE TROUT ON YOUR SUMMER TABLE

SUPER SIDE DISHES FOR THE TROUT ON YOUR SUMMER TABLE
By: Adele Forbes

"Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high
Your Daddy's rich and your Mama is good lookin'
So, hush, little baby don't you cry"~Renee Olstead

When I think of summertime, I think about my favorite fishing hole which was located on the Toe River behind my grandparents house where I was raised in Newland N.C. Sugar Mountain Nursery now occupies the old home place where precious memories were made on said riverbank. We did not have fancy fishing contraptions like the streamlined poles of today, but used what was native to the land around us which consisted of sturdy tree limbs tied with strong white string to which a safetry pin was attached. A can of whole kernal corn or a wiggleing worm was our bait of choice. Our sweet little grandmother, "Mama Joe", would happily 'fry up' whatever we happened to catch, which was mostly trout, and serve along side of it bowls of homemade coleslaw, oven-roasted potatoes, and small balls of deep-fried cornbread that would make all takers sigh with pure pleasure. Come along with me now and relive the special sides that always graced the fish on her dining room table.

SWEET & SOUR COLESLAW

The dressing for this slaw is actually a boiled marinade that gets poured hot over the cabbage and veggies. It is exactly what it claims to be...

1 large head of cabbage, shredded to your liking
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground mustard

Combine cabbage, green pepper and onion in a large bowl, add sugar, mixing well. Place remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage, cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss well before serving. Serves 8

OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES

Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy and tasty on the inside.

Wash and peel 8 to 10 medium sized white potatoes. Fresh out of the garden would be the best choice. Cut each one in half and boil in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a baking dish. Top with melted butter, salt and pepper to taste, then bake in 400 degree oven until beautifully roasted. Sprinkle with some chopped rosemary if you like, prior to baking. I like. Serves 8 to 10

HOT WATER CORNBREAD

I actually saw a couple on 'Divorce Court' on television who were divorcing because the wife refused to make her husbands beloved Hot Water Cornbread anymore. Does that not speak volumes?

1 cup plain white cornmeal
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons warm water

Combine cornmeals and salt in a bowl, add shortening.
Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil; stir in to cornmeal mixture, mixing well. Allow to cool 20 minutes. Combine baking powder and 2 tablespoons warm water. Add to cornmeal mixture; stir. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press each ball in between two fingers to make a slight indention on two sides.
Heat cooking oil to 375 degrees in deep pan. Carefully drop in dough, cooking only a few at a time. Fry for a few minutes, just until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

Adele's E-mail: cookingwithadele@gmail.com Recipe Blog: inmamajoesshadow.blogspot.com

Be sure to check out ( blank blank's) trout story and recipes on page ?? The above side dishes should make for complimentory accompaniments.