Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> David was born and rasied in NE Ohio, altough he has travelled
> through many states except for the South. The only typically
> southern foods he has eaten are athose either my mother or I have
> cooked.
>
> During some idle conversation a couple of weeks ago he asked me if I
> could make a southern style "comfort" meal like my grandmother used
> to make.
>
> To start out I ordered five pounds of cener cut country ham slices.
> Once they aarrived I went shopping for bunches of turnip, musard, and
> collard greens. I also picked up a buch of white turnips to cook
> with the greens. I always keep stone-ground grits on hand as I often
> make a small pot of grits to have with breakfast.
>
> To make the dinner I cooked the greens and turnips with a chunk of
> back bacon, diced sweet onion, and a couple of garlic cloves, adding
> some hot pepper flakes, black pepper, and a smidge of salt.
>
> Havng put the greens to rest overnight for the flavors to develop, I
> pan fried some of the ham slices and made red-eye gravy, finishing
> off with some black coffee to make a thin gravy.
>
> The grits ended up in a cheesy grits cassdrole. On the side was a
> platter of sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, celery stuffed with pimiento
> cheese, scallions with frilled tops, and a couple of types of olives.
>
> To round out the meal I baked a batch of cream biscuits served up
> with homemade red plum jam.
>
> We had a yellow watermelon for dessert. It was the sweetest I've had
> in years.
>
> Many of you know that David is the ultimate picky eater. However, he
> dhdn't turned down anything, and only said that probably wouldn't
> want t eat turnips again, yet he ate the green. :-)

Bravo Wayne!

Can you post me a bit more on the greens? I hate collard and turnip
greens but I found out later in life, Mustard greens suit me very well.
I like your approach as it's one I've not experienced.