WOW!  Our readers really turned out for the Zac Brown Cookbook Contest.  We received 121 different recipes from you.  AND LET ME TELL YOU, most of them sound scrumptious!

Because we can’t post all 121 of them for you to vote on CMTT picked 5 recipes from your entries.  Now we want YOU to vote on your favorite.  The recipe with the most votes on Friday, March 26th will win an autographed copy of Southern Ground: Recipes, Lifestyle and Lore (Volume 1).

1.) Smyrna Style Redneck Caviar

2 cans blackeyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 jar Braswell’s (or other brand) pepper relish (can be found with the pickles/olives)
1 med. onion, diced
1 8-oz. jar Zesty Italian dressing
1-2 Tbl. fresh cilantro

Mix and let sit at least overnight.  Serve with corn chips! – Goes great with Chicken Fried or while sittin’ by the pool on Concord!

2.) McDaddy’s Venision Poppers

Take cubed venison patties and cut into about 3 inch wide and 4 inch strips. Marinate strips in a ziploc bag of Italian Dressing for at least 3 hours.

Take venison strips out and lay flat:
Take a spoonful of Cream Cheese and spread on each strip
Take a slice of Vidalia Onion and put on top of cream cheese
Take a thin slice of Green pepper on top of the Onion.

Carefully roll up the strip and wrap a slice of bacon around it. Secure with wet tooth picks.  Grill over a medium hot grill for 4 minutes then turn em for another 4 minutes.

3.)  Stick to your Ribs Chicken Spaghetti

4 Chicken breasts
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes- it’s a southern thing
1 Can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large jar of Cheez Whiz
2 stalks of celery
1 small onion
1 package of spaghetti (I use thin)

Cut up the celery and onion and put in a pot with the chicken, add water AND the juice from Rotel, boil until done. DO NOT DRAIN WATER- add your noodles to this water and cook until done- this provides a lot of flavor. When noodles are done drain (leaving all the celery and onions with the noodles)

Cut chicken in pieces or shred and put in a big pot with the soups, rotel and cheez whiz. I usually do this while the noodles are cooking. Heat up soup mixture, add noodles and mix together.  This makes a lot and usually is good for Bunco night:) Serve with Texas Toast and salad. This is also good the next day.

4.) Dassau’s Seafood Gumbo

3 large spoons lard (Crisco shortening)
3 spoons flour
1 large onion
2-3 pods garlic
1/2 bell pepper
3 quart water or chicken or seafood stock (Sean uses chicken or seafood stock)
salt, red & black pepper
1 can fresh claw crabmeat
several whole crabs
1 lb peeled shrimp
oysters and liquid
1/2 C parsley
3-4 chopped green onions

(*white rice, prepared, gumbo file, tabasco or hot sauce)

Make a roux with the lard and flour. Cook slowly, stirring often, until brown.Cut up onion, garlic,bell pepper and add to roux. Slowly add about 3 quarts of water (or stock or stock mixed with water),stirring while you pour. Add salt and peppers to taste (season well). Then add a canm of fresh claw crabmeat and several cleaned whole crabs and cook about an hour. Then add one or more pounds of raw peeled shrimp and liquid from a pint of oysters and cook until the shrimp are done (just pink-it will not take long. Do not over cook the shrimp). Add chopped parsley and green onions about 30 minute before serving. About 15 minutes before serving add the oysters.

*Serve gumbo over white rice.
*Be sure to have a bottle of fresh gumbo file on hand so each person can add his own, the same for hot sauce.
*This freezes well, although do not freeze with oysters in it, add fresh ones before serving.

5.)  Sourdough CF Steak

 THIS is my daddy’s recipe.(even though mom did the cookin). I have shared this recipe only 2 times in my life.And this is #3. It’s tried and true done home cattle drivers, chuck wagon, recipe. My Daddy was one of the last living cattle drivers. Charlie Clyde Helton. May he rest in peace.

1- inch thick round steak(about 3 lbs)beat to death with a mallot
1- cp all purpose flour
2-tsps onion salt
1- tsp black pepper
2- tsp paprika
1-cp sour dough starter
3/4 cup lard

using a meat mallot-pound steak till 1/2 inch thick-cut into serving
pieces.
mix flour and seasonings
dip steak into sour dough starter
then into flour mixture
fry in 1 inch lard in heavy skillet
feeds 4-6 hungry ranchers

Serve with mashed potatoes,cream gravyand fried green beans and onions. Dont forget the cornbread and butter!!! Wash it down with campfire coffee or buttermilk.

NOW IT’S YOUR TIME TO VOTE:

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