Antioch Baptist Church, Ider, Alabama.
Photo by Jim Carnes
A favorite activity at Sacred Harp singings is the sharing of a sumptuous Dinner on the Grounds, where local singers and community members spread a feast of home-made dishes to fortify and delight visiting singers. For a sample of the rich fare, you can try a few local delights below, view more recipes from Doug Allison, or sample the Sacred Harp cookbook, Blessings at Noon.
Potato 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato half cup sugar half teaspoon salt 2 beaten eggs half stick butter half cup milk half teaspoon vanilla Mix in order, in a two quart casserole. Crust one cup brown sugar one-third cup flour one stick butter (not oleo) one cup shelled pecans, chopped coarse Mix first three ingredients, then add nuts, spread over casserole and bake 35 minutes at 350 F.
Cake 1 cup oil 1 and a half cups sugar 2 beaten eggs 2 ounces red food coloring 2 tablespoons cocoa 2 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 cup buttermilk Cream oil, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste with food coloring and cocoa and add to mixture. Add flour with buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla, alternately add soda, and blend lightly. Bake in two greased and floured 8-inch pans for 30 minutes at 350 F. (Layers may be split to make four layers.) Icing 8 ounce block cream cheese one-half stick butter or oleo 1 teaspoon vanilla one box confectioner's sugar Blend first three ingredients, then add sugar gradually. Spread over cooled cake and top with nuts, cherries, dried fruit, or coconut if desired.
one cup sugar one cup persimmon pulp 2 cups self-rising flour 2 eggs one cup raw shredded sweet potato 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon melted butter Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in eggs and milk, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake 45 minutes at 320 F.
two cups chopped dried apples sugar cinnamon biscuit dough shortening (Crisco) Cook up about two cups of chopped up dried apples in a little water, sweeten to taste, add a little cinnamon if you like it. Make biscuit dough from your favorite recipe. Divide it into one-inch balls and roll them very thin. Cleo used a small liniment bottle as a rolling pin. Heat Crisco in a skillet to a depth of about 1/8 inch. It should be hot but not smoking. Crisco gives the authentic flavor. Put about two tablespoons of the apples on a biscuit circle, fold it over and pinch the edges together securely so that the filling doesn't fall out during frying. Fry in the hot oil until brown (but not over-brown) on both sides. Make sure the crust is cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper.Warren Steel (mudws@olemiss.edu)
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