Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables [Paperback]

Damon Lee Fowler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 1998

Think of Southern fruits and vegetables, and tomatoes, corn, okra, and watermelon come to mind.  But what about grapefruits, oranges, and key limes from Florida? Or peas, beans, and greens from the fields of Mississippi? Damon Fowler, who is passionate about preserving Southern culinary traditions, offers recipes for transforming Vidalia onions, sun-ripened tomatoes, field peas, butterbeans, okra, Georgia peaches, plump figs, watermelons, key limes, and Florida citrus into the fruit and vegetable glories of the Southern table.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fowler (Classical Southern Cooking, LJ 11/15/95) now turns to what he calls "the soul" of Southern cooking: fruits and vegetables (and he doesn't mean the cliche of overcooked green beans). An introductory chapter covers equipment, techniques, and ingredients, including pantry items like Pepper Vinegar; then there's a chapter of "go-withs" such as Corn Bread and another of sauces. The fruit and vegetable recipes are organized by season and range from Fowler's family favorites and other classics, including "rediscoveries" from old cookbooks, to Creole specialties to contemporary dishes, some from Southern chefs. Fowler doesn't stint on cream and butter (that's what makes some of these so good), but he does include recipe notes for those who feel they must. With dozens of delicious recipes and an entertaining but knowledgeable text, this is recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Although everyone recognizes the importance of fruits in the South's cooking, especially as reflected in the region's rich, sweet desserts, the role of vegetables in southern cooking is less appreciated. Fowler has rectified that oversight with a substantive contribution to the record of American cooking. Fowler's southern vegetables are not just messes of greens stewed in "pot likker." He prefers gussied-up grits baked with lots of pungent pecorino romano cheese. His custard pie tilts to the exotic when perfumed with fresh mangoes. Sweet-potato pie evolves into rich sweet-potato ice cream studded with bits of pecan pralines. Most unusual is Fowler's mayonnaise-enriched tomato sorbet served in avocado halves. This inventive updating of traditional southern cooking may strike some as surrender to alien Yankee tastes, but Fowler succeeds in breathing new life into America's best regional cuisine. Mark Knoblauch

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (March 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767901282
• ISBN-13: 978-0767901284
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Damon Lee Fowler is a nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking and its history. He is the author of six critically acclaimed cookbooks: Classical Southern Cooking; Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches; Fried Chicken; Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Kitchen; Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking; and most recently, The Savannah Cookbook. His books have been nominated for two Julia Child cookbook awards as well as a James Beard Foundation award. Fowler is the feature food writer for the Savannah Morning News as well as the founding board member and past president of the Southern Foodways Alliance. He lives in Savannah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YUMMY!!!, July 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables (Paperback)

Southern cooking is more than pork fat and collards (though these are good things). Southern cooking is--like any other important cuisine--making the most out of nature's bounty. Damon Lee Fowler knows that. He takes the natural abundance of Southern gardens and creates (or in many cases) recreates recipes that make eating your vegetables the best part of the meal.

If you grew up in the South and/or (like me) had a Southern mother or grandmother who cooked lots of seasonal vegetables. This book is chock full of recipes and memories.

I have tried about 2/3 of the recipes so far and I haven't found one that I disliked.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than collards and grits!, December 17, 2000

By 

Steve Benner "Stonegnome" (Lancaster, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables (Paperback)

Damon Lee Fowler's "Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches" is a follow-up to his successful "Classical Southern Cooking", concentrating this time on the Southern cook's way with fruit and vegetables. It is, however, much more than merely a book of recipes. Instead, Fowler serves up a delightful treatise on the philosophy and outlook of Southern cooking, in which the recipes act more as examples of his principle arguments, rather than the book's main raison d'être. It is clear that the author is more interested in explaining the `why' of Southern cooking than the `how' - something that is very useful when you find yourself needing to make substitutions because of problems of availability! In addition, his enthusiasm for his subject shines through on every page. In all, this makes for a fascinating read. The book also contains some really wonderful recipes!

Throughout, Fowler concentrates on Southern traditional ways, always aiming for the authentic touch to his dishes and methods of preparation. Consequently, even though this book is mainly about vegetable dishes, prepared Southern-style, it is by no means a vegetarian cookbook. Traditional Southern pork dripping or ham, as well as seafood features prominently throughout the book. Nevertheless, Fowler remains sensitive to the fact that its title and subject matter may well draw the attention of those seeking vegetarian recipes and so he thoughtfully (and tastefully!) provides true vegetarian (and even vegan) alternatives wherever possible. While these may not be totally true to their origins, the results are every bit as tasty.

My copy of this book was given to me by my wife, as a memento of our first trip to Atlanta. Even though some of the ingredients are a little hard to come by the UK, it has nevertheless come to be one of my favourite sources of inspiration in the kitchen. And it is a wonderfully mouth-watering way to be reminded of the hospitality the Southern States!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Let the "Booklist" Review Scare You, January 16, 2001

By 

Grace Watts "effortlessly abrasive and annoying" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables (Paperback)

This book is a treasure. I was so pleasantly surprised that it wasn't "weird" and un-southern like "Booklist" led me to believe. Now I can almost cook like my great-grandmother did. (I need more practice.) Not only is this a great cookbook and reference, it's full of very enjoyable reading. I find myself picking this up for my recreational reading and getting hungry. It also tells me all I want to know about the vegetables themselves, like how to choose a ripe cantalope, and why sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams. However, it's very well organized and laid-out if you need to get a recipe and skip the conversation. (But that's not very southern of you.) I can't get enough of that braised cabbage!