Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2015 - 9

Find your balance

of Rest & Adventure in Western NC

Andrews, Murphy & Brasstown

Yes, you heard me right. In the South, macaroni
and cheese is a vegetable. Is this a great country,
or what?
I know the waitress' lilting Southern
accent confused them. They asked her
to repeat herself when she said,
"Shugah, our best today is rivuh trout.
Why don't all y'all get sum an' a mess a
greens?" For those of you not familiar
with our vernacular, I'll translate. "Good
afternoon. I recommend the catch of the
day with a side dish of our leafy greens
braised with pork."
A meat-and-three is a Southern
menu staple. You choose an entree like
fried chicken, barbecued pork, or catfish
plus any three vegetables: Meat-andthree. You can also get a vegetable
plate, which gives you four servings of
vegetables. If you're in a good, old-fashioned, just-like-Mama-made-it Southern
restaurant you are in luck. Available vegetables will include a long list of universally recognized, actual vegetables such
as stewed tomatoes, collard greens,
squash, mashed potatoes, okra, butter
beans, yams, and beets. There's also cole
slaw, potato salad, macaroni and
cheese, and several Jello and canned
fruit concoctions, known as congealed
salads. Yes, you heard me right. In the
South, macaroni and cheese is a vegetable. Is this a great country, or what?
If you're vegetarian and think that
ordering the vegetable plate will meet
your dietary restrictions, you have not
eaten in the South before. Let me
explain.
1. Green vegetables are cooked with
a hunk of pork, usually the hock end of
a cured ham.
2. With the exception of the white
potato, vegetables that are not green

are cooked with sugar. There might be a
bit of pork, too. Not always though.
3. Vegetables will be cooked in a casserole dish with Ritz cracker crumb topping, cream of mushroom soup, and
melted butter if at all possible. Serving
you plain, steamed vegetables looks like
we didn't care.
4. Spoon bread confuses people. It is
a corn meal soufflé that is served in a
bowl, topped with a pat of butter and
eaten with a spoon. Think of it as cornbread in pillow form. Think of it as food
for angels because it is just that
scrumptious.
5. Dessert is not safe for you vegetarians either, as the pie crust will be made
with lard. Um, sorry. Head due west until
you see the ocean. Date shakes and
sprout salads await you.
I promise that you will thoroughly
enjoy eating your way across our region.
The vegetables, desserts and breads are
amazing. The hominess of the main
dishes will warm your soul. Pull over and
eat anywhere you see a big pile of wood
and smell pork and smoke. If the building looks condemned, all the better. If
the cook is older than 70 and wearing
bib overalls, you've struck barbecue
gold. Take full advantage of your good
fortune. Eat twice if you have to.
You will have a grand time touring
our pretty piece of heaven. We love
company and will do our best to make
you feel welcome. I do have a travel
safety tip for my Brit friends, though.
While in the South, under no circumstances should you ever try to order a
Spotted Dick. 

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There's so much to do!
Outdoor
Adventures
Scenic Byways
Canoeing
Quaint Shops

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Variety of
Dining
Festivals
Fine Art
Local Crafts

828-557-0602

VisitCherokeeCountyNC.com

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MARCH/APRIL 2015 | 9

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Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2015

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