What better way to showcase regional culture than through its food? Here at the office, we received a copy of the book “Grazing Along the Crooked Road: Recipes and Stories – Past and Present” by Betty Skeens and Libby Bondurant that does just that.
The authors gathered recipes from folks in 10 counties that comprise the Crooked Road, some of whom shared the history behind cherished family favorites. From fried green tomatoes to old-fashioned stack cake, I had a hard time choosing which recipe to test. Several salivation-inducing pages later, I paused upon cottage cheese ice cream in the Franklin County section. Angelia Naff of Boones Mill had shared a 100-year-old recipe that was a favorite of her mother-in-law’s mother.
“She called the cottage cheese ‘smearcase’ in the old days. She would put it in the ice house before serving,” Naff explained in the book.
An ice cream fanatic, I was intrigued. Admittedly, I turned my nose up about cottage cheese being a main ingredient. But it’s ice cream, how bad could it be? With cream cheese and sugar accompanying the curds, it turned out to be a decadent concoction with a cheesecake-like flavor. I recommend adding favorite toppings, such as chocolate syrup or fresh strawberries to elevate the deliciousness. Enjoy!
Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
2 (3 oz.) packages cream cheese
2/3 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sugar
3 beaten egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pt. whipping cream
3 stiffly beaten egg whites
graham cracker crumbs
• Cream the cream cheese and cottage cheese well. Add sugar and egg yolks. Mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and whipping cream that is already whipped. Fold in the egg whites.
• Line a 9×9 inch pan with graham cracker crumbs. Pour mixture in pan and top with graham cracker crumbs. Freeze, cut in squares and serve. Serves 6.
For more information on the book, visit crookedroadcookbook.com.
