The Starving Moon

Welcome to February, known to the Cherokee as the "Starving Moon." It was a time when stored food was running low, but the spring greens and awakening wildlife had yet to appear. No doubt, it was a time when the most vulnerable often died.

We are fortunate to have any and all foods available to us year round, from fresh asparagus in January to strawberries for Christmas. This is a recent phenomenon. Supermarkets did not begin to appear everywhere until after World War II. I can recall my mother, who was born in 1926, saying that celery and oranges were special treats available only during the Christmas season.

Thus, we need only go back in time a few decades to know that pickled, dried, and otherwise preserved foods were essential to our ancestor's survival in the Appalachian region. Most famously, our hams and bacon form the flavor base for iconic Appalachian foods. Beans or greens made without cured pork have only recently come into vogue, and are definitely non-traditional.

Our ancestors made pickles out of everything from watermelon rinds to pig's feet, demonstrating that the "zero waste" food movement is, in fact, old hat around here. To this day, I stock the pantry every summer with pickles, the choice depending upon what is seasonally or locally abundant. Using them throughout the cold months brings a touch of warm weather to the table. Did you know that pickled okra can substitute for fresh in a gumbo or fry? It will have lost its thickening ability, but the characteristic flavor remains. You can make pickles out of virtually any vegetable or fruit.

Dried foods were also important to our ancestors. Apple stack cake would not be the same without dried apples for the filling. Green beans, or "leather britches," were typically strung on thread and hung on the side of a building to dry in the sun. Dried herbs not only provided flavor enhancement in the kitchen, but also were the basis of numerous home remedies.

Home canning and freezing are enjoying a resurgence. These are among the best preservation methods for a wide range of foods, provided the methods are properly carried out. Nevertheless, if you want the true experience of traditional flavors, plan on pickling or drying some of your produce during the coming season.

Next Starving Moon, you will be glad you did.