Tarpon- the state fish of Alabama by Marcus Q

The Tarpon is the Alabama State Saltwater Fish

Other Names
Silver King
Description
The tarpon, a spectacular large fish which rightly carries the name of Silver King, is unmistakable. Characteristics include large flat scales up to three inches in diameter, an elongated dorsal fin, falcate anal fin and large bony underslung jaw. It has been known to exceed 300 pounds.

Note: The tarpon is edible, although it is not often eaten in the US. It is best when planked or cooked in a stew.

Ingredients for Tarpon Stew

• 1 lb Tarpon fillets
• 4 cans of strong beer
• 3 medium potatoes, cut in chunks.
• 1 carrot, cut in chunks
• 1 tomato, quattered
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion, cut in chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 quart (2 pints) chicken stock

1. Pour chicken stock into a large stockpot
2. Add the tarpon and cut up vegetables. Put the soup on a medium heat to start.
3. Add the strong beer or ale, and add garlic. Stir for about 3-5 minutes.
4. Turn the stockpot onto low heat. Cover and cook for approximately 3 hours.
5. Serve with hot bread

Photo courtesy of:

Tasty Treats for You

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Photo by arnold | inuyaki

South Carolina was the first state to choose the peach as their official state fruit in 1984. Georgia became known as the Peach State, and they chose the peach as their official State Fruit in 1995. Alabama also decided to designate the peach as their official state fruit in 2006.

According to the Acts of Alabama 2006:

The peach belongs to the family Rosaceae, a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed over most of the earth, and for plants of the genus Rosa, the true roses. The peach appears to have originated in China, where it was mentioned in literature several centuries before Christ. It was introduced into Persia before Christian times and was spread by the Romans throughout Europe. Several of its horticultural varieties were brought by the Spanish to North America, where it became naturalized as far north as Pennsylvania by the late 17th century. The numerous varieties of peaches under cultivation are generally distinguished as clingstone or freestone.

Thirty to forty varieties of peaches are grown commercially throughout Alabama. The harvest season begins in South Alabama in early May and is completed in North Alabama in early September.

Ingredients for a Quick Peach Cobbler

• 1 can (16 ounce) sliced peaches, packed in juice
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon softened margarine

Instructions for Quick Peach Cobbler

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Open the can of peaches. Pour the peaches and their juice into the casserole dish. Heat them on the stove-top until they bubble.
3. Slightly beat 1 egg.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the egg, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and margarine.
5. Drop spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the hot, bubbling peaches.
6. Use pot holders to carefully remove the casserole dish from the stove.
7. Put the casserole dish in the oven. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
8. Serve warm with ice cream (optional)

Recipe adapted from:
Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Program

Tasty Peach Cobbler Treats

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Wild Turkey is the state bird (or state game bird) of Alabama, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. Cooking wild turkey is a little different than cooking a standard store-bought turkey, because they are drier and have a smaller breast. It’s important to keep the bird moist when you cook it.

Ingredients for Wild Turkey

• 1 bird – wild turkey (prepared – gutted and feathers removed)
• 1/8 cup – Salt
• 1 cup – water
• 1 can – chicken broth
• Stuffing recipes – see below

Directions for baking a Wild Turkey

1. Salt the turkey. This is similar to brining but better. Rub salt all over the turkey skin, and then refrigerate it over night.
2. Remove the bird in the morning and stuff it with the bread and berry stuffing shown below
3. Pour chicken broth and water over the bird and into the stuffing cavity
4. Bake the bird at 325 degrees for 4 – 4-1/2 hours, or until tender. The drumstick should easily pull away from the bird when it’s ready.

Ingredients for Berry Stuffing

• Bread – any you have around (raisin bread is good too)
• Dried Cranberries
• Blueberries (fresh or canned)
• Blackberries (fresh) – optional
• Apples (diced) – optional
• Eggs – 1 or 2

Directions for Berry Stuffing

Take any bread you have laying around. It can be slightly stale, because it will be cooking inside the bird and picking up the juices from it. Mix in any berries that you like. They can be fresh or dried. I usually add dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, and strawberries or blackberries if they are in season. You can also use diced apples, and/or any other berries that you like. Then, take one or two eggs (depending on the amount of stuffing) and mix it all together. Then stuff the bird. To keep the stuffing in the bird, you can use the hell of a loaf of bread and slide it across the opening of the cavity after you stuff the bird.

This is a very loose recipe. I usually just eye the cavity and mix about 1/3 more than I think it will take because I also stuff the back end of the turkey and push some of the stuffing up under the skin on that end of the cavity. The berries help to keep the bird moist and makes the meat lightly sweet.

To keep the bird moist, seal it with aluminum foil to start will help the bird absorb some of the liquid. Remove the foil about halfway through the baking process to brown the bird. You can pour some chicken broth and or white wine over the bird while it’s baking to keep the bird extra moist.

Tasty Turkey Treats For You

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Photo by Avlxyz, Flickr

The origins of Baklava are not really all that well documented, but most people will agree that the dessert is considered Greek today.  Baklava’s distinctive feature is that it”s made with honey instead of refined sugar.

The pecan tree is the only major nut tree variety that grows in North America naturally, and it is also considered the most valuable. Pecan is an Algonquin word meaning, “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.

Related State Legislature: Texas State Health Nut
The pecan was designated the state nut by the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001.” - From the Texas Almanac

Related State Legislature: Texas State Health Nut
“The Act no. 82-17,adopted in 1982, made the pecan the Alabama State Nut.

Baklava

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups chopped pecans
• 2 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Glaze:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unroll one can of dough into two long rectangles.
3. Place in ungreased 9×13 pan, press over bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides to form the crust. Firmly press perforations to seal.
4. Bake at 350 °F for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
5. In large bowl, combine pecans, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Mix well.
6. Spoon nut mixture evenly over partially baked crust.
7. Unroll remaining can of dough into a two long rectangles, and place over nut mixture, press out to edges of pan. With tip of sharp knife, score the dough with 5 lengthwise and 7 diagonal markings to form diamond-shaped pieces.
8. In a small saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil.
9. Spoon half of the glaze evenly over dough.
10. Bake at 350 ° F for an additional 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Spoon remaining glaze evenly over hot baklava.
12. Cool 1 hour or wait until completely cooled, then refrigerate 30 minutes, or until thoroughly chilled.
13. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Cindy Wise, Texas Pecan Growers Association, a non-profit organization that assists growers, and educates the public.

Tasty Baklava for You

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

In the hot summer months cool off with the icy blackberry sorbet. It”s a great way to cool down and take advantage of blackberries while they”re in season.

About This Recipe

Related State Legislature.

Senate Bill 163 designated the Blackberry, Rubus, R. occidentalis, as the official fruit of the State of Alabama.”

“The blackberry is named and designated as the official fruit of Kentucky. Effective: July 13, 2004. Created 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 114, sec. 1, effective July 13, 2004.

Blackberry Sorbet

(Sorbete de Zarzamora)
State Fruit of Alabama and Kentucky

Cooking and Preparation Time: 10 hours

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 pounds frozen unsweetened blackberries, thawed, juices reserved
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 small watermelon
• 16 fresh blackberries

Directions

1. Stir sugar and 1 cup water in small saucepan.
2. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute.
3. Transfer syrup to large bowl. Chill until syrup is cold, about 3 hours.
4. Working in batches, pureé blackberries with juices and cold syrup in blender until smooth.
5. Strain into another large bowl; discard seeds.
6. Stir in lemon juice.
7. Process berry mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer”s instructions. Transfer sorbet to container; cover and freeze until firm, about 6 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.)
8. Using large spoon, scoop out flesh from a watermelon, leaving the rind intact and forming bowl (reserve melon for another use or serve alongside the sorbet, if desired).
9. Drain excess juice from watermelon bowl.
10. Cover and chill watermelon bowl until cold.
11. Scoop sorbet into watermelon bowl, and garnish with fresh blackberries.

Delicious Blackberries for You

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Photo courtesy of Mike Dierken

Blackberries and Blackberry Folklore

Blackberries are a hearty vine.  Their thorns protect them from wildlife that would otherwise eat their fruit. However, one of the recent hybrids, the Triple Crown, is thornless. With or without modern variations though, the blackberry has been a popular plant for centuries.

The Greeks and Romans both used them for medicinal purposes, and popular English folklore prohibits the eating of blackberries after the 29th of September. It is said that on that day, St. Michaelmas, the devil comes by and tramples on the blackberries making them inedible. The legend probably developed, because blackberries are in season from May to August, and by late September the berries have gone moldy or rotted on the vines.

Related Legislature.

Senate Bill 163 designated the Blackberry, Rubus, R. occidentalis, as the official fruit of the State of Alabama.”

“The blackberry is named and designated as the official fruit of Kentucky. Effective: July 13, 2004
History: Created 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 114, sec. 1, effective July 13, 2004.”

Blackberry Pie

Alabama and Kentucky State Fruit

Ingredients for the Blackberry Pie

• 3 cups blackberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbls flour
• 1 tbls grated lemon rind
• 4 tbls butter

Directions on making the Blackberry Pie

1. Combine flour, sugar and lemon rind.
2. Add mixture to the blackberries.
3. Using your favorite pie crust, line the pie tin with crust.
4. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter and pour in the blackberries.
5. Cover with a top lattice crust.
6. Bake in a hot oven (400F) for 15 minutes.
7. Reduce to 325F and bake 20 to 30 minutes more.

-Recipe from Larriland Farm, a pick-your-own family-run farm founded in Maryland in 1973

Delicious Blackberry Dessert Ingredients

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Image courtesy of the Laden Table of Shacklewell

Blackberries are a hearty vine.  Their thorns protect them from wildlife that would otherwise eat their fruit.  However, one of the recent hybrids, the Triple Crown, is thornless. 

With or without modern variations though, the blackberry has been a popular plant for centuries.  The Greeks and Romans both used them for medicinal purposes, however, popular English folklore prohibits the eating of blackberries after the 29th of September.  It’s said that on that day, St. Michaelmas, the devil comes by and tramples on the blackberries making them inedible.  The legend probably developed because blackberries are in season from May to August, and by late September the berries have molded or rotted on the vines.

Respective Legislature.

Senate Bill 163 designated the Blackberry, Rubus, R. occidentalis, as the official fruit of the State of Alabama.”

“The blackberry is named and designated as the official fruit of Kentucky. Effective: July 13, 2004

History: Created 2004 Kentucky. Acts ch. 114, sec. 1, effective July 13, 2004.

Blackberry Pancakes

Alabama and Kentucky State Fruit

Ingredients

• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions for Blackberry Pancakes

1. Beat eggs until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in buttermilk and soda.
3. Sift flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating well to make a thin batter.
5. Add blackberries and butter.
6. Fry on a hot buttered griddle until puffy and golden brown, turning cake only once. Serve very hot.

-Recipe from Larriland Farms

Delicious Blackberry Pancakes for You

List Price: Sale Price: See details»

Pecans are both the state nut of Alabama, and the state tree of Texas.  These nuts are also an important agricultural product in many US states, the top five of which are: Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, according to the College of Agriculture, New Mexico State University.

These Swedish Nuts are a wonderful holiday snack food, and they make a perfect recipe for a classroom state report project.

Swedish Nuts

Ingredients

• 1 egg white, slightly beaten
• 2 cups pecan or walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Directions

1. Heat oven to 300F°.
3. Grease 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
4. In medium bowl, mix egg white and pecan halves until pecans are coated and sticky.

In small bowl, mix sugar and cardamom; sprinkle over pecans. Stir until pecans are completely coated. Spread pecans in a single layer in pan.

Bake about 30 minutes or until toasted. Cool completely or serve slightly warm. Store tightly covered up to 3 weeks.

New twist: Ground cinnamon can be substituted for the cardamom; both spices are perfect for the holidays.

More Delicious Treats

List Price: Sale Price: See details»