Leafy Greens

Savannah holds the second largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States. It is quite a sight to see: Our city turns green and corned beef and cabbage is everyone’s favorite dish for the day.

For the best flavor, you must use at least three types of greens—turnip, collard, mustard, and spinach are all good. When you brown the flour, you should stir it about five minutes. (I always keep a batch in the fridge.)

Esther Shaver owns one of the best bookstores in town. Her store, E. Shaver’s, was one of the first places to carry my cookbook. Not only is her store great, but so is her coleslaw!

To me, the secret to good slaw is the way you cut your cabbage. I have found that I prefer half of the cabbage coarsely chopped in a food processor and half hand-sliced very thin. Use outside dark green leaves, too, for color.

If you have leftover poached chicken, the moist meat makes a wonderful warm salad, with raisins and pine nuts and a lively, sweet dressing (similar to the Cooked Carrot Salad with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins, page 45). Three cups of dressed chicken would serve 3 or 4.