A Bit Of Juneteenth Year Round

 Juneteenth is still being celebrated and rightly so. Yet the foods and the strong African influence on American cooking and baking should also be celebrated. Juneteenth recipes can be made all year round as reminders of sacrifices and freedoms won.

One of the most popular and already widely made is fried chicken. Frying itself came from West Africa where all sorts of foods, especially fritters were cooking in deep pots of oil. However the Scots brought the recipe with them, preferring to batter and fry the pieces in butter or oil instead of just boiling them. Enslaved Africans, belonging to Scottish slave holders elevated the recipe with their addition of spicing and cooking techniques. Today you can easily make fried chicken in an air fryer, eliminating the need for hot fat.Keep in mind that a traditional egg based batter won't work in it. Dipping the chicken pieces in batter than a good coating of bread crumbs works better. The perfect dish with this is collard greens,. They can be made with the original recipe of  chicken broth ,turkey necks and ham hicks. Apple cider vinegar is added to them for some zing along with hot pepper flakes. You can make them vegan, starting with the broth. Use a vegetable stock and enhance it with garlic and onions. A dash of smoked applewood salt give it that smoky bacon flavor. You can sub in or mix in kale and spinach for more nutrients.

Shrimp and grits are another Juneteenth dish worth having throughout the year. This Gullah Low Country classic has grits cooked in chicken broth along with milk and butter. Salt and pepper are added in too. The shrimp along with onions are cooked in bacon drippings until done. The crumbled bacon is added to the seafood and onions and then spooned over the grits. You could also make fried okra A gain use the air fryer for this. It;'s breading okra pieces and then air frying them until crisp and browned. These can even be turned into an appetizer with the addition of dipping sauces. The holiday also has its' share of sweets. There is strawberry soda which is delicious when it's homemade. Chop strawberries and then cook in a skillet with water and granulated sugar. Cook until the berries are mush and start to mash them. Keep simmering for a few more minutes. It's then straining them through a strainer. Mix the syrup with the seltzer and serve over ice. Another Junettenth dessert is red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Again it';s an easy recipe to replicate. You can make it as a cake or as cupcakes, frosted and then sprinkled with red sugar or sprinkles.

Juneteenth and its' dishes can be honored all year round . The dishes can be savory or sweet. They represent the glory and joy that is freedom.

A Sweet Juneteenth Treat Homemade Strawberry Soda

 Everything red and traditional will be served this Saturday for Juneteenth, the holiday that celebrates the end of enslavement in the US. There are red velvet cakes and  red beans and rice. Some will have red barbecue sauce. What to drink? Strawberry soda. The old fashioned home made kind.

The first step is making the syrup. This is taking:

1 1/2 cups -destemmed  strawberries cut into halves or quarters

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar,

Combine all three ingredients in a sauce pan over a medium high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for twenty minutes, Strain the strawberries out from the syrup, Don't press down on them or they'll make the syrup cloudy. Save this mash for yogurt or ice cream. Chill the syrup in the fridge for an hour or two. Keep in mind you can use other summer fruits like peaches , blueberries and nectarines too.

After make the soda according to Soda Stream instructions add about three tablespoons to the carbonated water. Shake bottle to mix and chill until serving.

This is the perfect soda for the celebration but it's also a great drink for the summer. Add it to your Juneteenth celebrations.