Farmhand's Breakfast with Coffee
The dish selected for this is still a favorite of many Cherokees: ramps and eggs. This is served with a simple corn pone cake that is our version of a hoecake that was the staple of many American's breakfast. Simple, easy to prepare, filling, and nutritious for a day at work. Coffee makes its first appearance here with the arrival of beans as a result of American's taste for the black brew over that of tea, a cultural response to the Revolution, where coffee replaced tea as America's drink of choice.
Ingredients
- ramps
- chicken eggs
- cornmeal
- water
- salt
- oil or butter
- coffee beans
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Pancakes
- Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add a little oil.
- Crack eggs into a bowl. Add cornmeal, water, and salt and make a pancake batter consistency. For a softer, less chewy cake, add a little wheat flour.
- Pour batter into hot pan making silver dollar sized pancakes. Cook until bubbles pop in center and edges begin to dry. Flip over. Cook until golden brown.
Ramps and Eggs
- Wash the ramps thoroughly.
- Add ramps to hot pan until soft and wilted, fragrant and tender.
- Pour in eggs. Stir slowly to mix ramps and eggs until cooked.
Coffee
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
- Wrap ground coffee in cheesecloth, tie off with butcher twine, place into pot, and turn to medium heat.
- Serve immediately with a little honey or brown sugar and breakfast.