Saturday is Derby Day, and although we’re unable to be at Churchill Downs for the Run for the Roses, it behooves all of us in Naples to join the throngs of racing fans albeit in absentia.
Had it not been for a coterie of adventuresome pioneers from the Bluegrass State we may never have been discovered and this patch of Paradise may well have gone unnoticed. Walter N. Haldeman, founder of the Louisville Courier-Journal, was one of those high-spirited and far-sighted Kentuckians.
He was seeking a more salubrious retreat in 1885 when he brought his yacht into Gordon Pass. In those days there was only one palmetto house in Naples, occupied by the Madison Weeks family. Haldeman saw beyond the desolate stretch of sand to the magnificent beach filled with all manner of fish. He proceeded to buy up the whole town and named his new retreat, Naples, for the legendary city in Italy which his editor Marse Watterson had recently visited.
After the Naples Hotel was built at the turn of the century, more Kentuckians followed along with others attracted by the advertising that extolled Naples as an undiscovered Utopia.
With the influx of the Kentuckians came an appreciation for their famed bourbon and, naturally, those who remained here during May when the Kentucky Derby was run, competed with one another in the preparation of that famed libation, the mint julep.
During most of the year the mint julep is ignored, rejected and forgotten. As Derby Day approaches, across the land, hosts and hostesses will root around for a julep recipe, scare up some fresh mint, pulverize sacks of ice and proceed to make a drink that goes back to 1787. It was then that a publication called the American Museum described the julep as a sugared rum drink that Virginians would quaff on rising in the morning.
Even as we speak, the bartenders out at Churchill Downs are crushing ice, searching out the freshest mint and stocking up on Early Times bourbon in anticipation of the 100,000 juleps that are required to quench the thirst of those attending. They will all be served in commemorative glasses and contrary to most belief, they will not be mostly bourbon.
Although juleps contain only three ingredients — sugar, bourbon and mint — it is not an easy drink to make. A foundation of carefully crushed ice is first required, and one should not simply add the sugar, but muddle it with a bit of bourbon and a few fresh mint leaves. The authentic mint julep should be served in either a pewter or silver mug with two straws and garnished with a generous bush of mint, sprinkled with a little powdered sugar.
Most Kentuckians are reluctant to accept the truth that the mint julep did not originate with them. It seems to have originated in Maryland or Virginia and was made with brandy, rum or rye. An early English travel writer, John Davis, described a julep as “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it.”
It would outrage many a purist to discover that there are other versions of the julep throughout the world. The Manila Hotel in the Philippines developed a drink that used pineapple slices, four cherries and a splash of Barbados rum in addition to the bourbon. The Savoy Hotel in London served a Champagne julep in the 1920s, and the Winter Palace bar in Nice, France came up with its own version: Cognac, yellow Chartreuse, crème de menthe and mint leaves rolled in lemon juice and frosted with powdered sugar.
The most traditional recipe for a true southern mint julep comes from that son of the south, Henry Clay. Here is his recipe and with it the good news that a mint julep contains only 24 calories, no grams of fat, no cholesterol, no sodium, no protein and one gram of carbohydrate. As for its potency... well, I’ll leave that up to you!
Henry Clay’s southern mint julep
Ingredients
12 fresh red-stemmed mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces bourbon
Plenty of freshly cracked ice
1 bunch mint
Fresh bottled water
Carbonated water
Lemon zest
Powdered sugar
Preparation
■ In a tall pewter, silver or crystal tumbler, gently bruise the 12 mint leaves and muddle with sugar and a dash of bourbon.
■ Fill the glass halfway with cracked ice and agitate with a spoon.
■ Pack the rest of the tumbler with ice and fill with the rest of the bourbon and equal parts fresh water and carbonated water.
■ Garnish with mint sprig.
■ Twist a lemon zest over the leaves and dust with powdered sugar.
n Serve with two short straws.
Makes 6 servings.
Along with the mint julep those Kentucky pioneers brought a favored dish to our shores. Recently Mayor Bill Barnett designated burgoo as the official dish of our town. This mélange of meat, chicken, vegetables and seasonings was served by Allen Joslin, owner of the newly built Naples Beach Club. When the golf course was completed in 1932 the townspeople gathered for generous servings of burgoo, Champagne and of course, liberal pourings of Kentucky bourbon, no doubt served up as mint juleps.
Kentucky burgoo
Ingredients
2 pounds beef, cubed
Soup bone
½ pound lamb, cubed
1 frying chicken, cut up
4 quarts water
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper to taste
2 cups diced potatoes
3 cup chopped onions
2 cups lima beans
4 carrots, diced
2 green peppers, diced
3 cups corn kernels (fresh, if possible)
2 cups okra, diced
6 cups tomatoes
3 or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or crushed
1 cup minced fresh parsley
Preparation
■ Place beef, soup bone, lamb, chicken, water, salt and pepper and reed pepper in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid.
■ Bring to a boil and simmer, cover for 2 hours.
■ Remove the chicken skin and bones, cut meat into bite-sized pieces.
■ Return meat to pot and add potatoes, onions, lima beans, carrots, green peppers and corn.
■ Simmer for 2 hours. Mixture will be thick but should not stick.
■ Add water, sparingly, if necessary.
■ Add okra, tomatoes and garlic and simmer for 1-1/2 hours longer.
■ Add parsley and remove from stove.
Burgoo will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days. The flavor improves with standing.
Makes 10 servings.
Ask Doris
Q: I am at my summer home in Michigan where we have a large vegetable garden. One of our favorite vegetables is cucumbers. At a local restaurant they serve a warm cucumber sauce as an accompaniment to fish. The owner refuses to share the recipe and when my cucumbers are ripe I want to prepare this dish. Hope you can provide a recipe.
— Manny Luckens, Lake Linden, Mich.
A: This is a great recipe; easy to make and a tasty addition to any meal.
Cucumbers in sweet-sour sauce
Ingredients
4 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 ounces drained capers
Preparation
■ Cook the cucumbers in salted, boiling water for several minutes taking care not to overcook; they should be crisp.
■ Drain well.
■ In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and stir in flour.
■ Slowly add broth, stirring until sauce thickens.
■ Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
■ Combine with cucumber and serve warm.
Serves 8.
Doris Reynolds is the author of “Let’s Talk Food” and “When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. Also available is a four-part DVD, “A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds.”Email: foodlvr25@aol.com
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