Fruit

a Savor the South cookbook

By Nancie McDermott

176 pp., 5.5 x 8.5, bibl., index, 54 recipes

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4696-3251-3
    Published: March 2017
  • Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4696-7441-4
    Published: February 2023
  • E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-1-4696-3252-0
    Published: February 2017
  • E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-4841-3
    Published: February 2017

Savor the South Cookbooks

Buy this Book

To purchase online via an independent bookstore, visit Bookshop.org

Awards & distinctions

U.S. Finalist, Fruit Category, Gourmand Awards

Fruit collects a dozen of the South’s bountiful locally sourced fruits in a cook’s basket of fifty-four luscious dishes, savory and sweet. Demand for these edible jewels is growing among those keen to feast on the South’s natural pleasures, whether gathered in the wild or cultivated with care. Indigenous fruits here include blackberries, mayhaws, muscadine and scuppernong grapes, pawpaws, persimmons, and strawberries. From old-school Grape Hull Pie to Mayhaw Jelly–Glazed Shrimp, McDermott’s recipes for these less common fruits are of remarkable interest--and incredibly tasty. The non-native fruits in the volume were eagerly adopted long ago by southern cooks, and they include damson plums, figs, peaches, cantaloupes, quince, and watermelons. McDermott gives them a delicious twist in recipes such as Fresh Fig Pie and Thai-Inspired Watermelon-Pineapple Salad.

McDermott also illuminates how the South--from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Lowcountry, from the Mississippi Delta to the Gulf Coast--encompasses diverse subregional culinary traditions when it comes to fruit. Her recipes, including a favorite piecrust, provide a treasury of ways to relish southern fruits at their ephemeral peak and to preserve them for enjoyment throughout the year.

About the Author

Nancie McDermott is a North Carolina native, cooking teacher, and author of thirteen cookbooks, including her latest, Southern Soups and Stews: From Burgoo and Gumbo to Etouffee and Fricassee.
For more information about Nancie McDermott, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

“McDermott gets a gold star for including mayhaws in Fruit. . . . [A] delightful little volume.”—Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Reinterpret[s] the region’s indigenous fruits, such as strawberries and mayhaws, as well as non-native fruits often found in Southern kitchens, like figs and peaches. . . . Prompt[s] readers to think outside the box (or should we say bushel?)”--Chapel Hill Magazine

“McDermott’s book opened up my appreciation of southern fruits to many others.”--Myrtle Beach Sun News

“Transform[s] a dozen different signature state produce items into 54 unique recipes.”--Wilmington Star News

"[This] juicy book showcases fruit in both sweet and savory recipes. . . . Prompt[s] readers to think outside the box (or should we say bushel?)--Taste 2017 Food Guide

“While the book is understandable desert-heavy, with enchanting recipes for Old-Time Persimmon pudding and Fresh peach Fritters, it also features savory recipes that leverage fruit’s natural sweetness.”--FLAVORS