North Carolina - State flower: The Dogwood

1. Sweet and Sour Bean Salad
2. Oyster Chowder
3. Salt Rising Bread
4. Chicken and Dumplings
5. Braised Cucumbers
6. Baked Persimmon Pudding

Chicken and Dumplings - Serves 4 to 6

Joint a chicken of stewing size and cover with boiling water.
Cook gently until tender, seasoning while cooking.
Take out chicken with skimmer and reserve.
Meanwhile, have dumplings mixed as follows:

2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp lard
Cold water

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Put flour mixture into a bowl and make a hole in the center. Put lard, all in a lump, into the hole and work round and round while the lard gathers the flour.

Add a very little ice cold water from time to time until dough is formed that clings together, like pastry. Throw on well-floured board and roll out as for pie. Cut in strips 1 to 2 inches wide. Drop one at a time into rapidly boiling chicken broth, cover closely and cook for 10 minutes. Be careful the broth does not boil over.

Put chicken in a deep dish, lay dumplings on top and pour broth over.

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