The sound of the Southern dialect is as sweet as the smell of wild honeysuckle. Pumpkin. Sugar. Sweetie. The language is so syrupy and sticky that outsiders might think they have just eaten at a Waffle House. Spend enough time in the South, and you’ll notice our language is thick and our words drip like molasses. To a Southerner, every living, breathing thing should be coated in sweetness.
We can offer a whole sweet linguistic menu to greet our neighbors. If you’ve ever been to a small town in the South, you know.
Naturally, people across our country love using pet names — food-inspired and otherwise — but mostly in hushed tones or behind closed doors. In the South, we don’t reserve our sweet language for our partners. We’re non-biased with whom we share our colloquialism and egalitarian with our endearment; showering affection to everyone around us. It’s all about celebrating our cherished connections with warmth and a big, welcoming heart.
It's as if the air is laced with powdered sugar. Not everyone wants to be linguistically adopted by a waitress or store clerk. Sometimes, people just want to get their groceries and leave, instead of “What are you making?” inquiry about ingredients or “You should come to dinner this Sunday and try my mama’s recipe!”
But keep breathing that sweet air. You’ll adapt. This combination of intimacy and indulgence gives strangers a sense that it’s not just come to Sunday dinner but we’d really love to have you.
With so many people moving to the South, I hope our traditions survive. Whatever the future holds for our honey-dripping world, may we continue to embrace the openness of our language, keep our attitude sanguine, and pace slow. Let us always treat strangers like family and newcomers like old friends. After all, our identities are intertwined with these words; they define and reflect who we are in a single breath. If you are what you eat, then you are also what you speak. And in the South, these two go hand in hand.
Lamb Kofta with Mint Yogurt Sauce & Farro, Chickpea, and Cucumber Salad
INGREDIENTS
For the Lamb
- 1 pound ground lamb or lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, shredded and drained
- 1/2 finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: red pepper flakes, cumin, smoked paprika, ground allspice, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce
- 1/2 plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 shredded mini cucumber (1/3 cup), drained and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Salad
- 2 cups cooked farro according to package direction (for best results, cook in vegetable or chicken stock instead of water)
- 5 mini cucumbers, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 (15.5 ounces) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more for tasting)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (plus more for tasting)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Lamb
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place a wire rack in the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the kofta. Divide mixture into 8 portions.
- Using eight 8–10-inch skewers, form an oblong portion of meat mixture around each skewer. Place skewers on rack in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meat mixture is done (160F).
For the Salad
- Cook farro in chicken or vegetable stock. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to make a vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add cooked farro, cucumbers, red onion, chickpeas, garlic, parsley, and mint to a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and mix well. Gently fold in feta cheese if using. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes for best results.
For the Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve the kofta with the yogurt sauce.
