Savannah tour rolls into lunch

Last week, I wrote a column about my recent road trip to Savannah, Ga.

While there, I knew I was going to have half a day to entertain myself. So before hitting the road, I went online and looked over my historic and, heaven forbid, touristy options.

One that piqued my interest was the latest excursion launched by Ron Higgins of Savannah Movie Tour fame. His three-hour tour caters to adventurous eaters eager to sample Savannah's culinary treasures - one bite at a time.

"Right up my alley," I thought.

Driving to Georgia, I was still hemming and hawing about plunking down $45 for the tour and about doing the whole tourist thing.

"Oh, what the heck," I thought, as I dialed the number to make a reservation from a rest area.

The next day 18 other "foodies" and I hopped on an air-conditioned bus to "Eat, drink, have fun and repeat." We each wore a name tag attesting to that mission.

We stopped at a total of seven locally owned eateries - some off the beaten path.

First stop was The Distillery located in, well, a former distillery. We bellied up to the pre-Prohibition-era, custom-wood bar. As we tasted slider-size, beer-marinated beef burgers, we were encouraged to sample the craft beers on tap. It was a little early in the morning for tasting bright, hoppy, dark or rich, but I waded through it.

Next, it was on to the Harris Baking Co. for artisan baked goods, Wright Square Café for fine chocolates and Angel's BBQ for a taste of beef brisket doused in something called screaming pickle sauce.

Back on the bus, we headed to the family-owned and quaint Polk's Fresh Market, which turned out to be my favorite stop, although it offered my least-favorite thing to taste.

Three generations of the Polk family run this wholesome market, and while we were there, the 92-year-old patriarch came in and sat for a spell to check on things. The market sells locally and regionally grown fruits and vegetables, boiled and roasted peanuts, jams, jellies and even handmade aprons.

We were served a delicacy of the South, a tomato sandwich: white bread, mayonnaise and tomato. It was the first time I'd ever eaten one. Let's just say I have an aversion to soggy bread, and leave it at that.

I've never had the chance to sample one honey after another like I did at the Savannah Bee Co. It's much the same experience as tasting wine. With the opportunity to make immediate comparisons, the subtle differences in color, aroma, initial taste and finish stand out starkly.

I was delighted with the sourwood honey. From the southern Appalachian Mountains, it's only made in small batches and is difficult to find.

The ride-along tour also included Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons restaurant. Once inside, we were handed a half-pint foam cup to fill with one item from the buffet.

I chose the collard greens, which melted in my mouth like buttah, y'all. I enjoyed them so much, I included Paula's version as this week's recipe.

COLLARD GREENS

1/2 pound smoked meat (ham hocks, smoked turkey wings or neck bones)

1 tablespoon house seasoning (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1 tablespoon hot, red pepper sauce

1 large bunch collard greens

1 tablespoon butter

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add smoked meat, house seasoning, seasoned salt and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour.

Wash the collard greens thoroughly. Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in your left hand and stripping the leaf down with your right hand. The tender young leaves in the heart of the collards don't need to be stripped. Stack 6 to 8 leaves on top of one another, roll up and slice into 1/2- to 1-inch slices.

Place greens in pot with meat and add butter. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with favorite dish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

HOUSE SEASONING

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Source: www.pauladeen.com