A Taste of Mountaineer Country

Add a dose of Almost Heaven to your home cooking with these recipes from your Mountaineer Country friends! We called upon our locals to share their favorite formulas for true Mountaineer foodie success on social media. Here’s what they said!

Pepperoni Rolls- Locals Spill their Secret Recipes for the West Virginia State Food.

Dig in to the official state food of West Virginia by whipping up a batch of hot, fresh pepperoni rolls. While most family recipes are top secret, our Visit Mountaineer Country staff decided to cough up their tips and tricks, so you may enjoy from afar! As Mountaineers through and through, it’s no wonder our team has some delicious recipes up their sleeves. See below for their suggestions!

 

Kay Fanok

Ingredients:

• Rhodes frozen rolls
• Pepperoni thinly sliced from a local Deli

“I usually take each roll, after letting them thaw, and spread and flatten them out to about a 6” in diameter. I place around 10 slices of pepperoni in the center of the dough, roll and tuck each roll. I place them on a cookie sheet. I let them set out and rest and then put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!”

 

Susan Riddle, VMCCVB President and CEO

Ingredients: 

• Rhodes frozen dinner rolls (36 rolls)
• Large sliced sandwich pepperoni (1 pound)

““Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Defrost rolls until they are soft, keeping them moist (a few drops of water on the defrosted rolls may be needed). Use 2 slices of pepperoni per roll. Stretch each roll, wrapping the pepperoni as you roll & seal. Make sure that the rolls are sealed well & put the seam directly on the cookie sheet so the pepperoni doesn’t spring out while cooking. Cook until golden brown approximately 15 min’s. Be careful removing from the oven not to spill the grease. Take a paper towel and mop up the grease from the pepperoni and spread it on the top of the rolls as soon as you remove them from the oven. They are also good with some garlic butter spread on top instead of the pepperoni grease. You pick your poison. Cool on a paper towel covered wire rack. Place cooled rolls in a 13×9 plastic container & place them (WITHOUT the lid on ) in the microwave to season overnight. The next day, enjoy!””

 

Plus, check out our Mountaineer Deals partners’ pepperoni rolls that are available for to-go and curbside pickup!

• Terra Cafe
• Walzzy’s Hotdogs 

 

 

Ramps- Wild, Smelly, but Wonderful.

Straight from Appalachia and loaded with flavor, ramps (a wild onion) are the perfect way to add a punch of Almost Heaven to any spring dish. See below for local foodies’ suggestions on recipes you can make that incorporate the veggie!

 

@BFurb- Ramp Pistachio Pesto

 

Ingredients:

• ½ pound whole ramps cleaned
• ½ cup salted pistachios shelled
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• ⅓ grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Chop the ramps in half, separating the bulbs from the leaves.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the bulbs. Allow them to cook until slightly charred for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Remove and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium low and add the pistachios to the same pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are fragrant.
• To a food processor, add the charred ramp bulbs, ramp leaves, and toasted pistachios. Pulse until mixture is well chopped.
• Turn the food processor on low and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and mix until well combined.
• Add salt to taste and enjoy!

 

@Per_Ogi- Ramp Dumplings

 

Ingredients:

• Dumplings skin
• Ramps forged in wv
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3/4 lb ramps
• 3 Tbsp soy
• 2 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 tap sugar
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

 

“Mix, and fold dumplings!

You can boil them. Which is throwing them in hot water, and when they start floating it’ll be another 2-3 minutes, and you can take them out.

Pan fry – oil, and then line them up going around in a circle as pictured, medium high heat. When the bottom starts browning, put water in pan covering about 1/4 of the dumpling, cover, turn heat on high, when water is close to being all evaporated, turn heat back to medium, and slowly check to see when the bottom is crispy, and when they are flip over onto a plate!”

 

Simple Local Tip 

Just looking to add this flavorful vegetable as a side dish in an easy, efficient way? @JenniferAmie suggests cooking them “fried with a little garlic powder and salt.”

 

Flying WV Cookie- A Mountaineer’s Favorite Dessert

Remember those cookies you used to snag multiples of at the local cafeteria or event during your days as a Mountaineer student? We still dream about them too. Check out this easy recipe from our friends at West Virginia University, so you can whip them up at home with your family!

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted room temperature butter
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2-1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

“Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Combine salt and flour, then slowly add and mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out dough and cut with an official “Flying WV” cookie cutter. Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan in oven for 10-15 minutes. Cookies should have light brown on the edges when done. Remove from oven and place cookies on a rack to cool completely. Have some fun with decorating! Makes about 2 dozen.

Watch the video, here. 

 

Farm Fresh Ingredient Notes: 

Take your flavors to the next level by incorporating farm fresh meat and produce in your almost heavenly creations! Check out what’s available for pickup at the Morgantown Market via the event calendar listing or check out the following farms in our region who offer delivery services:

• Pike Mountain Farm
• Riffle Farms
• Possum Tail Farm
• Round Right Farm