As we near the time that we put all of our favorite recipes together for the grand holiday feasts. I thought that maybe you could use a few of the old timers that have been forgotten over the years. Try some of these to put variety on your “groaning board”.

Pig’s feet/ham hocks - prepare one or two per person. Eight pigs feet - scrubbed well. Singe all hairs, place in kettle. Add 1 med. onion chopped, 1 carrot chopped 1 tsp. whole pickling spice. 1 small bay leaf. Two tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, cover with water. Bring to a boil covered. Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until meat is tender and falling from bone. Gently remove to serving platter which has a bed of streaming hot homemade sauerkraut. N.B. to make pickled pig’s feet, add 1 cup cider vinegar for each 3 cups of water you add to the kettle, but still only to cover p.p.s. to make jellied pig’s feet, gently remove cooked meat to a plate. Remove bones. Place meat in 3x3x9 bread pan. Strain juices to remove chunks, spices, etc. Return juice to bread pan. Chill until set.

Baked candied sweet potatoes. Boil 4 medium sweet potatoes or yams until tender. Drain, peel and cut in half lengthwise. Place 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a skillet and heat until melted, stirring as needed. Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour the melted butter on top of the potatoes. Cover and bake at 350ź for about 40-45 minutes.

Cauliflower with port wine sauce - Take one large head cauliflower and remove the flowerets, leaving the stem portion for soup. Gently boil the flowerets until NOT QUITE TENDER. Remove from water and drain well. When cool, dip the parboiled flowerets into beaten egg and place in large skillet. Heat only until egg has set then add about 1/2 - 3/4 cup port wine. Cook on low/med. until alcohol has evaporated. Sprinkle grated sharp cheese on top and heat until cheese has melted.

Cucumbers with sharp cheese - At the end of the season, we all find some huge yellow cucumbers that we have forgotten to harvest. Although large and seedy, they work well for this recipe. Peel several large cucumbers and cut in quarters. If the seeds are too large, slice off the seed bearing center. Place cukes in salted water and boil until fork tender. Meanwhile, take a sharp cheese of your choice and melt in the microwave. When cukes are ready, slather with the melted cheese. Make a lot, you’ll like it.

This is a recipe that you can alter to suit your family’s tastes, e.g., use tart Granny Smith apples to sharpen the taste of the relish, use less apples for more of a cranberry taste, etc.

Cranberry Relish - 1 pound cranberries, 1 orange peeled, 3-4 red apples unpeeled, 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup chopped pecans, 1 pint can crushed pineapple, well drained. Cut apples in quarters and remove seeds and cores. Cut oranges and also remove seeds. Place rinsed, dried cranberries, apples and orange into a food chopper and pulse to a coarse grind. Add sugar, pecans and pineapple, mix well and let meld overnight in the refrigerator. Adjust the recipe to your desired tartness and serve with the home-baked turkey.

I have written this recipe before, but several people have requested I repeat it. It is the best bread for left-over turkey (or anything) sandwiches.

Flax Seed Bread - 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons oleo, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 2 cups bread flour, 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten, 2 tablespoons milled flax seed, 2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk, 2 teaspoons quick-rise yeast. Add items to bread machine in the order given. Set on regular 1 1/2 lb. loaf, light crust.

Pat Biggerstaff is the gardening columnist for the Daily News. She lives in Middlesboro. To comment or suggest topics for future columns, e-mail editor@middlesborodailynews.com.