Foods for a run-down immune system

What APEX holds on the table for a run-down immune system: the foods it leads with, each with where it comes from and why it is ours. Not a treatment plan — the food, and the reason it is on the list.

Compiled by APEX Legacy from published research and documented food history, under the editorial direction of Jonathan Jackson, Founder. How we write and review these pages →

Dishes & One-Pots

Gullah Crab RicePicked blue crab folded into rice that has cooked in crab stock, onion, and a little…
Crawfish BisqueA laborious Creole soup of crawfish in a dark-roux gravy, served with the cleaned…
Chicken PerlooA one-pot rice cooked down in chicken and its broth until every grain is seasoned and…

Seafood

Gullah Smothered ShrimpSweet local shrimp slow-cooked in a savory onion-and-pepper gravy until they drink up the…
Blue CrabThe Chesapeake feast. Blue crab with Old Bay is an entire cultural vocabulary.
Louisiana CrawfishThe crawfish boil is not a dinner. It is a congregation.

Meat & Poultry

Chicken and Dumplings (Slick Dumplings)A whole chicken simmered tender and pulled, the broth thickened, and flat slick dumplings…
Stone Crab ClawsThe large claws of the Florida stone crab, harvested sustainably — one claw removed per…
Detroit Neck Bones and SauerkrautPork neck bones braised low with tangy sauerkraut — a Midwest Migration fusion.
Chicken Gizzards (Stewed & Fried)Gizzards are the working muscle of the bird — all it does is grind and work, so it is…
Smothered Turkey WingsBig turkey wings browned and slow-braised until the meat slides off the bone, blanketed…
Smothered ChickenChicken braised low and slow in a thick onion gravy. The gravy is the soul of this dish…

Rice, Grains & Starch

Gullah Sweet Potato BreadA dense, moist, lightly sweet bread built on mashed sweet potato, spiced with ginger and…

Fermented & Pickled

Lacto-Fermented VegetablesYour grandmother's canning and pickling was almost-but-not-quite what this is.
Watermelon Rind PickleThe pale rind of the watermelon — usually discarded — brined and fermented or pickled…

Desserts & Sweets

Sweet Potato CheesecakeA creamy cheesecake folded with roasted sweet potato and warm spices over a graham or…

Vegetables

Candied Yams / Sweet Potato CasseroleWhole sweet potato rounds slow-cooked in brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and…
Delicata SquashA small, oblong cream-and-green striped winter squash with sweet flesh and a thin edible…
Cornmeal-Fried Green TomatoesFirm, unripe green tomatoes sliced thick, dredged in seasoned cornmeal, and fried crisp…
Fried Green TomatoesUnripe green tomatoes sliced thick, dredged in seasoned cornmeal and flour, and pan-fried…
Pickled OkraWhole okra pickled in vinegar with garlic, dill, and red pepper.
Sweet Potato Breakfast BowlRoasted or mashed sweet potato as the breakfast base, topped with nut butter, seeds, and…

Snacks

Homemade Sweet Potato ChipsThin slices of sweet potato baked crisp with a little oil and seasoning.

Mashed Sweet PotatoSoft-cooked, smoothly mashed sweet potato — naturally sweet, easy to digest, and rich in…

Pantry & Condiments

Sweet Potato FlourA naturally sweet, gluten-free flour milled from dried sweet potato.

Drinks

Sweet Potato FlyA nearly-lost historic Southern drink: sweet potato peelings, water, sugar, and lemon…

Nuts & Seeds

Watermelon SeedThe watermelon seed — spit out by most, treasured by those who know — is a dense little…

Beans & Peas

Oyster Mushroom 'Fried Chicken'Whole oyster mushroom clusters brined, battered in seasoned flour, and fried until golden…

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