Final answer:
Traditional country style sides and vegetables are prepared using local ingredients and reflect cultural history and preferences. Common items include sweet potatoes, yams, fresh and cooked vegetables, and various proteins like chicken, goat, beef, fish, or even game and insects in some regions. These dishes embody both sustenance and tradition, often served in specialty stews or as complements to porridges and other cultural specialties.
Step-by-step explanation:
When people refer to traditional country style sides and vegetables prepared in our kitchen, they're often talking about dishes and ingredients that are locally sourced and cooked using time-honored cooking techniques. For instance, you might find sweet potatoes and yams, which are root crops widely served in various traditional cuisines and often accompany specialty stews. Fresh vegetables and cooked vegetables, such as okra and spinach, are also popular choices. These may be served in forms like pot pies or as sides to main dishes. Meats such as chicken, goat, and beef, as well as fish, are commonly featured proteins, though in some regions, game or insects may be included due to their availability and cultural significance.
The preparation might take clues from various traditional methods known globally, like making porridge, such as the Central African Bambara, or utilizing fresh produce directly from local gardens, as in the farm-to-table movement exemplified by the Trustees' Table in Kentucky. Local culinary traditions are not just a form of sustenance but also an expression of cultural history and preferences shaped by available resources and societal developments.