Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Winter apples are at their prime and these tart, crisp varieties are perfect for cakes, crisps and pies. Joyce McClanahan brought an Upside Down Apple Cake to a recent potluck meal and it garnered several requests for the recipe. Joyce found the recipe on www.relish.com, a great site for seasonal recipes. Recipe directions call for preparing in a cast iron skillet to caramelize the apple layer. I used a heavy non-stick skillet with oven safe handle instead and it worked fine....
Persistence pays dividends. Those hardy gardeners who did not become discouraged by late frost and wet ground, replanted as needed and faithfully tended their plots are reaping the benefits now. Cucumbers and zucchini are beginning to produce and tomatoes ripening. Another benefit of persistence is, I am finally tracking down some elusive, requested recipes. One of those recipes, Mrs. McGillicuddy’s Rice and Red Bean Salad, comes from Jackie Greeenwalt, and it is an ideal d...
Outdoor dining season has finally arrived, and with it, some nice melons in the markets. Whole melons by the pound are generally the most economical, but an entire watermelon can be overwhelming for one or two people. I recently created a recipe for a Watermelon Salsa that can be made with readily available ingredients. Previously I had seen several recipes calling for ethnic ingredients not available locally. This is a mild salsa, but adding additional jalapeños would...
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Borrowing from a wedding adage, this column features a couple of repeat recipes from long past issues, some new recipes and a bit about blue and other colors. Luscious Lemon Bars were featured in one of our first year columns, and then again a few years later. The recipe was requested again following a recent potluck meal, and since there are new readers, here is the recipe. Luscious Lemon Bars 1 cup soft...
Cool spring weather benefits spring vegetables. Spinach, leaf lettuce and peas flourish in cooler temperatures, as do herbs of many varieties. Dill can become a weed this time of year as it reseeds readily and sprouts prolifically. Though it won’t form heads desirable for pickling until later in the summer, the delicate fern like foliage is a wonderful addition to salads, soups and dressings. Take advantage of this flavorful bounty. A row of intentionally planted dill will ben...
Barbeque season traditionally begins during Memorial Day weekend. Weather is usually conducive to outdoor dining by then, and an extra day off from work or school gives many folks time to prepare for a summer of al fresco meals. Start by making sure the grill is ready to use. Follow the manufactures instructions for cleaning and fueling your unit. Then you will be set to grill your favorite foods, as well as trying some new recipes. My favorite steak marinade is Great Steaks...
Spring weather in the daytime and winter weather at night seems to be the norm these past few weeks. Not quite ready to trade casseroles for salads, I tried a recipe for Asparagus-Tuna Casserole. The lemony sauce that pulls together this dish is a nice compliment to the tuna. The original recipe called for flavored tuna, but having only water pack variety on hand, I flavored my own with a teaspoon of minced garlic. This makes a lovely springtime meal when accompanied by a...
Asparagus is beginning to poke up spears in my garden. Asparagus is a wonderful multipurpose plant producing a succulent vegetable and looks lovely grown in flower beds. The delicate fern like foliage makes a frothy backdrop to roses or other mid-height shrubs. Approximately ten plants is enough for fresh eating. Plant more if you wish to freeze or can. Asparagus may be steamed, sautéed, roasted, or grated to add to recipes. Asparagus Fritatta Primavera is a delicious , rich...
Daffodils blooming must mean it is spring, despite a chill north wind and ground too cold for planting potatoes. Onions and peas should do alright if your ground has been dry enough for tilling. I planted some onions in a flower pot, following a tip I saw on Pinterest. Take the top you cut from green onions when you are only using the white part and stick it about 1/2 inch deep in potting soil. I used some of the onion plants left over from planting my row in the garden. When...
Sharpen your sweet tooth for an entire column of desserts. My advise is to use this weeks column in moderation. Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars were served at a recent women's gathering. Lecia Fink found this recipe on Pinterest. The recipe suggests using a food processor, but a blender and a mixer will get the job done just as well. Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Base: 1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup), plus extra to grease pan 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 3/8 tsp ground...
Soup is always in season, making it the ideal menu staple for times when we seem to have all four seasons in any given day. Soup can be as easy as opening a can and heating the contents, or involve lots of chopping, sautéing, deglazing, boning and mincing. Dan Wilcox, The Odessa Record website guru, submitted a recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup that falls in the less labor intensive category. Usually I rewrite recipes into the standard formula for recipe presentation, but Dan...
Presidents’ Day is February 20th, and though that day commemorates all United States Presidents, we still see the occasional reference to our first president, George Washington and his chopping down of the cherry tree. For many decades, cherry pie was pre-requisite when celebrating his birthday. Cherry Raspberry Pie was featured in the July 2011 issue of Family Circle Magazine. The sweet-tart filling pairs nicely with a half butter, half shortening pastry, and though a bit s...
Midwinter doldrums feed the “what are we having for dinner tonight” dilemma. I recently became aware of an interesting cooking blog www.globaltableadventu re.com The blogger decided to prepare dishes from a different country every week and recorded for the world to enjoy, their experience. The recipes posted will definitely put some spice in your winter menus.The week I logged in featured Lithuania. Deviled eggs of all sorts appear to be an everyday staple in Lithuanian mea...
How is your pantry? I recently spent a half hour sorting and straightening in mine. After sending a few items to the food bank for someone else to enjoy before they reach expiration dates, and stacking like items together, ingredients are in order and easy to locate. What I did find was the following list of items that need using up in the next month. 1 box turkey flavor stuffing mix 1 gallon home dried apples 1 bottle Thousand Island salad dressing 1 can whole berry...
Arrival of the New year has been celebrated and resolutions have been made. Kitchen wise, some resolutions I’ve heard are: waste less food, prepare more home cooked meals, and less fat, sugar, salt. Readers, this is your column, I just take what you send me and attempt to put it in an entertaining and educational form. I do kitchen test all the recipes before printing, as I want to be sure the ingredient listing is correct and it helps me expand the instructions, making the r...
Holiday cooking can get hectic without planning ahead. Now would be a good time to revisit Mise-en-place. No, this is not a town in the south of France, but a French phrase, meaning “put in place”. The practice of putting everything in place in the kitchen, clearing the workspace, assembling all ingredients and utensils before starting to cook will make time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Clear the counters Read through the recipe Assemble ingredients. Gather bowls, pots and t...
December, Christmas shopping, seasonal programs and parties are rolling into full swing. Preparations for holiday meals and gift giving are foremost in the minds of most folks. Lecia Fink brought luscious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to a recent community music event. This cake style cookie is filled with the goodness of pumpkin and spices as well as rich chocolate chips. Baking these cookies on parchment lined pans allows the cookie to bake more firmly than most cake style...
Threats that morning snow showers may materialize by Thanksgiving Day have been just that; threats (so far). Snow or not, it is always a good time for soup. Vicki Strang recently shared her recipe for Gypsy Soup, a highly seasoned vegetable mixture that would easily accommodate the addition of leftover turkey and feed a dozen or so football fans on game day. Gypsy Soup 4 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 cups peeled, diced...
Frost has hit the pumpkins and just about everything else in local gardens. This weeks column includes a few recipes to use up the produce rescued from the frost, as well as some requested recipes. Numerous people asked for the recipe for a Caramel Cake that Bev Scherr brought to a coffee hour. She shared the recipe for Better Than Anything Cake, of which the Caramel Cake is one of the many variations. Following is the Caramel Cake directions. If you would like the other...
Nice rains last week could keep zucchini plants producing awhile longer. Jo Ann Hardt reported having a “ton” of zucchini on hand, and conducting an internet search for Zucchini au Gratin, her goal being making something tasty for Sunday dinner, and using up some of the bountiful squash supply. She found the following recipe on www.food.com. Zucchini au Gratin 3 cups shredded zucchini 1 1/2 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3/4 cup milk 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp gro...
Deutschesfest is always a bustling week in Odessa. Though local residents have been planning for a year and busily making preparations over the summer months, many things can’t be done until the last minute. Vegetable gardens burst at the seams with produce that needs attention and peaches, pears and apples tend to ripen at the same time. This weeks recipes will help take care of some of the bounty as well as providing interesting fare for your festival-going company. G...
Zucchini abound in Odessa gardens now that some hot weather has arrived. If you are looking for zucchini you don’t have to search very far, just ask a few neighbors or friends and soon you will have plenty to try the recipes in this column. I have been overwhelmed with zucchini recipes. Though I have plenty of zucchini, I have not enough time to test drive all these recipes. Joyce McClanahan agreed to test out Cindi Bell’s recipe for Vegan Zucchini Bread. She reported tha...
Two unusual recipes were submitted over the past couple of weeks. The first comes from Judy Scrupps, her response to my request for favorite zucchini recipes. She explained that it was a casserole but it turned out in a loaf that you sliced. This savory Zucchini Casserole loaf has a firm quiche/bread like texture and is easy to prepare. It may be served warm or cold, and I found the little bit leftover was good lightly toasted the next day. Zucchini Casserole (loaf) 2 cups...
Lovely, just ripe, peaches tempted me at the market this week. Remembering that I had saved an unusual peach based recipe from Better Homes and Garden Magazine, I purchased six and proceeded to make Cheesecake-Stuffed Peaches. The recipe is attributed to Dee Guelcher of Acworth, Georgia. Several cooking websites sent out email reminders that this is National Cheesecake Week. The hour or so baking time for traditional cheesecake seems a bit daunting during August heat, but...
Zucchini proves out again to be the one thing you can grow anywhere under just about any set of conditions. Soon, most of us will have had our fill of sautéed young zucchini and chilled sliced zucchini dipped in ranch dressing, and will be scouting around for new ideas to use up this summer bounty. Cindi Bell left me a large packet of recipes for zucchini, including her fabulous Zucchini Banana Bread, before she moved this spring. There are enough recipes to make a small book,...
