Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Pumpkins and winter squash are filling late season farmers markets and grocery store produce displays. Different varieties have varying ideal cooking methods. Some are best, baked or roasted to bring out the rich flavor. Others, like most pumpkins and hard shell Hubbard varieties, are ideal for steaming or boiling, then mashed or pureed to add to recipes. There is some debate among pumpkin pie connoisseurs about pumpkin verses squash. Others are happy with either one....
September is the middle of apple season. Summer Goldens and Honey Crisp have been harvested, and now the Late Golden Delicious, Fugi, Braeburn and other fall apples are beginning harvest. What better time to try some new apple dessert recipes. Apple Pizza Pie, a recipe from the 1971 Farm Journal, Country Cookbook, Family Favorites, is a rich dessert. Cut into small slices for a dessert addition to a pizza party. Apple Pizza Pie Crust: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt...
Canning season is here, with pickles and jams leading the way. Pears, peaches and early apples a showing up at farmers markets. Fall festivals fill weekends and local cooks and bakers are called on to provide goods for bake sales. Kuchen is a favorite sought after item at Deutschesfest and other area German theme festivals throughout Eastern Washington. Fruit studded, cream filled, or cottage cheese (Kaese) are popular varieties. Plain sugar kuchen was a staple in many German...
Testing new recipes is something I enjoy doing. Some recipes make it into my collection and others just for a season. Toll House Caramel Bars, a recipe added to my collection in 1995 has stood the test of time. They are easy to make and are always a hit when I make them for a coffee hour or event. Toll House Caramel Bars 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (divided) 2 cups oatmeal, old fashioned or quick cooking 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup butter, melted...
Hot summer days call for easy to prepare meals that don’t add extra heat to your home. Last week, Odessa GoOdessa Summer Recreation youth learned to make Best Homemade Tacos. The learned food safety in handling raw meat, as well as accurate measuring and safe raw vegetable preparation. Best Homemade Tacos 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp dried minced onion 1/4 tsp ground b...
Rhubarb continues to flourish into July this year, due to the cool, rainy weather. Pies, cobblers, crisps and even cookies are some of the treats made with rhubarb. Recently I came across a recipe for canned or freezer preserved rhubarb pie filling. The basic recipe is quite plain, but adapts easily to your favorite spices and flavorings. The recipe makes enough filling for two, 10 inch pies. I prefer freezing over canning when possible as it means less time in the kitchen,...
Rhubarb may be the only fruit area gardeners get this year. Late frost knocked out most tree fruit blossoms and even some of the berries. Then the wind rain and hail beat on anything still viable. Rhubarb is tough, there may be holes in the leaves but the stalks of most plants came out with just a few bruises. One of the easiest dishes to make with rhubarb is Rhubarb Sauce. Sliced rhubarb, water, sugar and a little salt are all that is needed. Rhubarb tartness varies from plan...
Last weeks violent, wind, rain and hail storm wrecked havoc on many inland northwest gardens. Anything that survived the several killing frosts the area experienced early this spring were beat to death by pounding hail and rain. Even the gooseberries that bloomed between those frosts, were stripped of some of the fruit in the storm. Gooseberries are a tart firm, round berry, born on thorny bushes. Most are green in color, though there are a couple purple varieties available as plants. When just fully ripe they become a light...
It is one of those years! You think because you made it past Mother’s Day you have escaped frost damage to your flowerbeds and gardens. Low lying places got hit pretty hard in some areas this past week. You may be able to salvage some plants that only got nipped by trimming away withered foliage, watering well and holding off on fertilizer until new growth starts. Fortunately, rhubarb is not affected by spring frost so we can continue to enjoy it’s bounty. I have included for...
Starting with dessert first this week. Had several requests for the Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars I made for several occasions recently. I got the recipe from a Diamond Brand walnuts package in 1995. These easy to prepare bars are versatile as they look elegant on a fancy cookie tray, yet please the substantial cookie fans, Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate chips, divided...
Fresh asparagus and rhubarb are in season. Steamed or grilled asparagus and rhubarb pie on the menu are signs of spring and approaching summer. Lemon Roast Asparagus is easy to prepare, either on a barbeque grill or in oven, and the foil pouch method makes cleanup quick. Lemon and pepper enhance the asparagus flavor. Lemon Roast Asparagus Heavy duty foil 6-8 asparagus spears per person (a bundle usually makes 4 servings) Lemon juice Olive or canola oil Ground black pepper Sea...
Chili Crunch was a new to me culinary item. Chinese in origin, with many recipe variations, this is a pungent, spicy heat seasoning. Recipes abound for use in scrambled and deviled eggs, popcorn topping, rice and pasta dishes, steamed vegetables and a topping for hummus servings. Anita De Mars of Odessa, shared her recipe for the seasoning and serving with course grated carrot mixture. The resulting salad is a flavorful condiment for roast meats or by itself. Chili Crunch...
March weather is spring one day and back to winter the next. Some days you need a coat and on others a sweater will do. It is still soup season, and Creamy Ham and Potatoes Crock Pot will have a hot meal ready at days end. Creamy Ham and Potatoes Crock Pot 4 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced (about 6 cups) 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups cubed, fully cooked ham 2 Tbsp butter or margarine 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground...
March weather is salad one day, and soup the next.. This seemed a good time to test some recipes submitted by Anita De Mars of Odessa. I had asked readers to share recipes for excess sourdough starter and her recipe for Sourdough Skillet is a meat and vegetable filled meat pie/casserole cross. A good transition to spring. Sourdough Skillet 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter 3 eggs 1 tsp salt 1 tsp crushed basil 3 Tbsp butter or cooking oil 1 pound ground beef 2 tsp baking powder 4...
Pinterest, a website of shared information from around the world, is an often used resource by many area cooks. But just like shared recipes in any medium there can be fails. Some can be dramatic, think exploding blender concoctions or charred baked goods, to doughy centers and weird flavors. Stuff happens when testing recipes. Several weeks ago I came across a few recipes on Pinterest for Tater Tot Kabobs. I thought these would be great for a youth event. But, after various...
Cooking from scratch can be a great way to stretch food dollars, and fresh ingredients, without preservatives are good for our health, but, prepared ingredients can be fun and a easy way to prepare tasty treats. Recently, I called upon a group of high school students to assist me in test driving a recipe for Creamy Pickle Roll Ups. This easy to prepare recipe calls for refrigerator crescent roll dough and ranch dressing mix. The recipe passed their taste test and it was decide...
Patchwork quilting weather is here. Cold, dreary days are perfect for settling in with a winter project. This weeks column is a patchwork of recipes with no particular theme. Some would be perfect for a game day buffet, others ideal for everyday family meals or celebrations. Charlene Kagele recently shared a King Arthur brand recipe for Chewy Granola Bars at a recent quilt gathering. These fruit and nut filled bars are made with oat flour, making them a gluten free option for game day buffets. Chewy Granola Bars 1 2/3 cups...
Start the new year with a pantry tidy, and not harboring any ancient products too old to use. Set aside 15 minutes to go through and pull any items past or nearing use by dates. Toss anything you wont use and decide what to make with the remaining items, then work them into your January menus. Part of a package of pancake mix, Chow Mein noodles, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, tomato paste, sliced peaches, whole-berry cranberry sauce, corn muffin mix, mandarin oranges and a jar...
Happy New Year! When this issue is in print it will be the new year. I like to start the new year with a pantry reorganizing session and gather together items that either need using up soon or won’t get used by the pull date and get them donated where they will be used. I have finished up repurposing Christmas dinner leftovers into soups and casseroles to have on hand when needed. Now a head start on some snacks, cookies and dips for Bowl Game season. Cranberry Teacakes are a butter cookie with flavored gelatin as part of t...
Gifts from the kitchen are perfect for the person who has everything, or those who don’t want any more trinkets and dust catchers. Fresh baked bread is a great edible gift, and Rosemary Bread, garnished with rosemary sprigs doesn’t need a fancy wrapping. Rosemary Bread 2 2/3 cups warm water (105-115 degrees) 2 Tbsp honey or molasses 2 packets active dry yeast 3 cups whole what flour 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, or 2 tsp dried 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 3 to 3 1/2 cups all...
Holiday festive preparations are underway is most Inland Northwest homes. Lights hung, trees up and packages being wrapped. Gifts from the kitchen can spread Christmas cheer when sharing the seasons greetings with neighbors and friends. During the summer months I like to make jams and jellies to share with neighbors and friends. Gifts of homemade cookies, candies and breads are on my culinary calendar this week. Crock Pot Candy (Peanut Clusters) a recipe previously shared by...
Thanksgiving menus are being planned in many Inland Northwest homes, Turkey, ham, prime rib roast may be the center piece of the meal but the memories are often in the side dishes. For many, the best part is the dressing or stuffing. Traditional, cornbread or even a vegetable stuffing, flavor a turkey or fill a casserole dish on the side for ham and roasts. Corn bread stuffing can be purchased as a mix, but fresh corn bread is far superior, in achieving a savory dressing. Corn bread absorbs lots of liquid, and fresh...
Windy weather and chilly temperatures, combined with crazy sports schedules, reduced the number of trick or treaters in many areas. What to do with the leftover candy after all the favorites are eaten. What can we do with the rest? Make cookies, of course. Halloween candy Cookies is a recipes I have had in my collection for many years, and it is great for using up all kinds of candy. Butterfingers, Heath Bars, Twizzlers, jelly beans, Whoppers, Twix, any candy you can chop into chip size pieces will work. They could be called...
Pumpkins and all sorts of winter squash are currently plentiful in the markets. Many of the decorative varieties also make good pumpkin puree for fall recipes. Pumpkin and squash add vitamins and fiber to meals. Rich desserts benefit from the creamy texture. Tracy Walter share the recipe for the Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake she made for a birthday gathering. This is a poke style cake with sweetened condensed milk added after baking. Boxed cake mix and bottled caramel sauce make this recipe easy to prepare, but do plan for sev...
Frost is on the pumpkins and tomatoes throughout the Inland Northwest. Garden cleanup time is in full swing. End of season tomatoes can be turned into fresh salsa or traditional Pico de Gallo. Late ripening tomatoes tend to be dryer so the salsa is thicker. Ingredients in both versions of salsa are similar. Generally Pico de Gallo does not include sweet bell pepper, whereas fresh Salsa often includes some bell pepper. Best Fresh Tomato Salsa 3 cups finely chopped tomatoes 1 cup finely diced onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green...
