“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” The saying may be a bit trite, but the sentiment is not; ice cream is the universal favorite food of all ages and in all seasons. Although it is popular all over the world, America can rightly claim to be the champion of ice-cream consumption and proud innovators of more flavors and kinds than any other country on earth. In fact, ice cream is probably more American than apple pie. Therefore, July is the perfect month for making a batch of home-made ice cream.
Many of today’s children probably never turned a hand-crank ice cream maker but with all the new models available today, there’s really no excuse for not making it a “family fun” project. If you are a purist, or want to take it on a picnic, it is still possible to buy a hand-cranked ice cream machine. Either way, it’s a delightful undertaking for everyone. Most automatic ice cream makers have either a liner containing a refrigerant that must be put into the freezer ahead of time or an outer bucket to fill with ice and salt and a motor to turn the inner metal container that holds the cream mixture. I have both kinds and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. The kind you put in the freezer is easier, but you have to remember to put it in about 8 hours ahead of the ice cream making. The other type requires lots of ice and special ice cream salt, getting the ratio correct, having enough ice on hand, etc. which makes it a bigger project. Both turn out excellent ice cream.
We have been speaking mainly of ice cream, but before going any farther, let me mention all the “frozen dessert” possibilities you can turn out with your machine. Although there are dozens of classifications for frozen desserts such as parfaits, frappes, sherbets, sorbets, granitas, American ice cream, French ice cream, gelatos, frozen custards, and frozen mousses, there are really only three classifications that have practical functional differences: ice cream, milk sherbet and sherbet. Ice cream always has cream in it. Milk sherbets have milk or buttermilk in place of cream as well as water. Sherbets have no milk or cream. An exception might be made for the Italian Gelato, which is really a milk sherbet that has eggs incorporated into it.
While researching this column, I came across so many wonderful sounding recipes for ice cream and sherbet that I couldn’t decide where to begin. And then I remembered the time eons ago that I convinced a boyfriend to drive many miles out of town to a brand new “31 flavors” ice cream parlor that had just opened up only to end up ordering vanilla.
So, of course, we must start with vanilla—but not just any vanilla. I think the following recipe is really special:
6 cups light cream
One and one-fourth cups granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans (3-inch size), split
One-eighth tsp. salt
In top of double boiler, combine 3 cups cream, the sugar, vanilla beans and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove bean pods, scraping pulp and seeds into the cream. Cool. Add remaining 3 cups cream to the cooled mixture. Mix well. Churn freeze.
This basic recipe can be the starting point for your imagination; just add fruits, nuts and flavorings to make it into your signature ice cream.
Here’s a quick and easy recipe that the kids will love:
Pop Ice Cream
2 10-oz. bottles flavored soda pop (I prefer strawberry)
1 (10-oz) package frozen fruit to complement the pop flavor such as strawberries, thawed
3 eggs, beaten
One-half cup granulated sugar
One and one-half cups sweetened condensed milk
One and one-half cups light cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Churn freeze
Now it’s time for a really grown-up, decadent and luxurious ice cream
Coffee-Pecan Ice Cream
One-half cup hot water (not boiling)
One-third cup coarsely ground coffee
Pinch of allspice, ground
One and one-fourth cups light cream
4 extra-large egg yolks
One-half cup soft brown or raw cane sugar
One-half cup granulated white sugar
One-half cup chopped pecans
One and one-fourth cups heavy cream
Pour the water over the coffee and leave to stand for at least five minutes. Strain the coffee into a pan with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and the light cream, then heat gently until almost boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together until pale and thick; pour the coffee-flavored cream onto the eggs, stirring continuously. Thicken and chill the custard at least one hour.
Prepare the nuts while the custard is chilling: Melt the white sugar slowly in a heavy small pan and then bring to a boil and heat until golden brown. Add the chopped pecans, shaking the caramel over them to coat them completely; pour the mixture onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Leave until completely cold and hard, then chop roughly.
Add the heavy cream to the coffee custard and churn freeze the mixture until thick. Add the chopped nuts and continue churning until the ice cream is ready to serve.
There are lots of books in the library on ice cream making. The two I used here for reference are The complete Book of Homemade Ice Cream by Carolyn Anderson and The Ice-Cream Machine Recipe Book by Rosemary Moon
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Easy As Pie
America’s favorite dessert is pie. No, we didn’t exactly invent pie, but an American dessert pie is very different from its old-world counterparts. For one thing, American pies are almost always round, a result of having to literally cut corners. The pioneer women, who were the most avid pie makers, were trying to stretch the ingredients they had on hand by enhancing them with crusts; indeed they often had more crust than filling. But pies were extremely popular and each generation has improved the variety, quality and diversity of pie.
Good pie was a point of pride with early American women and it showed up on the table for breakfast, dinner and supper. This was certainly true in my family. Both my grandmothers and my mother were famous for their pies. I learned at an early age to have a “hand” for making the crust—the real test of a good pie. Very few women still make pie crust from scratch any more—the store-bought ones are certainly reasonably good—and there is a myth that pie crust is a really difficult, messy and tedious enterprise.
Messy? Yes. But tedious or difficult? No. Ever heard of “easy as pie?” There are only four ingredients in pie crust: flour, shortening, salt and ice water. It is the technique that makes the difference, but it is not difficult to learn.
The fillings, even more than the crust, are where cooks can really get creative. But the favorite pies in America, according to several surveys, are, in this order: apple, cherry, pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, pecan and coconut cream.
Zig and I like to try pies in all our travels—especially ones close to home. Whenever we hear or read about a new pie place—we head out. It is amazing how many places claim to have wonderful pies and even build a reputation on them and then serve up a cardboard crust with a fancy filling. It’s the crust that makes the pie!!!
Well we have recently found two pie places that are really good—one is actually just about in our own backyard. The Stockholm Pie Company in Stockholm, Wisconsin is a real find. Janet Garretson, the owner/baker really knows how to make a crust and her fillings are delightful, too. On a recent stop we found a specialty—double lemon—on the menu. It was so good that the memory of it is still fresh after several weeks. I had the chutzpah to call and ask for the recipe. She refused, of course; after all, it is her stock in trade, but I had to try.
The second is a little further away. The Pie Place in Grand Marais, Minnesota has Betty’s Pies (further south on Highway 61 and an icon on the North Shore for years) beat, hands down.
While scouting through my cookbook collection for a recipe that resembled “double lemon,” I came up with a great idea—I will feature a pie of the month for this column. With the blueberries starting to flood the market, it seems appropriate to start with a good, old-fashioned blueberry pie.
Pastry:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
1 tsp. salt
5-7 Tbsp. ice water
Put flour into a mixing bowl. Measure shortening by the water displacement method: fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with 1 1/3 cups water. Fill the cup with shortening until water line reaches 2 cups. (Make sure that all the shortening is submerged.) Add two Tbsp. shortening to that in the measuring cup. Drain water off and add moist shortening to the flour. Add salt to the bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until size of small peas. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork after each addition. Do not stir or mix hard; just lightly toss until you can gather dough into a ball. Turn out onto a heavily floured board. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill one hour. Divide chilled dough in two and shape each part into disk gently. Flour board and top of dough and roll out with cloth-covered rolling pin into circle one inch larger in diameter than your pie pan. Slide a long, metal spatula carefully under circle, loosening it from the board. Roll the crust loosely around rolling pin, then unroll, centered over the pie pan. There should be about a 1-inch overhang. Fill the pie and then repeat with other half of dough. Dot filling with 2 Tbsp. butter and place second pastry over the top. Flute sides, cut vents and bake according to directions.
Filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¾-1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour and blueberries and lemon juice. Turn into pastry-lined 9” pie plate and dot with butter. Adjust top crust. Cover edge with 2 inch strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning of crust. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Set on a large cookie sheet to catch overflow juices. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool pie before cutting and serving. If you cut while too warm, the juices will not be set up. After cooling, fruit will reabsorb juice and filling will “set.”
Good pie was a point of pride with early American women and it showed up on the table for breakfast, dinner and supper. This was certainly true in my family. Both my grandmothers and my mother were famous for their pies. I learned at an early age to have a “hand” for making the crust—the real test of a good pie. Very few women still make pie crust from scratch any more—the store-bought ones are certainly reasonably good—and there is a myth that pie crust is a really difficult, messy and tedious enterprise.
Messy? Yes. But tedious or difficult? No. Ever heard of “easy as pie?” There are only four ingredients in pie crust: flour, shortening, salt and ice water. It is the technique that makes the difference, but it is not difficult to learn.
The fillings, even more than the crust, are where cooks can really get creative. But the favorite pies in America, according to several surveys, are, in this order: apple, cherry, pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, pecan and coconut cream.
Zig and I like to try pies in all our travels—especially ones close to home. Whenever we hear or read about a new pie place—we head out. It is amazing how many places claim to have wonderful pies and even build a reputation on them and then serve up a cardboard crust with a fancy filling. It’s the crust that makes the pie!!!
Well we have recently found two pie places that are really good—one is actually just about in our own backyard. The Stockholm Pie Company in Stockholm, Wisconsin is a real find. Janet Garretson, the owner/baker really knows how to make a crust and her fillings are delightful, too. On a recent stop we found a specialty—double lemon—on the menu. It was so good that the memory of it is still fresh after several weeks. I had the chutzpah to call and ask for the recipe. She refused, of course; after all, it is her stock in trade, but I had to try.
The second is a little further away. The Pie Place in Grand Marais, Minnesota has Betty’s Pies (further south on Highway 61 and an icon on the North Shore for years) beat, hands down.
While scouting through my cookbook collection for a recipe that resembled “double lemon,” I came up with a great idea—I will feature a pie of the month for this column. With the blueberries starting to flood the market, it seems appropriate to start with a good, old-fashioned blueberry pie.
Pastry:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
1 tsp. salt
5-7 Tbsp. ice water
Put flour into a mixing bowl. Measure shortening by the water displacement method: fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with 1 1/3 cups water. Fill the cup with shortening until water line reaches 2 cups. (Make sure that all the shortening is submerged.) Add two Tbsp. shortening to that in the measuring cup. Drain water off and add moist shortening to the flour. Add salt to the bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until size of small peas. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork after each addition. Do not stir or mix hard; just lightly toss until you can gather dough into a ball. Turn out onto a heavily floured board. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill one hour. Divide chilled dough in two and shape each part into disk gently. Flour board and top of dough and roll out with cloth-covered rolling pin into circle one inch larger in diameter than your pie pan. Slide a long, metal spatula carefully under circle, loosening it from the board. Roll the crust loosely around rolling pin, then unroll, centered over the pie pan. There should be about a 1-inch overhang. Fill the pie and then repeat with other half of dough. Dot filling with 2 Tbsp. butter and place second pastry over the top. Flute sides, cut vents and bake according to directions.
Filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¾-1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour and blueberries and lemon juice. Turn into pastry-lined 9” pie plate and dot with butter. Adjust top crust. Cover edge with 2 inch strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning of crust. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Set on a large cookie sheet to catch overflow juices. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool pie before cutting and serving. If you cut while too warm, the juices will not be set up. After cooling, fruit will reabsorb juice and filling will “set.”
Monday, July 5, 2010
Summer Beverages
One way to combat the July heat is with long, tall cool drinks with or without alcohol. It’s refreshing just to see an ad showing people with sunglasses and straw hats sipping something colorful and fruity. You can almost hear the tinkling of the ice and taste the coolness.
Beverages of all kinds are often ignored in the culinary world. But what a wonderful arena in which to dabble! They’re easy, beautiful, appreciated and fun. Add to that the abundance of fruit this time of year—and new ways to use it for snacks, thus adding up to that all important sum of 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. Kids love fruit; dig out your blender and make a puree. Then either freeze it with popsicle sticks for a solid treat, or to a slush (add sugar) to add to carbonated soft drinks or soda water for a great summer treat. I had a good time digging up some great ones—and I’m going to try every one before the summer is over.
I’d love to hear from any readers who try them, too.
Freeze some of these drinks or plain compatible fruit juice in ice cube trays to keep the drinks undiluted.
Watermelon is one of my favorite fruit treats. Trouble is they come in such a huge package that if you have a small family you’ve got a lot of watermelon. Here’s one way to use it up.
Watermelon Limeade (Everyday Cooking, July-Aug. ’03)
Working in batches, puree in blender 8 cups chopped seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds) with one-half cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes) and 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, if needed. Transfer puree to a pitcher; add one-half cup vodka, if desired. Cover; chill until ready to serve. Stir; pour into tumblers, over ice. Garnish with fruit or mint.
Fizzy Strawberry Lemonade
1 (12-oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen strawberries, partially thawed
3 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
1 (1-liter) bottle club soda, chilled
Process first 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Pour into a large pitcher; stir in club soda. Serve over ice and decorate with a strawberry half. (Adding rum to this drink would make a good strawberry daiquiri variation)
How about yet another iced tea variation?
Pineapple-orange Herb Tea
2 cups boiling water
12 regular size herb tea bags
1 (11.5-oz can frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
2 cups lemon-lime soft drink, chilled
Pour 2 cups boiling water over tea bags; steep 20 minutes. Remove tea bags and discard. Chill tea 1 hour. Stir in juice concentrate and soft drink; serve over ice.
Variation: Substitute 1 (11.5-oz.) canned frozen cranberry-raspberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed and undiluted for pineapple-orange juice concentrate. (Adapted from Southern Living, March 2005)
I don’t see any reason that regular tea couldn’t be substituted for herbal tea and you would then get the benefit of the antioxidants found in regular teas.
The cantaloupes I have had this year so far have been very good—of course there are tricks to picking a good one. I have heard so many, as you probably have, I’m not sure which ones are really true but I just do them all, covering all my bases. Have you heard that the melon should be heavy for its size, have a heavy and prominent webbing, yellow tinge, good smell? Me too. Here’s a drink I want to try:
Pineapple-Melon Cooler
1 medium cantaloupe, halved, seeded, peeled and cut up
1 Tbsp lemon juice
8 Maraschino cherries, drained
1 46-oz can pineapple juice, chilled
1 quart ginger ale, chilled
Ice
Put first 3 ingredients in blender container; add pineapple juice to cover. Blend till pureed. Combine with remaining juice in pitcher. Add ginger ale. Serve over ice.
The list would not be complete without a great ice cream drink—and nothing is better than peaches and cream. Use this for a healthy afternoon snack or breakfast drink for the kids—or just a treat for yourself.
Peachy-keen Cream Dream
4 large, ripe, juicy peaches or 6 small
1 pint vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
One-half cup half and half (can use fat-free)
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
One-half tsp. almond flavoring
Peel and slice peaches. Put into blender or food processor with ice cream, half and half, sugar and almond flavoring. Process until blended. Pour into tall glasses and serve with long spoons and straws.
Beverages of all kinds are often ignored in the culinary world. But what a wonderful arena in which to dabble! They’re easy, beautiful, appreciated and fun. Add to that the abundance of fruit this time of year—and new ways to use it for snacks, thus adding up to that all important sum of 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. Kids love fruit; dig out your blender and make a puree. Then either freeze it with popsicle sticks for a solid treat, or to a slush (add sugar) to add to carbonated soft drinks or soda water for a great summer treat. I had a good time digging up some great ones—and I’m going to try every one before the summer is over.
I’d love to hear from any readers who try them, too.
Freeze some of these drinks or plain compatible fruit juice in ice cube trays to keep the drinks undiluted.
Watermelon is one of my favorite fruit treats. Trouble is they come in such a huge package that if you have a small family you’ve got a lot of watermelon. Here’s one way to use it up.
Watermelon Limeade (Everyday Cooking, July-Aug. ’03)
Working in batches, puree in blender 8 cups chopped seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds) with one-half cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes) and 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, if needed. Transfer puree to a pitcher; add one-half cup vodka, if desired. Cover; chill until ready to serve. Stir; pour into tumblers, over ice. Garnish with fruit or mint.
Fizzy Strawberry Lemonade
1 (12-oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen strawberries, partially thawed
3 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
1 (1-liter) bottle club soda, chilled
Process first 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Pour into a large pitcher; stir in club soda. Serve over ice and decorate with a strawberry half. (Adding rum to this drink would make a good strawberry daiquiri variation)
How about yet another iced tea variation?
Pineapple-orange Herb Tea
2 cups boiling water
12 regular size herb tea bags
1 (11.5-oz can frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
2 cups lemon-lime soft drink, chilled
Pour 2 cups boiling water over tea bags; steep 20 minutes. Remove tea bags and discard. Chill tea 1 hour. Stir in juice concentrate and soft drink; serve over ice.
Variation: Substitute 1 (11.5-oz.) canned frozen cranberry-raspberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed and undiluted for pineapple-orange juice concentrate. (Adapted from Southern Living, March 2005)
I don’t see any reason that regular tea couldn’t be substituted for herbal tea and you would then get the benefit of the antioxidants found in regular teas.
The cantaloupes I have had this year so far have been very good—of course there are tricks to picking a good one. I have heard so many, as you probably have, I’m not sure which ones are really true but I just do them all, covering all my bases. Have you heard that the melon should be heavy for its size, have a heavy and prominent webbing, yellow tinge, good smell? Me too. Here’s a drink I want to try:
Pineapple-Melon Cooler
1 medium cantaloupe, halved, seeded, peeled and cut up
1 Tbsp lemon juice
8 Maraschino cherries, drained
1 46-oz can pineapple juice, chilled
1 quart ginger ale, chilled
Ice
Put first 3 ingredients in blender container; add pineapple juice to cover. Blend till pureed. Combine with remaining juice in pitcher. Add ginger ale. Serve over ice.
The list would not be complete without a great ice cream drink—and nothing is better than peaches and cream. Use this for a healthy afternoon snack or breakfast drink for the kids—or just a treat for yourself.
Peachy-keen Cream Dream
4 large, ripe, juicy peaches or 6 small
1 pint vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
One-half cup half and half (can use fat-free)
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
One-half tsp. almond flavoring
Peel and slice peaches. Put into blender or food processor with ice cream, half and half, sugar and almond flavoring. Process until blended. Pour into tall glasses and serve with long spoons and straws.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Celebrating America
The great American Independence Celebration is upon us and it seems appropriate to highlight American Cooking and American food. Seems pretty easy, right? But perhaps it isn’t really easy to define American food.
America is often referred to as the great melting pot since it is a nation of immigrants; yet, its cooking is neither a melting pot nor a sum of all the foreign dishes that different nationalities brought with them. Rather, it has evolved into a cuisine of its own. Americans have always taken the best of the “old countries” from which they came, made those dishes conform to the natural resources that are plentiful in their region of America and then……added a dash of, well, Americanism.
Thus, the cliché, “as American as apple pie” is true even though our English ancestors were baking and eating apple pie in old England long before Columbus took his famous trip. Have you ever been to England and tasted their apple pie? English apple pie is not really the same.
American cooking could be about indigenous foods that were not even in the old countries: corn, tomatoes, turkey, cranberries, black walnuts, pumpkin (and other squashes) and a great many more, but all of these ingredients have been adopted by other nations and have become a part of their own cuisine. (Tomatoes—Italy?)
So, then, exactly what is American cooking? As vast as our country is and as many different regions as there are in America, it is only relatively recently (1970’s and 80’s) that we have had ready access to the ingredients that make local dishes special and have thus taken a great interest in foods of all regions. It is a cuisine that has evolved from many nationalities, with a strong emphasis on the early influences of Britain, France, Germany, Africa and Mexico. It is a cuisine that is built on the greatest bounty of ingredients known anywhere and an affluence that makes it available to almost everyone. And it is a cuisine that reflects that ineffable quality—American ingenuity.
Here’s a great Fourth of July menu that is as American as—well as American as apple pie:
Deviled Eggs
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with all the fixings
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pickles and relishes
Blueberry and Apple Pie
I will venture a guess (completely undocumented) that at least 2/3 of the population will be eating this menu or one very close to it on this great American holiday.
Deviled Eggs (adapted from American Home Cooking by Jamison and Jamison)
12 large eggs
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Durkee’s Famous Sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp. prepared horseradish
Salt Paprika
Parsley sprigs
In large saucepan, cover eggs by an inch with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off the water and run cold water over eggs for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and peel them immediately. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and set whites aside. Mash the yolks with a fork and then mix in the mayonnaise, Durkee’s, mustard and horseradish. Sprinkle in salt to taste. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Dust with paprika and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 medium potatoes
8 eggs
½ cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix) mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled (see above Deviled Eggs recipe). Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve. (published in this column June 6, 2006)
Boston Baked Beans (Time-Life Foods of the World Series; American Cooking)
4 cups dried pea or Great Northern beans
3 medium onions
2 tsp. salt
4 cloves
½ cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups water
½ pound salt pork, scored
Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes, then let the beans soak in the water off the heat for about 1 hour. Bring them to boil again, add 1 onion and 1 tsp. of the salt, half cover the pan and simmer the beans as slowly as possible for about 30 minutes or until they are partially done. Drain the beans and discard the onion and bean water. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. To bake the beans, choose a traditional 2 ½ quart bean pot or a heavy casserole with a tight-fitting cover. Place 2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves, in the bottom of the bean pot or casserole and cover with the beans. In a small mixing bowl, combine the molasses, ¾ cup of the brown sugar, mustard, and 1 tsp. each of salt and black pepper. Slowly stirring with a large spoon, pour in the 2 cups of water. Pour this mixture over the beans and push the salt pork slightly beneath the surface. Cover tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 4 ½ to 5 hours. Then remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Bake the beans uncovered for another ½ hour and serve.
Happy Fourth of July!
America is often referred to as the great melting pot since it is a nation of immigrants; yet, its cooking is neither a melting pot nor a sum of all the foreign dishes that different nationalities brought with them. Rather, it has evolved into a cuisine of its own. Americans have always taken the best of the “old countries” from which they came, made those dishes conform to the natural resources that are plentiful in their region of America and then……added a dash of, well, Americanism.
Thus, the cliché, “as American as apple pie” is true even though our English ancestors were baking and eating apple pie in old England long before Columbus took his famous trip. Have you ever been to England and tasted their apple pie? English apple pie is not really the same.
American cooking could be about indigenous foods that were not even in the old countries: corn, tomatoes, turkey, cranberries, black walnuts, pumpkin (and other squashes) and a great many more, but all of these ingredients have been adopted by other nations and have become a part of their own cuisine. (Tomatoes—Italy?)
So, then, exactly what is American cooking? As vast as our country is and as many different regions as there are in America, it is only relatively recently (1970’s and 80’s) that we have had ready access to the ingredients that make local dishes special and have thus taken a great interest in foods of all regions. It is a cuisine that has evolved from many nationalities, with a strong emphasis on the early influences of Britain, France, Germany, Africa and Mexico. It is a cuisine that is built on the greatest bounty of ingredients known anywhere and an affluence that makes it available to almost everyone. And it is a cuisine that reflects that ineffable quality—American ingenuity.
Here’s a great Fourth of July menu that is as American as—well as American as apple pie:
Deviled Eggs
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with all the fixings
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pickles and relishes
Blueberry and Apple Pie
I will venture a guess (completely undocumented) that at least 2/3 of the population will be eating this menu or one very close to it on this great American holiday.
Deviled Eggs (adapted from American Home Cooking by Jamison and Jamison)
12 large eggs
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Durkee’s Famous Sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp. prepared horseradish
Salt Paprika
Parsley sprigs
In large saucepan, cover eggs by an inch with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off the water and run cold water over eggs for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and peel them immediately. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and set whites aside. Mash the yolks with a fork and then mix in the mayonnaise, Durkee’s, mustard and horseradish. Sprinkle in salt to taste. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Dust with paprika and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 medium potatoes
8 eggs
½ cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix) mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled (see above Deviled Eggs recipe). Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve. (published in this column June 6, 2006)
Boston Baked Beans (Time-Life Foods of the World Series; American Cooking)
4 cups dried pea or Great Northern beans
3 medium onions
2 tsp. salt
4 cloves
½ cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups water
½ pound salt pork, scored
Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes, then let the beans soak in the water off the heat for about 1 hour. Bring them to boil again, add 1 onion and 1 tsp. of the salt, half cover the pan and simmer the beans as slowly as possible for about 30 minutes or until they are partially done. Drain the beans and discard the onion and bean water. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. To bake the beans, choose a traditional 2 ½ quart bean pot or a heavy casserole with a tight-fitting cover. Place 2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves, in the bottom of the bean pot or casserole and cover with the beans. In a small mixing bowl, combine the molasses, ¾ cup of the brown sugar, mustard, and 1 tsp. each of salt and black pepper. Slowly stirring with a large spoon, pour in the 2 cups of water. Pour this mixture over the beans and push the salt pork slightly beneath the surface. Cover tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 4 ½ to 5 hours. Then remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Bake the beans uncovered for another ½ hour and serve.
Happy Fourth of July!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
What’s more American than apple pie? Corn. On this weekend of the great American holiday I think it’s fitting to feature America’s most important native food.
Actually, the term corn refers to the principal grain of any country, but it was given to the maize plant found in such abundance in America and it stuck. Corn was discovered by Columbus, but the best known story is our own North American pilgrim tale. It was first cultivated by the Indians who taught the newly arrived pilgrim colonists how to plant and use it. Today corn is the most important crop in the world because it will grow in areas that are too dry for rice or too wet for wheat and its yield per acre is double that of wheat.
In your cook-out, barbeque or picnic tomorrow, the form of corn most likely to be on the table is corn on the cob. It’s a bit early for local corn, although everything is coming to market early this year; still, since the hybrid corn that has some lasting quality has been developed, corn from other parts of the country or other countries is actually good. Do you remember the days when you went to the garden and picked the corn, then ran into the house to husk it and drop it in boiling water? Otherwise the sweet juice would turn starchy and lose its sweetness. No more. It is really rare to get corn that isn’t sweet and delicious, although our local corn is still the best. Corn and tomatoes love hot, humid nights to grow succulent and delicious and we certainly have our share of those.
If you don’t want to serve corn on the cob, but you would love to have corn on the table at your celebration, why not make a delicious and colorful corn salad? This is one of my all-time favorite foods. This recipe is especially good, but there are many recipes for this salad—some with black beans—that are equally delicious.
Summer Corn Salad
6 large ears of corn or 1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen corn kernels, cooked according to package directions or 1 17-oz can corn
1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large sweet green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and cut into small dice
4 green onions, including green parts, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp light Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp light sour cream
2 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. canned beef broth
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¾ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook the corn in boiling water if using fresh. Drain ears and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Cut the kernels from the cobs into a large bowl. Add red pepper, tomato, chopped green onion, and red onion. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, beef broth, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir into the vegetable mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Will keep for up to 24 hours.
Another great addition to your Fourth celebration is this recipe for yummy rolls adapted from Reader’s Digest’s Cook Now Serve Later Cookbook
Yeast Corn Rolls
1 scant Tbsp. active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
¼ cup plus 1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, electric mixer with a dough hook, or a food processor, combine the yeast, water and 1 tsp. of the sugar and let stand until bubbly—about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, the butter, buttermilk, egg, salt and ¾ cup of the cornmeal; blend well. Stir in enough flour (start with about 2 cups) to make a soft dough. On a lightly floured board or in the mixer or food processor, knead the dough until smooth and elastic—7 to 10 minutes by hand, 5 minutes in a mixer, or 40 seconds in the food processor. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. (At this point the dough can be stored. Place in a 1-gallon food storage bag, push out all the air and secure with a twist tie, leaving room at the end for expansion. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.) Transfer to a large, lightly greased bowl; turn to coat with the grease and cover. Let rise until doubled—about 1 hour. Punch dough down and roll out ½-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into eighteen 3-inch rounds and set 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled—35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with remaining cornmeal and bake until golden in 375 deg. oven 17-20 minutes.
I hope it’s not too corny to wish you a happy Fourth!
Actually, the term corn refers to the principal grain of any country, but it was given to the maize plant found in such abundance in America and it stuck. Corn was discovered by Columbus, but the best known story is our own North American pilgrim tale. It was first cultivated by the Indians who taught the newly arrived pilgrim colonists how to plant and use it. Today corn is the most important crop in the world because it will grow in areas that are too dry for rice or too wet for wheat and its yield per acre is double that of wheat.
In your cook-out, barbeque or picnic tomorrow, the form of corn most likely to be on the table is corn on the cob. It’s a bit early for local corn, although everything is coming to market early this year; still, since the hybrid corn that has some lasting quality has been developed, corn from other parts of the country or other countries is actually good. Do you remember the days when you went to the garden and picked the corn, then ran into the house to husk it and drop it in boiling water? Otherwise the sweet juice would turn starchy and lose its sweetness. No more. It is really rare to get corn that isn’t sweet and delicious, although our local corn is still the best. Corn and tomatoes love hot, humid nights to grow succulent and delicious and we certainly have our share of those.
If you don’t want to serve corn on the cob, but you would love to have corn on the table at your celebration, why not make a delicious and colorful corn salad? This is one of my all-time favorite foods. This recipe is especially good, but there are many recipes for this salad—some with black beans—that are equally delicious.
Summer Corn Salad
6 large ears of corn or 1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen corn kernels, cooked according to package directions or 1 17-oz can corn
1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large sweet green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and cut into small dice
4 green onions, including green parts, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp light Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp light sour cream
2 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. canned beef broth
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¾ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook the corn in boiling water if using fresh. Drain ears and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Cut the kernels from the cobs into a large bowl. Add red pepper, tomato, chopped green onion, and red onion. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, beef broth, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir into the vegetable mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Will keep for up to 24 hours.
Another great addition to your Fourth celebration is this recipe for yummy rolls adapted from Reader’s Digest’s Cook Now Serve Later Cookbook
Yeast Corn Rolls
1 scant Tbsp. active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
¼ cup plus 1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, electric mixer with a dough hook, or a food processor, combine the yeast, water and 1 tsp. of the sugar and let stand until bubbly—about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, the butter, buttermilk, egg, salt and ¾ cup of the cornmeal; blend well. Stir in enough flour (start with about 2 cups) to make a soft dough. On a lightly floured board or in the mixer or food processor, knead the dough until smooth and elastic—7 to 10 minutes by hand, 5 minutes in a mixer, or 40 seconds in the food processor. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. (At this point the dough can be stored. Place in a 1-gallon food storage bag, push out all the air and secure with a twist tie, leaving room at the end for expansion. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.) Transfer to a large, lightly greased bowl; turn to coat with the grease and cover. Let rise until doubled—about 1 hour. Punch dough down and roll out ½-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into eighteen 3-inch rounds and set 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled—35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with remaining cornmeal and bake until golden in 375 deg. oven 17-20 minutes.
I hope it’s not too corny to wish you a happy Fourth!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Life on the Mississippi
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Sitting on a bench in Levee Park one summer watching the Delta Queen unload her passengers was like a trip to turn-of-the-century life on the Mississippi River. Ladies of the town dressed in Victorian dress and carrying parasols strolled up and down the walkway while the boatmen untied their ropes and engineered the gangplanks. Vendors were selling souvenirs and refreshments, children and dogs were frolicking. One could easily forget, for the moment, that it is the 21st century.
As a relative new-comer to Red Wing (1999), I was amazed at the difference from life in the Twin Cities. Here life reminded me of the time when America was largely a land of small towns and rural countryside; people were sentimental and patriotism ran high. Our first experience watching the River City Days parade from our front porch at the Candlelight Inn B& B was a delight. All the onlookers stood when the flag went by!
The Fourth of July is the perfect time to turn back the clock to those days when everyone—farmers, merchants, bankers, girls, boys, and dogs—turned out for a celebration of freedom. For some, it is a picnic in the park followed by fireworks from across the river; for us it will be a porch party on our back porch where we are screened from the mosquitoes and have a ring-side seat for the display (which we are all hopeful will materialize). This is the time for old-fashioned food and lots of good company and fun. The menu will be totally traditional and easy so I can partake in the fun, too!
Ice cold freshly made lemonade is the quencher I like best. Beer and wine coolers will be available for adults who prefer them. Fire up the grill and make good old' hamburgers and hot dogs. Why not? It’s a day of tradition. Beans and potato salad? Of course. And for dessert? Watermelon. On a hot day, a slice of chilled watermelon is as refreshing as a cool drink, besides the color is great for the patriotic soul in me. I will include a special cake—Aunt Fannie’s Liberty Cake with Lemon Icing.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 red-skinned potatoes (large for type)
8 eggs
One-half cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix), mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled. Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve.
Jan’s Baked Beans:
1 pound hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
One-half green pepper, chopped
1 large can B&M Baked Beans
One-half cup Ken Davis Barbeque sauce
One-fourth cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
Brown hamburger, onion and green pepper in skillet. Pour off fat; put into large Dutch oven or slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours or in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
Aunt Fannie’s Liberty Cake with Lemon Icing
--adapted from Jane Watson Hopping’s The Country Mothers Cookbook
(Makes one 8-inch three layer cake)
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 and one-half cups sugar, plus two-thirds cup for combining with egg whites
3 cups sifted cake flour
One-half tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
One-third cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
One-half tsp. almond extract
6 egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
Lemon icing (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour three round 8-inch layer cake pans.
In large bowl of stand mixer, cream butter; gradually add one and one-half cups sugar and cream until light. Sift flour with salt and baking soda. Combine buttermilk with lemon juice, rind and almond flavoring. Then alternately add sifted flour mixture in thirds with buttermilk mixture. Beat well after each addition. In a second bowl, and with clean beaters, beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and remaining two-thirds cup sugar gradually, and continue beating until egg whites are stiff. Fold butter-flour mixture into beaten egg whites, working carefully so as not to lessen the volume of egg whites.
Turn into prepared pans. Bake until well risen, light brown, and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool. When thoroughly cooled, fill and frost with Lemon Icing.
Lemon Icing
3 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp light cream, more if needed to make icing spread smoothly
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, strained
One-half tsp. finely grated lemon peel
In medium bowl, combine sugar and cream, beating until moderately thick. Add lemon juice and peel; stir to blend. Ice layers as you stack them together and then lightly cover both top and side of cake.
Aunt Fannie stuck miniature flags and red candles all over the top of the cake and made everyone sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” Then she would quote her favorite author, James Whitcomb Riley:
Sing for the good that is to be,
Sing for the eyes that are to see
The land where man at last is free,
O sing for Liberty!
As a relative new-comer to Red Wing (1999), I was amazed at the difference from life in the Twin Cities. Here life reminded me of the time when America was largely a land of small towns and rural countryside; people were sentimental and patriotism ran high. Our first experience watching the River City Days parade from our front porch at the Candlelight Inn B& B was a delight. All the onlookers stood when the flag went by!
The Fourth of July is the perfect time to turn back the clock to those days when everyone—farmers, merchants, bankers, girls, boys, and dogs—turned out for a celebration of freedom. For some, it is a picnic in the park followed by fireworks from across the river; for us it will be a porch party on our back porch where we are screened from the mosquitoes and have a ring-side seat for the display (which we are all hopeful will materialize). This is the time for old-fashioned food and lots of good company and fun. The menu will be totally traditional and easy so I can partake in the fun, too!
Ice cold freshly made lemonade is the quencher I like best. Beer and wine coolers will be available for adults who prefer them. Fire up the grill and make good old' hamburgers and hot dogs. Why not? It’s a day of tradition. Beans and potato salad? Of course. And for dessert? Watermelon. On a hot day, a slice of chilled watermelon is as refreshing as a cool drink, besides the color is great for the patriotic soul in me. I will include a special cake—Aunt Fannie’s Liberty Cake with Lemon Icing.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 red-skinned potatoes (large for type)
8 eggs
One-half cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix), mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled. Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve.
Jan’s Baked Beans:
1 pound hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
One-half green pepper, chopped
1 large can B&M Baked Beans
One-half cup Ken Davis Barbeque sauce
One-fourth cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
Brown hamburger, onion and green pepper in skillet. Pour off fat; put into large Dutch oven or slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours or in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
Aunt Fannie’s Liberty Cake with Lemon Icing
--adapted from Jane Watson Hopping’s The Country Mothers Cookbook
(Makes one 8-inch three layer cake)
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 and one-half cups sugar, plus two-thirds cup for combining with egg whites
3 cups sifted cake flour
One-half tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
One-third cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
One-half tsp. almond extract
6 egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
Lemon icing (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour three round 8-inch layer cake pans.
In large bowl of stand mixer, cream butter; gradually add one and one-half cups sugar and cream until light. Sift flour with salt and baking soda. Combine buttermilk with lemon juice, rind and almond flavoring. Then alternately add sifted flour mixture in thirds with buttermilk mixture. Beat well after each addition. In a second bowl, and with clean beaters, beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and remaining two-thirds cup sugar gradually, and continue beating until egg whites are stiff. Fold butter-flour mixture into beaten egg whites, working carefully so as not to lessen the volume of egg whites.
Turn into prepared pans. Bake until well risen, light brown, and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool. When thoroughly cooled, fill and frost with Lemon Icing.
Lemon Icing
3 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp light cream, more if needed to make icing spread smoothly
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, strained
One-half tsp. finely grated lemon peel
In medium bowl, combine sugar and cream, beating until moderately thick. Add lemon juice and peel; stir to blend. Ice layers as you stack them together and then lightly cover both top and side of cake.
Aunt Fannie stuck miniature flags and red candles all over the top of the cake and made everyone sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” Then she would quote her favorite author, James Whitcomb Riley:
Sing for the good that is to be,
Sing for the eyes that are to see
The land where man at last is free,
O sing for Liberty!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
New for the Fourth of July
If you’d like to try something new for the Fourth of July this year, I came across a menu that looks very intriguing from the heartland of America.
Chilled Blueberry Soup
Barbequed Stuffed Salmon
Roasted Corn
Colorful Cabbage Salad
Drop Biscuits
Flag Cake
This is a little more complex than the usual back yard barbeque, but every once in a while it’s fun to pull out all the stops. Or—you can pick one or two of these dishes to add to your traditional hamburger cookout—and the dessert is a cinch (also spectacular)!
Chilled Blueberry Soup
1 package unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
4 cups orange juice
3 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries
In a small bowl soften the gelatin in the cold water. Place the bowl in a pan of hot water until the mixture melts. It is ready for use at that point. In a bowl combine the orange juice, sugar, and melted gelatin. Stir the mixture until both the sugar and the gelatin are dissolved. Place in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Fold the blueberries into the mixture and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a mixture of sweetened whipped cream and sour cream and a strawberry half.
Barbecued Stuffed Salmon (Adapted from the Time-Life Holiday Cookbook)
Serves 6-8
This would be a great use for those whole frozen salmon sold locally at very reasonable prices—wild Atlantic variety.
1 ½ cups dry white wine
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 5-51/2 pound salmon, cleaned and with head and tail removed
1 cup freshly cooked brown rice
¼ cup finely chopped scallions, including 2 inches of the green tops
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Peel of ½ lemon, cut into julienne strips
1 lemon cut crosswise ¼ inch thick
Combine the wine, lemon juice, ½ cup of the oil, the onion, garlic, parsley, ginger, thyme, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour this marinade into a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold the salmon comfortably, and set it aside to cool.
Wash salmon inside and out under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, score both sides of the fish by making four or five evenly spaced diagonal slits about 4 inches long and ¼ inch deep. Place the salmon in the cooled marinade and turn it over to moisten it evenly.
Cover the pan tightly with foil or plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for 6 hours; turning the fish occasionally.
Light a layer of briquettes in a charcoal broiler and let them burn until a white ash appears on the surface, or preheat the broiler of your stove to its highest setting.
Transfer the salmon to paper towels and pat it completely dry with more paper towels. Strain the marinade. To prepare the stuffing, combine rice, scallions, chopped parsley and lemon strips in a small bowl. Pour in ¼ cup of the strained marinade and mix well. Set remaining marinade aside.
Loosely fill the salmon with the stuffing, then close the opening with small skewers and kitchen cord. With a pastry brush, spread the remaining Tbsp of oil over the hot grill or broiler rack. Place the salmon on top and brush it with a few spoonfuls of the reserved marinade. Broil 3 or 4 inches from the heat, basting the salmon frequently with the remaining marinade. The salmon should be broiled for about 15 minutes on each side, or until it is evenly and delicately browned and feels firm when prodded gently with a finger. Serve the salmon garnished with lemon slices.
Colorful Cabbage Salad
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. pepper
In a bowl combine the vinegar, celery seeds, salt, sugar, and pepper. Whisk to blend. Slowly pour in the oil and whisk until well blended. Chill for 10 minutes. Place the red and green cabbages and the chopped onion in a large bowl. Remove dressing from refrigerator, whisk again, and pour over cabbage. Toss well.
Flag Cake
This is really easy—but still delicious and so festive looking.
2 pints strawberries
1 (10.75 oz.) frozen pound cake
1 1/3 cups blueberries
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Slice 1 cup of the strawberries, set aside. Halve remaining strawberries; set aside.
Line bottom of a 12 x 8-inch baking dish with cake slices. Top with 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup of the blueberries and all of the whipped cream. Place strawberry halves and remaining 1/3 cup of blueberries on whipped cream to create a flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 15 servings.
Chilled Blueberry Soup
Barbequed Stuffed Salmon
Roasted Corn
Colorful Cabbage Salad
Drop Biscuits
Flag Cake
This is a little more complex than the usual back yard barbeque, but every once in a while it’s fun to pull out all the stops. Or—you can pick one or two of these dishes to add to your traditional hamburger cookout—and the dessert is a cinch (also spectacular)!
Chilled Blueberry Soup
1 package unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
4 cups orange juice
3 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries
In a small bowl soften the gelatin in the cold water. Place the bowl in a pan of hot water until the mixture melts. It is ready for use at that point. In a bowl combine the orange juice, sugar, and melted gelatin. Stir the mixture until both the sugar and the gelatin are dissolved. Place in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Fold the blueberries into the mixture and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a mixture of sweetened whipped cream and sour cream and a strawberry half.
Barbecued Stuffed Salmon (Adapted from the Time-Life Holiday Cookbook)
Serves 6-8
This would be a great use for those whole frozen salmon sold locally at very reasonable prices—wild Atlantic variety.
1 ½ cups dry white wine
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 5-51/2 pound salmon, cleaned and with head and tail removed
1 cup freshly cooked brown rice
¼ cup finely chopped scallions, including 2 inches of the green tops
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Peel of ½ lemon, cut into julienne strips
1 lemon cut crosswise ¼ inch thick
Combine the wine, lemon juice, ½ cup of the oil, the onion, garlic, parsley, ginger, thyme, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour this marinade into a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold the salmon comfortably, and set it aside to cool.
Wash salmon inside and out under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, score both sides of the fish by making four or five evenly spaced diagonal slits about 4 inches long and ¼ inch deep. Place the salmon in the cooled marinade and turn it over to moisten it evenly.
Cover the pan tightly with foil or plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for 6 hours; turning the fish occasionally.
Light a layer of briquettes in a charcoal broiler and let them burn until a white ash appears on the surface, or preheat the broiler of your stove to its highest setting.
Transfer the salmon to paper towels and pat it completely dry with more paper towels. Strain the marinade. To prepare the stuffing, combine rice, scallions, chopped parsley and lemon strips in a small bowl. Pour in ¼ cup of the strained marinade and mix well. Set remaining marinade aside.
Loosely fill the salmon with the stuffing, then close the opening with small skewers and kitchen cord. With a pastry brush, spread the remaining Tbsp of oil over the hot grill or broiler rack. Place the salmon on top and brush it with a few spoonfuls of the reserved marinade. Broil 3 or 4 inches from the heat, basting the salmon frequently with the remaining marinade. The salmon should be broiled for about 15 minutes on each side, or until it is evenly and delicately browned and feels firm when prodded gently with a finger. Serve the salmon garnished with lemon slices.
Colorful Cabbage Salad
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. pepper
In a bowl combine the vinegar, celery seeds, salt, sugar, and pepper. Whisk to blend. Slowly pour in the oil and whisk until well blended. Chill for 10 minutes. Place the red and green cabbages and the chopped onion in a large bowl. Remove dressing from refrigerator, whisk again, and pour over cabbage. Toss well.
Flag Cake
This is really easy—but still delicious and so festive looking.
2 pints strawberries
1 (10.75 oz.) frozen pound cake
1 1/3 cups blueberries
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Slice 1 cup of the strawberries, set aside. Halve remaining strawberries; set aside.
Line bottom of a 12 x 8-inch baking dish with cake slices. Top with 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup of the blueberries and all of the whipped cream. Place strawberry halves and remaining 1/3 cup of blueberries on whipped cream to create a flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 15 servings.
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