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Published: September 20, 2007 03:08 pm
Cookbook Corner: Simple, tasty and timeless recipes found here
Originally published in the September 21, 2007, print edition.
By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
Cookbooks make great gifts: One size fits all, they’re extremely practical, and everybody could use another one. Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and housewarmings are a few occasions that call for the gift of a cookbook. I recently gave one to my college-freshman-age daughter, and it’s already got the requisite stains and dog-eared pages of a well-thumbed volume.
I especially like so-called “church” cookbooks because they tend to feature tons of recipes in every category that are relatively simple and use common ingredients. Nothing high-falutin’, in other words. “Country Cooking of St. Augusta” fits that description to a “T.”
Published by the St. Anne Christian Women of St. Mary’s Help of Christians Church in St. Augusta (whew!), the book is thick, sturdy and adorned with quirky, hand-drawn, squirrel-themed artwork that’ll tickle both your palate and your aesthetic sensibilities. Try one of these recipes and you’ll wish you had the book.
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If you’re tired of the usual deviled eggs, intrigue your taste buds with something different. Seasoned with caraway seeds and Dijon mustard, these appetizers will disappear quickly at your next special event.
Wild Rice Stuffed Eggs
Submitted by Karen Powell
1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine wild rice and caraway seeds with 2 cups water. Simmer, uncovered, until water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Mash the egg yolks and stir in the cooked wild rice, bacon, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Fill egg white halves with yolk mixture. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 24 appetizers.
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Anybody else have oodles of tomatoes to use up? If not, want some of mine? This vegetable juice is a great way to get rid of a couple of buckets full. Healthy never tasted so good. This recipe calls for canning the juice, but you could freeze the containers (make sure to leave some room at the top for expansion) and thaw at will.
V-8 Juice
Submitted by Mary Schwinghammer
2 ice cream buckets ripe tomatoes, washed, cleaned and quartered into a large kettle
1 medium bunch celery (leaves and all), cut up into small pieces, or 5 teaspoons celery salt
2 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
4 or 5 carrots, sliced or chopped
A few handfuls of big green beans leftover in the garden
A couple of cloves garlic and parsley (also good if you have it)
Have your tomatoes waiting first and add the vegetables as you chop them up. Cook hard for an hour or so, stirring often. Put through blender, then food mill or colander. Put into clean quart jars. To each jar, add 1 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Seal and process for 45 minutes or bring pressure to 10 pounds and let drop. Makes about 12 quarts.
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This time of year, if it’s not tomatoes, it’s zucchini. Chewy yet tender Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins make a great breakfast or lunchbox treat. You don’t have to tell your family they’re good for them. They probably wouldn’t believe it anyway. I used chocolate chips instead of nuts and got five out of five “yums” from my family.
Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins
Submitted by Angie Landwehr
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chips
Mix together in bowl and set aside. Beat 4 eggs slightly with fork. Stir into eggs:
3/4 cup salad oil
1 medium zucchini (10 ounces), finely shredded
Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. (Batter will be lumpy). Spoon into 18 to 24 greased muffin cups. Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and cool.
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Some folks are surprised these days to find that salad dressing doesn’t have to come out of a grocery store bottle. This recipe for Dill Dressing proves that a little extra effort is worth it when it comes to flavor and freshness. Try it on lettuce or a simple plate of mixed raw veggies.
Dill Dressing
Submitted by Marci Hiemenz
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Shake vigorously for 5 minutes. Good for those who like a light dressing.
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These ham-and-cheesers tuck the poppy seeds inside the bun instead of on top. Mustard, Worcestershire sauce and onion add extra zip while a quick bake provides the gooeyness. Better double the batch.
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Submitted by Gloria Jones
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced onion
Sliced ham
6 Swiss cheese slices
6 sandwich rolls or rye buns
Melt butter, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Spread mixture on top and bottom of bun. Put ham and a slice of cheese in each bun. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves six.
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It sounds impossible, but you can fry ice cream, providing you roll it in a crunchy-sweet coating and don’t plunge it in the oil too long. A long-time dessert treat at Mexican restaurants, now you can make Fried Ice Cream at home. If five quarts sounds like too much, just estimate lesser amounts of ingredients and dig in.
Fried Ice Cream
Submitted by Nadine Laudenbach
5 quarts French vanilla ice cream
1 box corn flakes, crushed
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon
Honey, whipped cream and cherries for toppings
Mix powdered sugar and cinnamon. Scoop ice cream into round balls. Roll in cinnamon and sugar, then in corn flakes. Put in freezer until hard. Just before serving, dip in heated oil (350 F) for about 10 seconds.
“Country Cooking of St. Augusta” is available for $15 plus $3 for postage and handling at Marilyn Hurrle, 24466 County Road 7, St. Cloud, MN 56301; phone (320) 251-1093.
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