7-day Sweet Pickle Chips

 From Mother Earth News Oct/Nov 2020 - a Mennonite recipe - yield 12 pints

• 10 pounds cucumbers
• ¼ c kosher or pickling salt
• 3 T alum or 5 T loose black tea from 8 tea bags
• 4 qt. Apple cider vinegar
• 10 c sugar, divided, plus 1 c if needed
• ¼ c pickling spice

Day 1: In large bowl or clean cooler, soak cubes in ice water 30 min. Drain. Trim off ends, slice into ¾ inch chunks. Pack into a 5 gallon or larger jar with lid. Cover with boiling water. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 2: There may be some fluffy white foam on top, it’s lactobacillus and it’s healthy. Drain, rinse, the jar and put cukes back in - don’t rinse the cukes. In a 5-qt non-reactive pot, bring salt and 4 qt water to boil. Pour brine over cukes. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 3: Drain the cukes, don’t rinse them, but do rinse the jar, and pack cukes back into the jar. In pot, bring alum or tea bags and 4 qt water to boil. Pour boiling water over cukes, discard any excess. Cool, cover, let sit overnight.

Day 4: Drain the cukes and rinse the jar. In pot, bring apple cider vinegar and 5 cups sugar to boil, stir to dissolve sugar. Put Pickling spice into a cheesecloth bundle or a tea ball and add to jar to cukes. Pour vinegar mix over the cukes. Cool. cover and let sit for THREE days.

Day 7: Drain pickles, reserving 2 cups of syrup. Dispose of the pickling spices. Put pickles into a giant bowl and scatter 4 c sugar over them. Stir well and let sit for about an hour. Pack pickles tightly into warm jars. The sugar will have drawn liquid out of the pickles. Pour syrup over the pickles, dividing evenly. Heat one cup of reserved spiced vinegar and remaining cup of sugar in a non-reactive saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Fill the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. If the jars require additional liquid, remove the air bubbles and repack the jar. If they’re well-packed and still short of liquid, make another batch of syrup by boiling the remaining cup of reserved vinegar with another cup of sugar. Remove air bubbles with a chopstick. Place lids and rings on and tighten. Process in boiling water bath 5 min. 

Let pickles cure for a week or so, turning the jars over for the first few days to disperse and dissolve any sugar on the bottoms of the jars. Chill well before enjoying. The pickles are shelf-stable for 1 year.

Stir Bread

 From Otella Pettigrew, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• 2.5 c unsighted flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all this together.

Heat together 1 c milk and 2 T Crisco.

Put milk mix with dry mix, add 1 egg, beat 300 strokes. Let rise. Stir down. Place in pan, bake 350 degrees for 20 min, then cover with foil and put foil under the pan and bake 20 more minutes.

Zucchini Fritter

From Julie:

2 cups grated zucchini                              3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated onion                                 chopped parsley, I didn't use
2 eggs, beaten                                          Flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese             Oil

Combine ingredients, adding enough flour to hold shape when dropped by spoon into hot oil. 
Brown on both sides; drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately or reheat in oven.

Lentil Loaf

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 c dried green lentils, rinsed
• 3 T ground flax
• 2 T oil
• 1 c diced onion
• 1 c diced celery
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 c shredded carrot

• 10 oz baby Bella mushrooms minced (about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 c finely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 c bread crumbs
• 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp pepper or to taste
• red chili flakes to taste

1. Cook lentils, drain, set aside.
2. Stir flax with ½ cup water and set 3 minutes
3. Saute onion, celery, garlic about 3 min. add carrot and mushrooms until soft about 5 min. stir in them and fennel and cook 5 more min.
4. Oven 350. Line loaf pan with parchment and set aside.
5. Once mushrooms are soft, add yeast, lentils, flax, walnuts, bread, salt, Pepper and chili flakes to skillet; stir well. taste for seasoning and add more if needed. mixture should stick together, but if not, put in food processor and pulse until thickened.
6. Put in loaf pan and press firmly down. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 min.
7. Let cool 10-20 min before slicing.

Tangy Green Bean Salad

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 2 T oil
• 2 T minced shallot
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp black pepper
• dash of cayenne

Serve this sauce over steamed green beans or salad greens or raw or roasted veggies. A GOOD vegan dressing.

Whisk together until creamy.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 T oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• ⅓ c bourbon
• ¼ c ketchup
• ¼ c tomato paste
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1.5 T molassess
• 1.5 T dijon mustard
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 1 T liquid smoke
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Saute onion and garlic about 3 min. Add bourbon and let simmer 10 seconds, add ketchup, paste, soy, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, smoke and vinegar. Reduce to heat to med low, cover and gently simmer 20 min. use blender to blend until it is a thick sauce. store up to 1 week.

Sourdough Mexican Cornbread

 Grease 13 x 9 pan, oven 400 for 30-35 minutes

Mix dry ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tb sugar

Mix wet:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup starter, 1.5 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil

Stir into dry until just moistened.

Combine: 

• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 can chilies - 4 oz
• 1 jar pimientos - 4 oz
• 1.5 cup cheese - 6 oz

Fold into other mixture and pour into pan. 

Sourdough Hush Puppies

 Combine:

• 1.5 cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup dry milk

Stir in this mixture:

• 1 cup starter
• 1 egg, ½ c onion

Fry in hot fat.

Angel Sourdough Biscuits

•  1 tsp yeast
• 2 Tb warm water
• 1.25-1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼  cup shortening 
• 1 cup starter
• ¼ cup melted butter

Mix 1st eight ingredients  and roll out. Cut biscuits and dip in butter. Rise 1 hour. Bake 20-25 min at 400.

Makes 18-20

Blender Custard Pie

 In blender, for 10 seconds; don’t over blend:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup Bisquick
• ½ stick butter
• ⅔ c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Dash salt

Stir in 1 cup coconut after blending. Pour into greased 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 350 about 40 minutes. 

Salt Rising Bread

 In an old recipe book I had:

• The night before, in a quart jar, add:
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 med potatoes sliced thin
• 3 Tb white corn meal
• 3 Tb sugar
• Pinch of soda

cover jar and set in warm place all night. Next morning a foam should have risen on the liquid and an odor can be noticed. Pour into a large bowl. Scald one pint of sweet milk and allow it to cool to lukewarm. Add to the bowl with 3 Tb sugar and one pinch soda. Add enough flour to consistency of paste. This is the sponge. Let rise to double about an hour. Now add shortening about the size of an egg, sprinkle salt over this about one tsp, and add flour to knead. Pour out on table and knead as you would other light breads. Place in loaf pans (well-greased). Bake 375 for 15 minutes and then 350 for 45 to 50 minutes in all.

I don’t know about this. I might research other recipes before trying.

Gelato and Sorbet

 Berry Gelato

• 1 c coconut or regular water
• 2 large avocados
• ⅓ c honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 oz fresh or frozen berries

Blend until rich and creamy. Put in airtight storage container and freeze 4-6 hours.

Chocolate Gelato

• 1 c raw cacao and 1 tsp cinnamon

Orangesicle Gelato

• ½ c OJ and ½ c diced oranges

Fruit Sorbet

Make a simple syrup - 3 Tb sugar and 3 Tb water in small saucepan. Bring to boil and let cool. This makes ¼ cup. 

In a blender place 2 cups frozen fruit and let stand 15-20 minutes to thaw slightly. Add ¼ c simple syrup and blend on medium. Serve immediately. 2 servings.

Chia Egg Replacer

 For the equivalent of one large egg, Whisk together 1Tb finely ground chia seeds with 3 Tb warm water. Let sit until mixture gels up, about 5 minutes. Add to recipe as you would an egg.

Jug Wine

 This looks like fun to try.

2 cans frozen 100% grape juice

1 gallon distilled water

3.5 cups sugar

1 package yeast

1 glass gallon jug

1 punching balloon

Thaw grape juice and put in sterilized glass jug.

Warm distilled water to 100 degrees and dissolve sugar in it.

Add yeast and mix well

Using a funnel, pour this into the jug until about 1 inch from top.

Rinse the inside of the balloon.

Stretch balloon over bottle and tape it securely.

Put in a warm dark place; be sure to give room for the balloon to expand. It will get quite large.

After 30 days or longer, remove balloon and carefully strain wine with cheesecloth into another jug.

County Style Slicker Dumplings

 From my teacher friend, Verla Clifford

Stew a chicken with 1 Tb salt and ½ tsp pepper in 2 qt water til tender. Cool and remove bones. Cut into desired sized pieces. Add 1 qt water and heat to simmering.

Mix

• 3 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tb salt
• 1 beaten egg

With enough broth to make a stiff dough. (Mix egg with 1 cup broth and then add). Knead on a floured board and roll VERY thin. Cut into 1 inch squares. Cook 20 minutes in boiling broth. Add chicken and heat again.

Sneaky Tomato Soup

•  2 Tb olive oil
• 1 diced sweet onion
• ¾ minced cloves garlic
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 28 oz can Muir Glen Organic Crushed tomatoes with basil
• Two 14-oz cans Muir Glen diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 quick splash of balsamic vinegar
• Pinch or sugar
• 1 Tb dried basil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Water as needed

I want to try this in my instant pot

Shrimp Cocktail

 From Cook’s Country; Dec/Jan 2013

Shrimp

• 2 lbs shell-on jumbo shrimp
• 2.5 Tb salt
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ tsp celery seeds
• 8, two-inch strips lemon zest plus ¼ cup lemon juice, spent halves reserved
• 8 cups ice

Cocktail sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp Old Bay
• ⅓ tsp cayenne

For the shrimp, use kitchen shears, cut through top shell of shrimp along vein line. Leave shell on and remove and discard vein. Combine shrimp, 4 cups cold water, salt, thyme, peppercorns, bay and celery seeds in pot. Set over medium high heat and cook, stirring occasionally until water registers 170 degrees and shrimp are just beginning to turn pink - 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and add lemon zest, juice, and spent halves. Cover and let sit until shrimp are completely pink and firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir ice into pot and let shrimp cool completely, about 5 minutes. Drain shrimp in colander and peel, leaving tails intact. Refrigerate shrimp until ready to use.

For sauce, whisk all ingredients together until combined. 

Pepper Jelly Margaritas

 1 cup tequila

1 cup fresh lime juice

½ cup orange liqueur

⅓ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup green pepper jelly

Bourbon Delights

 Bourbon Whipped Cream

• 1.5 cups chilled heavy cream
• 2 Tb bourbon
• 1.5 Tb confectioners sugar
• ¾ tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Sweet Bourbon Drizzle

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 Tb bourbon
• 2 to 3 Tb milk

Stir together sugar, bourbon, and 2 Tb milk. Stir in remaining milk one tsp at a time, until desired consistency. Use immediately. 

Potato-crusted Halibut with Tartar Sauce

 From Cook’s Country, Oct/Nov 2011

• 1 cup mayo
• 3 Tb finely chopped dill pickles, plus 1 tsp pickle juice
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 Tb capers, rinsed and chopped fine
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tb lemon juice
• 2 tsps Dijon mustard
• ⅓ tsp cayenne
• 4 six-oz skinless halibut fillets, 1 inch thick
• 2 cups crushed potato chips

Heat oven to 450. Combine ¾ cup mayo, pickles, pickle juice, shallot, capers, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in bowl and set aside.

Combine remaining ¼ c mayo, lemon juice, mustard, and cayenne in second bowl. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Brush top and sides with mayo mix and coat with potato chips, pressing to adhere. 

Place fish on foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees - 12-15 minutes. Serve with tartar sauce. 

Any firm white fish like cod, haddock, or mayo works here. Test kitchens favorite potato chip is Lay’s Kettle Cooked Original.