At our house, the new year is really Sept. 1. It is back to school, back to harvest and back to lunches.
It’s difficult to wake slumbering children on the first day of school. It is such a shock to their systems – and to mine.
Summer holidays go by so fast, although it is refreshing to get back into a routine.
Part of that routine is providing food. It is such an exciting time to be in the kitchen. With all of the fresh produce, our taste buds are awakened. There is nothing I hate more than letting anything go to waste.
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Enjoy the following recipes that help use up seasonal foods.
Cucumbers with dressing
Use up those crisp green cukes sitting on your counter.
1 cup mayonnaise 250 mL
1/4 cup sugar 60 mL
1/4 cup vinegar 60 mL
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
4 cups sliced cucumbers 1 L
1 cup sliced onions 250 mL
dill greens
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and salt. Add cucumbers and onion; toss to coat. Sprinkle with dill greens. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Yield: six to eight servings.
Storing cucumbers
Store whole cucumbers, unwashed, in a plastic bag or container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Cut cucumbers can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to five days.
Fresh fruit cobbler
5 to 6 cups chopped 1.25 -1.5 L
fresh fruit (apples, plums, or peaches)
2 cups all-purpose flour 500 mL
1/2 cup sugar 125 mL
4 teaspoons baking powder 20 mL
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 mL
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 mL
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
1/2 cup butter or margarine 125 mL
1 cup milk 250 mL
Topping:
2/3 cup sugar 150 mL
1/4 cup cornstarch 60 mL
11/2 cups boiling water 375 mL
Arrange fruit evenly in the bottom of a 13 x nine inch (23 x 33 cm) greased baking pan. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk. Spoon over fruit. Combine sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle over batter. Pour water over all.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 40-45 minutes or until fruit is tender. Yield: 12-16 servings. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Roast chicken
I love the smell of a chicken roasting. It is comforting. It is great for a meal and for sandwiches later.
1 roasting chicken (5 lb./2.5 kg)
1 apple, quartered
1 cup carrots, peeled, cut 250 mL
into chunks
1 cup chopped celery 250 mL
(about 4 stalks)
oil
salt, pepper, poultry seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Wash andpat chicken dry with paper towels. Using fingers or end of a wooden spoon, separate skin from meat on both sides, being careful not to break the skin.
Brush bottom of chicken with oil.
Tuck wings under chicken then place it breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. (Tucking the wings under the chicken stops the tips from burning and helps balance the chicken better during cooking.)
Brush the outside surface of the chicken with oil and sprinkle with seasonings.
Spoon apple, carrots and celery into cavity. If desired, tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine or string for an elegant presentation.
Bake 11/2 to 21/2 hours, or until juices run clear when chicken is pricked with knife, and meat thermometer inserted at thickest part of thigh next to the body registers 180 F (132 C). Let stand 10 minutes to let juices settle. Remove apples and vegetables from chicken cavity before serving.
Cooking know-how
The general rule for roasting one large chicken is to cook at 350 F (180 C) for about 20 minutes per pound.
When cooking for a large crowd, consider making two smaller chickens instead of one large one. This will result in moist chicken breasts and extra drumsticks.
Do not double the cooking time for one chicken, simply increase it by five or 10 minutes per pound.
Use a heavy-gauge metal roasting pan that just fits the size of the chicken. If the pan is made of glass or is too large, the juices will spread out and burn.
Creamy potato bake
4 large unpeeled potatoes
1/4 cup butter or margarine 60 mL
1 tablespoon grated onion 15 mL
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
1/2 teaspoon thyme 2 mL
1/8 teaspoon pepper 0.5 mL
1 cup shredded cheddar 250 mL
cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh 15 mL
parsley
Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a greased baking dish. In a small saucepan, heat butter, onion, salt, thyme and pepper until the butter is melted. Drizzle over potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 F (180 C) for one hour or until tender. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until the cheese melts. Yield: six to eight servings.
Peach muffins
11/2 cups all-purpose flour 375 mL
1 cup sugar 250 mL
3/4 teaspoon salt 3 mL
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 mL
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil 125 mL
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 mL
1/8 teaspoon almond extract 0.5 mL
11/4 cups chopped, peeled 300 mL
fresh peaches
1/2 cup chopped almonds 125 mL
or pecans
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil and extracts, then stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in peaches and nuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: 12 standard-size muffins.
Note: canned peaches, drained and chopped, can be substituted for fresh peaches.
Energy bars
1 cup brown sugar 250 mL
1/4 cup sugar 50 mL
1/2 cup butter or margarine 125 mL
2 tablespoon honey 30 mL
1/2 cup peanut butter 125 mL
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 mL
1 egg
1 cup flour 250 mL
1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 mL
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 mL
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
11/2 cups oats 375 mL
11/4 cups Rice Crispies cereal 300 mL
1/4 cup sunflower seeds 50 mL
1/2 cup wheat germ 125 mL
1 cup chocolate chips 250 mL
1 cup coconut 250 mL
1 cup Craisins or raisins 250 mL
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and grease a nine x 13 inch (22 x 34 cm) pan.
Cream the sugars with the margarine or butter. Add honey, peanut butter, vanilla and egg, mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, oats, Rice Crispies, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Mix. Add chocolate chips, coconut and raisins or Craisins and again mix well.
Turn into the pan, press and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Storing cheese
As we drift into fall, I always seem to have to clean out the refrigerator more often. Cheese always is a great snack, but I have trouble keeping it fresh for as long as I need it. Do you find that cheese is hard to keep? I researched cheese on the internet and here are the recommendations:
- Wrap it up – Once cheese has been opened and exposed to air, the chances of mould development will increase because of mould spores in the air. Keep cheese in its original wrapper until ready to use. After opening, rewrap the unused portion tightly in plastic wrap. Remember to keep air out and the flavour in. Cheese may pick up odours from other items in the refrigerator. Be sure to rewrap cheese in clean plastic wrap each time it is opened.
- Keep it cool – Cheese should always be stored at cool temperatures. Place the cheese on the shelf at the back of the refrigerator. After serving, unused cheese should be returned to cool storage as soon as possible. Cheese will only last about 10 days after it has been opened.
- Freeze it – Although best when served fresh, cheese may be frozen. Freeze in one pound pieces or less. Double wrap with plastic or freezer wrap. Freeze quickly and thaw slowly. Frozen cheese is best used in cooking because the freezing process does dry the cheese out slightly and it becomes more crumbly. Creamier, higher fat cheeses such as brie and camembert freeze better and have a better texture than cheddar.
Always refrigerate cream cheese. Be sure to rewrap with additional plastic to ensure freshness. Do not leave cheese on the counter at room temperature for more than two hours. Do not freeze cream cheese bricks or dips or spreads, because it will destroy the texture.
Jodie Mirosovsky is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
