Fare exchange: Got a recipe for a great home-made milkshake?

Welcome, dear readers, to Fare Exchange. Here are your challenges, some brand new and some repeats: Orange Julius, Grainger County tomato recipes, how to cook tri-tip beef, homemade milk shakes and malts.

Last week we printed a dip using Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies; today we have another one from Stephanie Wharton, who credits Melanie Riddle.

Fiesta Corn Dip

2 cans Mexicorn, drained

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies, drained

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup green onions, diced

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, and stir well. Chill. Serve with Tostitos or Fritos. This is a great cold dip for summer.

As promised, here is William Corbin's recipe for peach brandy that takes seven days. Note the addition of raisins at the end.

Peach Brandy

1 gallon peaches

2 gallons warm water

10 pounds sugar

Juice of 4 lemons

2 packages home brewing yeast

3 pounds raisins

A stone crock for preparation

First, prepare the peaches. Wash and peel so the skins are in strips large enough to be strained from the mixture later. Cube the flesh of the peach into 1/2- to 1-inch sections so it can break down into the mix. Add pits to the crock as well; this gives brandy a nutty texture along with fruity flavor.

Place water into a large stone crock. Add sugar slowly, stirring until it dissolves to a sugary syrup. Then stir in lemon juice and peaches. Add home brewing yeast, and stir in gently. Cover crock and place it in an area easy to access for daily stirring. Mark a calendar, as you will be stirring the mixture once a day for 3 to 5 minutes for 7 days. Tightly reseal the crock when stirring is finished.

On Day 7, add raisins and stir 3 to 5 minutes, then recap crock again. Allow the alcohol to continue to ferment from the fruit sugars in the peaches and raisins to create brandy. It is not necessary to stir the mixture after the first 7 days, but allow the mixture to remain in the crock for a full 21 days from start to finish; mark dates on the calendar. At 21 days, brandy is ready to strain and serve. Strain fully to get a clear, beautiful amber-colored brandy.

There has been a good bit of discussion in these parts about tomato pies, various kinds, including one made with puff pastry and featured in the latest Southern Living.

"No tomato pie," my husband protested. "It's summertime."

His theory then is that all a tomato needs for embellishment is lots of mayonnaise and two slices of bread. Our dinner the last two nights has been simply this: thick-sliced tomatoes, yellow and red; sliced cucumbers; diced red onion and a lacing of balsamic vinegar on top. There was a suggestion of mozzarella and basil to make it a Caprese salad, but again, the simpler way won.

What's the simplest meal you have been serving at your house? Please pass it on this week.

Sue Mickel's envelopes have traditionally been full to the brim, and today we'll give you two favorites from one of those collections full of quiches. The first quiche is "my longtime favorite. It freezes well and is easily stored in individual servings for reheating."

Sausage Cheddar Quiche

Pastry shell

1 pound hot sausage

1 (4-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms

At least 1/2 cup chopped onion

At least 1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil leaves

Dash granulated garlic

1/8 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

2 or 3 eggs

Paprika

Prepare and precook pie shell.

Cook sausage until browned; drain. Combine sausage with next 7 ingredients, mixing well. Spoon into quiche shell and top with cheese.

Combine milk and eggs, beating just until foamy. Pour evenly over cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 325 F for 50 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and quiche is set.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.

And finally, also from Ms. Mickel, here's a quiche made with eggplant and lamb.

Moussaka Quiche

2 cups oil

1 medium eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced onion

6 mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cups cooked ground beef or lamb or 11/2 pounds fresh lean ground beef or lamb, browned and drained

1 teaspoon dried crushed red peppers

6 to 8 eggs

2 cups milk

4 dashes hot pepper sauce

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped chives

Salt, pepper and garlic powder

2 (9-inch) unbaked pie shells

3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet. Deep-fry eggplant slices until transparent and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain.

Drain oil from skillet, leaving thin coating on bottom. Sauté onion until almost soft, and remove to paper towels to drain. Sauté mushrooms until moisture evaporates; drain. Mix meat with pepper.

Heat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper sauce, cheese and chives with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Whip 3 minutes.

Place layer of eggplant in each unbaked pie shell. Follow with layers of mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and meat mixture. Continue layering until shells are 3/4 full (do not pack down, as egg mixture must seep in). Divide egg mixture between quiches.

Place quiches on cookie sheet and bake in lower third of oven until custard is set, 45 to 60 minutes. (If quiche starts to brown too fast before custard is done, cover with foil.)

This is one more column that sends me to the kitchen, hungry to copy your ideas. Thank you for sending, and thank you for reading. Until next week ...

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