Fare Exchange: Homemade versions of Kraft Garlic Cheese Log, Orange Julius

Jane Henegar

Good morning, good readers. Today's questions are in one broad category and, though we are not looking for particular recipes, we are looking for very particular help: choosing and using different lettuces, avocados and sweet potatoes.

Around a dinner table, a Family of Five was discussing the challenges of buying and using fresh produce, and they are opening the conversation to you. "We have been disappointed with produce purchased in the last few months. First, we threw out a box of spring greens and a bag of spinach this week because there were dark, limp leaves in each, and they were not old. We are considering switching to iceberg and romaine, and someone told us that there is a knife that cuts lettuce without turning the edges brown. What is that knife?

"We can't remember getting a flawless avocado. For months, all of them have dark parts in them, and we have bought organic ones and bought them at supermarkets and at specialty stores. Where can you buy good avocados, and how can you tell a good one in the store?

"The last problem we have had is with stringy sweet potatoes. This week we bought some at the Grocery Bar and were surprised at their creamy interior with no strings. We had forgotten sweet potatoes like this exist. How do you choose a sweet potato? And what is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?"

And while you are answering Family of Five, please tell us your favorite salad greens and your favorite recipes using avocados and sweet potatoes.

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You were looking for Orangina drinks, and J. Lee answered. "They can be found at The Fresh Market near Hamilton Place on Gunbarrel Road."

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In answering the request for where to buy Kraft's garlic cheese log or how to make a substitute, Becky McGee provided the substitute. She wrote, "I have used this substitute many times, and it is extremely close to Kraft's garlic cheese log that is no longer available."

Garlic Cheese Log

1 1/2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 pound Velveeta cheese

3 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

Drop of Liquid Smoke

Warm all ingredients in a double boiler over low heat. Blend well, and pour into a storage container to cool and set. Put into rolls as needed.

The Kraft cheese rolls were possibly 6 ounces each, so this recipe would make the equivalent of 4 of them.

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Big Bad John - the first contributor by that name in Fare Exchange's history - found an Orange Julius recipe from chef Mario Batali on ABC's "The Chew."

Orange Julius

3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice cubes

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. The key to making this drink perfectly creamy is the baking soda because it neutralizes the acidity of the orange.

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From Ooltewah, Lee Keeble sent another tasty use for chicken livers, adding that "this has been one of our family's favorites for years."

Chicken Liver Paté

1 pound chicken livers

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup butter, melted

Boil the chicken livers in small amount of water for about 5 minutes, then drain.

Chop them and, along with the eggs, onions, salt, pepper and lemon juice, put in blender and mix until smooth.

Stir in butter. Pour into a container and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve on crackers.

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An anonymous reader sent a page of ham recipes from "The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking." Here is one entry on that page. When I think of ham, I think of cooking for a crowd, a ham that can feed lots of people with plenty left over for ham and biscuits later. In the case below, it's a small canned ham. I would be inclined to make two, as hams keep well and work for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Baked Glazed Ham

1 (2- to 3-pound) canned ham

2 tablespoons honey

Grated rind of 1 orange

1 teaspoon dry mustard

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup cider or pineapple juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 small can pineapple rings

Dusting of sugar

6 to 8 canned sweet cherries

Scrape jelly off ham; reserve. Place ham in baking pan.

Melt honey; spread over surface of ham.

Mix orange rind, mustard and brown sugar together; sprinkle over surface of meat. Pour cider over ham. Add jelly from ham; baste very gently over ham without disturbing sugar coating. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes; baste after 15 minutes.

Melt butter in frying pan.

Sprinkle pineapple slices with sugar; brown in butter on both sides. Serve around ham with cherries in center of each ring.

Use liquid from baking pan to make sauce; add water and a squeeze of lemon if too sweet.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Just a Dash

A visitor to Chattanooga wanted to see friends without the added work of a whole meal. So he issued the invitation for what he called "heavy hors d'oeuvres." As it turned out, it was a meal's worth of food: a quiche and green salad served on small plates and salsa and chips for dipping along with crackers and cheese. Another similar small-plate meal was fish tacos alone, but served with guacamole, slaw, salsa, tomatoes and sour cream.

So come to think of it, why do we have these elaborate sit-down dinners that take a day to prepare and a day to clean up? Here's to small plates and just a few dishes.

Kitchen Must-Haves

Adelaide Evanston was delighted with a recent gift, available on surlatable.com and also at grommet.com. "These are Food Huggers from Farberware. They are bright colors, and each set contains four sizes. You can use them to seal cut fruit and vegetables, or slip them as covers over jars and other containers. They are made of silicone, and we have two sets and they are always in use. We have used them to seal half an onion and to top refrigerator dishes, ramekins and jars."

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Thank you for joining us, and please come back next week.