Fare Exchange: Summer deliciousness with 'cue, 'nade and puddin'

Good morning, readers. We have an impassioned request from a Lookout Mountain resident as she looked at the delicious recipes printed last week. "Not now," she protested. "Not these recipes just at the beginning of bikini season " As a fit young mother, she is watching carefully her summertime calories.

Her request for slimming recipes was followed by a former Chattanoogan and world traveler who visited the Chattanooga Market and was rhapsodic about it. "I have lived in many places, and there is no more beautiful market than this one. I want to serve vegetables and fruits that may be purchased at local markets. Any recipes will do. Not fancy, just healthy and fresh."

So the overarching request today is that you send your best and most healthful recipes. Pay attention to calorie content and the freshness of ingredients in season, please.

CROCKPOT 'CUE

Tricia of Walden sent a crockpot barbecue recipe "used many, many times, and everyone seems to enjoy it. The recipe came with my first Crock-Pot over 40 years ago." A bonus recipe from Walden follows.

Down South Barbecue

2 onions, sliced

4 to 5 pound pork roast (a Boston butt works well)

5 to 6 whole cloves

3 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

16-ounces bottle of barbecue sauce, or more if desired

Put 1 sliced onion in bottom of slow cooker, then add meat, cloves and water with remaining sliced onion on top. Cover and cook overnight or 8 to 12 hours on low.

Remove bone, if any, and fat from meat. Pour off liquid. Pull the meat apart with two forks or with fingers, then put back in slow cooker. Add chopped onion and barbecue sauce.

Cover and cook an additional 1 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 8 hours on low, stirring 2 to 3 times. Serve from slow cooker on large buns.

Barbecue-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Down South Barbecue (from recipe above)

Baked potatoes

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Put barbecue on top of halved baked potatoes. Top with sour cream and cheddar cheese and serve hot.

LUSCIOUS LEMONADE

Rosemary Palmer's recent letter reminded us to remind you of her well-done blog, notjust paperandpaint.com. The following two recipes are featured there. Ms. Palmer cautioned that bottled lemon juice changes the flavor, and fresh is best.

The Best Strawberry Lemonade Ever

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons almond extract, optional

1 pint ripe strawberries (will need about 1 cups purée)

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 8 small lemons)

4-6 cups water (use cold water if serving immediately)

Lemons, strawberries and mint, for garnish

Make a simple syrup of sugar and 1 cup water by cooking over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, just until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Add almond extract.

Clean and hull strawberries. Puree them in a blender; if not, in food processor with 1/2 cup water.

Mix together syrup mixture, strawberry puree and lemon juice. This is a great time to taste again to check for sweetness or tartness.

Add water. Start with 4 cups and adjust to taste (I like 5 cups).

Refrigerate and serve cold, or over ice.

Garnish as desired.

Makes about 1 gallon when using 4 cups of water.

Ms. Palmer's next recipe offers a way to combine store-bought and homemade. She says it's a quick way to add a bit of flavor to bottled sauce.

Semi-Homemade Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce (your favorite brand)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine everything. Simmer on low heat 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust garlic and brown sugar to taste if necessary. The longer you let it simmer, the thicker and richer it becomes.

Store up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.

PUDDIN'

Rice pudding, that wonderful old-fashioned dessert, was the topic of choice in the latest envelope sent from Trion, Ga., by Mary Brown. First, an heirloom recipe, then a unique variation with chocolate and peanut butter copied from "Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind." As rich as the peanut butter one sounds, it is made with some low-calorie ingredients.

Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 pint sweet milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice (not instant)

Combine eggs, sugar and milk to make a soft custard. Cook over medium heat in a heavy pot, stirring constantly. This may be cooked in a double boiler. Cook until the mixture has thickened. Stir in vanilla and cooked rice. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish that has been buttered. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until pudding is set.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Pudding

1 (4 serving) package Jell-O sugar-free chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix

2/3 cup Carnation instant nonfat dry milk powder

1 2/3 cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter

2 cups cold cooked rice

In a medium saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and peanut butter. Mix well until smooth. Add rice. Mix gently to combine. Spoon mixture evenly into 6 dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT DISH

In this vegetable selection from the collection of Marcia Steele of Signal Mountain, the reader can clearly recognize a cooking expert.

Caponata

2 medium eggplants

1/4 cup small capers

3/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped celery

2 medium Vidalia onions, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, mashed

4 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted & chopped in half

1 can drained and chopped black olives

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves minced

1 can white tuna, separated

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel eggplant and cut into 1-inch cubes; sprinkle with salt and place in a colander and allow to sweat for an hour. Rinse the eggplant and drain on paper towels. Drain the capers and cover with water.

Cook the eggplant on high in olive oil for 10 minutes or until lightly browned; mix often. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place celery and onions in the oil and lower the heat; cover and simmer until celery is tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered. Mash the eggplant and add to the skillet.

Drain the capers then add them along with all the other ingredients and cook uncovered for final 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then add the tuna. Mix well.

Notes: I only cook with Vidalia onions because of their low moisture content. I use two medium eggplants rather than one large because the seeds are smaller. It should be cooked so that most of the moisture is removed.

Serve as an appetizer on flatbread or a favorite cracker; I prefer Carr or a similar type. Several recipes I reviewed added oregano and basil but I did not. If you like either of these spices, add them.

Male eggplants tend to have fewer seeds, and are therefore less bitter than female eggplants. To sex an eggplant, look at the indentation at bottom. If it's deep and shaped like a dash, it's a female. If it's shallow and round, it's a male. Smaller eggplants also tend to be less bitter. Freshness is important, so don't store them for very long.

FINAL COMMENT

Last weekend's last-minute purchase of Mayfield's Mint Brown Cows ended up being our holiday weekend's favorite dessert. It reminds me of Isabelle Howe, former Timeswoman, who loved to serve brown cows after a fine meal, and she piled them high in a silver bowl and passed them. That was an unforgettable touch.

Pass it on, pass it on. And send it on. Next week, please.