Fare Exchange: How to utilize rice for both frittatas and pudding

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Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send. Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750 E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com

photo Jane Henegar

We're plumb out of August, readers but, as always, requests in this column provide carry-over. Two requests, in fact, are from April: How to make a gourmet milkshake or malt, and how to make gluten-free granola.

New requests came from a reader who chose to be known as "Close to Home."

"I have a lot of tomatoes from the garden and know tomatoes should not be refrigerated, but how about the ones that have bad places? When is it OK to refrigerate? Also, I need some ideas for breakfast foods for a vegan visitor. What can a vegan eat for breakfast?"

PLAYING WITH PESTO

We've been talking about variations on the homemade pesto theme. Enter Susie Crouch with a succinct answer: "Substitute fresh spinach instead of basil."

There's an inspired idea. Crouch also commended grilled okra.

"Toss fresh okra in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them on the grill. They are delicious," she says.

HIDDEN FRITTATA

Clifford Burdette noted the request for a frittata and complied, explaining, "This recipe is modified from Lady Behind The Curtain." Follow this link: http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/category/breakfast-recipes.

And as to why the lady is behind the curtain, we have no answer.

Green Chilies and Rice Frittata

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup shredded cheese

1 (4-ounce) can diced chilies

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup sliced green onions

5 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt or more

3 to 4 drops hot pepper sauce

Heat oven to 350 degree. Sauté onion in butter.

Combine rice, cheese, chilies, bell pepper and tomato. Add onion.

Combine eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper sauce.

Stir in rice mixture. Pour into a buttered 9-inch pie pan.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until middle is set.

Serve with warm salsa. Makes 8 servings.

Requests

* How to make a gourmet milkshake or malt* How to make gluten-free granola* When is it OK to refrigerate tomatoes?* What to serve a vegan for breakfast?

'FORBIDDEN' RICE

Marilyn Murphy found information and a recipe in answer to the query about black rice. Her source was nutritionbycarrie.com.

"Black rice, which sometimes carries the exotic-sounding names 'forbidden rice' or 'emperor's rice,' is a whole grain with extra benefits," she says. "Like brown rice, it has fiber- and antioxidant-rich bran. But black-rice bran is also rich in a class of phytonutrients called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, purple and reddish pigments that have antioxidant properties, may help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and age-related mental declines.

"Black rice looks deep purple rather than black when cooked, which means it makes a beautiful rice pudding or a colorful side dish for chicken or pale fish dishes. When cooking it simply as a side dish, use 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, and simmer for 30 minutes or until done."

Murphy also found a recipe using black rice in The Seattle Times last week. "I tore it out because it sounded so good."

Black Rice Coconut Pudding

This simple recipe makes a lovely breakfast or dessert pudding. Use less sweetener if serving for breakfast, more if serving for dessert.

1 cup black rice

2 cups water

1 can coconut milk (light or regular), well-stirred

1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar, honey or maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional toppings: toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, diced fresh mango, chopped pistachio nuts

Combine rice, water and coconut milk in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sweetener and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 15 more minutes, or until the pudding is thick (with most of the liquid absorbed) and the rice is tender but still chewy. If the pudding seems too dry, add extra water, 1/4 cup at a time, while it simmers.

Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature with desired toppings. Makes about 6 servings.

AMISH CHEESE

I returned to Sand Mountain last week, this time disappointed not to find the truck filled with okra and peaches. But down the road was Crowder Farms, and its sign advertised Amish butter and cheese. It reminded me of going to a grocery on the North Shore and asking for the least-expensive blue cheese. "Definitely Amish blue cheese - the best price and as good as any." And why such a bargain, we wondered.

"The Amish don't care how much money they make."

Is that true? Is it way too sweeping a generalization? These Amish products came from Ohio, and we'd like to know more. If you know more, please tell the rest of us more.

JUST A DASH

The subject here is skinning almonds; the experts, Mr. and Mrs. Sunday.

"If you search the internet you'll learn that getting that tough brown skin off of almonds is easy: just blanch, shock and the skin practically floats off in your hands.

"It ain't that easy in real life. First, how long do you let the almonds sit in the formerly boiling water? It varies depending on the variety, where grown, the phase of the moon and how old the almonds are, among other factors. What you want to do is to cook the almonds just enough to loosen the skin but not so much that they turn soft, like boiled peanuts.

"Here's the trick: Choose a pot that will hold all the almonds and enough water to cover and get the water to boiling. While you wait, get out a colander/strainer big enough to hold all the almonds and a bowl the same size or larger. Fill the bowl with ice and water and leave it in the sink.

"As soon as the water comes to a boil, add all the almonds and turn off the heat. Once every minute, take a few almonds out with a slotted spoon and drop them in the ice water. If they're easy to peel, drain the rest in the colander and then transfer immediately to the ice water. Otherwise, keep waiting and testing.

"On to peeling. A thoroughly cooked almond's skin will come off easily if you just squeeze the almond between your fingers. The almond will squirt out like a watermelon seed and the skin will stay in your fingers. Keep your hands close together so the almond squirts into the non-pinching hand. Keep squeezing almonds until the almond-catching or skin-holding hand is full, then dump into containers. Continue until done.

"Do not dump the skins into the garbage disposal. The skins are thin and fibrous and will pass right through the disposal unchanged and clog up the pipes. Far better to compost or put in the trash.

"If your use for almonds will tolerate an easily-peeled (par-cooked) nut, you're golden. Otherwise you'll need a bit of technique. If a simple squeeze isn't sufficient (or your hands ache after the first pound or two), roll your finger and thumb as you're squeezing; the motion is similar to tightening a toothpaste tube top. This moves the skin in two directions at once, making removal easier.

"For the record, three pounds took the almond-purchaser a little over an hour and a half to de-skin."

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