Fare Exchange: Rehashing requests for newbie cooks

Jane Henegar

It's good to welcome you to the Fare Exchange table; thank you for coming. We want to rehash a couple of requests - and, by the way, who has a recipe for hash? That was a tasty staple of life when I was growing up: tender beef, soft potatoes, served with a little homemade chow-chow if one was lucky.

Now, back to the earlier requests. We are still in need of easy-traveling foods for outdoor picnics. Tasty but not temperamental: That is the request.

And how about help for a young man just beginning to man his own kitchen? Easy, hearty, not too messy and not requiring much equipment: That is his request.

His mama has provided a 4-quart crock pot, so please do send your favorite easy slow-cooker recipes, in hopes that "he can cook something on Sunday night in the crock pot and then eat it, in various forms, the rest of the week."

COOKING EDUCATION

Jim Sparks came to the aid of the college student with "something that college student could make that would be easy, substantial, tasty and big enough to feed the whole dorm (or to warm up later on as leftovers). It is the best Brunswick stew you will ever eat, and the whole preparation is just putting all the ingredients in a big Dutch oven or stockpot.

"He could get the pulled pork and pulled chicken for this at most barbecue joints. All the other ingredients can be found at any grocery store." Another reader, commenting on this recipe in conversation, noted that pulled pork, at least, may be bought at Costco. "Cheaper than at a barbecue joint, I am guessing."

Brunswick Stew

1 pound smoked pulled chicken

1 pound smoked pulled pork

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed

1 (16-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/8 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon hot sauce (or less, to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

ZUCCHINI MAIN DISH

Linda Leake of LaFayette, Ga., found a fine use for summer zucchini in Southern Living magazine.

The magazine writer began, "Zucchini is one of the most prolific vegetable plants in your summer garden. Once it starts producing, you are on a mission to find new ways to bake it into breads, spiralize it into side dishes or incorporate it into a cheesy casserole. In this recipe, zucchini is used as a vessel for a flavorful cornbread, ground chicken and corn mixture. It is hearty enough on its own; simply add some sliced fresh tomatoes to round out the meal. Choose squash that are uniform in shape so they will cook evenly. The best kinds for this recipe are long, straight and not too skinny."

You may substitute yellow summer squash for the green zucchini. Note, also, that this recipe serves as a main dish, since it contains a hefty portion of ground chicken in the stuffing - a pound of chicken, in fact.

Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

3 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (about 10 ounces)

4 (12-ounce) zucchini

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

16 ounces ground chicken

1/2 cup chopped red onion

4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 ounces white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup fresh corn

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oven to 375 F. Spread cornbread in an even layer on one end of a baking sheet. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller, scoop out zucchini pulp to equal 3 cups pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch shell intact. Coarsely chop 1 1/2 cups of pulp; reserve remaining pulp for another use. Brush zucchini shells with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Place zucchini shells on baking sheet with cornbread, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bake zucchini and cornbread at 375 degrees until cornbread is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ground chicken to skillet; cook, stirring to crumble, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, reserved 1 1/2 cups zucchini pulp and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and stir in cornbread, white Cheddar cheese, corn and parsley. Divide chicken mixture evenly among zucchini shells. Place shells on a baking sheet.

Bake stuffed zucchini at 350 degrees until filling is lightly browned and zucchini is tender, 25 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD SQUASH

A second squash recipe is from Ms. Leake's kitchen, and she says it may be made a day ahead of time.

Squash Souffle

2 pounds squash

1/4 cup green pepper

1/4 cup pimiento

1/2 stick butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup chopped onion (finely chopped)

3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (reserve some for the top)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Buttered breadcrumbs

Cook squash until tender. Drain, mash and add other ingredients. Pour into a buttered dish and top with buttered breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

SUGAR AND SPICE...

I have been thinking this week of what a difference salt and sugar make: not to BE the taste, but to enhance the taste. Salt especially, but also that legendary pinch of sugar, can make all the difference. Do you have an opinion about this? If so, please share it.

JUST A DASH

The request for brownies infused with orange-flavored olive oil brought a tandem request: Where can I find that orange-laced oil locally? Two pairs of Chattanoogans, Mr. and Mrs. Sunday and Ken and Jane Raglin, solved that problem.

The Sundays wrote, "No need to drive to North Carolina when a drive to the North Shore will do. Olive Chattanooga (opposite Walgreens just steps away from Frazier Avenue) carries blood-orange-infused oil (http://shop.olivechattanooga.com/products/blood-orange-extra-virgin-olive-oil) and will be happy to let you taste it before you buy.

"Don't forget to taste other flavors as well as balsamic vinegars."

On that flavorful note, we'll end for today, hoping you will return next Wednesday.