Good December morning to you. Here’s a hodgepodge of old and new queries. How do you make gluten-free gravy that is not grainy? Do you have a recipe for pork chops with grilled peaches? And have you ever found a source for recipes from the Mount Vernon Restaurant? And why not throw in two more: Give us the best thing you have cooked or plan to cook over the holidays. Tell us the best thing you tasted that you wish you knew how to cook, and we’ll try to find out how.
SQUASH CASSEROLE
Squash in its many variations is a fine winter ingredient. Susan McWhirter of McMinnville, Tennessee, has a well-loved squash recipe with a well-rhymed name. “I’ve had this recipe for over 40 years, from family in Grenada, Mississippi, and I make it for every church potluck. We grow the squash in our garden every summer; I steam it in 2-pound batches and freeze for use all year long. It’s a favorite.”
Posh Squash
2 pounds yellow squash, sliced, cooked, and drained
1 medium onion, chopped; sautéed in bacon grease until tender
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Mix all together and place in a greased 11- by 7-inch dish; bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
ADAPTABLE SOUP
The soup below is another entry in the lactose-free soup conversation. Judy Gillespie found several in that category on the website deliciouslyorganic.net, from the kitchen of Carrie Vitt.
Butternut Squash, Carrot and Coconut Soup (grain-free and dairy-free optional)
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon ghee, melted (or substitute palm shortening for a dairy-free option)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 leek, white and light parts only, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
3 cups chicken broth (you can use bone broth or meat stock )
1 cup coconut milk
Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and adjust the rack to the middle position. Place the squash on a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper. Pour the ghee over the top, and gently toss to coat the squash. Roast for 30 minutes or until soft when pierced with a knife.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the carrots and leeks, and stir to combine. Put the lid on the pot, and let the vegetables sweat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir in the thyme and sea salt.
Add the chicken broth and roasted squash to the carrot mixture, and bring to a simmer. Then, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Or you can also process the soup in a blender until smooth. Stir in the coconut milk. Season to taste with sea salt. Serve.
Note: If you like it a bit thinner, then just add 1/2 cup or so of water.
SLIDERS
Carli Snyder sent this crowd-size recipe with a suggestion. “You could serve a fresh green salad with crisp apples and mustard vinaigrette alongside.” She found it in on hostthetoast.com. This recipe makes 24 sliders, and it seem suitable for a New Year’s Day celebration. Or a celebration still in 2019. Or any day in 2020, for that matter.
French Onion Beef Sliders for a Crowd
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
2 large sweet onions, sliced
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons beef base (such as Better than Bouillon), divided
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
24 slider buns
12-16 ounces Gruyere cheese, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, 25-30 minutes. If the onions start to look dry or burnt, add a tablespoon of water to the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with half of the beef base and half of the Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the skillet full of onions. Increase heat to medium-high, and brown the beef, breaking it up and mixing with the onions as you go. Once browned, drain off excess grease.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Separate the tops from the bottoms of the slider buns. Fit the slider bottom buns tightly on the baking sheet. Evenly distribute the beef and onion mixture over the bottom buns. Top with the Gruyere cheese. Cover with the top buns.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the remaining beef base. Stir in the remaining Worcestershire sauce, and continue to mix until well combined. Using a pastry brush, brush the beefy butter mixture over the top buns. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, thyme, onion powder and garlic powder. Bake the sliders until the cheese is fully melted and the tops of the rolls are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
MARINADE
Having just prepared a very bland pork tenderloin, I am interested in the following pork tenderloin marinade from the Lookout Mountain family cookbooks of Margaret Clark. I browned the tenderloin in a skillet, and it made a big mess and was not tender. This marinade could have helped.
You ask, “How to prepare the pork?” That will be up to you.
(However, those instructions might adapt well to the marinade that follows. “Marinate 6 to 24 hours; I chose 24. Place pork tenderloins in baking dish; pour marinade over them. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes uncovered, until internal temp registers 145 degrees. You can double marinade. Serve with marinade.” – JH)
Here is the magic potion to season it through and through.
Pork Tenderloin Marinade
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove – or more
1/3 cup lemon juice
Mix well.
Speaking of magic potions, they do arrive routinely at this desk. Thanks to you all.
REQUESTS
* Gluten-free gravy
* Pork chops with grilled peaches
* Recipes from Mount Vernon Restaurant
* What you ate over the holidays
Jane HenegarTO REACH US
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.
* Email: chattfare@gmail.com
* Fax: 423-668-5092