It is good to know that you – yes, you – are at the other end of this paragraph. Keep reading, and here’s a lemon-saucy question that came from an earlier request. “We’ve never eaten at Mount Vernon,” wrote Mr. and Mrs. Sunday. “Was their Lemon Sauce beurre blanc? Hollandaise? Lemon gravy?” You lemon sauce experts, please send us your lemon sauces: the ones listed, the particular Mount Vernon Restaurant sauce or a lemon sauce for any purpose and with any base, from dessert to fish.
Michele Brown raised a question. “What has happened to pickled peaches you used to buy in a jar? White House made them, but I can’t find them anymore. I sold my big canner years ago, so I can’t make my own like my mother did.”
And finally, please note these three recycled requests for recipes for roasted avocado, freekah and farro.
Jane HenegarPESTO
To use the last exuberant crop of fresh basil, Jean Mauroner recommended this pesto from home in East Brainerd. “I make this all the time, and it comes from the San Antonio Herb Society Cookbook.”
And what does one do with fresh basil pesto? “Use this for making bruschetta (recipe follows).”
Fresh Basil Pesto
4 cloves garlic, or more to taste
2 cups fresh basil, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts (or substitute pecans or walnuts)
1/3 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Place garlic, basil, Parmesan and nuts in a food processor. Process, then slowly drizzle in olive oil. Stir in salt and pepper. More oil may be needed if using immediately. If not using immediately, cover the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent browning.
To freeze, put in mini-muffin tins overnight and then transfer them to baggies and keep them in the freezer for later use. This keeps at least 6 months in the freezer. If you are not freezing them, recipe will keep 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Shortcut Bruschetta (from cooking school in Italy)
Small pieces of toasted bread
Fresh pesto
Fresh tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
Top bread with pesto. Put finely chopped tomatoes on top of the pesto. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
PEACHES
Thank you, E. of Henagar, Alabama, for sending a peach dish fit for the waning peaches of summer.
Baked Honeyed Peaches
4 large ripe peaches, pitted and halved
4 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup honey
Ground cinnamon for dusting
Sour cream to serve
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow baking pan that will hold all. Place peaches skin side down. Dot with butter; sprinkle with nuts; drizzle with honey. Dust with a little cinnamon.
Bake at the top of oven 10 to 15 minutes, until peaches are turning color and nuts are lightly browned.
Serve peaches with juices drizzled over and topped with a spoonful of sour cream.
FISH TESTIMONIALS
The first answer to the question from a pescetarian new to Chattanooga came from Mr. and Mrs. Sunday, and they recommend restaurants that prepare fish well.
“At Bella Lisboa on Frazier [Avenue], Joe Vagos cooks fish correctly. A good test case is octopus; if you’re not an expert you end up with fishy rubber bands. Joe’s octopus is tender and flavorful. Other fish follows suit.” On Chestnut Street, “Paloma’s sake tataki is also nice (salmon).” And those are just the dishes the Sundays have tried so far.
GREEK DRESSING
Michele Brown has a definitive answer from the Acropolis Restaurant in Hamilton Place. “I went to the Acropolis tonight to pick up a piece of their homemade Hummingbird Cake. Ms. Betty was there and she said yes, they do sell their dressing. It comes in wine bottles and should last a little while unless you’re like me and love Greek salads. Good to marinate meat in the refrigerator, but please only in the refrigerator.”
Hummingbird cake – oh my, there’s another delicacy worth requesting.
KITCHEN FAVES
Here are more Bests of the Best in home kitchens, and if you haven’t sent yours, we will wait for you.
* Margaret McNeil’s kitchen favorite is a Ninja Master Prep. She explained.
“Several year ago, a friend in New York City sent me a Ninja Master Prep – a combination blender, food chopper and food processor – to help me with prep work, especially at the holidays. I wasn’t sure what I would ever use it for, but it has proven invaluable over the years. I use the Ninja to make bread crumbs from cornbread and biscuits and chop onions and celery for cornbread dressing; to chop the cranberries, apple and orange for cranberry relish; to puree peaches for a cold summertime soup; to chop cabbage for coleslaw. And the list goes on.” So, then, does this mean a trimmer kitchen for Ms. McNeil, who is a food blogger? She says no. “Since the Ninja does the work of three machines, I have more room in my kitchen for other gadgets.”
* The final word on Best of the Best in her kitchen, concluded KSH, whose thoughts on the topic were also included last week, is the human element: family, celebrations, a cloud of dust and a cook’s confidence in serving. “It’s family bringing stories of joy and sadness and the Pig Pen cloud of dirt that follows them into the room; it’s celebrations of weddings and babies; it’s the chance to open my doors with confidence, knowing that I have the ability to ‘throw things together’ with the confidence that the crowd can be comfortable.”
There you go: It means a lot to be a meeting place for family and friends, to be one who doesn’t mind that Pig Pen cloud of dirt they bring, and to ease into a certain confidence at one’s own kitchen gifts and style. A comfortable crowd: There’s a goal to aim for.
* Mr. and Mrs. Sunday’s busy kitchen benefits from multipurpose ovens.
And though they didn’t choose just one favorite thing, here’s their thing about ovens. “When it comes to ovens, think about multipurpose ovens rather than specials; microwaves are good, but combo microwave/convection ovens are better. Warming drawers are nice, but extra ovens that can also be set to ‘warming’ temperatures are better. Don’t forget that toaster ovens can serve as regular ovens in a pinch. Come Thanksgiving, you’ll be thankful to have a lot of choice for ovens.”
And a dash of philosophy came at the end: “We also agree with KSH that a kitchen has traditionally been the true heart of a home and we’ve always liked it that way.”
Keep it up, tell us more and read on.
REQUESTS
* Lemon sauce
* Pickled peaches
* Roasted avocado
* Freekah
* Farro
TO 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
E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com