Good morning, companions of 52 fruitful 2023 weeks. Of the many visitors enjoying Chattanooga over the holidays, Mary Coffey thinks about food a lot when she is here from Virginia “and seized the opportunity to deliver three requests to Fare Exchange. I am looking for a cheese souffle of any kind. Second, in our area, Belgian frites is a restaurant specialty, but I would like to learn to make them at home. Finally, cold weather makes me want to drink hot spiced tea like my grandmother used to make.”
Elsie Keith, perhaps Fare Exchange’s most longstanding friend, remembered. “It is the time of year I remember Anne Braly asked anyone who wanted to send in a recipe for the holidays, and she would print them. We had an entire section that was nothing but recipes and oh, they were good ones. I miss those days and recipes.”
And so we echo Ms. Braly’s idea from years past, asking you to send in recipes from your holiday meals. They would brighten up January, surely, for us all.
ORANGE CAKE
Ms. Keith introduced her fresh orange cake with this oft-repeated saying, “If it is not frosted, it is not cake.” This is her process.
(READ MORE: Tempt sweet tooth with orange marmalade cake, peanut brittle)
“I decided I wanted a fresh orange cake. It has been years since I made one, and I had to go way back in my cookbook selection to find it. This recipe came from a recipe book back in the ’60s. My father-in-law loved this cake, and I have not seen any like it in years. You frost with orange frosting.” (We will add one version of such a frosting to Ms. Keith’s recommended cake.)
Fresh Orange Layer Cake
2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 medium eggs
Sift flour with baking powder, sugar and salt. Add shortening, milk and orange rind. Beat with a spoon for 2 minutes. Add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until done. Frost with orange buttercream frosting.
Easy Orange Buttercream Frosting
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 pinch kosher salt
In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar and unsalted butter.
Mix on low speed, working up to medium as the sugar combines with the butter, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the zest and orange juice to the bowl. Mix on low.
With the mixer on low, add the heavy cream or milk slowly.
Mix on medium for 3 minutes, and spread on cooled cake.
If the frosting is too thick, add 1 teaspoon more orange juice at a time. If it’s too thin, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and remix.
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
Janet and Marcus Hulsey carry generous platters of their favorite breakfast treat to potluck events, and this contribution from their Rising Fawn, Georgia, home gets devoured first.
(READ MORE: Multiple sausage requests from Chattanooga cooks; missing cranberries restored)
Sausage and Cream Cheese Casserole With Crescent Rolls
2 (1-pound) rolls breakfast sausage
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
2 (8-ounce) packages Pillsbury crescent rolls, divided
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a skillet brown sausage, crumbling as it cooks, until done. While sausage is still hot, mix with softened cream cheese. (You could heat sausage and cream cheese mixture gently together in a saucepan instead.)
Unroll first package of crescent roll dough into a 9- by 13-inch pan. Pinch seams together so there are no holes.
Bake until dough begins to get firm; that way you won’t have a gooey layer at the bottom later, about 7 minutes.
Pour the sausage and cream cheese mixture over the dough, and spread it around. Unroll the second package of crescent roll dough, and place it over the top of the sausage. Pinch seams together. Bake for 19 to 21 minutes, until dough is cooked and lightly browned. Cut in squares, and serve warm.
To make ahead of time: Cook the meat mixture the night before, then add the cooked sausage to the softened cream cheese. Once combined, allow it to cool before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Take the mixture out about 30 minutes before assembling the Sausage and Cream Cheese Casserole, so the meat mixture can come to room temperature.
VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
We have just a few more squirreled-away recipes from Roseann Strazinsky’s abundant email collection. Here’s one that is thoroughly vegetarian.
(READ MORE: Where to eat vegan food in Chattanooga)
Rustic Meatless Lasagna
9 lasagna noodles
2 cans (8 ounces each) low-sodium tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1 cup shredded carrot
1 container (15 to 16 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, but do not add salt.
While noodles are cooking, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9- by 13-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray; set aside.
In a small bowl combine tomato sauce, garlic and oregano. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, carrot, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Mix well.
Drain noodles in a colander. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Place 3 noodles on top of the tomato sauce. Spread half of the broccoli mixture over the noodles. Spoon 1/2 cup of tomato sauce over the broccoli; place 3 noodles on top. Spread with remaining broccoli mixture; top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
Top with remaining noodles and tomato sauce: sprinkle mozzarella over top. Bake until bubbling, about 45 minutes. Place on a wire rack, and cool for about 15 minutes; cut into squares.
Cook’s tip: For perfect lasagna noodles, undercook slightly, then drain thoroughly in a colander and toss carefully with a drop of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking.
Makes 8 servings.
And on that tasty note, we will part until 2024, with gratitude for you, each and every one.
REQUESTS
— Cheese souffle
— Belgian frites (fries)
— Hot spiced tea
— Memorable holiday recipes
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, and know we cannot test the recipes printed here.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chattfare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar