Fare Exchange: Time for soup, salmon and pumpkins

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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

photo Jane Henegar

Welcome to the glorious last weeks of 2015. Today we are searching for three things: a country muffin similar to one sold at a market in Durham, N.C. - loaded with carrots and coconut.

Also, can you unearth the pretzel-like bread sticks once sold at the Valdesian Bakery in Valdese, N.C., or do you have some foot-long bread sticks from your own collection? And closer to home, "Do you know where you can get knives sharpened now that Mia Cucina has closed?"

TOMATO SOUP

Marian Willett celebrated soup season by sending two recipes for tomato soup, the first of which we print today. This one contains a can of tomato soup along with a variety of additions.

Tomato Basil Soup

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or onions

1 teaspoon minced garlic, or garlic powder to taste

1 can fat-free chicken broth

1 can tomato soup

2 soup cans water

1 28-ounce can crushed chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

Freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Stir in shallots or onions and garlic or garlic powder. Sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened, not browned.

Stir in chicken broth, tomato soup, water, tomatoes and basil. Add black pepper (a shake or two).

Heat heavy cream about 45 seconds in microwave. Stir it into tomato mixture. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

PUMPKIN

This week's envelope from Jody Poindexter of Flintstone, Ga., was plumb full of pumpkin recipes, all from Southern Living. Here's one for now. Note that this tart is an appetizer, not a dessert, and that it is anchored by frozen puff pastry. A sugar pumpkin, or pie pumpkin, is the smaller variety that usually has smoother flesh ideal for the recipe below.

Pear and Pumpkin Tart

1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Half a 3-pound sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into -inch-thick slices

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cups loosely packed arugula leaves

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Unfold puff pastry sheets and place side by side on a baking sheet, overlapping short sides inch. Press seam to seal. Score a -inch border on all sides, using a knife. Do not cut through pastry.

Toss together pumpkin slices, next 3 ingredients and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large bowl. Spread mixture in a single layer on prepared pastry sheets, leaving a -inch border.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Toss together arugula, blue cheese, pomegranate seeds, red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mixture over tart and cut into desired shapes.

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

Requests

› Country muffins loaded with carrots and coconut› Pretzel-like breadsticks once sold at Valdesian Bakery in Valdese, N.C., or your own foot-long bread sticks› Where to get knives sharpened

SALMON BURGERS

Thanks to you, Lydia Knight, for responding to the request for Publix salmon burgers. Publix Aprons provided this recipe that calls for salmon fillets as the "burgers." The actual burger sold at Publix in the fresh seafood department is a patty, so we'll continue to wait for that recipe.

Salmon Burger

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 cups radish, thinly sliced

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce

4 salmon fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds (skin removed)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking spray

8 bakery hamburger buns

2 cups watercress, divided (optional, or use other leafy greens)

Combine water, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan; bring to a low simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour warm liquid over radishes. Chill 30 minutes, then drain well.

Combine mayonnaise, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar. Cover and chill.

Heat grill. Whisk soy sauce and chili sauce until blended. Coat salmon with sauce; season with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Grill salmon 4 minutes, brushing with half the soy mixture. Carefully turn salmon; grill 4 minutes, brushing with remaining soy mixture or until the interior of the fish is 145 degrees.

Divide mayonnaise mixture over bottom halves of buns; top each with 1/2 salmon filet. Cover salmon with radishes and 1/4 cup watercress; assemble with top halves of buns. Makes 8 servings.

CORNBREAD

Augusta Rex serves her favorite cornbread with barbecued pork, slaw, sliced tomatoes and sautéed apples. She explains: "I like my cornbread with flour as well, so this recipe is more a cake-like consistency."

Favorite Cornbread

1 cup white flour (or substitute some or all with whole wheat)

2 cups cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 tablespoon sugar (optional; it is said to help the cornbread brown)

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup oil plus some for coating pan

Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, sugar and salt. Then stir in wet ingredients. It might be a little lumpy.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Choose a cast-iron skillet that is either 8-inch (for thicker cornbread) or 10-inch for thinner. Put some oil in skillet and roll it around so the oil goes up sides. Place skillet in hot oven. When oil is good and hot, remove skillet from oven and add batter. Bake for 20 minutes in the hot oven. Lift carefully with a spatula to remove from skillet, and serve hot. Leftovers are good buttered and toasted.

NOTED IN D.C.

At Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C., some Chattanooga visitors thought Clyde's in Georgetown would offer a little local color. Not entirely; they opened the menu to discover this appetizer as part of an American Sampler: "Shakerag Blue Sequatchie Cove Creamery, Sequatchie, TN, aged raw cow's milk cheese wrapped in Chattanooga Whiskey-soaked fig leaves."

So there: Chattanooga and Sequatchie come to the big city. We shouldn't be surprised.

And on that proud-to-belong-here note, we'll leave you until next week.

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