Good morning to all of you. Yeast of the Ridge went too long between sourdough starter feedings, thereby killing her starter. (Or, we wonder, is it really dead? Some experts say never give up on your starter.) She wants to know "where to purchase or beg some sourdough starter locally."
And Bride-To-Be spent a snowy Saturday perusing cookbooks for recipes for two. She invites you into the conversation. You readers have sent a couple of answers to the quest for recipes for one (multiple ideas needed, please). Now double that request and tell us your favorite meal for two, with recipes alongside.
SOUP POT
Dan Cobb wrote next from his Soddy-Daisy home, where a soup pot simmered.
"This is in response to your request in today's paper. You asked for minestrone, which I understand to be a traditional Italian dish using whatever vegetables you happen to have in the fridge or pantry with spices. Well, I am not very fond of just vegetables without some kind of meat. So I used one of my mother's minestrone recipes as a base and just added smoked sausage. It has a very bold, hearty taste; very good for a cold wintry day lunch."
Sausage Minestrone
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa, skinned and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (16-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
3 (16-ounce) cans beef broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon parsley
1 bay leaf
Sauté onions, celery, garlic and sausage. (It will make its own grease, so add no oil.)
Add rest of ingredients, and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
INSTANT POT
Here's a second favorite dish for the Instant Pot from Susan Powell. Ms. Powell made some small changes that are reflected in the version that follows.
Tuscan Chicken Stew for the Instant Pot
This is as simple as stew gets. It's more substantial than your average soup, brightly flavored and begging to be sopped up with crusty bread. Customize as you see fit. Don't like beans? Want more broth? Add or subtract as needed.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 pound small red or white potatoes, halved
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped or crushed tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can or more red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chicken broth or wine
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (you may substitute chicken legs)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional; I omitted)
Large pinch red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Heat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté.
Once hot, add the oil. Add the onion and celery, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes with juice, beans, broth, chicken, oregano if using and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, and mix gently.
Select Manual, and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
Once cooking is complete, use a natural release. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken, and pull the meat off the bones. Return the heat to the pot, and add the vinegar and parsley. Taste for seasoning, and serve.
Instant Pot tip: The soup setting can be used for this recipe. Select Soup, and set the timer to 10 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as written. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
COTTAGE CHEESE
It's fun to see the varied ways you use cottage cheese, according to the first three responses to that request.
Diane Marrs remembered a family recipe (from her recipekeeper.com file). "I thought of this recipe my (now 90-year-old) mother-in-law used to make for special dinners. It's a delicious jelled side salad or dessert." Its source? "Grandma Patty – 1980 Kitchen."
Mandarin Fluff Jell-O Salad
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 (3-ounce) box orange Jell-O
1 (12-ounce) carton cottage cheese
1 (12-ounce) tub Cool Whip
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)
In medium pan, bring the crushed pineapple to a soft boil, remove immediately from stove and stir in Jell-O until it dissolves. Pour into large bowl, and put in refrigerator, uncovered, about 20 minutes until it jells SLIGHTLY. Stir in cottage cheese, then fold in Cool Whip and mandarin oranges (also mini marshmallows if using). Pour into fancy serving bowl if preferred. Place back into fridge, tightly covered, until set and ready to serve. This may be made two days ahead of time. Keep in refrigerator with a tight lid. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Clifford Burdette uses cottage cheese in his favorite breakfast dish.
Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole
1/2 pound pork sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, drained
1 (4-ounce jar pimiento, drained (I use about 2/3 cup chopped mini red and yellow peppers instead)
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cook sausage, drain and set aside.
Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, butter, eggs and cottage cheese in a large bowl.
Stir in green chilies, pimiento, green pepper, onion and sausage.
Generously spray an 8- by 8-inch baking dish.
Pour in egg mixture, and sprinkle shredded cheese over top.
Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 35 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
JUST A DASH
Today's third use for cottage cheese comes in Just a Dash minimalist form, from Barbara Mann. "I love to dice up a small banana, then mix in some cottage cheese, mayonnaise and sugar - all to taste. I eat it midmorning or as a nighttime snack."
Many Fare Exchanges ago, we printed a recipe for cottage cheese croquettes as served in a dining hall at the University of Tennessee. Anybody have that one?
Whatever your key ingredient, do keep on sending us your best experiments, your most repeated traditions. You make this column.
REQUESTS
* Sourdough starter
* Recipes for one
* Recipes for two
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
Email: chattfare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar