We have come to August and all its goodbyes and beginnings. So shall we begin?
Hungry Husband read about chicken salads, and that got him thinking. "I much prefer tuna or salmon salad to chicken, and I would like some good recipes for both of those, as well as shopping advice about the best tuna and salmon to buy. I believe the wild versions are better for you."
BLUEBERRY PIE
Charlotte Freeman began today's discussion. "Every blueberry season I dream of this most delicious blueberry pie. The berries are not cooked, and so it makes it especially good. It came to me from my friend, the late Ruth Vredeveld."
Ruth Vredeveld's Blueberry Pie
4 cups blueberries, divided
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pie shell, baked
Wash 3 cups of the blueberries, and set aside to drain.
To the remaining 1 cup of blueberries, add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 2 minutes. Drain and remove juice (push pulp through a strainer to get more blueberry pulp into this).
Add 3/4 cup sugar that has been mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Cook and stir until thick. Cool. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and stir.
Put uncooked berries into baked pie shell, and pour syrup mixture over this. Refrigerate.
MATER SANDWICHES
The next recipe qualifies for our "Just a Dash" designation, but you'll need a little more detail than a dash's worth. Michele O. Brown sent this one from the late Dalton Roberts, printed in one of Mr. Roberts' Times Free Press articles. The original version is for a 'mater' sandwich - Southern-speak for tomato.
How To Improve a Simple Fresh Tomato Sandwich
A good loaf of sliced white bread
Mayonnaise
A thick slice of beefsteak tomato (or any other as long as it is fresh)
(Now here's what turns the sandwich into heaven on earth if you are a real Southerner:)
Pink Himalayan salt in a grinder (You may use any grinder that is used for nothing else. Nothing should add any other flavor to the salt.)
Black pepper (optional)
On two slices of bread slather mayonnaise. Add the tomato, and grind the Himalayan salt over the tomato. Add pepper if desired.
And here is Dalton Roberts' final instruction. "Get yourself a big glass of sweet iced tea and take a trip to the land of deliciousness. You will never use any other salt on a 'mater' sandwich again. I promise you that."
Ms. Brown concurs. "He was absolutely right about what that salt does for the old Southern, summertime favorite. I just won't even eat one without it, now.
"I hope other readers will think so also."
CHICKEN SALAD
Here's a commendation (always welcome, by the way) for a reader's help in another reader's kitchen. Lucy Boyd wrote, "Thank you to Margaret McNeil for the primer on chicken salad. I have cut it out as it is one of the most helpful things I have read in a long time."
Let's not finish talking about chicken salad, as it is a most essential ingredient in warm-weather kitchens. Rose Secrest heeded our request for her vegan version. She says Stirling's in Sewanee, Tennessee, serves this mixture as a salad or in a sandwich.
Vegan Chicken Salad
Soy curls (follow the instructions on the bag to rehydrate; one bag makes 8 servings)
Vegenaise (enough to moisten; more if you like)
Celery (at least one rib per person, chopped fine; add leaves and celery seed if you wish)
Onion (the sweeter the onion, the more you use; put as much chopped onion as chopped celery)
Curry powder (about 1 teaspoon per person)
Variation: Old Bay instead of curry powder
Mix all ingredients, and serve.
COOKBOOK MUSEUMS
A cookbook museum: Is there such a thing? Thank you Paula Southwood for providing the answer. Cookbook collectors who have to downsize, take note.
"There is a cookbook museum in New Orleans. I know they lost a lot of their collection in Hurricane Katrina. Years ago, I sent them a box of Junior League cookbooks and they were appreciative."
CINNAMON SOURDOUGH
Mildred Folds of Bridgeport, Alabama, is part of the vast community of sourdough bakers. But here is her cinnamon-laced twist.
She wrote, "Sourdough bread is always a winner, but my family wants one loaf to be cinnamon bread. It's easy to make."
You will need some sourdough starter for this recipe.
Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
There are no proportions given here, so go by personal preference for the flavorings.
Oleo or butter
Sugar
Cinnamon
1 loaf's worth of sourdough bread dough
Mix melted oleo/butter, sugar and cinnamon to taste, and set aside.
Use 1 portion of sourdough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough in rectangle shape. This will get rid of air bubbles.
Spread cinnamon mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. You can dot with raisins, dried cranberries or chopped pecans.
Start at one end, and gently roll up. Press to make a seam at the end, tuck both ends under and place seam side down in a greased loaf pan. Let rise again and bake at 350 degrees with other loaves. Remove, and brush with butter.
Let cool for a few minutes, and turn out on a wire rack to completely cool.
Note: Do not try to toast in a toaster. It will be a mess.
KITCHEN TREASURES
Reminiscing about family treasures, Anne Exum wrote, "I loved reading about the collection of cookbooks that Rebecca Hale was offering to your readers. My sisters and I shared most of my mom's cookbooks and recipes (and yes, Revere Ware pots and pans, silver, dishes and pantry items) when Mom moved last fall from her condo. We, and some of her grandchildren, were happy to claim Junior League books of recipes from seemingly every city in the South. Since her death, the recipe cards written in her hand are even more precious."
Perhaps Ms. Exum's mother, Georgia Nicholson, kept her handwritten recipe cards splatter-free, but sometimes even the evidence of use is precious to the ones who inherit those cards.
Next week will be colorful for sure, and mostly green. An expert at pesto variants, Pam of the blog Sidewalk Shoes, has a pesto for carrot tops, arugula, spinach, tarragon and then some. And as you survey your overflowing summer's end gardens, if such there are, you might find a pesto recipe that preserves summer's bounty. So keep reading and keep writing. For one more topic (inspired by Anne Exum above), we'd love to know what comes to your mind when you and your kin consider the treasures kept in family kitchens, when that kitchen is closed.
REQUESTS
* Tuna and salmon salad recipes
* Advice on buying tuna and salmon
* Family kitchen treasures
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