Good morning, readers. As we exchange fare this morning, please offer some help to "Faithful Fare Exchanger," standing in his or her kitchen needing help from you. "Where can you buy alfalfa and other seeds to sprout at home? And how do you make microgreens? And what is the best and easiest way to make homemade Greek yogurt?
We've got some still-missing recipes this morning, so please take note. Readers would like: a recipe for salmon salad; a source for purchasing or a recipe for preparing good vegan cheese; and a chicken and pasta soup that is similar to the one served at J. Alexander's.
CAST-IRON ENLIGHTENMENT
We continue the discussions of cast-iron skillets and cucumber salads. Correspondent H.T. wrote with the voice of cast-iron authority: "I think the main issues with iron skillets is people do not know how to use them. They are not made to cook many dishes people prepare in this day and time. I will list a few reasons.
"Ironware is the original nonstick cookware, if prepared correctly. It is not made to steam or sauté vegetables, etc. It is made to fry. The boiling and steaming were done in tin pots and later copper-bottom Revere Ware.
"A skillet must be 'tempered' before first use. When using, the cast-iron skillet should be heated to almost cooking temperature before adding oil, lard, drippings, etc. This seals the pores in the iron surface and makes it harder for food to stick.
"Bacon, hamburgers, etc. generate their own oils. Cook, drain the skillet, wipe out and then it is ready to go again. I always wipe mine with a little oil on a paper towel. Store hanging or upside down to prevent dust and such getting on oiled surface.
"Use a metal spatula. Most kitchens don't have one now because Teflon or coated stainless or aluminum products are used. It can't hurt cast iron, and it will remove most stuck-on items.
"Washing an iron skillet in soapy water will remove any nonstick coating and allow skillet to rust and give a metal flavor to food. A tempered skillet should only be rinsed in very hot water, not soaked. It should be dried and wiped with an oiled paper towel while warm, then stored.
"I am 63 years old. The skillets I use and my knowledge come from my great-grandma and mother. I do not know how old these skillets are, but I know they have been in continual use for over 100 years.
"I asked my mother one time how to remove food stuck in the skillet. She said bake in the oven until food is crumbly, then use a spatula to scrape, then wipe with oil. She said a wood fire was the quickest way: Just throw it in the fire. Honest.
"She told me to never wash ironware with soap or detergent."
CAST-IRON RECIPE
Addie McCarty sent you a cast-iron skillet cookie. This recipe is enough for two skillets worth of cookies.
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet. Set aside.
Pour melted butter in mixing bowl. Stir in brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour, soda and salt, and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Press into skillet.
Bake 25 minutes or until slightly browned. Makes 2 (10-inch) cookies.
CUCUMBER SALADS
Clifford Burdette shared a threesome of salads, each containing cucumbers but so much more.
Avocado and Tomato Salad
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 avocados, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, sliced into half moons if desired
1/3 cup corn
1 jalepeño pepper, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice and cumin.
Season with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper.
In a large serving bowl, combine avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, jalapeño and cilantro. Gently toss with dressing and serve immediately.
Cucumber and Onion Salad
3 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced and separated
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon onion salt or onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice cucumber and onions, and set aside in a bowl. (Peel the cucumber, then slice it in half lengthwise. Cut 1 piece into -inch slices. Slice the other half in half again (quarters) and then slice into 1/4-inch slices.)
In a separate bowl mix together cider vinegar, water, sugar, mustard, onion salt or powder. Add salt and pepper to taste, and pour over the cucumber and onion mixture.
Stir to incorporate. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Serve salad cold.
Note: Depending on how much dressing you want on your vegetables, you might want to double the dressing recipe.
Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad
About 8 small to medium cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
2 to 4 small tomatoes cut into 6 to 8 wedges each
2 to 3 jalapenos, sliced and seeded (optional)
Use as many of the above vegetables as you want. Place in a large bowl.
Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
In a small bowl mix sauce ingredients together. Pour sauce over veggies, stirring to coat everything. Place in refrigerator for a few hours, then serve cold.
WISE WORDS
Rose Secrest found a wise saying on the back of a T-shirt from Stirling's Coffee House on the Sewanee campus, and it reminded her of the kitchen-table kind of conversation we sometimes have on these printed pages. Robert Frost speaks from the T-shirt's back: "Here are your waters and your watering place. Drink and be whole again beyond confusion." And so, sitting down and drinking and/or eating together give us a small dose of wholeness, beyond confusion. Is it possible that writing about sitting down and drinking and/or eating together gives a smallish dose as well?
Let's hope so.
REQUESTS
- Home-grown alfalfa, other seeds
- How to grow microgreens
- Homemade Greek yogurt
- Salmon salad
- Vegan cheese
- Chicken and pasta soup like J. Alexander's
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: chatt fare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar