Good morning, August companions. In the summer-preserving tomato jam Linda Johnson sent from her Dunlap, Tennessee, home, a single piece of advice was printed at the end, "Preserve recipes."
Please tell us how you keep your recipes at hand and in order. Some of us need a clutter-control office for the treasured recipes we want to make again and again.
S. Lewis is asking for a recipe for tomato pie. A recent recipe in these pages from Side Orders columnist Anne Braly came with tips for getting the crust right. We welcome additional tips and recipes.
TOMATO JAM
As mentioned, Linda Johnson offers you today a book recommendation and a tried-and-true recipe from that book. "After reading your column today, I just had to ask if you have discovered the book 'So Easy to Preserve'? It is a publication of the Cooperative Extension, The University of Georgia. My edition is copyright 2014.
"I was told by a Tennessee Extension agent several years ago that this was the Bible of preserving foods. I bought one for myself and one as a gift for a foodie friend.
"From a recipe in this book, I made tomato jam last year and will do so again this year. My favorite way to use it is in a vinaigrette (but it is just as tasty as a spread on cream cheese and crackers). I just mix some with vinegar, olive oil and even chopped bacon if I have any. We love it over fresh greens or any Cobb or other green salad."
Here is that recipe.
Spiced Tomato Jam with Powdered Pectin
3 cups prepared tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 box powdered pectin
To prepare fruit:
Wash firm-ripe tomatoes. Scald, peel and chop tomatoes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Measure 3 cups tomatoes in a saucepot. Add lemon rind, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
To make jam:
Sterilize 5 half-pint canning jars. Place prepared fruit into a saucepot. Add lemon juice. Measure sugar, and set aside. Stir powdered pectin into prepared fruit. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. At once, stir in sugar. Stir and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Then boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving inch head space. Wipe jar rims, and adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath.
FRUITY REFRESHER
Teri Purvis toasts the summer months with a creative combination of lemon, pineapple and Sprite.
Pineapple Lemonade
1 cup Country Time lemonade powder
2 cups cold water
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice, chilled
2 cans cold Sprite
Mix well, and serve cold.
ZUCCHINI IN A PIE
A cookbook gift to Fare Exchange from Lynn Carroll included this recipe from "A Floured Hand Up." This timely version is suitable for the generous zucchini gardens of Chattanooga.
Zucchini Pie
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup oil
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion, grated
3 eggs
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients, and pour into a greased pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. This pie may be frozen before baking. Thaw before cooking.
For a lighter version, substitute 1/4 cup oil, light cheese, Lite Bisquick and Egg Beaters.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
PEACH PLEASURE
This is one more peach pleasure as the season wanes. A.E. got it from The Peach Truck website and has added helpful tips.
Vegan Peach Pecan Ice Cream
1/4 cup coconut cream
2 cans full-fat coconut milk, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch)
1/2 cup raw sugar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
4 peaches (fresh or frozen), cut into small chunks
1/4 cup chopped pecans
If you are using an automatic ice cream machine, prior to preparation make sure that the machine's ice cream bowl has been freezing for at least 24 hours. It should be completely frozen solid. Also, shake the coconut milk cans very well; the contents will need to be incorporated.
Heat coconut cream and 1 1/2 cans of coconut milk in a large pot over low heat. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk with starch. Stir, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Stir starched mixture into coconut milk mixture. Add in sugar and stir. Allow to cook until mixture has become thick, almost pudding-like. (I have found that this takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will know that it is the right consistency when the mixture stays on the mixing spoon for a few seconds without dripping off.)
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and salt. Pour mixture into a glass bowl, cover, and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Once mixture is cool, use with ice cream maker as per manufacturer's instructions. (I've noticed that if it churns too much it gets icy so be sure to keep an eye on it.)
Using a rubber spatula, begin to fold in peaches and pecans. (I used frozen peaches and poured in the peach juice, which really helps add flavor.) Now, remove the ice cream from the machine, and pour into scooping pan. (I use a loaf pan.) Cover the pan, and freeze for another 3 hours, at least. If you have the time to stir it every hour, it will help it to remain super creamy. Remove from freezer, allow to thaw for a couple of minutes and enjoy.
JUST A DASH
Tim Threadgill stirred the vegetable soup pot with the following tips:
- Southern veggies are traditionally cooked with a ham hock as seasoning. Since even ham hocks are expensive now, I buy a jar of ham base and keep in the fridge to make broth for veggies and soups when I want the smoky flavor it gives.
- I generally do not add salt when cooking peas or beans because it can make them tough, and the base has some salt in it.
- Better Than Bouillon is a soup base available in most stores; a larger jar that keeps basically forever in the fridge is available through Amazon and restaurant supply."
Thank you one and all, and do come back.
REQUESTS
- Recipe storage tips
- Tomato pie
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
E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar