We start right this moment’s Trade with a “Woe is me.” However you may raise that woe. A reader named Elaine continued, “I’ve misplaced (misplaced?) my mom’s 60-year-old Peanut Butter Brittle recipe, utilizing uncooked peanuts.
“When the syrup cooled it unfold out on a sheet, grew agency and broke into items like common onerous peanut brittle. However this sweet had a mushy, non-sticky chunk or ‘chew’ — thus simple on capped enamel. And it was scrumptious and simple to make. I do hope this can sound acquainted to somebody.”
Round a wintry fireplace when the temperature was within the teenagers, A.E. consulted along with her folks, and now you grow to be her folks as you obtain her questions.
“First, the place do you discover jicama, and what are recipes for utilizing it?
“Second, the place do you discover Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes, and what are recipes for utilizing them?
HAIL KALE
Emily Cullum Maguire included this in her weblog, tasteabundanceblog.com, and it appears excellent for almost-January, although it was an autumn advice from Ms. Maguire, a nutritionist and Sign Mountain native.
Fall Ingredient Kale Salad
Lemon Garlic Dressing:
1 complete lemon
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic
Add the juice of the lemon, water, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and salt to a dressing vessel or jar. Grate the three garlic cloves, and add to the identical jar. Shake nicely.
Salad:
1 massive candy potato
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to style
1 bag kale
1 to 2 medium apples
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (or extra, to your liking)
Warmth the oven to 400 levels.
Cube the candy potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Then toss and add to the oven to roast for half-hour flipping with a spatula midway by.
Take away kale from bag, wash nicely and dry nicely. As soon as utterly dry, transfer to a serving dish and pour over half of the dressing.
Then “therapeutic massage” the kale (Similar to it sounds, therapeutic massage the kale leaves by hand by repeatedly squeezing the kale till visibly extra tender). Add the remainder of the dressing after which therapeutic massage extra. The purpose of massaging is to infuse the kale with the flavors within the dressing and to interrupt down the powerful and fibrous traits of kale. This course of lends to simpler chewing and helps out your digestive system in breaking it down as nicely.
Cube the apple into 1/2-inch cubes.
As soon as the candy potato is completed, take away from the oven and let cool.
As soon as the kale has been totally massaged, switch to a serving bowl. Add the diced apple, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds and cooled roasted candy potato to the kale. Toss and serve. Course of takes about 45 minutes, and makes 4 servings.
NYE DIP
Simply in time for New 12 months’s Day got here this appetizer from “A Floured Hand Up.”
(READ MORE: Why do Southerners eat black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day?)
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (11-ounce) can white shoe-peg corn, drained
1 small bottle Italian dressing with olive oil
1 tomato, diced
Minced garlic to style
1 bell pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
12 spring onions, sliced
Salt and pepper
Mix all components. Serve with Fritos Scoops.
Trace: Rotel tomatoes with inexperienced chilies could also be substituted, or it’s possible you’ll add a can of inexperienced chilies together with the plain tomatoes.
SIMPLE SOUP
It appears proper to finish the 12 months with a few recipes from Celia Marks’ “Come Into My Kitchen,” an area treasure from the huge cookbook library of Jane Guthrie.
My eye fell on this simple soup for January first, as soon as stirred up by Ruth Sulzberger Holmberg, who additionally printed newspapers (The Chattanooga Occasions) and made this metropolis a greater and extra lovely place.
New 12 months’s Day Soup
2 cans minestrone
1 can inexperienced pea soup
1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 cans water
2 massive spoons good sherry
In a deep saucepan, warmth collectively the minestrone, inexperienced pea soup, tomato juice and water. Stir in sherry, and serve.
ROOT VEGETABLES
D.J.S., the foundation vegetable cook dinner, provided riffs on a seasonal melody. “I could not cross up commenting concerning Barbara Smith’s Roasted Root Vegetable Medley printed in your column. I make the same roasted veggie bake about twice monthly. We adore it. This model is only a tad totally different.” The directions and choices comply with.
Ms. S. additionally reported that, if a cook dinner needed to incorporate parsnips in a roasted vegetable medley, she or he may discover them at Contemporary Market, “in a bag, good-sized, contemporary and great.”
Roasted Vegetable Medley Variations
Assortment of greens to fit your style: carrots, potatoes, onion, butternut squash, golden beets, inexperienced cabbage, turnips
Garlic cloves
Thyme (contemporary or dried)
Olive oil
Vegetarian or hen broth
Warmth oven to 400 levels. I all the time embrace carrots halved on the diagonal, potato wedges, onion wedges, butternut squash (after I can get it at Aldi, with out taking out a mortgage), golden beets and all the time inexperienced cabbage wedges. Typically I take advantage of turnips when they’re accessible and contemporary.
I do not make particular person layers of every vegetable, however organize with one thing of every one tucked throughout in every layer. It’s fairly that means, and they’re going to cook dinner extra evenly. The colours organize superbly in a big rectangular Pyrex baker with its personal lid. I sprinkle a number of garlic cloves round, a few contemporary sprigs of thyme or some crushed dried thyme. Then I drizzle solely a small quantity of olive oil excessive and about 1/4 cup of vegetarian or hen broth.
As quickly as you set it within the oven, cut back warmth to 350 levels. Roast with the lid on for about 1 hour or till piping scorching and tender. It is onerous to understand how lengthy, since loads relies on the roasting vessel. I test it after about 40 minutes with a skinny sharp knife to see the way it’s doing. I don’t stir it.
As soon as I take it out, it continues cooking undisturbed for a short time, whereas I get no matter else collectively plated and even make just a little herb gravy. The thyme is crucial, including scrumptious however delicate taste.
Tip: One other simple model is to pour some bottled Italian dressing over earlier than roasting. The roasting time in fact will rely in your roaster and if it has a lid, which creates a seal.
We finish with a toast to the 12 months that was and the 12 months that quickly will probably be. And to you, merely indispensable readers.
REQUESTS
— Peanut butter brittle
— Jicama recipes
— The place to search out Jerusalem artichokes
TO REACH US
Fare Trade is a longtime assembly place for individuals who like to cook dinner and like to eat. We welcome each your recipes and your requests. Be sure you embrace exact directions for each recipe you ship, and know we can not take a look at the recipes printed right here.
• Mailing handle: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Street, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
• E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com
