Corn Chowder

By Roz Brown

2 large onions, chopped
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cans cream-style corn
3 cans whole kernel corn
1 cup water*
4 cups milk*
1 can evaporated milk*
Tarragon to taste (instead of salt and pepper)
1 pack of bacon/or jar of bits

Sauté onion in bacon drippings if cooking bacon, or butter if not. Pour into pot once sautéed with potatoes and water. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk, corn and tarragon, stirring frequently. Add bacon to taste when eating. *I like my soup thin and added a lot more liquid. Keep to the recipe for thicker soup.

Tarragon fun facts: Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking, and particularly suitable for chicken, fish and egg dishes. Tarragon is one of the main components of Béarnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised sprigs of tarragon may be steeped in vinegar to impart their flavor.

Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink in the countries of Armenia, Georgia and, by extension, Russia and Ukraine. The drink—named Tarhun (թարխուն, pronounced [tarˈxuːn]; Тархун), which is the Armenian, Persian and Russian word for tarragon—is made out of sugary tarragon concentrate and colored bright green.

Roz Tarragon fun fact: how I discovered it's use in potatoes and salads, I don't remember - just remember that it's a strong herb like curry so start small.

Italian Sausage Soup

By Salena Thomas

1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.
I added about 7 oz of chesse tortellini. You can add your own type of pasta if you want. I would increase the broth by one more can to compensate for the noodles (which I did not do cause I didn't have any more broth).

Roasted Tomato Soup
By Jocelyn Denyer

6 lb plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 Tbsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp butter
3 c chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Spread the tomatoes, skin side down, in one layer in 2 foil-lined jelly roll pans. Add the garlic to 1 of the pans and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are very soft and their skin is dark brown. Let the tomatoes cool in the pans on racks.
In a heavy saucepan cook the shallot and oregano in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring until the shallot is translucent. Add the tomatoes, the garlic (skins discarded), and 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes.
In a blender puree the soup in batches until it is very smooth. Strain back into saucepan and whisk in the cream. More broth can be added if necessary to reach the desired consistency. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Breakfast Pizza
from Salena Thomas

Pizza crust

1 lb sausage

¼ c milk

½ tsp salt
1 c frozen hash browns

1 c sharp cheddar
5 eggs

2 Tbsp Parmesan
1/8 tsp pepper

Crumble sausage and cook. Sprinkle potatoes and sausage on crust in a 9 x 13. Sprinkle with cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Cheddar Strata with Grilled Onions

from Roz Brown

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
8 slices rye bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 large tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs

Heat oven to 300ºF. Spray square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with cooking spray. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions in oil 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown; remove from heat. Trim crusts from bread. Spread mustard on 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange 4 slices, mustard sides up, in baking dish. Layer 1 cup of the cheese, the tomato and onions on bread. Place remaining bread, mustard sides down, on onions. Beat milk and eggs until well blended. Pour evenly over bread. Bake uncovered about 1 hour or until center is set and bread is golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Very Veggie Lasagna

From Shirley Paoule

2 medium carrots, julienned

1 med zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices

1 med onion, sliced

1 c broccoli florets

1/2 c sliced celery

1/2 c julienned sweet red pepper

1/2 c juliened green pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce

14 lasagna noodles, cooked and ddrained

4 c (16oz) shredded moxxarella cheese

In a large skillet, stir-fry the vegetables, garlic and salt in oil until crisp-tender. Spread 3/4 c spaghetti sauce in a greased 9x13. Arrange seven noodles over sauce, overlapping as needed. Layer with half of the vegetables, spaghetti sauce and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 60 - 65 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serves 12.

Pie Crust
From Salena Thomas

1/3 c + 1 tbsp butter flavor Crisco
1 c flour
Dash salt

Mix flour and salt. Cut Crisco in to small pebble size. Add 3 Tbsp ice cold water and gently toss in. Mixture will still be crumbly. Use hands to form into a ball. Roll out on floured surface. For easy clean up, roll on floured 12 x 12 piece of wax paper. (The paper is already 12 inches long; just tear a piece off approximately the same lenght.) Roll out into a circle to touch the edges of the wax paper. It's the perfect sized for a pie dish!

Blueberry Chess Pie
From Salena Thomas

This is a southern recipe handed down to me from my grandmother.

1 ½ c sugar
½ c butter
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 Tbsp flour 2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vinegar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 pt fresh blueberries (not frozen)

1 unbaked 9” pie shell, bottom only

Cream sugar, butter, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300. Bake 35 more minutes or until firm in center. Cool on rack.

Pat's Any Way You Like Cobbler

From Becky Sanchez

I doubled the cobbler part because I really like that part!

Your choice of fresh fruit, sliced
SugarTapioca (I used flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.- Fill a pan (9 x 13-inch for mostly fruit, 9 x 9-inch for more dough) about 2/3 full with fruit.- Sprinkle the fruit with sugar. Just a bit if it's very sweet fruit. Be more generous for tart fruit. -Sprinkle the fruit with tapioca. This absorbs the excess juice, so you'll need to add more for very juicy fruits or berries.- For the dough combine the egg, sugar, and melted butter. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir till smooth. Stir in the milk. Stir till smooth. Pour the flour mixture over the fruit in the pan.- Bake for about 1 hour, till the top is browned. The time will vary depending on how much fruit, what size pan, and how much dough you used.

Barbecued Beans

From Roz Brown

This recipe was shared with me from a friend who found it in the Southern Living 1994 Annual Recipes Cookbook, submitted by Patty Renwich of Mount Airy, MD. Thank you Patty! Over the years I've made all types of substitutions and omissions and

it's always been a family favorite!

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onions

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained

1 15oz can butter beans, drained

1 16oz can pork&beans, undrained

Cook ground beef and onions in a dutch oven, stirring until meat crumbles. Drain and place in a large bowl.stir sugar and remaining ingredients into mixture. spoon into a lightly greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish.bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, stirring once (after 30 minutes)Yield 8 to 10 servings

Strawberry Slush
From Salena Thomas

2 pkgs frozen strawberries, thawed
12 oz pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
lemon lime soda
1 c sugar
2 cans water

Assorted fresh fruits, cut into chunks (opt)

Mash strawberries with a potato masher. Combine mashed strawberries, lemonade, sugar, and water in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a container such as a plastic ice cream bucket. Freeze. To serve, let thaw about one hour. Place a scoop of the slush into each glass and pour soda over the mixture. Thread chunks of fruit on a skewer to make a kabob and use to stir the slush.

Variety of Marinades for Chicken, Beef, or Pork

From Salena Thomas

For easy marinading, put meat in ziploc bag along with marinade. Mostly seal the bag and then squeeze all the air out before sealing completely. Then squish the bag around to evenly distribut the marinade. Throw in fridge and forget about it. No need to "flip". And remember, any sauce can be used as a marinade. Be creative. Try salsa, BBQ sause, any kind of salad dressing, etc...

Easy Chicken Fajitas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
¼ c Italian dressing
2 tsp chili powder

Barbequed Turkey
½ c soy sauce
½ c oil
1 c 7Up or Sprite
¾ Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp horseradish sauce
4 – 5 lbs turkey breast

Gaan Puun Gee
40 oz wing drumettes or tenders (wash in cold water and let drain)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt5 Tbsp soy sauce

USO Chicken
1 c brown sugar1 c water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 c soy sauce
garlic paste

Maple Glazed Chicken
¼ cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons lemon juice or cider vinegar

The Best Potato Salad Ever

from Shirley Paoule

3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes

1 Tbsp vinegar

3/4 c onion, chopped

3/4 c red pepper, chopped

3/4 c celery, chopped

1/2 c finely chopped dill pickles

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

3/4 c mayonnaise

In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until they're easily pierced with a skewer, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining veggies and eggs in a large bowl. When potatoes are done, drain and cut into 1/2" pieces while still warm. Transfer to the bowl with the veggies and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp dill pickle juice and vinegar. Toss salad gently with mayonnaise. Season with walt and pepper. Chill before serving.

Raspberry (or strawberry) Lemonade

From Becky Sanchez

from Martha Stewart Living June 2009

10 lemons, sliced

2 cups raspberries (or strawberries)

1 1/2 cups sugar

Put all ingredients in a large pot and pound for about 10 minutes (I used a potato masher). Add 6 cups water. Drain through sieve, squeezing any extra juice you can out of the lemons and discarding the fruit (I did save a few of the larger strawberry pieces to put in the cups). I added extra sugar once I tasted it. Makes 9 cups.
I also sprinkled sugar over some sliced strawberries to add to the bottom of the cups.

BLT Bites

From Jocelyn Denyer

1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

Combine mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring well with a wire whisk; stir in bacon, spinach, and tomato. Spoon 1 tablespoon onto individual cucumber slices, or serve with Melba toast rounds.