Food again - the Dyes cooking thread.

[eriedearie]

Gaz - it is also called Chowchow - at least the Hungarian part of my family refers to it as that. My dad likes it with scrambled eggs. I'll have it along with roast beef, or chicken - as a condiment. One of my daughters-in-law cans it for the family.

[gazhekwe]

So you put it on the food you are eating it with? I never learned how to do that, except maybe I'll put relish on my hot dog.

Hmmm, so we use picallilli with roast beef or chicken? What about ham? Would you put it on a sandwich like relish? I don't know how to use chutney either, or fruit salsa. What am I missing?

The only condiments we ever had in the house when I was a kid learning to cook were mustard and ketchup. I have heard of chow chow, one of the old Detroit pastymakers used to recommend that with his pasty [[Pronounced passtee for all you non Michigan dwellers). Another one liked ketchup with his. Why spoil the taste of the pasty, I say! I feel the same about tartar sauce. If the fish is good and fresh, I don't want to cover the taste.

[eriedearie]

You could use it with ham. I've never put it on a sandwich tho. The chutney or fruit salsa I've never had.

I'm with you on the pasty - wouldn't put anything with them. They are to be tasted and devoured As Is - IMO!

And you must be my long lost sista! I'm the only one in the family that will eat fish without tartar sauce. My mom will cover any fish with tartar sauce till it's dripping in it - then she'll make a remark that the fish is sooooo good! I ask her how the tartar sauce is! LOL

[jcole]

You could use it with ham. I've never put it on a sandwich tho. The chutney or fruit salsa I've never had.

I'm with you on the pasty - wouldn't put anything with them. They are to be tasted and devoured As Is - IMO!

And you must be my long lost sista! I'm the only one in the family that will eat fish without tartar sauce. My mom will cover any fish with tartar sauce till it's dripping in it - then she'll make a remark that the fish is sooooo good! I ask her how the tartar sauce is! LOL

I don't know from chow chow, but the purpose of chutney is to help cool the hot Indian dishes that it was originally served with. I believe it was created by the British when they occupied India during the Raj. My guess is the other similar condiments would be spin offs.

[maxx]

Jams - I've never had that noodle dish - sounds delicious. But have had "Halushka" - egg noodles with cottage cheese, as a side dish. My dad loves that. Every once in a while I get a taste for it. Hummmm...maybe I'll fix some this week!

I made a similar dish years ago with cherry pie filling. It was called cherry lasagna.

[maxx]

I have recently acquired quite a lot of free grits, so I am looking for recipes. I found one that uses equal amounts of grits and pumpkin with lots of sage, cheddar cheese and cinnamon roasted chicken. I used pork instead and added lots of green onions and it was pretty good. Pumpkin is being touted as a miracle food. People are advising to put into dishes like meatloaf.

[maxx]

Chicken fried steak with country gravy again, [[be still, my beating heart). This is becoming a Friday night staple. I'll die with arteries coated with bread crumbs.

I'll say. Why would anyone do that to a good steak when you can broil or roast it?

[oldredfordette]

You don't use good steak for chicken fried steak.

[gazhekwe]

Oh, my, no. You have to pound those steaks flat to get them tender enough to bite a piece off. Then you bread and chicken fry 'em.

[gazhekwe]

Ramps [[Wild Leeks) and Hard Boiled Eggs

• 1 pound ramps
• 4 to 6 slices bacon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 hard-cooked eggs

Cut cleaned ramps into 1-inch pieces; boil in salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a heavy skillet until just crisp. Remove bacon and dice.

Drain parboiled ramps and place in hot bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry until tender. Serve garnished with bacon and boiled eggs, chopped or thinly sliced.

Serves 4 to 6.

[gazhekwe]

Is anyone cooking? I tried a fine recipe today that was perfect for summer and really easy too.

Janet Groene's Margarita Fiesta Salad
[Janet is famous for her recipe books and blog geared to cooking in an RV]

1 ½ cups liquid margarita mix [[I used the kind WITH tequila]
2 pounds chicken or turkey cutlets, cut in strips
Medium sweet onion, peeled and cut in crescents
2 medium avocados, peeled and diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced and drained
Bottled creamy citrus dressing [I found a great key lime dressing in FL]
12-ounce bag shredded lettuce

Place cutlets and margarita mix in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 8 hours or so. Drain well and discard marinade. Grill cutlets in a grill basket or stir-fry in a large skillet in a little oil. Gently fold together cutlets and vegetables adding citrus dressing to taste. Put shredded lettuce on four plates and divide salad among them. Serves 4 as a main dish salad.

[sumas]

Couldn't find the old thread but miss it since I got so many great recipes.

Today, I am doing a brunch for several close friends. First time in a long time that I am entertaining.

Am doing ham, asparagus and cheese crepes, turkey divan, sausage, coffee cake, mini bagels with toppings, doctored baked beans, cheesy potatos, two outstanding salads and more.

Even doing Mimosa, yech!

Just happy to be able to entertain again.

Looking for brunch recipes for future gatherings.

Thanks

[Pam]

Bump for Sumas.

[sumas]

The party turned out fantastic. Plan on doing it once a month. Lots of musicians came and the jam sessions were way fun.

I need a menu plan for next month. Thinking maybe quiche, a pre sliced ham, Korean Salad, maybe a Greek salad, Baklava and more. Looking for ideas.

I was a little surprised at how naive some people were about food. Really didn't think raspberry Gellato served with Kiwi and wheat germ was gourmet. To me it is a simple dessert that looks pretty and tastes good.

How about a good recipe for cheesecake?

[gazhekwe]

It sounds like a great party, and what fun to have one like it every month!

My very favorite cheesecake recipe is so simple. Every time I make it,I get raves. It's from the Philly people. The fat free version follows, it is equally loved in my family and so easy!

New York Cheesecake

Crust
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 T sugar
3 T butter, melted
[[OK, sometimes I cheat and use a store bought graham cracker crust)
Mix crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9 inch sprinform pan. Bake 10 minutes at 325.

Filling
4 8 oz packages Philly brand cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
3 T flour
1 T vanilla
4 eggs
1 c sour cream

Topping [[optional)
1 21 oz can cherry pie filling, or 3 c whole strawberries, stems removed

Heat oven to 325. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanill at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing at low speed after each addition, just until blended.

Blend in sour cream, pour over crust.

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake, cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Top with pie filling or strawberries, stem side down, just before serving.

Philly Free 3-step Cheesecake
Mix 3 8 oz pkg Philly Free Fat Free cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, 1 tsp vanilla at medium speed until well blended. Add 3 eggs, mix until blended.

Spray 9 inch pie pan with non-stick spray, sprinkle bottom with 1/3 c. graham cracker crumbs. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Top with one 20 oz can reduced calorie cherry pie filling.

Variation: Substitute 3/4 tsp almond extract for vanilla.

[gazhekwe]

It's that time of year again, Garlic Mustard time! I just brought in a big bowl of young plants to make some yummy Garlic Mustard Pesto. Repeating the recipe from Post 54:

Garlic Mustard Pesto

* 3 cups Garlic Mustard leaves, washed, patted dry, and packed in a measuring cup
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
* 1 cup Walnuts
* 1 cup Olive Oil
* 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Romano Cheese [[or more Parmesan)
* Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine Garlic Mustard leaves, garlic and walnuts in food processor and chop. Or divide recipe in half and use a blender. With motor running, add olive oil slowly. Shut off motor. Add cheeses, salt & pepper. Process briefly to combine.

Serve warm over pasta or spread on crackers as a appetizer. It also makes a great topping for baked fish.

[This time I am just washing and throwing the whole plant in the processor, roots, stems and all, because I don't have enough to make three cups of leaves.] I didn't need all the whole plants, so removed most of the big stems and some of the roots. I now have about two cups of yummy pesto for dinner another day.

[gazhekwe]

OMG OMG I am so excited! We have an empty house behind us and while I was walking my dog back there, I found MORELS!!! Wild Morels in Southfield!!! What to do with them? Does anyone have any favorite morel recipes? I think I am going to make scrambled eggs with cream cheese and morels, simple but wonderful.

Off to pick them and get them cleaned up and ready for their dinner performance.

Update!

So, nobody around here gets excited about morels? Go figure.

Well, here is what I decided to do. I only had a few huge golden morels, so they ended up being sliced up after roasting.

Savory Corn Bread Topped with Slow Roasted Morels in Thyme Infused Mushroom Broth

* 1 cup Fine Ground Corn Meal [[Red, Yellow or Blue will work)
* 3/4 cup all purpose flour
* 1 tbsp Baking Powder
* 1 tsp Kosher salt
* 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
* 1 tbsp Honey
* 1/2 tbsp Molasses
* 2 Eggs
* 1 cup Whole Milk

Preheat Oven to 350 F

Mix the first four ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in the Butter using a fork or two knives until the texture of coarse corn meal. Mix the remaining ingredients together in separate bowl. Slowly add the two together and mix well.

Grease twelve 4" by 3/4" nonstick muffin molds and distribute equal amounts of batter into each.
Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
Pull out of oven and cool on bakery rack until room temperature.
You may keep the muffins for two days wrapped in plastic at room temperature.

For the Morels

* 30 to 40 medium size morels
* 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1/4 cup thyme leaves
* 1 tbsp chopped Garlic
* 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
* 2 cups cold water

Preheat oven to 200 F
Lightly toss all ingredients together in roasting pan, cover and bake for 1 hour until the morels are soft. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Presentation:

Place one of the savory corn muffins in the middle of 6 soup bowls. Top with 5 or 6 of the Morels.
Pour the reserved liquid in equal proportions among the 6 bowls.
Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve immediately.
http://www.wild-harvest.com/pages/chefperkey.htm

[Savoyard]

Gaz:
Sure hope you know with certainty they are morels and not one of the hundreds of look-alike [[and poisonous) species. I'd be concerned about any mushrooms found in an urban setting and not in a forest, where morels typically grow.
Drop us a note and let us know you're OK.

[gazhekwe]

I appreciate your concern. It is true, no one should eat mushrooms they pick in their yard without being certain they are not poison. I checked and double checked. They are not false morels. Caps not separate from stems, hollow stems. Caps not convoluted to look like brain, nice sharp edges. No chocolate smell while cooking. I am always leery about picking wild mushrooms, as a co-worker of mine died many years ago after enjoying a dish of mushrooms she picked herself in the woods near Alpena.

We are not exactly in an urban setting here. Our houses were built on a wetland in the 1960s, the remaining wetland was intact until about six years ago when houses were built on it. The house behind me has had very little maintenance on the yard in the last twelve years. It is full of big shady trees and is reverting to woodland plants. The lawn grass is long gone. I was astonished to see morels, but now that I think about it, nature will return where possible. Last spring was very wet, and the neighboring yard was actually underwater until mid-May. This year it is not sodden but spongy and damp.

[sumas]

This is the first I have heard of the Garlic Mustard plant being eatable. All I know is that it is a scary non native invasive plant. I have seen many recipes for Kudzu, also an invasive plant, though not in Michigan.

Your recipe sounds wonderful but as a paid gardener I am leery of something that I am paid to get rid of.

[gazhekwe]

If someone is paying you to get rid of it, great! Just make sure the yard has not been poisoned with something, Pick, wash, process and enjoy. I am going to pick another batch for dinner this weekend, love the stuff!

Take a minute to think about how an invasive species got here in the first place. Some immigrants brought it here because they wanted to grow it. Why? Because it's delicious! They sure weren't thinking beyond their dinner menu to the greater good of native species. Hmmmm, cf to Indian issues thread.

[jams]

Found a simple, fast, veggie recipe that has a variety of usages.

1 can of Black beans
Taco seasoning, chili powder or cumin to taste
Sauted onion or shallots
Salsa

Heat together.

Spoon onto bread with lettuce and tomato or makes a great salad with spnach or other greens.

[sumas]

Jams, sounds great and will try soon. love simple, easy and taste great recipes.

Gaz, I am an organic gardener, I love garlic and I love mustard, your recipe sounds great. Still, this is a non native invasive plant. Each plant produces thousands of seeds which can lay dormant for seven years. In a controlled environment it could be a great food source but it is currently out of control.

My business partner and I were discussing plants and trees yesterday. The conversation rolled around to Gingo trees. I remembered the trees are sexed and females are very messy. She told me in China the fruit of the females are considered a delicacy.

In a "gatherer" society this info on eatibles is very significant.

On a short note: our new to us home lost water supply for a day. Very scary to realize how dependant we are for utilitie services.

[gazhekwe]

Sumas, if we are going to pick it anyway, why not eat it? If word gets out how good it is, maybe more people will pick it. Roots and all is fine. You want a few roots in your mix, lots of flavor. I never heard that about Gingkos, but I bet there aren't many female trees around if they are messy. No wonder they don't just pop up everywhere.

Jams, that recipe sounds great. A good base for Botana or nachos, too.

[gazhekwe]

Here's one of mine:

Rhubarb Crisp

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups sliced rhubarb
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb. It can be a 9 inch square dish, or a 12 x 7 inch one as well. Might take a bit more rhubarb.

In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb.
Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes.

Good warm with Cool Whip.