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Published: August 21, 2008 12:01 pm
Cookbook Corner: ‘Cooking with Faith’ stirs memories of summers past
Originally published in the August 22, 2008, print edition.
By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
Certain cookbooks have special meaning to each of us. Perhaps it’s the one we remember from childhood, now held together with rubber bands and spaghetti-sauce spatters. Maybe it’s the one we bought on vacation, or got as a meaningful gift from someone thoughtful. Could be the newlywed’s first cookbook; could be the cookbook we actually got a recipe published in.
“Still Cooking With Faith” from Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton is special to me because it’s the church home of several members of my mother’s family, including my grandmother, Marian.
All this takes me back to my grandma’s kitchen and her simple yet delicious meals. Roast beef was always a hit as were creamed vegetables, boiled potatoes and crispy sugar cookies.
Somehow it all just tasted better at Grandma’s house; maybe it was the fresh air and farm life we were inhaling. There’s not a better memory than chewing on a piece of grass while pushing your sister in a wheelbarrow as fast as you can up the dusty drive into the sunset, knowing there’d be a warm bath and line-dried sheets to snuggle into soon enough.
In the spirit of summer, and grandmothers, and food, here are a few cookbook recipes out of many that caught my eye.
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This is a recipe for a great pasta salad for all those summertime opportunities: barbeques, picnics, ball games, camping, vacations and all the other fun stuff we wait all winter to plunge into. Lake Pasta Salad is simple yet slightly sophisticated; add some shrimp or cooked chicken and you’ve got an easy main course that won’t heat up your kitchen. I whipped up a batch for our trip to the lake; with a vegetarian in the group, it was a win-win situation for a lunch menu. Everybody loved the feta and black olives, and it didn’t hurt that the tomatoes were from our garden. Five out of five “yums” from the campin’ Johnsons.
Lake Pasta Salad
Submitted by Paula Dietz
1 (12-ounce) package pasta shells or bowties, cooked al dente
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 small can sliced black olives
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces Italian or Greek salad dressing
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
Mix all together. Yield: 12 servings.
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I love “guy” recipes. (Not you true chefs out there; I’m talking about the other guys). These no-nonsense recipes are often more of a method than a listing of exact ingredients and steps. They tend to include meat, especially wild game or fish, and special seasonings, but nothing fancy. “Walleye Dip” fits the bill pretty well.
Walleye Dip
Submitted by “Doc”
Walleye fillets
Salt and pepper
Onion
Mayonnaise
Steam walleye fillets. Cool. Crumple up. Add salt, pepper, onion and mayonnaise, all to taste. Put in refrigerator. Serve on crackers. Goes very well with cold adult beverage.
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This recipe for Morning Glory Muffins makes a lot, so feel free to halve it. We make similar muffins for the café where I work and they are our customers’ favorites. Chock full of goodies — raisins, carrots, pecans, coconut, apples and cinnamon — Morning Glories are simply scrumptious.
Morning Glory Muffins
Submitted by Jackie Kragerud
4 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 grated carrots
1 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup shredded coconut
2 apples, peeled, cored and grated
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
4 teaspoons vanilla
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in carrots, raisins, pecans, coconut and apples. In a bowl, beat eggs with oil and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until batter is just combined. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes at 350 F, or until springy to touch. Let cool in tins on rack for five minutes. Yield: About 50 muffins. Note: Easily divided for half recipe.
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What do you do that’s new with yet another bunch of summer greens? Add some colorful fruit and a sweet-and-zesty vinaigrette and stand back for the compliments.
Fresh Green Salad With Strawberry Vinaigrette
Submitted by Wanda Hodnefield
Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salad:
1 (10-ounce) package romaine lettuce or spinach
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 (16-ounce) can mandarin oranges
2 sliced green onions
In blender, blend all vinaigrette ingredients. Divide romaine or spinach onto four plates. Top with strawberries and mandarin oranges. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Yield: 4 servings.
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Every year my husband’s co-worker invites us out to pick our own sweet corn at its peak of tender perfection. Since we can take as much as we want, we just back up the Winnebago next to the shed … OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but suffice it to say we get a few armfuls. Here’s a simple but simply perfect recipe for freezing your bounty.
Frozen Corn
Submitted by Jann Emerson
8 cups corn, cut off the cob
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Cook all ingredients together, approximately eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn turns darker yellow. Cool. Put desired amount in freezer bags. Enjoy in the winter months.
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To order “Still Cooking With Faith,” contact Faith Women, Faith Lutheran Church, 302 First St., Box 175, Wolverton, MN 56594.
Send your group’s cookbook to: Cookbook Corner, c/o The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002. Submission does not guarantee a published review.
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