Delight your family with these Oyster recipes below

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Finally, the beginning of OYSTER season has arrived! The months with ‘R,’ remember? The R-months (September through April) are when we can safely eat oysters. We have a couple of oyster recipes for you below.

The first oyster recipe, Oyster Stew Herb River, is from Savannah Style. It is very simple and quick to fix. And it is delicious! Mrs. John Mitchell’s recipe for Broiled Oysters is found in Charleston Receipts. You drain the oysters from their juice, dry them on paper towels, dip them in oil and dredge them in seasoned cracker crumbs. Then broil them in a HOT oven for just a few minutes until they are brown on both sides. Ummm… ummm… ummm!

In Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites we find Asparagus Vinaigrette. It is different from our usual way of just cooking it, throwing on some butter and serving hot. You steam this asparagus, add sautéed sweet red pepper strips, oil and seasonings; then refrigerate overnight and serve it cold. Cold asparagus is delicious.

And yet another Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites recipe is one for banana nut bread that will appeal to your adventurous spirit. It is a basic recipe for Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread and appears below. But, it is followed by four optional toppings: orange, coconut, cinnamon, and peanut butter. This is a treasure trove for banana nut bread lovers.

Please email your recipes to: news@theapopkachief.com or mail them to The Apopka Chief, P.O. Box 880, Apopka, 32704-0880. Moreover, send us not only your recipes but ideas for future recipe columns as well.

OYSTER STEW HERB RIVER

Recipe from Savannah Style, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.

2 or 3 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup butter

1 pint oysters

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Fresh parsley, chopped

1/8 teaspoon mace

1 pint Half-and-Half

Saute celery and onions in butter until soft. Add oysters including liquid. Add salt, pepper, parsley and a little mace. Simmer until oysters curl. Add Half-and-Half. Heat until bubbles form around the edges, but do not boil! Remove from heat and serve.

MRS. JOHN MITCHELL, JR’s

(EDITH LABRUCE)

BROILED OYSTERS

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,

a Cookbook by The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.

1 pint oysters

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup cracker crumbs (fine)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Drain oysters, then dry in paper towel. Dip in oil and then cracker crumbs to which salt and pepper have been added. Broil in hot oven (425 degrees) until oysters are golden brown on one side. Turn each oyster and cook on other side until done. Serve at once with tomato catsup. Serves 4-6.

ASPARAGUS VINAIGRETTE

Recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites

3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain.

Saute red pepper strips in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp-tender. Plunge pepper strips into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

Place asparagus spears and pepper strips in a large shallow dish. Combine remaining oil, wine vinegar, and remaining five ingredients; pour over vegetables. Cover and chill at least 8 hours; serve with a slotted spoon.

Makes 12 servings.

CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD

Recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (1-1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Makes two loaves.

ORANGE-PECAN-TOPPED CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD:

Prepare bread batter as directed above, and spoon into desired pans. Sprinkle 1 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans evenly over batter in pans. Bake as directed. Cool bread in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon grated orange zest until blended. Drizzle evenly over warm bread, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks.

TOASTED COCONUT-TOPPED CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD:

Prepare and bake bread, as directed above, in desired pans. While bread is baking, stir together 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut; 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans; and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Remove baked bread from oven, and immediately spread tops with coconut mixture. Broil 5-1/2 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until topping starts to lightly brown. Cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

CINNAMON CRISP-TOPPED CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD:

Prepare bread batter as directed above, and spoon into desired pans. Stir together 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon melted butter; and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Bake and cool as directed.

PEANUT BUTTER STREUSEL-TOPPED CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD:

Prepare bread batter as directed above, and spoon into desired pans. Combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup butter and 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter in pans. Bake and cool as directed.