From the book, Field to Feast, we have a wonderful fresh salad using baby greens, strawberries and lime vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Gary Wishnatzki, third generation owner of Wish Farms in Plant City, who is the grandson of Russian immigrant Harris Wishnatzki, a fruit and vegetable pushcart peddler in 1920s New York City. The summarization of this recipe says: “The citrusy tang of lime vinaigrette is a great match for the sweet strawberries. If you don’t like blue cheese, you can swap it for soft goat cheese, or leave it out altogether.”
This next recipe also comes from Field to Feast. Possum Trot Tropical Fruit Nursery in Redland (northwest of Homestead) is run by Robert Barnum, who grows dozens of certified organic tropical fruits on the thirty-three acres where his family has been farming since 1945. He is also described as the “Cantankerous Chef.” Cantankerous or not, he is generous in that he shares his recipe for Carambola Honey-Glazed Chicken. When asked for a recipe, he said, “All my recipes come out of my head.” This grilled chicken, inspired by one of his recipes, has a tart zing from the carambola, also known as star fruit, and sweetness from the honey.
Carolyn Booth’s recipe for Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes comes to us from Apopka Historical Society’s publication, Preserving the Big Potato, which is dedicated specifically to the star (my rating) of American foodstuffs, the versatile, nutritious, delicious… POTATO!
Lemon Buttered Carrots looks to be a tasty dish. The recipe comes from the cookbook titled Paths of Sunshine put out by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc. This book was gifted to us years ago with the notation, “Compliments, Joan Lasek.”
Florida Orange Meringue Pie is a recipe that Byron McCoy shared with Pot-Pourri of Zellwood. This is the book that was later shared with us by Claire Ellington. You will notice and possibly wonder about the direction in the recipe, “Add a little hot mixture to beaten egg yolks.” This is meant to “temper” the eggs; to gradually moderate the temperature so the eggs don’t actually cook when exposed to a large amount of extremely hot mixture.
If you or any of our readers have extra cookbooks you believe contain recipes our readers would enjoy trying, perhaps you would consider dropping them by our office. Oftentimes, we think, “Oh, nobody would want this old thing.” Not so! Many times, “this old thing” is an unacknowledged treasure! Or you could simply copy a recipe you feel is special to you and email it or send us a quick note by mail. We welcome receiving books or recipes that you feel you want to share and actually take the time and effort to get them to us.
GARY WISHNATZKI’S
BABY GREENS WITH
STRAWBERRIES AND LIME
VINAIGRETTE
Recipe from
Field to Feast, by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and Heather McPherson
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 tablespoons white-wine
vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups lightly packed baby greens
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
6 tablespoons toasted and
chopped pecans
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
6 tablespoons crumbled cooked
bacon
1) Whisk together oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside. 2) Toss together baby greens, strawberries, and onion. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Top each serving with 1 tablespoons pecans, 1 tablespoon blue cheese, and 1 tablespoon bacon.
ROBERT BARNUM’S
CARAMBOLA
HONEY-GLAZED CHICKEN
Recipe from Field to Feast, by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and
Heather McPherson
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground
black pepper
1 cup olive oil
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pureed carambola,
about 3 fruits
1 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
8 pieces fresh bone-in, skinless chicken (breasts, wings, thighs)
Warm honey for basting
1) Mash garlic, salt, and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. 2) In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers; remove from heat and pour over garlic mix, whisking to combine. Cool to room temperature. 3) Whisk in orange juice, pureed carambola, onion, lemon juice, lime juice, and oregano. Pour over chicken and refrigerate until ready to grill (up to 3 hours in advance). 4) Remove chicken from marinade and place on preheated grill (rub a bit of oil on the grates before it gets too hot). Cook chicken 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. During last few minutes, lightly baste with warm honey for a crisp glaze. Remove from grill and cover with foil. Rest chicken for about 10 minutes before serving.
CAROLYN BOOTH’S
CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES
Recipe from Apopka Historical
Society Preserving the Big Potato
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 small onions, thinly sliced and separated (you can use chives
instead)
5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Melt butter and add flour stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat until thickened; stir in salt and pepper. Layer the sauce, potatoes, onions, and cheese in a baking dish beginning and ending with sauce. Reserve some cheese for the top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. Optional: You can add chopped cooked ham between the layers for a one-dish meal.
LEMON BUTTERED CARROTS
Recipe from
Paths of Sunshine Cookbook
3 tablespoons butter
6 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salt
In medium skillet combine butter or margarine and carrots. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add apple and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and lemon peel; salt lightly. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 5.
BYRON MCCOY’S
FLORIDA ORANGE MERINGUE PIE
Recipe from
Pot-Pourri of Zellwood
1 cup orange juice
1 cup orange sections, cut into
pieces
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Meringue from the egg whites
Combine orange juice, sections, grated rind, sugar and cornstarch. Cook on low heat until clear. Add a little hot mixture to beaten egg yolks. Cook about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Blend in lemon juice, butter or margarine. Pour into BAKED pie shell. (Be sure filling and shell are both hot or both cold.) Cover filling with meringue. Bake in 350-degree oven until lightly browned.
