Pan-Fried Catfish from Marvin Woods’ The New Low-Country Cooking book calls for nice big catfish fillets and buttermilk, sherry and two kinds of vinegar, along with sundry other ingredients. Marvin Woods says, “Catfish are bottom-dwellers, so they pick up a distinctive earthy flavor. Today, most catfish are farm-raised, which means they are bred in pretty clear water and are fed wheat and corn pellets. This makes the fish a lot sweeter and more subtle in flavor. This fish can be eaten with just a squeeze of lemon.
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!
First Presbyterian of Punta Gorda’s A Taste of Heaven shares Martha Wetteroft’s Baked Vegetable Risotto. It looks like a really tasty dish.
Zucchini casserole from Paths of Sunshine published by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, is wonderful. Try it. You’ll like it!
Wow! This recipe looks terrific! Breakfast Tacos from Malaga Street Depot in St. Augustine. This recipe is from Country Cookin’ by Joyce L. Young, and she attributes it to Malaga Street Depot in St. Augustine. There is also a recipe for the Picante Sauce they use that looks very, very good!
Next, from FoodNetwork.com, we have a recipe from Ree Drummond for Crazy Brownies. They are rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. These are easy, and yield 18 brownies. A note from one of the bakers: Delicious! Note to self… parchment your pan after your spray! I couldn’t get it out of the pan without making a mess!
PAN-FRIED CATFISH
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
Six 8- to 10-ounce catfish fillets (preferably farm-raised)
SHERRIED BUTTERMILK MARINADE:
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sherry
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
BREADING:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1) In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the catfish in a large shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the fish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. 2) In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine all the breading ingredients. Remove the catfish from the marinade, letting excess run back into the dish. Dredge the fillets in the breading mixture to lightly coat both sides; shake off any excess. 3) In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, carefully lower the fillets into the pan. Cook until the fillets are lightly browned and the flesh is opaque throughout when flaked with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spatula to remove the fish to a warmed serving plate.
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.
MARTHA WETTEROFT’S BAKED VEGETABLE RISOTTO
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda,
A Taste of Heaven
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
2 cups chicken broth (14-ounce can plus water to make 16 ounces)
1 package frozen chopped spinach, zapped in microwave
2/3 cup shredded carrot (1 medium)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in heavy pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in rice just to coat. Add chicken broth, spinach, carrots, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour into 1-quart casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover. Place in 400-degree oven and bake 25 minutes or until moisture is absorbed. Serve hot. Makes six servings.
ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
Recipe from Florida Federation of Garden Clubs
Paths of Sunshine Cookbook
4 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups boiling water
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons buttered breadcrumbs (optional)
Cook zucchini in water until just tender, then drain. In a large bowl, beat eggs, stir in mayonnaise, onion, green pepper, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add zucchini. Turn into a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serves six.
BREAKFAST TACOS
From Malaga Street Depot in St. Augustine
Country Cookin’ by Joyce L. Young
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup green peppers (diced)
1/4 cup onions (diced)
1 corn tortilla
3 tablespoons refried beans
1/3 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
Picante sauce (see recipe below)
1) Combine eggs, green pepper, and onions on griddle or in saute pan. Cook. 2) Heat corn tortilla briefly on griddle. 3) Place tortilla on plate. Top with eggs and refried beans. Fold in sides to seal. 4) Top with cheese and liberal amount of picante sauce. 5) Place under broiler for a few seconds. Serves 1.
Picante Sauce:
1 green pepper (diced)
1 small onion (diced)
3-4 Jalapeno peppers (minced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
28 ounce can pear-shaped tomatoes (crushed with hand)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons oregano
1 bay leaf
Dash ground cumin
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro (may substitute fresh parsley)
Juice of one lemon
Mix all ingredients for picante sauce together.
Note: The picante sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for future use. You will find many uses for it (great for dipping tortilla chips).
REE DRUMMOND’S CRAZY BROWNIES
Recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
1 box chocolate cake mix (18 ounces)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
9 peanut butter cups
12 chocolate-covered caramels, such as Rolos
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup candy-coated chocolates, such as M&Ms
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Put the dry cake mix in a large bowl and stir in the evaporated milk. (The mixture will still be dry.) Next, pour in the melted butter, stirring gently until the mix just comes together (don’t over-mix). 2) Divide the mixture in half and press half of it in the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay the peanut butter cups over the top. Peel the caramels and place them in the spaces between. Sprinkle the nuts into the cracks, followed by the chocolate candies. Finally, sprinkle the salt all over. Put the other half of the batter on a cutting board and press it into a square a little smaller than the pan (it will be very sticky). Transfer it to the pan and lightly press it to cover all the ingredients.3) Bake until the batter is fully baked, 22 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then place the pan in the fridge, covered in foil, for a couple of hours. 4) Remove the brownies from the pan in one piece, then sprinkle on plenty of powdered sugar. With a sharp serrated knife, cut into small squares. 5) Gobble ’em up!
