Ceviche from Chef Allen Susser is wonderful. The most important thing about preparing ceviche is ensuring the seafood you use is absolutely fresh. The proteins in the flesh are actually denatured when you introduce an acid such as lime juice or sour orange with the same result as heating would produce; your fish will have that same opaque appearance.
Eggplant is good in casseroles with tomato and cheese and terrific batter-fried. It is such a versatile food, it can be prepared in a multitude of ways. This fried eggplant recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites is one of our favorites.
We found a great recipe for Spinach Salad from Allison Chase in New Vision community Church’s Feeding the Flock.
From our dear friends at the Apopka Woman’s Club What’s Cookin’?, a basic ice cream recipe from Jane Shepherd produces a versatile and very easy instruction for home churned ice cream.
Neat and Sweet Farms in Lakeland shares their Peach Ice Cream recipe with Field to Feast, and we take full advantage, by passing on this treat to you, our readers.
We found Alton Brown’s boiled peanuts recipe. Yes, he’s the famous chef from the Good Eats show on Food Network! We Apopkans love boiled peanuts, and most of us know how to prepare them. But, for some of our newer neighbors transplanted from other areas who haven’t grown up with boiled peanuts, the recipe is below. Try ‘em! You’ll LOVE ‘em!
Another Boiled Peanuts recipe, Cajun-style, is contributed by Holland Farms of Milton in Field to Feast.
CHEF ALLEN SUSSER’S
MAHI MAHI AND
LONGAN CEVICHE
Recipe from Field to Feast
Miami Chef Allen Susser arrived in South Florida in the 1980s and discovered the joy of working with the bounty of Florida’s farms and waters. His exceptional knowledge shines in his recipes. The clean tang of this lime-laced ceviche gets a sweet counterpoint from longans, a small fruit with translucent white, juicy-soft pulp that is delicately flavored.
8 ounces mahi mahi, sliced into thin 2-inch-long pieces
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 small sweet onion, cut into thin strips
4 large plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
12 medium longans, peeled and seeded, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus 4 sprigs
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus additional to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1. Combine mahi mahi, lime juice, and orange juice in a small stainless steel bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until fish turns opaque, stirring occasionally.
2. Combine onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, 6 longans, and chopped cilantro in another stainless steel bowl; season mixture with 2 teaspoons coarse salt. Refrigerate.
3. Just before serving, strain almost all juice from fish. Stir fish into vegetables; season to taste with salt. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.
4. To serve, drizzle the fish with olive oil, toss lightly, and spoon into 4 chilled martini glasses. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and remaining longans.
BATTER-FRIED EGGPLANT
Recipe from
Southern Living All-Time Favorites
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil
Peel eggplant, if desired, and cut into finger-sized strips. To extract the bitterness, sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt on eggplant strips; let stand 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and next 7 ingredients in a bowl; stir until blended and smooth.
Pour oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375 degrees. Dip eggplant strips, one at a time, into batter, coating well. Fry eggplant strips, a few at a time, 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Drain well on paper towels. Serve immediately. Serve with marinara sauce, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
ALLISON CHASE’S
SPECIAL SPINACH SALAD
Recipe from New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock
1 bunch spinach, washed and torn
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and cut in pieces
1 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup sugar (less, if desired)
1/3 cup catsup
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 grated onion
Mix and serve.
JANE SHEPHERD’S
BASIC ICE CREAM
Recipe from The Apopka Woman’s Club, Apopka, Florida
What’s Cookin’?
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
Beat well with electric mixer at high speed.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can condensed milk
1 large can fruit or package of frozen fruit
pinch of salt
Pour all of this into churn, then add homogenized milk to fill churn.
NEAT AND SWEET FARMS, LAKELAND, PEACH ICE CREAM
Recipe from Field to Feast
2-1/2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 cup sugar
1 pint half-and-half
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk, or as needed
Working in batches, puree peaches with sugar and half-and-half in a blender or food processor. Combine peach mixture, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Pour into a 1-gallon ice cream maker, then add enough whole milk to reach the fill line, about 2 cups. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm.
ALTON BROWN’S (from the show: GOOD EATS) BOILED PEANUTS
As published on Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
2 pounds in-shell raw Virginia or Valencia peanuts
3 ounces kosher salt
3 gallons water
Directions:
Wash the peanuts in cool water until the water runs clear. Soak in cool water for 30 minutes to loosen any remaining dirt.
Drain and rinse the peanuts. Add the peanuts to a 12-quart pot along with the salt and 3 gallons of water. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Check the texture of the peanut at this point for doneness. When done, boiled peanuts should have a similar texture to a cooked dry bean. It should hold its shape, but not crunch when bitten. Add more water throughout the cooking process, if needed. If necessary, continue for 3 to 4 hours longer.
Drain the peanuts and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
*Cook’s note: The cooking time can vary greatly depending on how fresh the peanuts are. The fresher the peanut, the less time it will take to cook; Total time: 4 hours and 35 minutes; Prep time: 5 minutes; Inactive: 30 minutes; Cook time: 4 hours; Yield: approx 4 pounds in shell or 2 pounds out of shell; Level: Easy
HOLLAND FARMS’ CAJUN-STYLE BOILED PEANUTS
Recipe from Field to Feast
2-1/2 pounds green peanuts
1 small white onion, peeled and cut in half
1 green bell pepper, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon red papper flakes
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, fresh or pickled
2 tablespoons rock salt
2 tablespoons spicy crab boil, such as Tony Chachere’s or Zatarain’s
1 lemon sliced
Combine peanuts, onion, green pepper, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, cayenne, jalapenos, rock salt, crab boil, and lemon in a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to cover by three inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a vigorous simmer.
Simmer for three hours or until peanuts are soft. Cool completely in liquid. Rewarm before serving, if desired.
