In Paths of Sunshine Cookbook, we found Royal Wild Rice Casserole. You can use canned mushrooms if you don’t have any fresh. They add a tip that “A lettuce leaf added to canned vegetables when heating will add fresh vegetable taste.”
Also from Paths of Sunshine, we have Cider Stew made with beef stew meat. They give stovetop directions and slow cooker directions.
Linda Laurendeau’s Potatoes or Vegetable Medley looks wonderful. Her recipe is shared in Apopka Historical Society’s Preserving the Big Potato.
We have Mrs. Meggett’s Biscuits from Scratch from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. She says, “Biscuits take practice, so if the texture isn’t right on the first try, try it again. When you’re rolling the biscuit dough, don’t fool with the dough too much. It will make them come out tough. You want to mix and roll the dough just enough so it’s combined, but not overly prepped. The number of biscuits from this recipe depends on the size of the cutter (18 to 20 for a small cutter, 9 or 10 for a large cutter).”
A reader, who is not only a good friend but also a whiz in the kitchen, recently treated us to a recipe he found online. The recipe comes from the-girl-who-ate-everything.com and also says, “Source: slightly adapted from Kraft.” This Blueberry Croissant Puff is made from buttery croissants, fruit, and a cream cheese milk mixture that is baked until golden brown.
ROYAL WILD RICE CASSEROLE
Recipe from Florida Federation of Garden Clubs
Paths of Sunshine Cookbook
1/2 cup butter
1 pint fresh mushrooms*
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped
green pepper
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken broth
Salt
Pepper
Heat butter; add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add pecans and cook 1 minute. Wash rice well and drain. Mix with other ingredients, add broth and seasonings to taste. Turn into a well greased 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Holds well in a warm oven. May be frozen. Delicious!
*If fresh mushrooms are not available, use two 4-ounce cans of mushrooms sliced in butter sauce.
CIDER STEW
Recipe from
Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., Paths of Sunshine
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 carrots, quartered
3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 onions, sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1 apple, chopped
1) Stovetop directions: Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme; toss with meat to coat. In Dutch oven, brown meat in hot oil. Stir in cider, water and vinegar. Cook and stir to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until meat is tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add vegetables and apple. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
2) Crockery cooker directions: Use ingredients as above, except do not add water. Use only 1 tablespoon of vinegar and chop the vegetables. Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme; toss with meat to coat. In large skillet or saucepan, brown the meat in hot oil. Place chopped vegetables in electric slow crockery cooker. Add apple and meat. Combine cider and only one tablespoon vinegar; do not add water. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours. Turn cooker to high-heat setting. Blend 1/2 cup cold water with 1/4 cup flour; stir into stew. Cover and cook till thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as above.
LINDA LAURENDEAU’S
POTATOES OR
VEGETABLE MEDLEY
Recipe from
Apopka Historical Society’s
Preserving the Big Potato – A Collection of Potato Recipes
5 to 6 medium potatoes, skins on, washed and pierced for
microwave
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoning (Everglades is my favorite, but there are many wonderful blends – experiment!)
Microwave the potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes. You want them not quite fork tender. Put olive oil and seasoning into a 1-gallon sealable storage bag and mix. Cut potatoes in chunks and add to the bag. Seal and toss to coat the potatoes. Fry in hot pan or on a griddle, tossing from time to time, until golden and edges are crispy.
VARIATION: When potatoes have crisp edges, add raw, sliced: green peppers, onions, yellow squash, and zucchini coated in a bag with same amount of oil and seasoning. Cook together for a few minutes and serve hot as a vegetable medley.
EMILY MEGGETT’S BISCUITS FROM SCRATCH
Recipe from
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking
by Emily Meggett
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 large egg
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar,
plus more to taste
1-1/2 cups milk, whole or
2 percent
3-1/3 cups self-rising flour,
preferably White Lily, plus more as needed, plus 1 cup for the counter and shaping
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) In a mixing bowl, using a spoon, mix together the Crisco, egg, and sugar until smooth. Add sugar according to desired sweetness. 3) Stir in the milk until the Crisco mixture is broken up a bit, then stir in the 3-1/2 cups flour. Mix until just combined. 4) Use the remaining flour for dusting the countertop, biscuit cutter, and dough. Sprinkle 1/3 cup evenly onto the countertop where the biscuits will be rolled out. Scrape the dough onto the flour, then sprinkle 1/3 cup on top of the dough so it will not stick to your hands. Pat the dough with your palms into a slab about 3/4 inch thick. Put 1/3 cup flour in a small bowl or a pile on the side to dip the biscuit cutter into. 5) Dip a biscuit cutter or the top of a small cup into flour. Cut biscuits and place on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving just a bit of dough between each cut (Use a metal spatula to transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheets, if necessary. They will be very delicate.). 6) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
BLUEBERRY CROISSANT PUFF
Recipe from
the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
3 large croissants, cut up
(about 5 to 5-1/2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2) Place croissant pieces in a 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with blueberries. 3) Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add milk, beating well after each addition. Pour evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes or soak overnight. 4) Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes or until set in center and golden brown. You may want to cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes if the tops are getting too browned. 5) Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar. 6) Variation: Instead of baking in a square pan, bake individually. Place croissant pieces evenly in 10 (1/2-cup) ramekins; sprinkle with blueberries and pour cream cheese mixture evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes or until set in center and golden brown.
