Kitchen Kapers with Nancy

From Country Cookin’, how about serving up some Hot Chicken Salad Souffle? They say, “This is Excellent for buffet entertaining! Don’t plan on leftovers – there won’t be any!!” 

Macaroni, Tomato, Cheese Bake comes from Paths of Sunshine. It looks like a wonderful side dish. They recommend it to accompany roast pork, ribs or chicken. It serves 6 to 8. 

We have Marvin Woods’ Rutabaga Carrot Mash from The New Low-Country Cooking. Rutabagas are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorous and have a low glycemic load of 7, according to the USDA. Marvin says, “Rutabagas are believed to be a hybrid of turnips and cabbage and to have originated in Russia only about 250 years ago. They are also known as Swedes or Swedish turnips. They are available year-round, but their peak is in the fall. Rutabagas are frequently coated with wax before they are shipped so they will hold up better. As with other root vegetables, when cooked, the rutabaga has a slightly sweet taste. It pairs beautifully with other vegetables. Look for rutabagas that are smooth, firm, and heavy for their size. And if they are coated with wax, make sure to use a very sharp knife and cut carefully.” 

Charleston Receipts shares Mrs. Cain’s Baked Rice. This puts a new spin on our favorite old staple: rice! It will be a simple dessert. 

In Savannah Style, we found a recipe for Lemon Muffins that looks straight forward. It yields 2 dozen muffins. I looked this up: If you don’t have lemon extract but DO have lemon juice, you can substitute two teaspoons lemon juice for each teaspoon of lemon extract. 

We have a recipe for washing clothes from Judy Quimby that we ran across in Northside Baptist Church’s recipes booklet, shared among their members. She says, years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook – with spelling errors and all. Here it is at the end of this article. 

HOT CHICKEN SALAD SOUFFLE 
(Allow to Refrigerate Overnight) 
Recipe from Country Cookin’ by Joyce LaFray Young 

6 slices white bread 
1-1/2 to 3 pound whole chicken (or 2 cups diced cooked chicken) 
1 stalk celery (chopped) (cook with chicken) 
1 small onion (chopped) (cook with chicken) 
Salt to taste 
1/2 cup celery (finely chopped) 
1/2 cup onion (finely chopped) 
1/2 cup green pepper (finely chopped) 
1/2 cup salad dressing 
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) 
3 slightly beaten eggs 
1-1/2 cups milk 
1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1) Cook whole chicken with celery, onion, salt and enough water to halfway cover chicken. Cook until done, turning over halfway through cooking. Cool and dice 2 cups chicken. 2) Trim crusts from bread slices (that you have saved for future use) and place trimmed bread in bottom of 9 x 13-inch baking dish. 3) Combine the chicken, finely chopped celery, onion, and green pepper with the salad dressing. Carefully spread over bread slices. 4) Crumb or cube the reserved crusts and use as topping over chicken mixture. Sprinkle cheese over crusts. 5) Mix eggs and milk together. Pour over all ingredients in baking dish. 6) Refrigerate overnight. 7) Before baking, spoon can of soup over top and bake in 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 hour. Serves 6-8. Cooking: 1 hour. 

MACARONI, TOMATO, CHEESE BAKE 

Recipe from PATHS OF SUNSHINE 

1 16-ounce package macaroni 
3 cups stewed tomatoes 
1/2 cup onions, chopped 
1 tablespoon sugar 
3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
Salt and pepper 

1) Cook macaroni according to package directions reducing cooking time by 2 minutes. 2) While macaroni is cooking, stew tomatoes, onions and sugar together until onions are tender. 3)  Drain macaroni and rinse thoroughly in hot water. 4) Pour into large mixing bowl and immediately add hot tomato mixture along with 2 cups shredded cheese. 5) Stir quickly and blend well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste. 6) Pour into greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese. 7) Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes until mixture sets up. 

RUTABAGA CARROT MASH 

The New Low-Country Cooking 
by Marvin Woods 

3 to 4 rutabagas, peeled and coarsely chopped 
1 Vidalia onion, cut in half 
Salt to taste 
4 carrots, coarsely chopped 
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 
Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1) Place the rutabagas and one of the onion halves in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and salt the water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rutabagas are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife, about 35 minutes. Drain. 2) Meanwhile, place the carrots and remaining onion half in another large saucepan. Add water to cover and salt the water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Drain. 3) Place the rutabagas, carrots, and onions in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, or in a blender. Process just until the mixture is smooth. Add the butter and process to combine. Taste and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. 

MRS. FRANK CAIN’s (PARHAM ATKINS) BAKED RICE 

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Charleston, Inc. 

1/2 pint (1 cup) rice 
1 dessert spoon* (2 teaspoons) butter 
1 pint (2 cups) milk 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon salt 

Cook rice dry and fluffy; put in quart baking dish with butter and milk, a beaten egg and salt. Bake 1/2 hour in moderate (350 degrees) oven. Serves 4.  

NOTE: One dessert spoon* equals two teaspoons; FYI: a tablespoon equals three teaspoons. 

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

1 cup butter 
1 cup sugar 
4 eggs, separated 
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract 
2 cups flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup lemon juice 
2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated 

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat egg yolks and add to butter/sugar mixture; beat until light and fluffy. Add lemon extract. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with lemon juice, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and lemon peel. Blend thoroughly. Fill buttered muffin tins 3/4 full and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. 

WASHING CLOTHES RECIPE 
Contributed by Judy Quimby 
Recipe from NORTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH 

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water. Sort things, make 3 piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags. To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water. Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don’t boil just wrench and starch. Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch. Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass. Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down. Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings. 

Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. For you non-Southerners – wrench means rinse.