Cooking on the Go
By Janet Groene, F47166
August 2007
Recipes full of freshness.
Farmer’s markets. Roadside stands spilling over with fresh produce. Pick-your-own apple orchards. Fresh herbs sold in bouquets. Corn mazes. Part of the fun of RVing at this time of year is the long-awaited country harvest. Enjoy it to the max with recipes such as these.
Vegetable-Lover’s Puff
Puffy batter rises around a colorful cornucopia of vegetables. Serve this as a vegetarian main dish or with meat from the grill. The vegetables need some precooking, so steam or microwave them according to the required doneness. Thick-sliced carrots, for example, need eight to 10 minutes in the steamer while small chunks of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or zucchini require only a minute or two.
3 cups cut-up fresh vegetables
1 packet Butter Buds butter-flavored granules (or 2 tablespoons butter)
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
3/4 cup very warm water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cups seasoned tomato sauce
Half an 8-ounce package grated cheese (1 cup)
Steam or parboil the vegetables, toss with the Butter Buds or butter, and set aside. In a well-greased 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan, stir together the flour, sugar, and yeast. Stir in the warm water and oil until no dry spots remain. Let the dough stand for five minutes, then top with the well-drained vegetables and drizzle with tomato sauce. Top with grated cheese. Place the baking pan in a cold oven set for 350 degrees and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the dough pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan. Using a serrated knife, cut the puff square to make nine smaller squares.
Harvest Moon Muffins
Choose plums that are firm, then pit them and cut into bits. Buy grated carrots, peel and grate your own, or use boiled carrots that are well-drained and coarsely mashed.
1 large, tart apple
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk, plus extra for moistening
1 ½ cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped plums
1 1/4 cups flour
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
Prepare the muffin pans or papers to make 12 muffins. Core and quarter the apple; place it in a covered microwavable container; and cook it in the microwave oven for 30 seconds. Turn the container and cook for another 30 seconds until the apple is just tender. While the apple cools, whisk together the egg, oil, and 1/3-cup milk, then mix in the carrots and plums. When the apple is cool enough to handle, slip off the skin and discard it. Coarsely mash the apple and add to the egg mixture. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir in the oats. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together until everything is evenly moistened, adding more milk teaspoon by teaspoon if needed. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm with butter, apple butter, fruited yogurt, or lemon curd.
Creamy Dilled Carrot Slaw
Grate fresh carrots or buy a 16-ounce package of grated carrots. This healthful recipe is from an exciting new book, Serving Up the Harvest (see box at right).
1 pound carrots, grated
3 scallions, green and tender white parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Combine the carrots, scallions, and dill in a medium-size bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the buttermilk and lemon juice. Season to taste. Cover and allow the salad to stand for 30 minutes to two hours while the flavors develop. Stir and serve. This recipe makes four servings.
Butternut Squash Salad
Try butternut squash or sweet potatoes instead of the usual white potatoes when you make potato salad.
2 pounds butternut squash or sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ teaspoon salt
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup olive oil
½ cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Steam the squash or sweet potatoes just until the exterior can be pierced with a fork. Drain the squash or potatoes; sprinkle with salt; and toss with the onion and peppers. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and lemon pepper and fold into the squash or sweet potato mixture. Chill thoroughly. Stir gently just before serving.
One-Dish Apple Kuchen
Get up early some morning and make this yeasty treat using apples fresh from the harvest. The secret to rapid rising is to use very warm, but not boiling, milk. (If it feels just a little too hot for a baby bottle, it’s about right.)
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, cut in half
2/3 cup warm milk
1 egg, beaten
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Optional drizzle:
Milk
½ cup powdered sugar
Vanilla
Mix the flour, yeast, and sugar in a greased 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan and dot with tiny bits of half of the butter. Using a fork, stir in the milk and egg until everything is evenly moistened. Stick slices of apple randomly into the dough. Mash the remaining butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon and scatter over the dough. Place the baking pan in a cold oven and set the temperature to 350 degrees. Baking time will vary according to how long it takes your oven to reach baking temperature, but plan on approximately 30 minutes for the dough to bake to a golden brown, pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Drizzle: One teaspoon at a time, mix the milk into the powdered sugar to make a thick glaze, and add a few drops of vanilla. After the kuchen cools for 10 minutes, drizzle with icing. Serve warm.
Quickles
When cucumbers are plentiful, make these piquant pickles and eat them the same day. Choose cucumbers that are large and firm but not yet seedy. Using fresh lime juice instead of vinegar makes all the difference.
3 medium cucumbers
1 cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, including light green portions
1/3 cup lime juice, preferably freshly squeezed
Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers and put them in a non-metal container. Add the remaining ingredients and chill all day or overnight, stirring once or twice. Drain and serve ice cold.
Pork Chops October Surprise
Just right for two, this foil-baked meal requires little cleanup. Start with two 12-inch-by-18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil.
2 meaty, lean, boneless, 1/2-inch-thick pork chops
Seasoned salt
Pepper
15-ounce can pinto beans, drained
Half a green bell pepper, cut into strips
Half a red sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut in half and then sliced
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
Half a lime, cut into two wedges
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees or the covered grill to medium-high. Lightly crease the foil in half to mark the middle. On one side of each piece of foil place a pork chop and season with salt and pepper. Top with the beans, pepper strips, sliced onion, and tomato wedges. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedges over all. Seal the foil edges with double folds. Place the foil packets on a cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes at 450 degrees or grill, covered, for 11 minutes at medium-high. Test the pork for doneness with an instant-read thermometer.
Variations: Substitute other canned beans such as red beans, or field peas and other fresh, seasonal vegetables such as sliced zucchini, diced eggplant, or grated carrots.
Refrigerator Rolls
Frankie Hall, F273495, shared this recipe for refrigerator rolls made with Splenda no-calorie sweetener.
2 packages yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1/3 cup Splenda
5 cups self-rising flour (sifted)
Dissolve the yeast into the water. Then, in order, mix in the olive oil, buttermilk, soda, and Splenda. Mix well until everything is blended together. A little at a time, add in the flour. Place the dough in a large bowl and store in the refrigerator to use as needed.
To make pan rolls, arrange dollops of dough in a greased pan and let stand for 20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. With the premade dough you can have hot rolls fresh every day and make only as many as you need each time. The dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Books For Cooks. Andrea Chesman’s Serving Up the Harvest ($16.95, Storey Publishing) is an encyclopedia of growing, gathering, and good eating. The book includes 175 recipes that will give you endless ideas for using nature’s bounty and offers interesting background and how-to information about fruits and vegetables.