veg

This is a Roadkill original. If you think apple sauce goes well with pork, try this. You just may never buy apple sauce again.

4 apples pared and sliced	1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brown sugar minimum depending on apples	Fresh ground nutmeg to taste
¼ pound butter	2 tablespoons Laird Apple Jack
	Pinch of salt

Melt the butter in a sauté pan. Pare and slice one apple at a time. Immediately drop each slice into pan and coat with butter. When all the apples are in the pan, cook slowly until done (fork tender). If the sauce appears too dry, add more butter some water, or apple jack. Too moist, sprinkle sparingly with arrowroot or cornstarch and blend.

Note: Allow one apple per person; adjust other ingredients commensurately. The amount of brown sugar depends upon the tartness of the apples. Adjust accordingly.

In the late fifties and during the sixties an Anglesea restaurant, Zaberer's, produced a number of good recipes. Among them, their baked stuffed potato was at the top of the list. Today, finding a good stuffed potato is tough and getting tougher. Often what passes for a baked stuffed potato is a concoction loaded with plastic cheese. Although Velveeta makes a good bait for trout fishing, it's an insult to a good Idaho potato. Yet all too often, variations of Velveeta finds its way to the table at many restaurants.

Below is a recipe that was clipped from a newspaper and is reportedly the original Zaberer's baked stuffed potato. I think it is. At least it doesn't contain trout bait.

4 large Idaho baked potatoes	5 tablespoons butter
4 Idaho potatoes for boiling	Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese	½ cup table cream

While hot, cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out insides. Place in bowl; set potato skins aside. Peel remaining potatoes and boil; add to bowl with baked potatoes. Add cream and butter, then mash and run through potato ricer to remove any lumps. Grate cheese and add to mixture along with salt and pepper. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Empty mixture into a pastry bag and fill potato skins. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°, then place under broiler until lightly browned. Back to frog legs, sautéed. Return to crab impériale.

There's only one way to get good baked beans: bake them yourself. Although there are some fairly decent canned beans available at the market, they simply can't compete with homemade beans that have been cooked slowly in the oven.

First, to get the best results, you need a bean pot, which can usually be found in either department stores or gourmet shops. While you can substitute a covered casserole dish, it's not the same. Besides, a bean pot is not a big-ticket item. It won't break the budget.

2 cups navy beans (1 bag)	¼ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda	1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 medium onion, chopped	1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ pound salt pork, ¼ inch dice	¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup dark molasses	1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice	¼ teaspoon pepper

Soak beans overnight; drain, rinse and sort. Add fresh water and baking powder: bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes. Drain. Put 1/3 of beans in 2-quart bean pot, add 1/3 of salt pork and 1/3 chopped onion. Add next 1/3 of beans and repeat ending with salt pork on top. Mix remaining ingredients except salt with cup of hot water and pour over beans. Put lid on pot and put in 300° oven for about four hours. Only stir once or twice. Add water if needed, but don't drown beans. Cook until done, then add salt and stir. Test for taste; may need more brown sugar and molasses.

Note: The reason the salt is added at the end is because salt tends to make the beans tough and take longer to cook. Return to Dried Beef.

1 pound potatoes	¼ cup butter
1 whole egg	salt and pepper
2 egg yolks	grated nutmeg

Cut the potatoes into thick slices of quarters. Boil briskly in salted water until done. Drain and put in a 350° oven for a few minutes to evaporate excess moisture. Rice the potatoes or rub them through a sieve. Put in sauce pan, add ¼ cup of butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Bind with the whole egg and the yolks and mix while heating over a low flame.

If to be used as borders to be piped around a plate or serving platter, it is served hot. If intended for croquettes or croustade, it is cooled on an oiled baking sheet. Return to lobster Newburg, chicken Kiev.

Peel the potatoes, wash them and cut into steak-fries size. Make sure the thickness is uniform. Bring 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add a tablespoon of salt, the sugar and the fries. Cook until a fork begins to enter easily, but still encounters some resistance. Don't overcook. If you do overcook them, use them for potato salad. Remove from heat, drain the water and add cold water to stop further cooking. Drain again and spread out on paper towel to dry.

Heat Crisco to 375°. Put a reasonable amount of fries into the basket and place in hot oil. When well browned, remove to a brown paper bag, add some salt and shake. Twist the bag at the top, but leave it slightly open to allow the steam to escape. Keep warm until needed in a preheated 150° oven. Return to barbecued spareribs.

Note: The skin can be left on the potatoes; just wash them well before slicing, then wash them again before boiling.

This recipe is predicated on fresh green beans. After eating frozen green beans all winter and early spring, the first crop of locally grown beans is much awaited. We are blessed with a backyard large enough to accommodate two fifty-foot rows. It doesn't get much fresher than that.

When purchasing the beans, sort through them and select ones that are the same thickness. Snap off both ends of the beans and remove any strings that are evident. For one pound of beans, which should serve six, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. There's no precise cooking time. Small, young beans take between 6 to 7 minutes; for larger, mature beans, 10 to 12 minutes. To tell when the beans are done, test by biting one that has been quickly cooled under tap water. The beans should be al dente. Begin testing at 6 minutes. When done remove and drain immediately. Err on the side of less time; don't overcook.

While the beans are cooking, consider melting butter in a smaller pot. Put the beans in a serving bowl and pour the melted butter over them. Gently toss. Return to green bean salad.

2 pounds potatoes	Paprika to taste
¼ cup chopped onion	Salt and pepper to taste
Tumeric to taste	Canola oil

Peel the potatoes and dice into pieces ¾ to 1 inch thick. Boil the the diced potatoes until they are not quite cooked. Do not over cook them. Drain them and return to the pot for about one minute to steam off excess moisture.

Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a skillet. When hot add the potatoes and fry until they are nicely browned. About five minutes before they are done add the onion, tumeric, paprika, salt and pepper. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve hot. Return to Dried Beef.

5 pounds potatoes, preferably Idaho	Cream
¼ pound of butter	Salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and rinse off dirt. Cut into even-size pieces. Bring to boil and simmer until a fork pierces them easily. Drain, then put back into cooking pot briefly to steam off excess moisture. Rice and put in mixing bowl with butter.

When ready to serve, nuke in serving bowl until warm. Add cream and stir thoroughly. Nuke until hot. Return to chicken croquettes

Place the water, rice and a little salt in a sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir once with a fork. Cover tightly and cook without raising lid for 14 minutes. Makes about a cup of cooked rice. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Makes about 1 cup cooked rice. Return to Spanish rice, Sautéed shrimp, Roadkill Inn scampi.

Vegetables & Fruits