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Cranberry Congealed Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

08 Dec

Cranberry Congealed Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

M: Stepping forth from the Thanksgiving leftovers.  What did the cranberries look like on your Thanksgiving table growing up.  At my house it was jelled cranberries, which emerged from the can with a mighty slooooooorp before being cut into perfect discs of deliciousness.  Loved it.  Still do.  But at some point I got all highfalutin and decided what we really needed were *fresh* cranberries.  Loved those too.  Also still do.  What we never got around to was the Congealed Salad.  That’s jello salad to you and me,  often augmented with the likes of marshmallows, carrots, coconut, what have you.  At many holiday tables the cranberries were unabashedly served in molded jello form.  Never had it.  Not once.  So when this recipe came up, I knew it belonged on my Thanksgiving table and, although the recipe calls for it to be served in a flat pan, i knew this was my chance to embrace the elusive jello mold.  I know for many, of not most of you, the jello mold is such a standard that my fascination might seem a strange, but call it a gap in my culinary upbringing.  The best part was a tip someone shared with me for ensuring it leaves the mold intact.  Dip the bottom in hot water for a moment before turning it.  Slid right out.  Genius!

Not quite a dump and serve recipe, but it is in the ballpark.  Boxes of jello, cans of cranberry sauce and pineapple, hot water.   No mini-marshmallows in sight, so let’s roll with it.  While we call this “Congealed Cranberry Salad”, nobody *really* thinks it’s salad any more than we buy that pizza is a vegetable.  Except this one takes the charade one step further with the inclusion of actual salad dressing.  Come on.  Who are you fooling?  It turns out me.   I dug this “salad”, but the addition of poppy seed dressing really brings it home.  My dinner guests asked if the dressing was actually for the jello.  Yep.  Really?  Mmm hmm.  They got on board.  It ended up a real winner and was the first of the leftovers to disappear.  Loved it.  Hmm. Maybe I just like cranberries a lot.

Recipe: Cranberry Congealed Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Summary: Many Thanksgiving tables would be incomplete without the cranberry jello salad, but the addition of poppy seed dressing takes this one a step further. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 2 (3oz) Boxes Lemon Jell-O
  • 2 (3oz) Boxes Cranberry or Cherry Jell-O
  • 2 c Boiling Water
  • 1 c Crushed Pineapple, drained
  • 1 (16oz) Can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
  • 1 c Mayonnaise
  • 1 T Poppy Seeds

Instructions

  1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water.
  2. Stir in pineapple and cranberry sauce (make sure sauce dissolves completely).
  3. Pour into 9 in balking dish or Jell-O mold.
  4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
  5. Stir poppy seeds into mayonnaise for dressing.
  6. To serve, cut salad into portions and top with dollop of dressing.

 

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Posted in Fruit, Salads, Sauces and Dips

 

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

14 Oct

IMG_2950

M: Six ingredients. All prepackaged. Dump, stir, chill and eat. Takes about five minutes of preparation. The result is a very nice take on this classic picnic favorite. It’s familiar, It’s colorful. It travels fairly well and when you bring it to your family reunion, your Aunt Marva will be delighted. What’s not to love? Not a darn thing. So what’s my problem? It’s not you, ambrosia fruit salad. It’s me.

Here’s the thing. Every part of this recipe comes prepackaged in a can or bag. I like working from scratch. I could go on here about how much better it is to cook locally and seasonally and all that packaging is bad for the world. It isn’t about that though. What it comes down is nothing more than I like it better because I enjoy working from basic ingredients. I know it is perfectly logical to open a few cans. Why mess around? And yet I see this recipe and I immediately start to wonder how to produce maraschino cherries myself or if home made mini-marshmallows are any trickier to pull off than standard ‘mallows. It’s a little obnoxious, I know, and I only admit it here by way of full kitchen disclosure. To make matters worse, I am wildly inconsistent with this policy. But there it is. I feel somewhat pardoned here only in that the submitter of this recipe revealed a similar hesitation. So I stuck to the recipe as published and it is as good an ambrosia salad as you’re likely to find.  Truth be told, ambrosia is not really to my taste, but that is on me as well.  Say what you want, this is easy.  Maybe a little *too* easy.

I still read up on how to make maraschino cherries.

Recipe: Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Summary: A quick and easy recipe for the picnic classic. Sigh. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 (11oz) Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
  • 1 (5oz) Jar Maraschino Cherries, with juice
  • 1 (20oz) Can Pineapple Tidbits, drained
  • 1/2 c Flaked Coconut
  • 1 c Sour Cream
  • 1 c Mini Marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Stir all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.

 

Ambrosia Ingredients

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Posted in Fruit, Salads

 

Muscadine Meringue Pie

16 Sep

Muscadine Meringue

M: Muscadine grapes are another culinary delight that eluded me until coming South. The fist time I heard of them was not long after I relocated when I spied a small ziploc bag of them on the desk of a co-worker.  She told me that she patiently waits for the end of summer for them to emerge and proffered one.  Biting into it, I learned that the muscadine has a surprisingly thick hull, but houses one of the sweetest, most delicious grapes I’ve ever had.  “Just squeeze the middle out of them” she explained. Good tip, and kind of fun, truth be told.  But when I read this recipe, which requires removing the hull, cooking the flesh, removing the seeds then cooking the hulls and flesh together before pureeing the results, it sounded like kind of a hassle.  It did take a bit longer than expected, but  the resulting pie was well worth my while.

Going into this one my concern was that is would come off as a pie shell full of grape jelly covered up by a distinctive pie topping.  While I’ll acknowledge the taste is certainly reminiscent of a jam I’d be thrilled to spread on my morning toast, the texture is all pie.  Very sweet, but with a marvelous crisp flavor, this pie carried all the the charm and body that makes the muscadine so special.  The filling thickened up nicely and its vibrant color rivals your favorite crayon. Topped with an elegant, airy meringue that pairs very well with this dense, sticky filling, this is a well conceived pie.   Muscadine season is generally September-October.  I may make this one a back to school tradition. 

And to my muscadine loving friend, they’re now in full force.  Get thee to the farmer’s market.

Recipe: Muscadine Meringue Pie

Summary: Preparing the tough hulled muscadine grapes for this pie takes a little time, but this tart and sweet dessert is worth the effort.  From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

Pie

  • 2 1/2 Lb Muscadine Grapes
  • 1/2 c Sugar
  • 1/3 c Flour
  • Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1 1/4 Sticks Butter, chilled and cut into 1 T pieces
  • 1 (Nine Inch) Pie Shell, blind baked 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

 

Meringue

  • 1/2 c Egg Whites (about 3 Large Eggs)
  • 3/4 c Sugar
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1 Vanilla Bean

 

Instructions

Pie

  1. Squeeze flesh of grapes from hull into a large saucepan and set hulls aside.
  2. Boil flesh about 10 minutes to release seeds.
  3. Push flesh though a fine sieve to remove seeds and return to pot.
  4. Add hulls, sugar, flour, zest, juice and salt to pot and simmer at low heat, covered, stirring frequently until filling thickens.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool to 140 degrees.
  6. Place filling in food processor and add butter a piece at a time with machine running.
  7. Scrape filling into pie shell.

 

Meringue

  1. Fill a pot about 2 inched with water and bring to medium low heat.
  2. Combine eggs, sugar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl that can rest over simmering water without touching bottom.
  3. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into bowl.
  4. Place bowl over pot and whip with hand blender constantly until temperature of 120 degrees is reached.
  5. Remove bowl from pot and continue to whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  6. Spread meringue over pie, making sure it reached the edges of the crust.
  7. Brown tips of meringue under a broiler.

 

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Posted in Desserts, Fruit

 

Peach Buttermilk Ice Cream

23 Aug

Peach Ice Cream 2
 

K:  I have a passing fondness for ice cream (much as I have a passing fondness for my husband, and on a ridiculously hot summer day, I suspect that making me choose between them might be bad for my marriage, especially if there are peaches involved), one that has not only led me to own an embarrassing number of books on the topic, but to also preach loudly, often, and to anyone that will listen, of the joys of homemade.  My trusty KitchenAid ice cream bowl never leaves my freezer, even in the depths of the frigid Boston winters, and only the desire to teach my kid some semblance of nutritional value has slowed my use of it, though likely not as much as it should.  It probably goes without saying that we eat  kind of a lot it, and peach is a household favorite.

Before I get started on this particular recipe, I feel compelled to lay out an important point of discussion. This may seem obvious but I’m going to say it anyway, to make ice cream, there must be CREAM.  As in heavy cream. Yes, you can use milk, but then you have ice milk, which is lovely and refreshing in it’s own right, but simply will not have the same complexity of flavor or deeply satisfying silken texture that makes a truly great ice cream. So. Now that we have that settled, just take a deep breath and tell your inner fat counter to take the day off, because if the cream thing gets to you, the egg yolks are going to make your head explode.  So let that go. Just for today.

Now, I also adapted this recipe rather heavily.  The original in the book did not use buttermilk, and calls for FAR fewer egg yolks.  I made both, and the book version is delicious, but there is something of perfection in the marriage of buttermilk and peaches that is impossible to beat. Besides, can you think of anything more Southern than peaches and buttermilk together? Of course you can’t.

Custard 1 - Foamy Custard 2 - Thicker Custard Done

Recipe: Peach Buttermilk Ice Cream

Summary: A sweet-tangy, luxurious, custard ice cream that just screams SUMMER. This base works well with all manner of fruit, and makes a strawberry ice cream that will knock your socks off……seriously, think frozen cheesecake. Adapted from The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 6 Large Egg Yolks (yes, you read that correctly)
  • 2 c Heavy Cream
  • 1 c Sugar, divided
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 2 T Vanilla Extract
  • 2 c Buttermilk
  • 3 Large Peaches

Instructions

  1. Beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix heavy cream and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a heavy saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, to 180 degrees. You will see steam rising, and perhaps a few bubbles along the edges, but do NOT let it reach any sort of boil.
  3. Remove from heat and add just a bit of the cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs and bring the temperature up slowly to keep the egg from cooking or curdling.  Continue to add a little of the cream, slowly, while whisking until all is incorporated.
  4. Return the mixture to saucepan and heat until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, stirring constantly. (see photos below for a visual progression of the custard.
  5. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, vanilla, and COLD buttermilk.
  6. Transfer into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least two hours usually, or overnight. Once it’s chilled, it can be churned as is for a fantastic ice cream.
  7. Just before making the ice cream, peel & pit the peaches, add the final 1/4 c sugar, and mash well with a fork. Don’t obliterate, but do mash.  Allow to sit for 10-15 mins to macerate.
  8. As ice cream begins to freeze, stir in the peaches, with any accumulated juice.
  9. Proceed according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  10. When churning is complete, transfer ice cream into an airtight container and place in freezer for several hours until firm. If you can stand it that long.

For the record, I often make a double batch of the base, and keep the other half in the fridge for a day or two.  With this much cream and sugar, the base should last in a cold refrigerator for several days. I say should because it never gets that chance here.

Ice Cream Base

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Posted in Dairy, Desserts, Fruit

 

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

12 Jul
5929960893_96a9b77e60_o Tomato Watermelon Salad

M: Two of my favorite summer treats, tomatoes and watermelon.  Put them together?  Well, I wasn’t so sure.  This is a combo I had never heard of, but a little asking around and I found this one wasn’t quite as esoteric  as it first seemed.  In fact, this recipe is local for me, coming from Bill Smith, chef at the acclaimed Crook’s Corner Cafe up in Chapel Hill.  With that pedigree behind it, I proceeded in what I knew to be good hands.  I followed this recipe to the letter, popped it into the fridge mid-morning and served it with dinner.  And was disappointed.  These flavors I love so much just didn’t play well together.  The sweetness of the watermelon was interrupted by the tomatoes, the tomatoes were doing well with the vinegar, but finding no integration with the melon.  I put the leftovers back in the fridge and that was that.  Except something happened.  Trapped together overnight in a cold refrigerator these two had learned to get along.  The tangy and the sweet ran through and through.  Like so many relationships, this one just took a little more time to blossom than I expected.  I do think I’d probably seek out a less ripe watermelon next time, but now I get it.

 K: Yeah, I had the less ripe watermelon, for sure, which I am pretty certain made a big difference.   I can definitely understand why some folks would like this.  On a purely…intellectual level, I could absolutely process the separate flavors, and how they melded surprisingly well.  I used white balsamic vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar the recipe called for, primarily because I had it on hand, and I absolutely believe it did a better job of bridging the sweet-tart-salty flavors.  If I were to ever make this again, I would stick with the white balsamic, or I’d try something along the lines of a champagne vinegar.

Will I make this again, though?  Honestly? Probably not very often.  I DO, however, have friends for whom this flavor profile would be quite enjoyable, and I’d be likely to take it elsewhere for an interesting addition to cookout spread.  For me though….not so much.  Call me a purist, but I like my tomatoes tomato-y and my watermelons sweet .  I am a tomato FIEND, and spent the majority of my childhood walking around eating them out of hand, the way most kids eat apples.  Mostly I just kept feeling like my tomatoes were messing up my watermelon and my watermelon was messing up my tomatoes.  Reese’s peanut butter cups, this ain’t.

 

Recipe: Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Summary: Two summer staples mix it up. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 5 c Watermelon, cut into half inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 Lb Tomatoes, diced
  • 3 tsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Small Red Onion, quartered and sliced
  • 1/2 c Red Wine Vinegar ( K: I HIGHLY reccommend the white balsamic vinegar that I used instead.)
  • 1/2 Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Toss watermelon and tomato with salt and sugar in a large bowl and let rest 15 minutes.
  2. Fold in onion, vinegar and oil.
  3. Cover and refrigerate several hours to overnight. ( K: I didn’t find that the flavor changed much after about 4 hours with my batch.  It tasted the same the next morning that it had with dinner. )
  4. Serve chilled.

 

 

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Posted in Fruit, Salads, Vegetables

 
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