Good morning, readers. To begin with, here are some long-distance requests from vacationers who are not Chattanoogans but have been vacationing among them.
Can you help these faraway Exchangers find recipes for desserts for the lactose-intolerant, particularly brownies? Can you tell how to make coconut milk ice cream, without any dairy? And how about a cold soup made with Thai red curry paste? And can you give detailed instructions for preparing a fajita party meal, "one that is special-occasion but not too complicated either?"
Additionally, you will see below that we still are on the lookout for a tomato pie, one our correspondent Margay McGee remembered hearing praised as "the best tomato pie ever," which came from this newspaper and called for cream or half-and-half.
The reader looking for a source for quinoa and barley now has his or her answers. An anonymous reader wrote that both grains may be purchased at the Village Market in Collegedale. Sharon Howard reported that "quinoa may be found at Earth Fare and Costco and more than likely Publix." Bettie Chastain said quinoa may be purchased in bulk in some stores, and she's promising us a great recipe for quinoa patties; watch for it in the weeks to come.
Nancy Alexander found this recipe in Fare Exchange several years ago and says she has used it many times. "It is delicious and adaptable as vanilla, any fruit flavor, as well as coconut."
Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
21/2 cups half-and-half
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
Pour half-and-half into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until pale and smooth. Stir 1/4 of the hot mixture into egg mixture, stirring well. Then pour egg yolk mixture into warm saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature and cover with plastic. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
An hour before making the ice cream, combine in a bowl berries and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let sit for 1 hour. Then mash berries with a fork until they are bite-size; stir into chilled custard mixture and pour into ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's directions to make ice cream. Freeze ice cream at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.
Note: Although this is a delicious recipe, it loses its creamy texture if stored in the freezer for more than a few hours. Try to serve it soon after freezing.
This is Marguerite McCammon's answer to the request for vinegar slaw; "I got it from 'The Barbecue! Bible' " author, Steven Raichlen. The recipe is described as fast, healthy, make-ahead and vegetarian. It sounds like it would be great with barbecue."
Mustard Slaw
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large head green cabbage, cored and finely chopped (about 10 cups)
4 carrots, finely grated
In a very large bowl, whisk the mustard with the sugar. Gradually whisk in the vinegar, vegetable oil, hot sauce and celery seeds. Season with salt and pepper; the dressing should be highly seasoned. Add cabbage and carrots to the dressing, and toss thoroughly.
The next recipe came from an Exchanger whose initials are P. *. "In looking for no-lettuce salad as requested in your column, I found this Mexican version that I am going to try for a main dish this summer. I can imagine serving it with corn chips or cornbread and watermelon. The recipe is pretty long but not too complicated."
Mexican Bean Salad
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn kernels
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
In a large bowl combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn and red onion.
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly and serve cold. Makes 8 servings.
Gwendolyn Meraz got this recipe from her mother, Genie Hendrix. Her father sometimes makes blackberry daiquiris by adding some of this freezer jam, straight from the freezer, to the daiquiri mix.
Freezer Blackberry Jam
31/2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package pectin
1 cup light Karo syrup
41/2 cups sugar
Wash and crush blackberries with potato masher; measure until you have 31/2 cups. Add lemon juice, and pour into large saucepan. Slowly stir in pectin and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to dissolve pectin thoroughly. Add Karo syrup, and mix well. Add premeasured sugar gradually. Stir well to dissolve completely. Warming to 100 F will hasten dissolving.
After sugar is thoroughly dissolved, pour jam into sterilized containers and seal. Store in the freezer.
To Reach Us
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750.
E-mail: janehenegar@gmail.com.
Fax: 423-668-5092.