share some recipes

Growing up we would can green tomato slices in this vinaigrette and then eat them in sandwiches throughout the year.

8 to 12 thick tomato slices or peeled small tomatoes
1 cup olive oil or salad oil
1/3 cup wine vinegar
2 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced fine

If using small tomatoes, cut off stem ends. Arrange tomatoes in baking dish, 8×8x2 inches. In a tightly covered jar, shake oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, mustard and garlic. Pour over tomatoes, Cover: chill 2-3 hours, spooning dressing over tomatoes occasionally.

I save the vinaigrette and just keep adding new tomatoes to it while it sits in the fridge. I also add additional garlic as I deplete it.

Marinate cooked vegetables like Brussels sprouts or raw cucumber slices in the same dressing for a surprise side dish. You can also use it on green beans, carrots, or potatoes.

This recipe is what my dad’s father used to make when dad was little.

Fudge

2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup butter or oleo
1 tsp. vanilla

Lightly grease 8 or 9 inch square pan or large platter and the sides of your saucepan. Thoroughly combine dry ingredients in a heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Bring to a “bubbly” boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring to 234 degrees F. (soft ball stage) or until a small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball. Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.
Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Do NOT stir. Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees F. (bottom of pan is barely warm to the touch.) Beat with a wooden spoon until fudge thickens and loses its gloss. Quickly spread in prepared pan or platter. Cool completely; cut into squares.

Variations
Peanut butter Fudge: Reduce butter in half. Add desired amount of peanut butter along with the butter and vanilla.

Marshmellow-Nut Fudge: Increase Hershey’s Cocoa to ¾ cup. Cook fudge as above. Add 1 cup marshmellow crème with butter and vanilla. Do NOT stir. Cool to 110 degrees. Beat for 10 minutes; stir in one cup of broken nuts and pour into pan. (Fudge will not set until poured into pan.)

When harvest comes in the garden, it’s time to make this concoction that my Grandmother came up with. We call it Garden Stuff because that’s what it mainly is.

You take whatever you have in the garden that’s ready including potatoes, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, pod peas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic, hot peppers, onion, etc. and chop them up into chunks.

Place desired vegetables in the pan. Place dobs of hanburg or sausage or both on top. Be sure to include basil leaves (fresh if available), fennel and anise seed. Pour olive oil over eveything. (Quantity is maybe 1/3-1/2 cup. Grandma would say pour until I tell you to stop.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil or lid and bake for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350F. When veggies are done (test with a fork), sprinkle shredded cheese over top and return to oven until cheese melts.

You don’t need to add water as the veggies make their own broth as they cook. We always use about a full head of garlic in the big roaster we make of this. We also used to can or freeze the vegetable portion of this so that we could make it fresh during the winter or spring.

1 ½ cups, plus 3 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons cold milk

Pour flour, sugar and salt in pie pan; mix with fingers.

In measuring cup, combine oil and milk and beat until creamy. Pour at once over the flour mixture and mix with a fork until completely moistened.

Pat the dough, using your fingers, first up the sides and then across the bottom of the pie pan. The shell is now ready to be filled and baked according to the individual recipe.

This recipe makes one bottom crust; don’t try to double it to create a top crust because it won’t hold together. It works best with pumpkin pies, cream pies and assorted tarts.

2 14oz. Cans Whole Tomatoes
2 Beef Boullion Cubes
1 Tbl. Sugar
1 or 2 Tsp. salt, to taste
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp. Basil
1/4 Tsp. White or Black Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Cup 100% Corn Oil Margarine
1/2 Cup Unsifted Flour
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Heavy Cream

Chop 1 cup of the tomatoes and set aside. Combine the rest of the tomatoes, boullion, sugar, salt, basil, pepper, bay leaf. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Mix in a food processor or blender until smooth. In another pot, melt the margarine and slowly blend in the flour until smooth. Then stir in the milk and heavy cream until boiling. Remove from heat and blend with your tomato mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes that were set aside and heat, stirring constantly. Optionally you may blend all the tomatoes if you do not want the tomato chunks.

This bisque is loved by all who try it. Once you’ve had this you won’t want just any tomato soup.