It’s RSVP day. I’ve received a few requests for help in the
kitchen and it’s time to put them out there to our readers. In
terms of being helpful, South County tops the ladder.
It’s RSVP day. I’ve received a few requests for help in the kitchen and it’s time to put them out there to our readers. In terms of being helpful, South County tops the ladder. I have found in times of need that there are many hands stretched out to help. These requests aren’t all that serious, just important to someone in a local kitchen. If you know the answer or have a recipe, please RSVP to jd****@****ic.com or mail to Jenny’s Kitchen, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95020.
• Creating a cookbook: The Gilroy Assistance League needs your help to create a cookbook to be used as a fundraiser. GALS provides grants to Gilroy organizations that benefit children of the community.
The GALS now need recipes to be included in the 2004 “Friends of GALS Cookbook.” I think community cookbooks are the best. I love to see who submitted what. I trust the recipes, because most people submit favorites that have succeeded many times with family and friends. I’m sure many of you have family-pleaser recipes that would be perfect for this cookbook. They will be printed with the contributor’s name. Please send favorite recipes to: Lynn Vogt, 8770 Leavesley Rd., Gilroy CA 95020. Deadline is Dec. 6.
I am planning to send the following corn recipes and a few more that have been hits with readers.
Bacon-Fried Corn
9 strips bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 T. minced fresh parsley
1 T. milk
Salt and pepper
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve fat in skillet.
Add onion to bacon fat; cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add corn and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with bacon pieces. Serves 4-5.
Jalapeño Corn Pudding
6 large eggs, beaten
1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
3 green onions, chopped fine
1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
2 16-oz. cans cream-style corn
1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together eggs, bell pepper, green onions and jalapeños in a large bowl. Add corn, cheese, flour and salt. Mix to blend.
Grease a 13×9 baking pan. Bring a larger pan of water to boil. Pour corn mixture into the baking pan. Place baking pan into boiling water. Bake until center is almost firm, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serves 6.
• Tipsy fruit: Reader Karen Ayers is looking for a solution. She makes liqueurs out of dried apricots every year. After decanting the liqueur, she’s left with a lot of tipsy apricots. I have searched my cookbooks and have not found an answer for Karen. Does anyone out there have a recipe that uses dried fruit soaked in alcohol?
In the meantime, this is a fabulous hors d’oeuvre for a wine and cheese party that uses dried apricots. The recipe takes time, so is not really fit for a last-minute get together.
Phyllo-wrapped Brie with Apricot and Rosemary Chutney
For the chutney:
12 ounces dried apricots, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1 cup water
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 ounces dried tart cherries (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted
Combine all ingredients except almonds in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until most liquid has evaporated and chutney is thick, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Mix in almonds. Transfer chutney to bowl. Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made one week ahead. Cover and store in refrigerator.)
For cheese and phyllo:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 pound fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed
4 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 32- to 36-ounce wheel of Brie (order ahead of time from your favorite
store)
Brush heavy large baking sheet with butter; set aside. Unroll pastry.
Cover with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel. Transfer 2 stacked phyllo sheets to work surface, arranging 1 short side parallel to edge of work surface. Arrange 2 more stacked phyllo sheets on work surface, overlapping long side of first sheets by about 5 to 7 inches and forming rectangle about 18 by 17 inches. Brush pastry with butter; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary over. Place 2 more stacked sheets atop first set of 2 sheets, then 2 more stacked sheets atop second set of 2 sheets. Brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary. Repeat layering 1 more time with phyllo, butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary. (You will use a total of 12 sheets.)
Using sharp knife or scissors, trim phyllo corners, forming approximately 17-inch oval. place Brie in center of phyllo. Spread 1 1/2 cups chutney evenly over cheese. Slide hand under 1 rounded corner of phyllo. Lift phyllo and fold onto top of cheese. Brush folded pastry with butter. Continue to lift phyllo in sections and to fold snugly over top of cheese, brushing with butter and pressing each section to adhere until cheese is wrapped (the top center 2 to 3 inches of cheese will not be covered). Use hand and metal spatula to transfer wrapped cheese to prepared baking sheet.
Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with butter. Starting at 1 long side, fold 1 inch of pastry over. Continue folding pastry loosely over itself, forming 1-inch-wide strip of pastry. Roll up strip into coil. Gather bottom edge of coil together, pinching to force top slightly open and forming rose. Place rose atop uncovered center of cheese. Brush with butter. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, forming 2 more roses. Place atop cheese, covering opening completely. Chill 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; keep chilled.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown, covering roses loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 25 minutes. (If cheese leaks from pastry during baking, press piece of foil over tear in pastry; continue baking.) Cool cheese on sheet 45 minutes.
To serve, use a metal spatula to transfer warm cheese to large platter. Arrange herbs, dried fruit, baguette slices and apple slices around cheese. Cut cheese into wedges or allow guests to cut their own. Serves 16.
• A hundred uses for nectarines: Bob Corwin of Hollister wants to make his girlfriend something special for her birthday. She loves nectarines so he’s been searching for just the right thing. I’ve included one recipe below – from “The Pie and Pastry Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum – but Bob would like a few choices. If you have a special recipe that uses nectarines, please send it to me ASAP. Her birthday is in a few weeks.
Nectarine-Raspberry Pie
For the crust:
Make or buy enough dough for a 2-crust, 9-inch pie
For the filling:
8 cups (sliced) nectarines, rinsed (5 to 6 large), pitted and sliced but
not peeled
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon kirsch
1 cup raspberries
Place the sliced nectarines in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the lemon juice. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt and toss them gently to mix evenly. Allow to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and maximum of 1 hour.
Transfer the nectarines and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will exude a full cup of juice.
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid to 1/2 cup, or until syrupy and lightly carmelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4 cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid, and boil it in a microwave, about 12 minutes on high). Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes or until warm.
Meanwhile, transfer the nectarines to a bowl and toss them with the lemon zest and cornstarch until all traces of the cornstarch have disappeared. Stir the Kirsch into the cooled syrup and pour it over the nectarines, tossing gently. Transfer the nectarine mixture to the bottom pie shell and top with the raspberries.
Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle.
Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water and place the top crust over the fruit. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge.
Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the pastry. This will maintain flakiness and help to prevent distortion.
Preheat oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch bubbling juices.
Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone or sheet and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices bubble thickly through the slashes and the nectarines feel tender but not mushy when a cake tester or small knife is inserted through a slash. After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring. Cool the pie on a rack for at least 3 hours before cutting.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Serves 8.
End notes: “When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.” ~ African Proverb
Happy cooking!
