Buttermilk Pie

On a recent visit to Medford, Oregon, Sheri' and Mark DuMond literally swiped this recipe out of the recipe files of Lois Rhodes, Sheri's mom.

3 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cube melted butter

Beat eggs well. Mix eggs, flour and sugar together. Add butter and buttermilk. Pour into raw pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees. When crust begins to brown, decrease oven heat to 325. Bake until a knife comes out clean (like custard).

Sandy's Chili Beans

This recipe comes from Sandy Jimenez in Southern Oregon:

3 large cans Hunt's small red beans
(Ed. Note: A search of Hunt's site online indicates they don't sell canned beans any more so you may have to substitute another brand.)
1 large can tomato sauce (16 oz.)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
1.5-2 lb. hamburger
Garlic salt

Brown the hamburger, onion and bell pepper. Drain the beans and add to the sauteed meat and vegetables. Add tomato sauce, one can water and stewed tomatoes.

Cook slow for two hours and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a time-honored dish from the recipe file of the Rhodes family in Medford, Oregon.

4 chicken breast halves
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
4 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen peas
Drop biscuits (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken in a medium pot with chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken and allow to cool, then remove the chicken meat from bones. Strain off two cups of the broth and keep hot in a small saucepan.

Melt butter in a medium pot. Add carrots and saute over medium heat for five minutes. Add celery and onions and saute an additional five minutes. Stir in flour and cook to form a smooth paste (roux). Gradually stir in reserved chicken broth, stirring constantly to form a smooth, thickened mixture. Stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Then stir in peas and reserved chicken.

Spoon the chicken mixture into a two quart casserole. Set aside.

Heap drop biscuits onto the chicken mixture, forming 5-8 biscuits. Bake the pie for 30 minutes and serve immediately.

DROP BISCUITS

1 cup flour
Dash salt & sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. butter
10 Tbsp. milk

Place flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir. Cut butter into small slivers and cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles small peas. Add milk and toss briefly until sticky.

Crab-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

From Mark & Sheri' DuMond's blog, a longtime favorite way to have baked potatoes:

Baked potatoes are great in an of themselves. But they're even better when dressed up with additional ingredients. For an example, check out our Recipe #32 (Veggie Bakers).

This recipe ups the ante by adding a little decadence: crab meat. We first tried this recipe several years ago, having lifted it from an ad by the Washington State Potato Foundation. It was originally created by Kathy Casey, one of Seattle's better-known cooking legends. We altered it a bit to make it "our" recipe, but it was certainly inspired by the one we found in the magazine ad.

The freshness and quality of the crab you use in this dish is critical. Very fresh crab meat is sweet and delicate, but crab that's been sitting around too long can turn this recipe into an unpleasant affair.

Makes four servings.

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and punctured with a fork

8 scallions, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup lowfat milk
1/4 lb. reduced-fat cream cheese
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. canned diced jalapeno peppers
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
3/4 lb. very fresh high-quality crab meat
1 8-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts

Extra asiago or other cheese for topping the spuds.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the potatoes in the oven and bake until very tender and cooked through. Start checking on them after 45 minutes by pulling a spud out and sinking the tip of a sharp knife into the center. If the potato offers any resistance, put it back in the oven and keep checking every five minutes or so. After you're sure the potatoes are well baked all the way through, remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 10 or 15 minutes.

While the spuds are in the oven, heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the green onions, and saute for a couple of minutes just until they're cooked but not browned.

Meanwhile, add the frozen artichoke hearts to boiling water and cook for a few minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool quickly. Chop them into bite size pieces.

Mix together in a large bowl the milk, cream cheese, mayo, jalapenos, garlic and cooked scallions.

After the baked potatoes have cooled a bit so you can handle them, cut the tops off lengthwise and scoop out as much potato flesh as you can, leaving a thin shell that can stand on its own. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the crab meat, chopped artichokes and asiago cheese.

Using a large spoon, put the potato mixture back into each baked potato shell. Sprinkle additional cheese on top of each spud. Put the potatoes back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden and the spuds are cooked through.

Other than a simple green salad, you don't really need anything more than this to make a first class meal.

Truffled Lobster Mac & Cheese

Mark and Sheri' DuMond made this dish for a visiting friend last weekend. We all like various forms of mac and cheese. This is fantastic! (Truffle oil can be found in specialty food stores and delis, but you might have a hard time finding it at standard supermarkets.)

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe is comfort food taken to a new level. The richness of the truffle oil adds an element of decadence, and the minced lobster is devine. Try this with some steamed asparagus and green salad, along with a nice pinot gris or unoaked chardonnay.

3/4 lb. cavatappi (or pasta of your choice)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium lobster tail, meat removed and chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. unbleached flour
2 cups lowfat milk
2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. truffle oil
Salt & pepper

1 cup medium cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add the cavatappi pasta to boiling salted water and cook to package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander. Add olive oil and shake to coat so the pasta doesn't stick together.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet and add the chopped lobster meat. Saute for a few minutes until the lobster is cooked through and opaque. Seat aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk it to create a roux. Add the milk and whisk over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Add the cheese and stir the sauce until the cheese melts. Add the truffle oil and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked pasta and lobster to the pot and stir gently to combine. Pour the whole mixture into a baking dish which has been treated with non-stick spray.

Top with additional grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the cheese on top is beginning to brown. Allow to sit for a few minutes and serve.

Truffle Butter Pasta

Here's a tasty one from Sheri' & Mark DuMond in Renton, Washington:

This is a rich and decadent (yet simple!) pasta dish. We recently served this for dinner with some neighbors, accompanied by some roasted vegetables and Caesar salad and warm bread.

The truffle butter isn't something you're likely to find at a standard grocery store. And it's definitely not cheap. But it's worth seeking out. This dish won't happen without it.

Makes four servings.

12 oz. fresh fettuccine pasta

1 cup heavy cream
5 oz. white truffle butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely minced chives

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta. Toss with a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, heat the cream in a large skillet until simmering. Add the truffle butter and whisk gently until the butter is completely melted and assimilated into the sauce. Whisk in salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan and toss with tongs to coat. Add some pasta cooking water to make sure the pasta is very creamy. Toss the pasta some more, then place into a preheated serving bowl. Serve immediately, with grated parmesan and chives.

Pickled Asparagus

This came in from Connie Bucy in Idaho this week. Maybe she'll send her Bloody Mary recipe too?

Almost ever since coming to Idaho in the '80s, I've been making this recipe. Back in those days, asparagus grew abundantly on our ditch banks and after freezing all I wanted, I realized I needed another way to prepare asparagus, so a friend of mine gave me this recipe.

It's extremely simple, but is great as a garnish and our favorite way to use it is in my Blood Mary's, particularly during our football tailgate parties - always a big hit!

2 quarts white vinegar
3 quarts water
10 Tbsp. Pickling Salt
Handful of pickling spices (remove cloves)

Boil all ingredients for at least 15 minutes.

In the meantime, clean and cut asparagus to fit into quart jars. Bring a large pot of water to boil to blanch the asparagus. When water is boiling, add the asparagus and cook approximately 3 minutes. I usually gauge it by when the water starts to boil again. Quickly remove asparagus and put into water in the sink which has ice cubes added to it to make the water very cold.

After asparagus has cooled, about 5 minutes, put into jars and add two cloves of garlic and cover with brine that has been strained. Boil your lids for the jars before putting onto the jars – seal. There is no need to process the jars – just let them sit at least a month before opening.