Welcome to my Kitchen

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Borrowing from a wedding adage, this column features a couple of repeat recipes from long past issues, some new recipes and a bit about blue and other colors. Luscious Lemon Bars were featured in one of our first year columns, and then again a few years later. The recipe was requested again following a recent potluck meal, and since there are new readers, here is the recipe.

Luscious Lemon Bars

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

6 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the powdered sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of a glass 9x13 inch baking pan. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

In the same bowl you prepared the crust, combine sugar and remaining flour. Stir in eggs until completely blended. Add lemon juice and mix well until sugar begins to dissolve, about 1 minute. Pour mixture onto slightly cooled crust and return pan to oven. Bake for 25 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen bars.

Note: you can use margarine, but they won’t be quite the same.

Oven Baked Jo Jo Fries are a favorite tradition of the Junior High Vacation Bible School. One of the leaders asked why Jo Jo’s are called Jo Jo’s. A little research determined that the origin of the name is not known, but showed up in Ohio and Idaho at about the same time, especially in communities with a Basque influence, and is more prevalent in the west than other areas of the country. The term means potato wedges and traditionally referred to potato wedges deep-fried along with chicken.

Oven Baked Jo Jo Fries

10 pounds medium size baking potatoes

1 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1 1/2 tsp celery salt

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt free Cajun or Creole seasoning

Sea salt

Scrub potatoes thoroughly, drain and dry completely. Cut into even wedges that are 1/2-3/4 inch at the thickest part. Do not rinse, as you want the potato starch to set up on the cut surfaces. Place cut potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 3/4 cup of the oil, stirring to evenly coat. In a small mixing bowl combine flour, cheese and spices. Sprinkle over potatoes and stir until combined and potatoes are evenly coated with the mixture.

Place oven racks as close to the center of the oven as possible. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 12x18 inch baking pans with remaining oil and place in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Turn half of the potatoes onto each pan and return to oven.

Bake 30 minutes. Turn potatoes with a wide spatula and return pan to the oven, switching racks for even baking. Continue baking for an additional 30 minutes. Potatoes should now be done, easily pricked with a fork at the thickest part. Serve immediately with your favorite condiments.

Note: cooled potatoes may be frozen and stored in zip closure bags. Reheat in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning once during reheating.

A side note: these would be called Kartoffelspalten in German.

Rice Krispie Treats are another Vacation Bible School favorite for all age groups. Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats is a recipe I found posted on Pinterest from a blog called Pots and Pins. This is not the recipe to indulge in if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake, but, they are decadently yummy.

Salted Caramel

Rice Krispie Treats

1 recipe of Rice Krispie Treats made according to the original recipe

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups corn syrup

2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

Coarse sea salt

In a large (6-8 quart) saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup of the cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining cream. Heat without stirring until mixture reaches 242 degrees, soft ball stage. This will take about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour caramel mixture over cooled Rice Krispie Treats. Let stand 3 minutes, then sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into squares when completely cooled.

Note: when I made these, I omitted the salt.

Blue and other brightly colored plates make a fresh presentation of light colored foods like these treats. Bowls in bright colors add eye appeal to summer chip and vegetable dips like Dill Dip, a zippy condiment featuring fresh dill.

Dill Dip

1/2 cup minced fresh dill

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/2 tsp Accent

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let flavors develop. Serve dip with your favorite chips, crackers and fresh vegetables. You can also thin with a little buttermilk for use as a salad dressing.

Share your favorite summer recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email http://www.therecord@od

essaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Time to hill up the potatoes.