Welcome to My Kitchen

Salads, desserts head this

barbecue season menu

Picnic and barbeque weather has finally arrived. Time for summer menu items. Broccoli salads of various varieties have gained in popularity over the last decade. This recipe for Broccoli Salad was attributed to Dorothy of Coulee Dam in the spring issue of the Sage Country Quilters Newsletter. It is an easy recipe using ingredients basic to the average pantry, but adapts well to substitutions.

Broccoli Salad

Salad:

2 bunches fresh broccoli, cut in bite size pieces (about 6 cups)

1 cup raisins

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped green on- ions

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp vinegar

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add dressing to salad mixture and toss well to evenly distribute. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 side servings.

Note: red or other sweet onions may be substituted. Splenda or other sweetener may be used in place of the sugar. Dried cranberries or golden raisins are options to regular raisins.

Speaking of mayonnaise, this is a product we tend to use more of during summer months. This means more mayonnaise jars to try to scrape clean. If your family likes garlic flavor salad dressings, Creamy Garlic Dressing is just the ticket for a quick dressing that cleans the last of the mayonnaise from the jar at the same time.

Creamy Garlic Dressing

5 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 nearly empty jar mayon- naise

3/4 cup olive oil

Fresh or dried basil

Seasoning salt

Ground black pepper

Place garlic cloves in mayonnaise jar along with vinegar. Screw the lid on tightly. Working over the sink, just in case it leaks, share vigorously until all the mayonnaise is loosened from the jar and blended with the vinegar.

Pour the contents of the mayonnaise jar into blender container. Blend until garlic is pulverized. Pour this mixture into a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil and seasonings to taste. Yield: about 1 3/4 cups dressing.

You may also cut this recipe in half for ranch or bleu cheese dressing bottles.

S’Mores are a must for most outdoor cooking events. Try Mexican S’Mores, from http://www.southernp

late.com A fun treat for young and old alike.

Mexican S’Mores

10 inch flour tortillas, one for each

Mini marshmallows, 2 Tbsp for each

Mini chocolate chips, 1 1/2 Tbsp for each

Peanut Butter

Aluminum foil

Spread each tortilla with peanut butter. Sprinkle a line of marshmallows followed by a line of chocolate chips in the center. Fold over sides and roll up tightly and wrap in foil.Place over hot coals or in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through and marshmallows are melted. Allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

Note: if you only have large marshmallows on hand, cut them in quarters and use in place of the mini marshmallows. Regular chocolate chips work, but take a little longer to melt.

Anne Foote shared a recipe for Swiss Cherry Cheese Torte that she found in a Duncan Hines Cake Mix magazine advertisement. Though the recipe calls for a Swiss chocolate flavor cake mix, any chocolate flavor mix will work.

Swiss Cherry

Cheese Torte

1 package Duncan Hines De- luxe Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 package)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 can Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Note: you will need eggs and vegetable oil to go with the cake mix.

Bake two 8 inch round cake layers according to instructions on the cake mix box. Cool completely and split each layer into two thin layers (4 thin layers total).

For filling, beat together cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Fold in vanilla frosting.

Divide frosting and cherry pie filling into fourths. Spread 1/4 of the frosting on first layer and top with 1/4 of the cherry pie filling repeat with remaining layers, frosting and filling. Refrigerate until dessert time. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Note: be sure you use 8 inch round pans, 9 inch makes the layer too thin to cut easily.

Thinking ahead to harvest lunches. Most harvest crew members like to find a few cookies in their lunch box. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Keepsake Quilting Hungry Quilter Cookbook, satisfy the sweet tooth. Whole wheat flour, oatmeal and peanut butter make these a healthier treat.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter

Chocolate Chop Cookies

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Blend the margarine and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars and mix well. Add the milk, eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add the salt, baking soda, flour and oats in the order listed, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Note: lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper makes it easy to remove the cookies from the pan sooner and continue backing the next batch. Yield: 6-8 dozen cookies.

Share your favorite summer and harvest recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Tomatoes prefer to be watered in the cool of the evening.