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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
A harvest of good recipesTwo things never change in North Dakota--that great state raises really great grains and really great cooks. Fortunately, the cooks are very generous about sharing their recipes and I am happy to share the cream of the crop with you. Joanne Albrecht had a dinner party during our most recent visit to Jamestown, N.D., and she served cantaloupe slices topped with smoked salmon and on each plate there was a lemon wedge and a tiny white flower from her garden. Quick, easy, and delicious! Jo made her life easy by having the main course, a Chicken-Artichoke-Rice Casserole, assembled ahead and frozen, ready to bake the day of the party. She served it with a salad and followed it with a Lemon Loaf that a friend, Shirley brought for all to enjoy. Chicken-Artichoke-Rice Casserole When you're in a hurry buy a pre-cooked chicken or roast a turkey breast and use part of it for the casserole and the rest for sandwiches or salad the next day. All ingredients can be varied according to taste. 1 box (6 oz) long grain and wild rice with herbs
Cook rice according to package instructions. Combine with remaining ingredients and either freeze and thaw or cook immediately in a 300 F oven for 30 minutes or until bubbling and browned. Makes 10 to 12 servings. Lemon Cake This is really a lemon loaf tea cake. Served as a dessert it takes kindly to Lemon Curd and fresh raspberries or with any kind of berry or fruit. It is tangy and deliciously refreshing. 2 sticks butter at room temperature
Glaze: 2 cups confections sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease, flour and line the bottom of two loaf pans with parchment paper; grease the paper. Cream butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar together for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. With mixer on medium, add eggs, one at a time, and then the lemon zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth the tops, and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cake tester comes out clean. Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. When cakes are done, let cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes (with fork tines you can make holes in the cake to speed up absorption. Allow cakes to cool completely. Glaze: Combine confectioners sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cakes and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides. Each cake will make 8 to 10 servings. Tomato, Basil & Bread Soup Stale bread is the secret thickener in this recipe. Let the soup sit for a few minutes before eating so the bread can soak up all of the flavors. Fresh tomatoes can be substituted for the canned with even better results. 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan; add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and just turning light gold, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice. Reduce heat to low and partially cover pot. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened. Stir in half of the basil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Scatter bread pieces on top of soup. Ladle into bowls, garnish with remaining basil and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Makes 4 servings. Annabelle's Easy Chocolate Cookies My husband loved these because they stay soft. They are easy to make because you don't measure any ingredients. You could probably add chopped nuts for a bit of crunch. The surface is crackled and attractive sprinkled with the confectioners sugar. 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
Combine all ingredients except the sugar and beat until smooth and light. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer. Roll balls of dough the size of walnut in confectioners sugar and bake for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheets in preheated 350 F oven. Place on cooling racks placed on paper toweling or waxed paper. While still slightly warm sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Makes at least 5 dozen. Harvesting recipes is a lot easier than harvesting crops!
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