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Show r3EnrQ(sEdraJ By Angie Martin I enjoy going to the market this time of year when all of the fruits and vegetables of spring and summer are just starting to become available. I always have to have at least one basket of fresh strawberries for shortcake just to celebrate the coming of spring. I have gathered for you some of my favorite recipes for strawberries, rhubarb and even one for fresh asparagus. I hope you . will enjoy them as much as I do. N-E ' -' t ASPARAGUS WITH SAUCE This will make a nice change from the usual melted butter on fresh asparagus. One sauce is to serve over hot asparagus and one over chilled. Be sure to choose firm, crisp asparagus with compact and closed tips. For 4 servings you will need l.- to 2 lbs. fresh asparagus. Hot Herbed Tomato Sauce: i cup finely chopped tomatoes Vj cup butter or margarine 1 tsp. lemon juice !'4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves Cold Sour Cream Sauce: 1 cup sour cream 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise 2 tsp. prepared mustard 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 'i tsp. salt 4 tsp. dried dill weed or 1 tbsp. fresh dill Take each asparagus spear and bend to snap off the tough portion. Diagonally slice to even off ends. Wash thoroughly. In large pan bring salted water of about 1-inch depth to boiling. Carefully place asparagus in water. i Bring to boiling again. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 8 to 12 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain. Serve asparagus hot with Herbed Tomato Sauce or well chilled with Sour Cream Sauce. Prepare Herbed Tomato Sauce by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Pour over hot asparagus. Prepare Cold Sour Cream Sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Pour over well-chilled asparagus. Sprinkle with fresh or dried dill. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE V4 lb. butter 1 cup sugar 3 eggs li cups all-purpose flour, unsifted 2 tsp. baking powder 3i cup milk Topping: ?4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 3 cups strawberries, mashed (reserve some for garnish) 1 cup heavy cream, whipped 2 tsp. vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350". Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour and baking powder. Add to butter and sugar mixture alternately with milk. Pour batter into a buttered 9x9" baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For the topping: In a small saucepan, melt butter and sugar together, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add mashed strawberries and cool or refrigerate. To assemble: Pour chilled topping mixture over hot cake. Top with whipped whip-ped cream, whipped with vanilla, and garnish with reserved strawberries. Serves 6 to 8 persons. M M wm M m M wmm FREEZER STRAWBERRY JAM (My favorite) 4 cups strawberries, stemmed and washed Vi cup fresh lemon juice 1 package powdered pectin 1 cup light corn syrup 5l2 cups sugar In a large heavy kettle, combine the berries and lemon juice and mix well. Add the pectin, stirring vigorously, allow to set for 30 minutes, stirring stirr-ing occasionally. Add the corn syrup and mix well. Gradually stir in the sugar while warming the jam to 100 degrees on a candy thermometer. Do not exceed this temperature. When sugar is dissolved, spoon into pint jars, leaving 1-inch clearance at top, and freeze immediately for at least 24 hours. After the initial freezing, jam will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks or can remain frozen for a year. Makes approximately 4 pints of jam. mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm H mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm SUGAR-CRUSTED RHUBARB SQUARES 2'2 cups sifted flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt li2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed ' 1 egg, beaten K cup cooking oil 1 cup sour milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1'2 cups finely diced fresh rhubarb '2 cup chopped walnuts 2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine i2 tsp. cinnamon Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl Grad in brown sugar. Combine egg, oil, sour milk and vanilla Add to A dients, blending well. Stir in rhubarb and walnuts. Spread hatt ingre-ed ingre-ed 9" square baking pan. d"er"igreas. Combine sugar, butter and cinnamon; mix well. Sprinkle ove Bake in 325' oven 55 minutes, or until done. Cut in squares and sen or cold. ewarB) RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY JAM For about 6 cups jam you will need: 34 lb. rhubarb, thinly sliced 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, unsweetened 1 quart strawberries 6'2 cups (2 lb. 14 oz.) sugar 1 pouch liquid pectin Melted paraffin Put rhubarb in very large saucepan or Dutch oven. Drain pineapple hi into saucepan with rhubarb. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer two mbm or until rhubarb is tender. Wash berries and remove caps. Crush berri one layer at a time. Combine with pineapple and rhubarb. Measure? cups into same saucepan. Add sugar and mix well. 1 Over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirmf down). Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat mediately stir in pectin and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle is into hot jars. Pour 18 inch hot paraffin over tops. Cover with lids and sto" in cool, dry place. "mmmmmmmmmmmamam"m,m mmmamamBmamamammmmmmmM |