Chef Benita McCoy Lyons

Potato Chowder

6 medium potatoes, diced
1 qt. boiling water
4 stalks celery, diced
2 small onions, chopped
1 stick butter
2 cans evaporated milk
2 bay leaves, crushed
1tsp.Seasoned salt & pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. white pepper

Bring all ingredients to boil, simmer 30 minutes. Add 1 cup silver queen corn. Fry 6 strips bacon crisp, remove from skillet and crunch. Add 3 tbsp of flour to bacon grease in skillet, stir until thickened. Pour into chowder and slowly stir. Simmer for 45 minutes and serve topped with crunched bacon.

Kushaw & Black Bean Soup

6 cups kushaw squash peeled & cubed
3 leeks with greens discarded, thinly sliced
6 large carrots scrubbed & chopped
2 cups silver queen corn
2 cans black beans rinsed & drained
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken broth OR Vegetable Broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white pepper
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup half & half OR Whole Milk
6 pats butter

*in a Dutch oven –or- soup kettle sauté carrots, onions, garlic & leeks in butter & olive oil. Add squash, broth, corn, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat until squash & corn are tender, add Black Beans. Reduce heat to low & add half & half. Simmer about 20 minutes.

*You may substitute the kushaw with butternut squash*

* This recipe makes a very large batch you can divide & freeze if you wish*

*Serve with Parmesan Crusted Croutons

Parmesan Crusted Croutons

Cube 1 loaf of Whole Wheat French Bread into 3-4 inch squares

Coat evenly with Olive oil spray

Toss in ground parmesan cheese & Italian seasonings

Bake @ 325°for 15-20 minutes or until crisp & brown

French Onion Soup

4 large onions
1/2 c. dry sherry
4 (10-1/2 oz.) can condensed beef broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 slices French bread, toasted, 1/2” thick
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 tbsp. butter

Coarse ground Black pepper & sea salt

Cook onion in butter

Add broth sherry salt pepper and Worcestershire sauce

Cook for 30 minutes.

Toast bread topped with cheeses until melted.

Place bread in soup bowls.

Pour 1-1/2 cups soup into bowls and serve hot.

Fresh Apple Cake

Batter:

1-1/4 c. cooking oil 3 c. flour
2 c. sugar 3 c. peeled and chopped apples
3 eggs
1 c. nuts, any variety, chopped
1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp salt

Blend oil and sugar well, sift dry ingredients, and add to oil and sugar mixture. Beat eggs slightly and add to batter; add vanilla. Fold in apples and nuts. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Cook ingredients to a full boil. Beat and cool. Spread on cake.

Orchard Pear & Peach Pie
CRUST:

2 c. flour
½ cup shortening
¼ c. ice water
½ stick soft butter

Cut shortening & butter into flour; add ice water, a little at a time. Roll out on floured counter top. Place in pie pan. Reserve enough crust for topping.

FILLING:

2 c. fresh peaches diced
2 c. fresh pears diced
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
2 packets Knox gelatin

Mix together and pour into pie crust. Put reserve crust on top of pie filling and pinch crust. Take a fork around the edges and flute edges. With a sharp knife, cut 3 diamond shapes into center of pie. Bake at 325 ° for 45 Minutes.