Fete Worse Than Death (9781101595138) (30 page)

Combine yeast, butter, beer, water, molasses, and salt. Set aside. Combine cloves, ginger, and both flours. Add to yeast mixture and knead for five minutes or until smooth. Cover bowl with clean cloth and set in proofing oven (72 to 80 degrees F) until loaf has doubled in size. Knead for ten minutes and set aside to let rise. Bake in 375-degree oven forty-five minutes to an hour. Makes a one-and-a-half-pound loaf.

Division, Preserves

TIED FOR FIRST PLACE:

~Mary’s Peach Chutney~

Combine all ingredients except peaches and simmer for thirty minutes on low heat. Add peaches and simmer until peaches are fork-tender, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Let cool. Serve as condiment with pork.

Note: Molasses sugar can be homemade by adding 1 tablespoon molasses to one cup white sugar. Put into blender and pulse until combined.

~Whit’s Blueberry Chutney~

In a two-quart saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, onion, and ginger to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook about twenty minutes until onion is soft. Stir in optional spices and/or tamarind. Stir in dissolved cornstarch, cook another five minutes. Stir in the berries, simmer another five to seven minutes, until just starting to break up. Pour into hot, sterile jars and put lids on right away.

Division, Candies, Chocolate, and Confections

~Butter Taffy~

Simmer all ingredients except vanilla until a small amount dropped into cold water solidifies into a hard ball. Remove pan from heat, and quickly stir in
vanilla. Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan and let cool.

Division, Canning, Vegetables

~Sauerkraut~

Remove outside leaves of cabbage, core the cabbage, and slice into fine shreds. Add salt and mix well. Pack firmly into stone crock, leaving about two inches to the top. Cover with a clean dishcloth and a heavy plate. Store at sixty degrees for a month or more. As soon as fermentation begins, remove the scum daily and re-cover with a clean cloth. When formation stops, pour a layer of hot paraffin over the top to seal and store at sixty degrees F.

Division, Canning, Fruit

~Arlene Peterson’s Spaghetti Surprise~

Simmer tomatoes until done, about ten minutes. Strain through sieve and set aside. Cook bacon until just starting to crisp. Add peppers, onions, parsley, oregano, and garlic, and continue cooking until vegetables are al dente. Combine simmered tomato and vegetables/bacon mixture. Follow standard canning procedures.

Division, Jams and Jellies

~Tompkins County Cherry Jam~

Wrap the cherries and two lemon peels into a large piece of cheesecloth. Put the lemon juice and
two-thirds cup water into a large pan. Cook under very low heat for about thirty minutes. Remove bag and put cherries into pan, with the sugar. Bring the pan to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat. Let stand. Skim foam from surface. Pour into hot, sterile Mason jars. Cover with a layer of hot paraffin.

Division, Pickles and Relishes

~Pickled Carrots~

Simmer carrot sticks for ten minutes in boiling water. Pack into clean, sterilized jars. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan and oil. Pour over carrots in jars. Proceed with canning process.

Division, Condiments, Sauces, and Marinades

TIED FOR FIRST PLACE:

~Marge Schmidt’s Tomato Catsup~

Simmer the vegetables until soft. Push through a coarse sieve or process through a food mill. Add dark brown sugar and set aside.

SPICE BAG

Wrap all these ingredients in cheesecloth bag. Simmer in the tomato mixture until the amount of tomato is reduced by half. Remove the spice bag. Add two cups of white wine vinegar and a large pinch of Kosher salt to mixture. Simmer for ten minutes. Proceed with canning process.

~Citrus Vinaigrette~

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To make red wine vinegar, add 1 cup of red wine to 4 cups of white vinegar. Combine all ingredients, shake well and store.

Division, Salting, Smoking, and Drying

~Harland Peterson’s Pork Butt~

Rub pork butt well with salt mixture. Smoke for six to eight hours in a smoker stocked with apple wood chips. Remove pork butt from smoker and shred well, discarding fat. Add two cups of Marge Schmidt’s Tomato Catsup. Mix well and simmer in a large pot for ten minutes.

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PETERSON’S PORK SALT

Division, Pies, Fruit and Berry

No award given this year, due to unsportsmanlike behavior of participants.

Division, Pies, Other

~Miriam’s Luscious
Lemon Meringue Pie~

Heat water and sugar in a pan until the mixture is clear. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt, then whisk into the water and sugar mixture. Turn heat to medium and whisk until the mixture thickens to a thick, opaque pudding. Remove from heat. Whisk in egg yolks and put pan back on low heat for one minute, whisking all the while. Whisk in butter and lemon juice and when mixture is smooth, remove from heat. Let cool while you prepare the meringue.

MERINGUE

Beat egg white to glossy peaks, adding sugar in a thin stream as soon as the mixture thickens. Spoon lemon custard into pie crust. Smooth meringue over top of the pie with a rubber spatula. Make sure that the edges of the pie are sealed. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over top and bake at 315 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes, or until meringue is nicely browned.

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PIECRUST

(It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is better to buy piecrust than make it. But Miriam Doncaster plays fair—and she made this herself.)

Cut shortening and butter into flour with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle the dough with the water. Form into a ball. Roll out with a rolling pin. Makes two nine-inch piecrusts.

Division, Cookies and Bars

~Claudia’s Ambrosia Cookies~

Cream the butter and sugar together, which will be a pain, because the butter is cool. The resulting mixture should be light in color and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat them well in. Mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Combine butter/egg mixture and flour. Beat at low speed until well combined. Add the chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans. Chill dough for an hour.

Drop by tablespoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for twelve to seventeen minutes. Doneness will depend on your oven and on the size of the cookie.

Division, Fry Off, Sweet

~Cider Fry Cakes~

Beat eggs and add sugar slowly while beating. Stir in milk, apple cider, and shortening. Mix all dry ingredients, and then add to the liquid mixture. Fry in deep fat at 375 degrees F until golden brown. Frost with cider glaze.
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CIDER GLAZE

Division, Fry Off, Savory

~Double-Fried Potatoes~

Cut potatoes in squared-off quarter-inch strips. Place in bowl of ice water for about thirty minutes. Drain potatoes and roll carefully in paper towels to dry. Fry in 350-degree shortening until pale brown.
Remove from fryer. Heat shortening to 375 degrees. Dredge the potatoes in peanut oil, then in the seasoned flour. Fry until golden brown, then dredge in Kosher salt.

Division, Cakes and Cupcakes

~Julie’s Amazing All-Occasion Cake~

You will need five nine-inch-round pie pans for this cake.

Mix the flour and baking powder and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Pour in the milk, beating continually. Beat the egg whites to soft, glossy peaks. Carefully fold egg whites into batter. Add the rum. Pour into greased pie plates and bake at 375 degrees F for twenty-five minutes. Let cakes cool. Frost with 7-Minute Icing
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and decorate.