The Rural Voice, 2019-07, Page 43from a Latin word meaning
“soothing.” Not much wonder we
associate potatoes with comfort food.
Serve potato skins with a salad,
grilled portobello mushrooms or
steak or as an afternoon snack. They
always disappear quickly after a
sports event or family gathering.
Recently, while at our family cottage,
I made a plate and when I returned
five minutes later, they had all
disappeared. This version is easy,
low-fat and the skins provide
excellent dietary fibre.
Potato Skins
4 large baking potatoes (any type
but Russets are excellent)
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
¼ cup vegetable oil
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle chili powder
1 cup grated cheese
• Scrub potatoes and prick with a
fork. Microwave for 5-8 minutes
until a sharp knife may be easily
inserted.
• While the potatoes become cool
enough to handle, combine the soy
sauce and vegetable oil and prepare
any of the dips listed below.
• Pre-heat the oven to 500°.
• With a serrated knife, carefully
cut each potato into 4 or 6 wedges
(avoid breaking the skin) and scoop
out about half the flesh. (Save this in
a separate bowl, add mayonnaise,
onion, celery and spices for a small
potato salad for the next day.)
• Using a pastry brush, coat both
sides of the potatoes with the soy
sauce-oil mixture. Set skin-side down
on parchment lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle with salt and chili powder.
• Bake for 10 minutes then
remove the pan. Sprinkle on cheese
and return to the oven for another 10
minutes until the potato skins are a
crisp, golden brown and the cheese is
melted.
Dips: Serve with bowls of salsa
and/or a bowl of sour cream to which
a teaspoon of horseradish has been
added.
Local summer markets offer a
delightful array of summer
fruits which are as delicious as
they are nutritious. My family
declares this the best cake in the
world. I once took it as a gift to my
daughter-in-law, Joanna, and she
confessed that she and a friend ate
the entire cake in one sitting.
If you make this cake when it is
off-season for fresh apricots, a 398
mL/14 oz can is the perfect amount
of fruit.
Apricot Upside-down Cake
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
8-10 fresh apricots, split and
pitted
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Heaping 1/3 cup margarine or
butter
¾ cup white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp lemon
zest
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
• In an 8- or 9-inch square or
round cake pan, combine the ¼ cups
of butter, brown sugar and maple
syrup over low heat on stove top.
When melted together, lightly spray
sides of pan to keep from sticking.
• Arrange apricots, cut side up, on
top of syrup in pan.
• Combine flour, baking powder,
baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, press or beat
together the butter, sugar, lemon and
eggs.
• Beat half the flour mixture into
the butter-sugar-egg mixture. Stir in
the sour cream. Beat in the remaining
flour mixture. Spoon over apricots.
Use the back of the spoon to spread
the batter to the edge of the pan.
After baking for 40 minutes in
350°F oven, run a knife around the
edges to loosen any crusty bits. Set a
flat pan or plate on top of the cake
and quickly invert and remove the
pan. The beautiful, curved side of the
apricots will be on top.
This cake may be served with ice or
whipped cream or just enjoyed on its
own.
When peaches are in season
and while the barbeque is
on, try this easy recipe.
Barbecued Peaches
2 tbsp soft butter or margarine,
divided
5-6 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp brandy or maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
• Spread 1 tbsp butter in an
aluminum pie plate.
• Toss fruit with sugar, brown
sugar, flavouring and lemon juice.
Pour into pie plate and dot with the
remaining butter. Seal tightly with
foil wrap.
• Cook on low barbeque heat for
20-30 minutes. Carefully open foil to
let steam escape.
• Spoon fruit with juices over ice
cream or cake. Garnish with toasted
almonds or pecans.
If there are children in your life,
take time this summer to create a
watermelon basket with them. My
friend, Linda Shaw, who was the
busy mother of triplets, told me that
adding pineapple to a fruit salad
helps preserve the life of a fruit salad
for days and I have found this to be
true. A watermelon basket is a great
picnic treat. If you are transporting it
to a picnic, take along the prepared
fruit in a separate sealed container.
Add to the carved watermelon basket
just before serving.
Watermelon Basket
1 whole watermelon
4 cups assorted summer fruit
(raspberries, blueberries, straw-
berries, etc.)
1 can pineapple chunks, undrained
• Using a long sharp knife, create
a “basket” by cutting the watermelon
horizontally, but do not cut straight
through at the centre of the
watermelon. Leave a strip of the top
part of the watermelon rind attached
to the bottom, which makes it look
like a basket.
•Remove the two top “disposable”
sections of watermelon. Set aside and
eat later.
• Carefully cut out the flesh of the
bottom part of the watermelon. Cut
into cubes and put about half of them
in a bowl. (Save the rest for eating or
for making watermelon slush.)
• To the watermelon chunks, add
the assorted summer fruit and the can
of undrained pineapple. Toss lightly.
• Pile fruit back into the
watermelon basket and serve. If you
wish, serve with a sweet dipping
sauce by combining a package of
softened cream cheese with a cup of
marshmallow dip. ◊
July 2019 39
Recipes