Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2009

You could win free groceries on Saturday at Dierbergs

Grocery shoppers in Shiloh and Edwardsville will be in for some surprises Saturday when some folks from Organic Valley foods will be in Dierbergs stores to purchase the contents of some lucky shoppers' grocery carts if they spy Organic Valley dairy products in them.

The Organic Valley farmer-owners also will give away free stuff, including tickets to a concert, free t-shirts, bumper stickers and buttons.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., look for them at Dierbergs in Edwardsville Crossing and Green Mount Crossing in Shiloh.

Organic Valley is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,333 farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide.

Taste of Home cookbooks

For anyone who missed the Taste of Home Cooking School last week, or who wants to purchase a cookbook, the News-Democrat still has copies of several offered for sale that night. Taste of Home's "Winning Recipes" is a big, three-ring binder-style hardback cookbook for $20. There also are copies of two other hardback cookbooks, each also is $20. For more information, call Patti at 239-2572 or Teresa at 239-2558.

Drying tomatoes

A reader wanted to know how to dry tomatoes. This advice is from the Chicago tribune: Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Remove stems from tomatoes, then halve or quarter them; place cut side up in a single layer on a baking pan. Brush lightly with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until the tomatoes have shrunken and dried, 8 to 10 hours (but check regularly after 6 hours -- drying time will vary, depending on the size of the tomato). Let cool, then store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

A reader named Judy called to ask my help in finding a recipe for a cookie called Rocks. Her mother made then when she was a girl and she recalled enjoying them. Unfortunately, she couldn't find her mother's recipe.

Turns out it's a pretty popular item on the Internet recipe sites. Some of the recipes call for candied fruit, dates and/or maraschino cherries, which makes me think of fruitcake. Here's one of the recipes I sent Judy.

ROCK COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 cups flour

3 eggs, well beaten

2 tablespoons whiskey or orange juice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 pound seedless or white raisins

1 pound walnuts

Combine cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg with whiskey or orange juice and set aside. Cream butter and sugar and add beaten eggs. Sift flour and soda; add raisins and combine with egg mixture. Add walnuts and whiskey mixture and mix well.

Let stand overnight in refrigerator. Drop in small amounts onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and store in tin box. Improves with age.

Another reader hoped to find a weeknight meal that would satisfy her taste for spicy food from Louisiana without spending hours in the kitchen. This may not be an authentic Creole recipe from The Charlotte Observer, but it's fast.

To save time, chop the onion, green pepper and celery the night before and move shrimp to the refrigerator to the thaw.

SHRIMP CREOLE

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (14.5-ounce) can plain tomato sauce

2 bay leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste

1 (16-ounce) package frozen cooked shrimp, thawed

Hot, cooked rice

Saute onion, green pepper and celery in olive oil about 5 minutes or until tender.

Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, garlic salt, bay leaf and hot sauce. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add thawed shrimp and cook just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over rice.