Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
A bounty of recipes for the fall harvest
Yvonn*
Sutherland
Food
Columnist
yvonnes@windstream.net
The crisp fall evenings
can really whet my appetite.
Fortunately, the stores and
farmers’ markets are full
of in-season fruits and veg
etables, all ablaze with the
bright colors of fall. The
pretty colors make them
tempting to buy them, but
it is sometimes challenging
to use them while they are
fresh.
There is no doubt that
Americans need to eat more
fruits and vegetables. Sadly,
our fruit/vegetable intake
often consists of a lettuce
leaf on our hamburger and
french fries. (I think it has
been determined that ketch
up is not a vegetable.) It
may be hard to avoid fast
foods when lunching on the
go, but it is fun and deli
cious to change our meal
plans at home. As much
as I enjoy pasta and home
made French bread, I have
been experimenting with
rounding out meals using
fewer simple carbohydrates
and more complex carbohy
drates such as those in fruits
and vegetables. Fall fruits
and vegetables add not only
nutrition but eye appeal to
your plate. In fact, varying
Leaves! Leaves! Leaves!
Do the smart thing and work
fallen leaves into the soil
ML
Tim Lewis
Garden
Columnist
Leaves! Leaves! Leaves!
It is fall, and the leaves
are really falling. What in
the world to do with them
all? Some folks will get out
and rake them all up, carry
them off or bag them up
for someone else to carry
off. Others will mulch them
with the lawnmower as if
they were a centipede lawn.
Still others will do the
smart thing and make them
work for them; that is, by
taking them to the garden
spot and tilling them into
the soil.
How will tilling them into
the soil be beneficial? In
order to understand this,
we must first understand
the soil.
Soil is composed of
organic matter (carbon
compounds), mineral mat
ter (sand, silt, and clay),
and pore spaces filled with
air and water. The very
best soil might consist of
45 percent mineral mat
ter, 5 percent organic mat
ter and 50 percent air and
water. Such soils exist in
the Midwest where tremen
dous crop yields are com
monplace.
We would all do well to
strive for this combination
in our soils. Unfortunately,
our soils here in the South
fall short of this level of
organic matter and thus will
not support the kind of plant
growth that Midwestern
soils will.
Organic matter is an
important soil component.
It offers several benefits,
namely increased water
holding capacity, improved
friability (workability) and
nutrient availability.
Most soils in the South
have a low organic matter
content of between one or
two percent due to our rel
atively high temperatures
and other conditions. This
the palette of your meal is
one way to make sure you
get a variety of nutrients.
The following recipes are
full of fall color and those
needed vitamins and miner
als:
Waldorf Salad
3 tart, red apples, cored
and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup seedless red grapes
2 stalks celery, thinly
sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple juice
Mixed Salad Greens
Combine the apples with
the lemon juice and toss. Add
the grapes, celery, and wal
nuts. Thin the mayonnaise
with the apple juice and mix
into the salad. Line salad
plates with salad greens and
mound the Waldorf salad on
top.
*
Roasted Chicken
Thighs with Fall
Fruit Salsa
From National Chicken
Council, credited to the JNA
Institute of Culinary Arts of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
8 chicken thighs, bone-in
and skin-on
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
is a major limiting factor in
our quest for higher garden
yields. If organic matter is
such an important ingre
dient, what can we do to
increase it?
Once of the easiest is to
incorporate leaves into the
soil. Fallen leaves carry 50
to 80 percent of the nutri
ents a tree extracts from
the soil and air during the
season - the carbon, potas
sium, phosphorus and other
elements essential to plant
growth.
The organic matter that
leaves contribute to the
soil is rich in lignin and
cellulose. The fiber and
glue of plants, these com
pounds break down slowly
and have long-lasting and
positive effects on the soil’s
tilth, aeration, and mois
ture-holding capacity.
As leaves break down,
they glue particles of soil
together into crumbs. As
the crumbs form, pore spac
es are created.
As a result, the soil gains
a greater capacity for taking
j DISH NETWORK SATELLITE TV J
. Free Installation -No sss Needed to Start j
I Service as low as $5 per week |
I No Bank Acct. Needed -No App. Refused |
3 MONTHS FREE OF
Hi© & £373
DAVID OVERTON JEWELERS
<^ >
We Buy Gold Scrap!!
Bring It In And Let Us
Weigh It.
905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry
478-987-1392
Fall Fruit Salsa:
3 ripe pears, coarsely
diced
4 ripe plums, coarsely
diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion, finely
chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
and minced 3 tablespoons
basil, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon balsamic vin
egar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375
degrees. In large bowl,
toss chicken thighs, olive
oil, paprika, salt and pep
per. Place chicken thighs in
large roasting pan, skin'side
down. Roast 20 minutes.
Turn thighs over to skin
side up; roast an additional
20 minutes or until chick
en is browned and cooked
through, with an internal
temperature of 180 degrees.
While the thighs roast,
make the Fall Fruit Salsa
by combining all the ingre
dients in a large bowl. Mix
gently and set aside at room
temperature. Taste for sea
soning and adjust accord
ingly.
To serve, place thighs on
serving platter. Spoon some
of the salsa over each thigh
and pass the remaining salsa
at table.
in air and water - it then
takes more rain to cause
waterlogging and a longer
drought to cause wilting.
It’s clear that the addition
of organic matter to the soil
is the best way to solve soil
problems and improve an
otherwise good soil. And an
excellent way to accomplish
this is to add leaves, raw,
mulched, or composted, in
the fall or spring.
Well, what are you wait
ing for? Your leaves are call
ing!
Tim Lewis is a
Georgia Green Industry
Association Certified Plant
Professional, gardening
writer, former Perry High
School horticulture instruc
tor, and former horticultur
alist at Henderson Village
and Houston Springs.
He and his wife, Susan,
own and operate Lewis
Farms Nursery located on
Hwy 26 two miles east of
Elko, where he was born
and raised. He can be
reached at 478-954-1507 or
tim lewis @ alltel. net.
866-385-7068
The l“ 100 customers also get a
FREE IPOD! Call for Details!
•Jewelry Repair & Cleaning
• Watch Repair
• Engraving
•Appraisals
•Estate Jewelry.
FOOD
*70915
Hours:
Mon. -Fri.
9:3oam-s:3opm
Sat.
9:3oam-2pm
|70673
Pork Chops, Red
Cabbage and Pears
(from: http://wwwitheoth
erwhitemeat.com)
6 1 1/2-inch-thick boneless
pork center loin chops
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2/3 cup water
2 slices bacon, diced
1 10-ounce package shred
ded red cabbage
1 medium onion, peeled
and sliced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups sliced pears, about
2 large
Heat the oil in a large
nonstick skillet. Brown pork
chops over medium-high
heat. Season with salt, pep
per, sage and thyme. Add
2/3 a cup of water to skillet,
lower heat and cover; sim
mer gently 12-15 minutes
or until pork chops are ten
der. Keep warm. Meanwhile,
in another large deep skil
let over medium heat cook
bacon until just crisp. Stir
in cabbage and onions, cook
and stir for 5 minutes, until
You can find us on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins, GA, behind Chick. Fil-A 7 osl <
• • • • •#•• am ~ #•* • « •• 4 • #•••»•• • •
: Soixj3 Sp ixd :
# Serving delicious chicken salads, homemade soups, salad and baked potato.#
a about our Specialty Sandwich! Now serving Red Beans St Rice Soup!
# wM Bring this coupon in for a FREE piece of Homemade
# * Chocolate Candy & 10% Discount on your meal!
W aBBKs:-. ..... _ .—. _ a mm mm m mm mr—
- 1819 Watson Blvd. Warner Robins, GA • 478-922-5605
# Hours: NOW OPEN MONDAYS TOO! Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. k Sat. I lam-Bpm • Wed. llam-3pm
a . a a a m, m m m m. & mm mm mm mm m & m mm
Come See:
Mantles, Dishes, Wicker Furniture, Lamps, Doilies, End Tables,
Coffe Tables, Punch Bowls, Beer Cans, Cookie lars, etc.
1821 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, (behind Chick-FH-A)* 478.923.6858 ues. - Sat., 10am - 6pm
KIEN GIANG ASIAN MARKET
PLive Fish, Crabs, Oysters, Craw,
i Fish, Shrimp Always Fresh! •
SPECIAL SALE on DIET SUM FAST
1805-D Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, GA 31093 • 478-923-1941
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-Bpm, Sunday 11am-6pm
tptjst r ~ Brg ----jr fcv rsniiSr-T - i i
{JzeaMixe*
ANTIQUES and COLLECTIBLES
Hours: Mpn-Sat 10 (KV-feW* Sun 1:00-5:00
]BOS A&B Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, GA 31093
478-923-0816
CROSBY’S FURNITURE BEDDING DIRECT
B national 9 Msttresses ■- *
* • Hand Crafted Furniture
j ONLY" Mattress Endorsed By The American & Canadian Chiropractic Association
“The Only Authorized Outlet In Central Cfeorgia ;WI
I Square, 1835 Watson Blvd.* 328-9985
MIDDLE «OMM COMPUTERS, IRC.
JHHV • New & Used PC’s‘Repair All Brands Of PC’s
mi • Custom Builds PC’s • New & Used Parts
• Network Setup & Repair
US M 478-923-8126
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER S, 2008 ♦
limp. Add 1/2 cup water, vin
egar and brown sugar, stir to
mix well. Add pears, bring to
a boil. Lower heat, cover and
simmer 8 minutes, until very
tender.
Stufled Acorn
Squash
(This makes a lovely pre
sentation!)
2 medium acorn squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped unpeeled
tart apples
3/4 cup fresh or frozen
cranberries
1/4 cup packed brown
sugar
2 tablespoons butter or
margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cin
namon
1/8 teaspoon ground nut
meg
Cut squash in half; discard
seeds. Place the squash cut
side down in an ungreased
13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Add 1 in. of hot water to
the pan. Bake, uncovered, at
350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Drain the water from pan
and turn squash cut side up.
Sprinkle with salt. Combine
the remaining ingredients
and spoon into squash. Bake
40-50 minutes longer or until
squash is tender.
Old-fashioned
Carrot Souffle
2 pounds carrots, thinly
sliced
4 eggs beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking pow
der
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Confectioner’s sugar for
dusting (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Spray a 2-quart
casserole dish with cooking
spray.
Cook the carrots in a large
pot of water until very ten
der. Drain. When somewhat
cool, puree the potatoes in a
food processor. Beat the
eggs in a large bowl. Add
the pureed carrots. Then
the butter, sugar, flour, bak
ing powder, cinnamon and
nutmeg. Mix well. Pour
into the casserole dish and
bake for 45 - 60 minutes or
until the top is brown.
Dust with powdered sugar
before serving, if desired.
Friday Night Is
oSic//il
LTS Exit 138 • W7-W77
Hard To
Stuff!
Everything Old
Kb Is New Againlj^B
~
► Every Wednesday
► after 4pm, we
f have fresh food '
delivered!
7B
lllMli
I 70784
m m
[tosoT
\aal