Enjoy a slice of vinegar pie and buttermilk pie

It always amazes me after school starts how quickly items are added to our family calendar. I turned the calendar to October and the month was already full, and we're just getting started. School activities, church and the children's activities seem to pile onto the calendar so easily. I think everyone waits until back-to-school is over, and then it all hits. As I decorated in our home with all of our fall things, I couldn't help but think that as fast as time flies, I will be doing that for Christmas in no time. But, we will worry about that later, much later.

Lois Cook of Cape Girardeau shares her 100-year-old recipe for vinegar pie as a response to the recent request made by the Rev. Howard Hardeman of Patton, Mo. The Rev. Hardeman recalls enjoying this pie as well as buttermilk pie as a child.

Vinegar Pie

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 stick butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

---

Alberta Dougan of Jackson sent in her favorite buttermilk pie for the Rev. Hardeman. She said it is easy to make and is one of her husband's favorite desserts.

Buttermilk Pie

1/2 cup flour

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 tablespoon butter or margarine, no need to soften

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 9-inch pie crust, homemade

Start with 3/4 cup sugar and then sweeten the buttermilk to taste. Some buttermilk is more sour than others, and if you "make" buttermilk by putting 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a cup of milk, the flavor of the vinegar makes a difference.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender or food processor -- I just keep it running and add the ingredients through the hole in the blender lid or the feed tube of the food processor -- beat eggs and add buttermilk. Add flour, salt, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Add butter or margarine one tablespoon at a time (the butter particles will seem to "float" on top of the liquid). Pour into 9-inch pie crust and sprinkle top with cinnamon and nutmeg if you wish. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake at least 30 minutes until mixture is set (when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Remove from oven and chill. Serve as is or with berry topping. This also freezes well.

---

Some time ago we had a request for breakfast pizza, and a Cape Girardeau cook sends in a lighter fare of this familiar breakfast favorite.

Breakfast Pizza

2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup egg substitute

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons diced sweet red pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (16 ounce) prebaked Italian bread shell crust

1/2 cup salsa

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

In a nonstick skillet, cook hash browns, cumin and chili powder in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until golden. Remove and keep warm. In a bowl, beat egg substitute, milk and salt; set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onions, peppers and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Add egg mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until almost set. Remove from the heat. Place crust on an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan. Spread salsa over crust. Top with egg mixture. Sprinkle with hash browns and cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield 6 slices.

---

Betty Emerson of Morley, Mo., shares her favorite chicken salad recipe as a help to Mrs. Sterns of Perryville, Mo. Betty says not only does this salad taste delicious, it is a pretty dish as well.

Dijon Chicken Salad

4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup halved green seedless grapes

1 cup halved red seedless grapes

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup chopped green onion

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Lettuce leaves

Combine first six ingredients in bowl. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well. Stir into chicken mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, spoon onto lettuce leaf lined plate or in a pretty bowl. Sprinkle with almonds.

---

Mildred Windeknecht of Scott City makes a cucumber pickle from the cucumbers that have turned or are turning yellow. She suggests not throwing them away at that point, but make these delicious pickles and serve them all winter long with beans and potatoes and meat. They are a family favorite.

Cucumber Pickles

Peel and seed ripe cucumbers. Slice crosswise in 1-inch chunks. Let stand in mild solution of salt water, using kosher salt, about 4 hours; drain. Make a solution of about 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, using more water if desired. Make a square out of cloth and 1 tablespoon pickling spice; tie shut with a string. Cook cucumbers about 20 minutes in this solution. They will be done when they turn transparent. Pack in sterilized jars and seal; process. Discard bag of spices.

---

The Midwest Food and Poultry recipe contest at the SEMO District Fair was once again a great competition of chicken recipe entries. The top three winning recipes we shared with you last week. Today we will share the fourth- and fifth-place winners. Keep watching over the next couple of weeks as we share all of the entries with you.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Fourth-place winner, submitted by Pauline Nitsch of Sedgewickville, Mo.:

Cut and clean green peppers in half enough to fit in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

1 celery rib, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups uncooked instant rice

2 cups cooked diced chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup sweet corn, drained

1/4 cup red peppers, chopped

2 green chilies, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

In a 2-quart microwave safe dish, combine the onion, celery and butter. Cover and microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in milk, cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 minutes or until milk is steaming, but do not boil. Stir in rice. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Add chicken, soup, corn, red peppers, and chilies. Spoon into green peppers. Cover and microwave on high 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let set for 5 minutes.

Chicken Rangoon

Fifth-place winner, submitted by Robert Weeks of Cape Girardeau:

1/4 pound ground chicken

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

10 to 12 wonton wrappers

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Dash soy sauce

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash Tabasco sauce

Cook chicken with sauces. Mix cream cheese with green onions and chives. Add chicken to cream cheese mixture. Place a tablespoon of mixture in each wonton wrapper and seal. Deep fry wontons until light brown. Serve with any combination of dipping sauces such as soy sauce, plum sauce, hot mustard or hoisin sauce. Makes 10 to 12.

---

We do have two requests this week. Our first is from Shirley Ramsey of Bell City, Mo. She writes that several years ago she attended a conference in Atlanta. At one of the meetings a southwest theme was the fare for the refreshments and they served very large chips, possibly made from flour tortillas brushed with seasonings and baked. She added that they were not only delicious, but attractive to serve as well. The secret here is the seasoning. So if you have any suggestions for Shirley, be sure to send them in for her.

Our second request is from Pauline Clendenin of Cape Girardeau. Pauline recently was given a loaf of apple butter bread and would love to be able to make more of this at home. If you have a recipe for apple butter bread, please consider sharing it with Pauline.

Next week we will continue with the chicken recipe contest winners, apple recipes from Pioneer Orchard and responses from recipe requests.

So have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.