RECIPE SWAP: A QUICHE RECIPE TO WHET YOUR APPETITE

Imagine that your child is ill and needs medical attention and the worry of where to get quality affordable healthcare is added to your stress. The Children's Miracle Network was established in 1983 just for this purpose.

The simple goal of the Children's Miracle Network is to provide all children, regardless of their families ability to pay, access to quality healthcare. Today, there are more than 165 of these facilities in the United States and Canada, treating over seven million children each year.

What does this have to do with recipes? The Sam's Club store in Cape Girardeau has a new cookbook, "Sam's Club Across America-Making Miracles Happen," of which 100 percent of the profit raised through the sale of the book goes to Children's Miracle Network.

All of the recipes in the book have been submitted by Sam's Club employees all across the United States. The book sells for only $8 and is available at the front door of Sam's Club, 232 Shirley Drive in Cape Girardeau. You do not have to be a Sam's Club member to go inside and purchase a book.

Several of the recipes are from Cape Girardeau employees. We will share one with you to whet your appetite to purchase the book for yourself. The recipe for clam chowder quiche was submitted and selected to be included by Cherie Herbst of Cape Girardeau.

Clam Chowder Quiche

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1/2 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1 (15 ounce) can New England Clam Chowder

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons parsley

4 to 6 slices American cheese

Bake pie crust according to package directions. Combine bacon, chowder, onion, sour cream, eggs, and parsley in a bowl. Pour half into the crust, top with cheese and pour the rest into the crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into slices.

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I have a hodgepodge of recipes to share with you today. Readers have been busy answering requests from past weeks, so much so that I will hold some over to next week.

There was an anonymous piece of mail in my mailbox with two recipes to share.

Cornbread Salad

1 (6 to 81/2 ounce) package cornbread mix

Prepare mix according to package directions. Let cool completely. Crumble into large bowl.

Add:

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 green onions, chopped (tops included)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 radishes, chopped

Combine:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup prepared cucumber salad dressing

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Pour over salad. Mix well. Chill thoroughly before serving. Yields 8 servings.

Hot German Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes, boiled in jackets

6 slices bacon

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

dash of pepper

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup vinegar

Peel potatoes and slice thin. Fry bacon slowly in skillet, then drain on paper. Saut onion in bacon fat until golden brown. Blend in flour, sugar, salt, celery seeds and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in water and vinegar. Heat to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in carefully the potatoes and the crumbled bacon bits. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until ready to serve. Very good. Serves 6 to 8 people.

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Janet Welter of Kelso has a starter recipe for Sandy Riehn. She said to be sure to use a glass or plastic container and a wooden spoon.

Friendship Bread Starter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

Combine in a large glass bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Allow to stand uncovered at room temperature. On days 2, 3 and 4, stir the starter but do not cover. On day 5, feed the starter by adding 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk; stir well but do not cover. On days 6, 7, 8 and 9, stir the starter but do not cover. On day 10, feed the starter with 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir well.

At this point, the starter is ready to bake into bread or cake. It may also be used for pancakes and a variety of other baked goods.

If you do not use all of the starter, give some to a friend, but save 1 cup to start the process over with day 1.

To bake into cake, follow the following directions.

Friendship Cake

Batter:

1 cup starter

3 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup nuts, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the starter, eggs and oil; add the rest of the ingredients and mix; set aside.

Combine the topping ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Put half of the batter in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with half the topping. Cover with the remaining batter; sprinkle on the rest of the topping and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Judy Reed of Jackson has a recipe for a starter and bread recipe for sourdough bread. This is for sourdough bread, which is different from friendship bread, but it sound great and I want you to have it.

Sourdough Bread

Starter:

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons potato flakes

1 cup very warm water

Put initial starter in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Every 3 to 5 days you will need to feed your starter. After feeding your starter, let it stand out of the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, or longer if needed. It will bubble but not rise. Always take out 1 cup for the bread recipe.

To make the bread:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup starter

1 1/2 cups warm water

6 rounded cups bread flour

Mix all together. Oil top of dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit out overnight in warm place. It will double or triple in size. Pan into bread pans and bake until brown and crusty.

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With all of the delectable fresh leaf lettuce at the Farmer's Market now, I'm sure wilted lettuce is on many area tables. It is a Danish recipe and a refreshing change from our traditional wilted lettuce. Try something new and different.

Lettuce Salad with Cream

1 head lettuce or equivalent of fresh leaf lettuce

1 1/2 cups cream

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

Combine cream, sugar and vinegar. Pour over lettuce and toss. Serve well chilled.

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A Cape Girardeau reader said the peanut butter French toast recipe we had a few weeks ago sounded so good. She wants us to try her recipe for peanut butter pancakes. Her grandchildren love both peanut butter and pancakes, so this is a win-win recipe with them.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

1 cup pancake mix

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk

1/3 cup water

Combine pancake mix and sugar. Beat egg and peanut butter. Add milk and water. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour onto hot griddle, turning after bubbles have formed on tops.

Serve topped with honey butter.

This same reader also added in her comments about making peanutty chocolate pudding that is delicious.

Peanutty Chocolate Pudding

Prepare a 1.4 ounce package of instant chocolate pudding as directed on package and adding in 1/3 cup peanut butter. Serve well chilled.

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Ruth Lipps of Cape Girardeau sent in her favorite recipe for German wilted salad. It calls for iceberg lettuce, but garden leaf lettuce could also be used.

German Wilted Salad

1 head western iceberg lettuce

3 tablespoons corn oil

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed

8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 hard-cooked eggs, cut in wedges

Core, rinse, and thoroughly drain lettuce; chill in plastic bag or crisper. Tear enough into bite size pieces to yield 2 quarts lightly packed. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and caraway seed in large skillet; heat until bubbly. Add the lettuce and bacon; cook, stirring only one minute. Turn into salad bowl and top with egg wedges. Serve immediately. Makes 4 or 5 servings.

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We have one request this week, from Betty Rosenquist and Laura Sanford. They have gooseberries running out of their ears. She told me on the telephone she picked 15 quarts and the bushes were loaded. They are looking for any recipes using gooseberries, but in particular she would like to have a custard or cream pie recipe and the delicious gooseberry topping for coffeecake she once had. She is sure it came from the Altenburg area (imagine that everything from Altenburg is delicious). I assured her that our good readers would come through and help her out.

If you have any great recipes that are a family favorite for family reunions that make a large batch, please send those in. I will be doing a lot of cooking the next two weeks while we feed family over the July 4 weekend. I would appreciate it.

Have a great week, and happy cooking.