RECIPE SWAP: FRESH RECIPES FOR FRESH VEGETABLES

As fresh produce begins to show up at the Farmer's Market, so do fresh produce recipes begin to show up in Recipe Swap. A Cape Girardeau reader would like to share a few of her favorites with you. As the produce season progresses, I expect more and more recipe from area readers.

Dutch Cabbage

1 medium head red cabbage

1 cup water

1/8 teaspoon pepper

11/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons bacon grease

Shred cabbage fine. Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.

German Red Cabbage

1 medium-sized head red cabbage

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 medium onion

3 bay leaves

20 whole cloves

Shred cabbage; put in bowl; add salt, sugar, vinegar and water. Take the peeled onion and stick whole cloves in onion. Mix thoroughly and let stand overnight. Remove the onion with cloves, and then cook rest of mixture until tender, adding water while cooking, if necessary. Make a butter sauce and add to cabbage. For extra taste, add 2 tablespoons cooking sherry wine, if desired.

This next batter may be used for almost any vegetable such as onion rings, mushrooms, cauliflower and zucchini. Right now the Vidalia onion makes great onion rings.

Batter for French Fried Zucchini

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Garlic powder, optional

Combine and stir; mix well. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch slices. Coat with batter and fry in hot oil until lightly browned.

This next recipe was sent in by Doris Windeknecht of Jackson, Mo. Doris serves this salad often and it is nice for hot summer days.

Crispy Chicken Salad

Crispy chicken strips, cut into cubes

Lettuce, shredded

Tomatoes cut into chunks

Bacon, fried crisp, drained and cut into pieces

Parmesan cheese, grated

Light Hellmann's honey Dijon mustard salad dressing

Combine all ingredients and serve as the main meal.

Our Lexie has a wonderful teacher at her day care who loves Italian food. I ran across a recipe that I haven't made in awhile and thought of Mrs. Donna; so this one is for her.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 (8 ounce) package rainbow twirls, uncooked

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup pitted, ripe olives, sliced

2/3 cup sliced radishes

4 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 1/3 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/3 cup corn oil or light olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Slight 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or more to taste

3/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

Cook rainbow pasta twirls according to package directions; drain. Toss hot, cooked twirls with oil. After cooled to room temperature, add cheese, olives, radishes, onion and cucumber. Toss until well blended. Combine remaining ingredients; toss with salad until evenly coated. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving. Makes about 5 to 7 servings.

Margaret Glastetter of Jackson shares her favorite four-layer dessert recipe with us. The flavor of the pudding may be changed to whatever flavors you desire. Personally I think lemon sounds great.

Four-Layer Dessert

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 sticks margarine

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whipped topping, from a 12-ounce carton

2 (3 ounce) packages any flavor instant pudding mix

3 cups cold milk

Whipped topping, remaining from the 12-ounce carton

Combine the flour, margarine and nuts well and press into a 9-by-13-inch pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool 15 to 20 minutes. Blend the cream cheese, sugar and whipped topping together until light and fluffy. Spread this over the cooled baked crust. Mix the pudding with the milk whipping until firm and spread over cheese layer. Using the rest of the whipped topping spread over all and garnish with additional chopped pecans.

Refrigerate before serving.

Amber Larson of Cape Girardeau shares her recipe for a delightful peach dessert. Whole canned peaches work fine, but fresh make the dessert divine.

Elegant Peach Delight

1 box yellow cake mix

1 1/2 sticks margarine, melted

1 large can whole peaches, drained

1 pint sour cream

3 egg yolks

Cinnamon

Combine cake mix and softened margarine; press into lightly greased 9-by-12-inch pan. Arrange peaches on top. Beat sour cream and egg yolks together. Pour over peaches, spreading to sides of pan. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

This is very good served with fresh whipped cream with a dash of cinnamon.

We have two requests this week. The first is from Doris Windeknecht. She would like to find the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken's slaw and the dressing they serve in their restaurants. This sounds like a great one for Jodi Thompson and her Internet surfing.

The second request is from Debbie Johns of Fruitland, Mo. Debbie would like to have a recipe for fried green tomatoes. She recently had some that were topped with cheese and she loved them.

We'll see what we can do to help these two women on their recipe search.

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

Susan McClanahan is an administrator at the Cape Senior Center and can be reached by e-mail at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699. Recipes published are not kitchen tested by Southeast Missourian staff.