Tuesday's Menus

Rednecks eat big at this time of year. Harvest is underway and we don't have time to be hungry between meals. Skipping breakfast isn't even an option at Nelli's. Some mornings it's smaller than others, but during harvest, it gets big and filling.

Breakfast: Cheese & Bacon grits
Orange slices
Slice the oranges (one per serving) crosswise into rounds. It’s not necessary to peel it fist. The rind is quite edible and good for you! Keep chilled until serving time.
In a sauce pan, cook 3 slices bacon diced and 1 tbslp minced onion until bacon is crisp and onion is limp. Add 2 ¼ cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in ½ cup quick cooking grits. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes until thick. Stir in ½ cup cheddar cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Anything made out of squash in the fall will be fresh & delicious!
Dinner: Butternut Squash Bisque
Relish Plate
Muffins

Muffins: Heat oven to 400. Prepare muffin pan for 12 muffins. (I use papers). Beat 1 egg with ½ cup milk and ¼ cup oil. Set aside. In separate bowl, stir together 1 ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder ad ½ tsp salt. Stir the wet ingredients into dry just until moistened. Batter should remain lumpy. Add ¾ cup blueberries if desired. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes. Tops should be golden brown and spring back when touched lightly.

Butternut Squash Bisque: Melt 2 tbslp butter in large saucepan. Add 1 chopped onion and cook until soft. Add 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 ½ cups cubed and peeled potatoes and 1 tsp paprika. *Simmer* until all vegetables are soft – about 30 minutes. Process in blender or food processor until smooth and thick. Return to sauce pan and stir in ¾ cup whipping cream. Heat through but don’t boil. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with saltines.

*While bisque is simmering, assemble relish plate of sweet gherkins, green olives, black olives, baby dills and beet pickles. Make an attractive arrangement of the relishes.

Lunch: Leftover muffins from dinner and orange slices from breakfast.

Supper: Lettuce salad with choice of dressing
Spaghetti w/crockpot sauce
French bread (store bought if you prefer)
In bowl of crock pot, mix together one 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, one 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, one 8 ounce can tomato paste, 1 tsp each basil and oregano, 2 cloves roasted garlic (see below), mashed and ½ cup sauteed onion. Can also add 1 pound browned ground beef or Italian sausage or a mixture of both if meat sauce is desired. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with cooked spaghetti and pass shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Any relish plate leftover from dinner goes good with this.
Roasted garlic: Leave garlic in bunch; remove papery outer leaves. Trim off top until tip of each clove is exposed. Place on a square of foil and drizzle with oil. Roast in 325˚ oven 45 minutes to one hour. When cool enough to handle, separate the cloves and squeeze form bottom end. Cloves will pop out and are ready to eat or use in recipes. Don't forget how to do this. i use this ingredient in a lot of my recipes.

French Bread:

Mix 2 tblsp butter flavored shortening with 1 tsp salt and and 2 tblsp sugar in large bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over; stir until shortening is melted. Add 1 cup cold water. Stir in 2 tbslp (1 package) yeast. Add 2 ½ cups sifted flour and mix until no longer lumpy. Stir in enough remaining flour, 3-5 sifted cups to make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Let rise until double – 1 ½ hours or so. Punch down and shape into two long loaves. Make a few diagonal slashes in each loaf. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until loaves sound hollow when thumped. Extra loaf can be frozen for future use.