Advertisement As I headed to work a couple of days ago, I heard a radio ad encouraging all of us to book our Christmas parties NOW! Also, Cable’s Lifetime Movie Network is celebrating “Jolly July” this month with Christmas movies every day, and at least one weekend-long marathon of the same.
My July 3 visit to Coulee Region Cooks was great fun, as usual. Mike Hayes was busy on location at Riverfest, so Bob Schmidt and I had a chance to chat. It doesn’t seem at all possible, but it has been more than 10 years since my first, very nervous, trip to the radio station. One of the recipes that I shared on July 3 was a potato-kale casserole that I tweaked a bit and made what I consider to be the casserole version of the popular Zuppa Toscana served at Olive Garden restaurants. This delicious casserole is good fresh from the oven, but it is even better after a day or two. I’m going to include that recipe today and hope that you will like it as much as I do (WIZM staffers had no complaints).
We’re not quite finished with polenta yet. Today’s recipe, shared by Karen Vick of
La Crosse, sounds like something good to warm you on a brisk fall or cold winter evening (I know, perish the thought). From the variety of polenta recipes we have seen in recent weeks, it appears that it is a versatile item, lending itself to everything from appetizers to stew.
I haven’t come across a green and black olive salad recipe for Alice Svec of
La Crosse, but I did find one for a chilled olive soup that she might want to try.
We’re on the lookout for a few more potato soup and Grizzly’s-type potato skins recipes for Donna Kramer, Tuscany-type tomato soup for Betty M., summer salads (in particular, one made with green and black olives) and Spanish recipes, especially paella and tapas, for Alice Svec. Next week we will have a few tapas recipes shared by “an avid reader from Norwalk (Wis.).” By the way, the American Heritage Dictionary defines tapas as “any of various small, savory Spanish dishes, often served as a snack or with other tapas as a meal.”
Even though people enjoy coleslaw year-round, it seems to be especially popular during summer. Former Coulee Region resident Ellen McFadden now lives in Montana but has fond memories of the coleslaw served at the old New Villa restaurant on Ward Avenue in La Crosse. Her husband worked at the New Villa while attending school but never got the recipe. And Ellen remembers a cookbook of New Villa recipes, but she never purchased it. Because she believes it would “hit the spot” during the summer months, she is hoping we can come up with the original recipe or one so good it will make her forget the original.
Coulee Region Cooks airs from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursdays on WIZM-AM radio. The host is the inimitable Mike Hayes, and he and his ever-intriguing guests share recipes and tips. Mike is a great friend of the Exchange, and when he can catch me at my desk, he and I spend a few minutes during the first half of the show chatting about the column.
Send requests, recipes and/or cooking tips and techniques to Alice P. Clark at: Reader Exchange, c/o La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St., La Crosse, WI 54601; e-mail: exchange@lacrossetribune.com or send a fax to (608) 782-9723.
Creamy Potato-Kale Casserole (Zuppa Toscana Casserole)
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3/4 cup (6 ounces) low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
3 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound kale, washed; coarse stems removed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon flour into a medium-sized, heavy skillet; whisk in milk until blended. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, to melt. Place potato slices in a saucepan with lightly salted water to cover; bring to a boil and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander. Cook sausage in medium skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Break into small pieces with a fork as it cooks. Add olive oil to the pan the potatoes were cooked in and saute garlic 1 minute. Add kale, salt and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook over medium heat until kale wilts. Drain. Lightly spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Arrange a third of the potatoes on bottom of dish; top with a third of the sausage. Top with half of the kale and a third of the cheese sauce. Add middle layer of potatoes, sausage, kale and cheese sauce; top layer will be only potatoes, sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until kale is tender and casserole is golden on top.
Polenta Beef Stew
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, in 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
6 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
8 ounces boiling onions
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup tomato paste
Fresh rosemary sprigs, optional
Polenta:
3 cups milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Place first 6 ingredients in a large plastic bag; add meat a few pieces at a time and shake to coat. Heat oil in Dutch oven and brown meat, in two batches; drain fat. Return meat to pan; add onion, rosemary and minced garlic. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in broth and wine and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours. Stir in boiling onions and carrots; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes more, until meat and vegetables are tender. While stew simmers, prepare polenta: in saucepan bring milk just to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, water and salt. Stir cornmeal mixture slowly into hot milk; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick (add milk if mixture is too thick). Stir in butter until melted. Just before serving, stir in fresh rosemary, parsley and tomato paste. Serve with polenta; garnish with rosemary sprigs.
(Shared by Karen Vick, La Crosse)
Icy Olive Soup
2 cups plain yogurt
2 (101/2-ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth (or homemade stock)
1/2 to 1 cup sliced black olives
1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1 cup seeded, coarsely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup sliced green onion, white and green parts
1/2 cup diced bell pepper, any color
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Seasoned croutons, optional
In large bowl, stir yogurt; whisk in broth until smooth. Add olives, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and white pepper; mix well. Cover and chill at least 4 hours for flavors to blend. Stir before serving; garnish with croutons if desired. Makes 6 servings.
(Adapted from “Taste of Home Summer Appetizers,” 2008)
