Fig newtons

Homemade Fig Newtons

For the Filling:
1 lb. dried figs or 2 lbs. fresh figs
1 cup sugar
1/2 or 1 cup water (1 cup for dried figs; 1/2 cup for fresh)
Dice figs, soak in water 1 hour.
Add 1 cup sugar & cook on medium heat until it has a thin jam consistency.

For the Pastry:

1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Beat 1 cup sugar, butter, egg, milk & vanilla until well blended.

Then add these to the pastry mix:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cup flour
Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.

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Place 1/2 of the pastry on well floured dough cloth; knead about 6 times.

Roll out pastry to 1/4" thick. 

Line the inside of the 13 x 9" glass dish with the rolled pastry; cover that with fig filling.
Roll out remaining pastry, and cover the fig filling in the glass dish. Cut off any excess pastry dough.

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Let cool and cut into squares.

"Sweatin' Up A Storm" Chili

This chili recipe took first place in the 1984 Sacramento

Media Chili Cookoff. The Secret? Home grown ingredients,

especially the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions! 

For best results, use paste tomatoes. Recommended varieties:

San Marzano, Classica, Viva Italia, Polish Linguisa or Roma VF.

3 medium onions (Stockton Red)

2 medium green peppers (Yolo Wonder, Flamingo or Gypsy)

3 stalks celery

3 cloves garlic

1 serrano chili pepper (remove seeds)

1 jalpeno cili pepper (remove seeds)

1 Fresno or Anaheim chili pepper (remove seeds)

For sadists and mosochists only: Leave the seeds in the peppers.

8 lbs chuck, coarsley ground

30 oz. fresh tomatoes (peeled and cored)

15 oz. tomato sauce

6 oz. tomato paste

7 oz. diced green chilies (canned)

2 or 3 fresh bay leaves

2 Tbs fresh oregano

4 Tbs fresh cilantro

1 Tbs fresh parsley

1 Tbs cayenne pepper

6 oz. chili powder

1 Tbs crushed cumin seed

12 oz. Carte Blanca beer (You may consume 6 oz. of this directly)

12 oz. spring water

Add garlic salt to taste

Add Tabasco sauce to taste

Dice and saute first seven ingredients. Add meat; brown.

Add remaining ingredients.

Add enough water just to cover the top of the ingredients.

Cook for three hours on low heat. Stir often.

Makes 24 servings. Freezes well. Supply diners with sweatbands.

Fresh Salsa

2 lbs. of very ripe tomatoes 

(we prefer Big Beef, Dr. Wyche, Bloody Butcher, Lemon Boy, Kellogg’s Breakfast)

2 to 4 warm to hot peppers

(I use moderate heat peppers such as  Numex Joe E. Parker and Anaheim; for a milder pepper, try Jimmy Nardello or Tequila)

One-half of a home grown onion (Stockton Red or yellow)

One-half cup fresh cilantro (remove stems)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. sugar (or stevia)

2 tbs juice from a fresh lime

Garlic salt (to taste)

Dice the tomatoes. (or use a food processor...very briefly)

Chop the peppers, onions and cilantro in a food processor.

Stir all ingredients, including the garlic, sugar, garlic salt

and lime juice, together.

Makes about 3 cups.

Fruit Smoothies

Fruit Smoothies

Add ingredients to a blender:

One cup of your favorite fruit. My favorites for smoothies

include mulberries, cherries, pluots, blueberries or peaches.

One and a half cups orange juice or apple juice.

One cup vanilla yogurt.

One-quarter cup non-fat milk.

One banana.

Six tablespoons soy protein powder (optional).

Blend thoroughly. Refrigerate unused portion.

Makes 40 oz, about five servings.

175 calories per serving.

30 grams carbohydrates per serving.

7 grams protein per serving.

Note: to enjoy this delicious drink throughout the year,

vacuum seal and freeze your excess cherries, mulberries

and blueberries. Cut excess pluots and peaches into chunks;

seal and freeze.

Experiment with other fruits, including plums, apricots,

cranberries and nectarines!