Field Meals: Recycled Recipes

There comes a time in every cook’s kitchen that the tried and true recipes save a busy week.  If you’ve followed my field menus from the last two years, you will notice many recycled recipes.  Some are by request from the harvest crew and others because they are easy, make a lot and ensure a fairly easy clean-up in the kitchen.  Thus, Menu 5. . .

Menu 5: Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs, Sweet & Sour Vegetable Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, Shenandoah Valley Apple Cake

Grilled Thighs & Drumsticks (from Taste of Home)

You can make a mess of these.  Grill some today.  Freeze others in the marinade for another day.  And drumsticks are choice in the field because they are easy to hold.

Sweet & Sour Vegetable Salad (from Taste of Home)

This makes a TON.  Half the recipe and you’ll still eat from the bowl for a week.  After a few days serving this as a side, we bring out the tortilla chips and use it as a great vegetable salsa.

Sweet Potato Fries (from me)

I’ve googled “how to make sweet potato fries” so often, now I don’t have too.

• Sweet Potato (dig / buy as many potatoes to make the amount needed)
• Olive Oil
• Seasoned Salt

Wash, peel and slice potatoes in 1/2 inch thick strips.  Toss in a large bowl with olive oil (drizzle a few tablespoons).  Spread on baking pan, leaving small space between each fry.  This will ensure a more even “fry”.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  Turn and bake another 15 minutes or until tender.

Shenandoah Valley Apple Cake (from my mom)

• 1 cup cooking oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Sift together, then combine with sugar mixture.

• 3 cups diced, pared apples
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Add to cake mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Use 13 x 9 pan.  Cool in pan on rack.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup milk

Combine in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.  Boil 3 minutes and spread over cake. Serve with a dollop of cool whip or vanilla ice cream.