RECIPE SWAP: HUMANE SOCIETY TO HOLD DESSERT AUCTION SUNDAY

Over the past several months there has been a tremendous response to this Recipe Swap column. I have said from the very beginning the best part of this column for me is meeting new friends who also love recipes and to cook.

I have a wonderful opportunity to present to you that will not only allow us to meet and get acquainted but also raise very much needed funds for the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

It is an honor and a privilege for me to be invited to be the Guest Hostess for the annual dessert auction for the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the beautiful Mollie's Cafe and Bar, 11 S. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau.

Many wonderful area cooks will provide the desserts to be auctioned. You could be the lucky person to take home a mouth-watering Death By Chocolate Cookie Wedge made by My Daddy's Cheesecake or the famous Cinnamon Rolls of Mary Ann Malone, or a to-die-for pie made by Dr. Tom Harte, a special homemade dessert from cookbook author Angie Holshouser or crisp fresh baked cookies from area home economist Grace Hoover, an Elegant Lemon Cake Roll, a homemade Hummingbird Cake or a warm Toll House Pound Cake, and many more.

Are your taste buds calling you to attend this fun and important event? You may purchase tickets in advance at the Humane Society or at the Cape Senior Center for $6.50 a person or they may be purchased at the door.

This time of year the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri takes in some 30 to 40 animals a day at the shelter that all must be housed, fed, medicated, loved, groomed and walked. That comes out to be a staggering 6,000 homeless animals a year, of which only 25 percent get homes.

The cry for help from the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri is loud and fierce. Your help is needed for the employees and many volunteers to continue important programs like Humane Education, Abuse and Neglect Education, Lost and Found, and Pet Pals.

I look forward to meeting several of you at this dessert auction and raising funds for our local shelter of which accepts animals from 17 area counties. People from the entire Cape Girardeau area can benefit from the services the shelter offers, therefore they can help with the finances to keep the shelter in full service. Hope to see you on Sunday!

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There are a group of wonderful cooks in the Altenburg area who from time to time share great recipes with us, and this week is no exception. They refer to themselves as "Friends from Altenburg" and have sent in this week a cake recipe that sounds really good and rich.

Neiman-Marcus Cake

1 box German chocolate cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup melted margarine

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

Lightly grease a 9-x-13-x-2-inch cake pan. Mix dry cake mix with 2 eggs and melted margarine. Pat mixture into prepared pan. Mix together cream cheese, remaining eggs and powdered sugar; pour over cake. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Do not over bake.

Another type of cake mix may be used like butter pecan or a fruit-flavored mix such as lemon.

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Garden produce seems to be coming in at a rate that few of us can keep up with the harvest. Today, Recipe Swap readers share many good recipes using this abundance of garden gifts.

Seven Minute Zucchini

sent in by Glen White

4 medium zucchini, grated

1 teaspoon salt

Combine the two above ingredients and let stand.

1/2 pound mushrooms

Heat in skillet, shaking over high heat until liquid evaporates.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

Add to skillet and saute. Squeeze excess liquid out of zucchini. Add to onions and mushrooms. Stir occasionally over heat for 5 minutes.

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh basil

Stir in, heat through, serve hot.

Summer Squash Salad with Tomatoes

sent in by Lois Myers

1 small zucchini

1 tomato

Slice and arrange in dish.

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 leaves minced fresh basil

Mix and drizzle over vegetables. Serves 2.

Sweet and Sour Squash

sent in by Laura Burrows

4 small zucchini

4 small yellow squash

3 stalks celery

1 sweet red pepper

Slice paper thin into shallow bowl.

1 finely chopped red onion

1 cup wine vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Bring to boil to dissolve sugar. Pour over veggies. Cover and chill four or more hours. Drain and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Curried Green Tomatoes

sent in by Edgar von Hostel

2 large green tomatoes, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 teaspoon curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

Saute onion in butter. Add curry, mix. Add tomatoes. Fry until cooked. Season and serve. Serves 2.

Tomato Pie

sent in by Shelby Jones

1 cup biscuit mix

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon soft butter

Mix with fork and press into a 9-inch pie pan.

4 to 5 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick

Layer slices on crust.

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, sprinkled on top of tomatoes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 or 2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Mix and spread over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in lower half of oven. Serve immediately.

This recipe is a good accompaniment to barbecued hamburgers for summer fare.

Corn on the Grill

sent in by Pat Baldwin

10 ears unhusked corn

1/2 cup salt

melted butter

Place unhusked corn in sink and cover with cold water. Add salt and soak for 2 hours. Place wet corn on hot grill. When husks begin to burn, turn corn until entire outside is blackened. Remove from grill. Using gloves, husk corn, roll corn in melted butter and serve.

German Sour Beans

sent in by John Stedman

1 pound fresh green beans

1 cup sour cream

1 cup onion, minced, divided

3 strips bacon

1/4 cup vinegar

salt and white pepper, to taste

Cut beans diagonally. Cook 30 minutes in salted water. Drain. Combine beans, sour cream and 1/2 cup onion. Set aside. Fry bacon, drain and crumble. Reserve drippings. Saute 1/2 cup onion in drippings until transparent. Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add to bean mixture, salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over top before serving. May be served hot, at room temperature or cold. Serves 4.

Summer Veggie Bake

sent in by Amber Larson

3 peppers (1 each red, yellow and green)

3 baby eggplants

1 small zucchini

1 small yellow squash

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 large red potatoes, sliced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon basil (or 1/4 cup fresh basil)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons water

salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Seed peppers. Slice into 1/2-inch strips. Cut eggplants and squash into 1/2-inch slices. Combine all ingredients except cheese. Turn into a 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Cover. Bake 45 minutes. Stir veggies. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven. Bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes. Serves 10 to 12.

Whipped Cauliflower

sent in by Joan Weeks

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/3 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons grated mild cheese, Swiss or Gouda

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

bread crumbs and butter

Cook cauliflower 20 to 30 minutes. Drain. Place in mixing bowl with all ingredients except crumbs and butter. Beat to puree. Put in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Fresh Tomato Cake

sent in by Joan Weeks

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups peeled, cubed tomatoes

3 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, nuts, dates, raisins and tomatoes. Sift dry ingredients into tomato mixture. Pour into greased and floured 9-x-13-x-2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

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A few weeks ago we had a request for Vinegar Dumplings. We have not received any recipes, and I would be very interested to see a recipe for these. If anyone has one they can share, I would appreciate you sending it in.

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Also quite awhile ago there was a request for the Banana Nut Roll made by a Cape Girardeau bakery several years ago. After some searching, I found the recipe in the recipe files at My Daddy's Cheesecake. They have all of the recipes from the old bakery. The Banana Nut Roll recipe is in this collection, but part has been torn off, which includes the delicious filling recipe. So, I am still searching for this recipe. If anyone has another avenue to explore, let me know.

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We have a request from Imogene Tinsley of Cape Girardeau for an old-fashioned Sorghum Molasses Cake. She remembers her family members baking it in a long, 9-x-13-inch pan and it had no icing on it. She recalls that it was heavily spiced and very dark and very delicious.

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Another request from Cape Girardeau is for Buttermilk Cookies or Buttermilk Jumbles as they are called in an Indianapolis bakery. They are a very soft, light-colored cookie that are just baked until done with no brown edges.

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And our final recipe request comes from Jonesboro, Ill. One of our readers is hoping to find a recipe for ways to use blackberries. She is interested in a cake, jam or jellies and cobbler recipes. If you have a special way you use blackberries, please forward those to us.

That does it for another week of Recipe Swap. I hope to see you at the dessert auction Sunday. Have a great week!