Cold Taters

Cold Taters, by Sara Marie Hogg is a little cookbook that is written for people on limited incomes. It includes unusual one-dish casseroles, easy processes for making quick homemade noodles and spaetzle, ravioli, even an easy way to make tamales. It explains the ways some of our ancestors from The Great Depression era recycled leftovers. There are sections on delicious, hearty soups, casseroles, quick tricks, breads, pastries, and helpful hints. You will be introduced to such odd recipes as Potato Chip Soup, and Potato Chips Romanoff. There are old standards that have been whittled down for economy and ease without losing any of the flavor. There is a section on eggs. You may not like some of it, but there are probably at least three or four very worthwhile ideas you can get for your ninety-nine cents. We do not think you will regret the purchase. There are how-to photographs throughout--very easy to understand--and if you stick though to the end, there is a photograph of the creators of the book (kind of shocking). We hope you will enjoy Cold Taters.
NEW RECIPE for YOU: Watermelon Salad. How would you like to have a delicious green salad made from scraps--often from the convenience of your freezer? It all starts mid summer. Go ahead, gorge on fresh watermelon. If buying, you will not want to waste any of it, as it can get expensive. After you have eaten your watermelon, save the rind. Cut it into manageable 2" × 5" strips. Pare off the hard dark green rind and discard or compost. Take the light green rind--maybe a little red remains-- and dice into tiny cubes. This is to make it choke-resistant, as it is hard and crunchy. You don't want large cubes. Use shears, if you wish. Put the cubes in a bowl and sprinkle 2 capfuls of cider vinegar on this and stir. Add a heaping teaspoon of fresh, finely minced onion. Add one packet sweetner or some sugar. Add a little cold water and stir. Chill and eat. Just as delicious as marinated cucumbers of old. Best made in small batches. Now here is the beautiful thing: you can use all of your watermelon. Simply put your tiny rind cubes in bags with a little water and freeze--the rindy part with the dark green trimmed off and discarded. You can keep this in the freezer pull out and thaw in small batches to make the watermelon salad. The freezer cubes will last 3-4 week's. (After that length of time they may get rubbery) You can still eat it, if you don't want to pass up all that good nutrition. Just process the thawed cubes with a couple of pulses--don't over-do. Drain excess water and add the other ingredients. It is as good as cucumber salad, without having to buy anything! It is even good when still partially frozen. For a variation, add some feta cheese crumbles and stir. Refreshing dish...
FRESH FRUIT is expensive, with the possibility of spoilage. I love pears but can't afford very often. Not fond of raw apples, but they are inexpensive and store well. I have made myself get a bag when I go to the store. I peel them and slice them to use as surfaces for cheese and spreads. This can be a light meal. Any variety will work for this purpose--sweet or tart--save some money. I put the parings in a bag in the freezer. When I have enough parings in a bag, I cut them into smaller pieces and saute, covered, in a little margarine until soft...add a few drops of water, if you wish and cook off. This is a delicious side dish, as is, or add a dash of cinnamon/sugar while cooking. Sweetner will do. Re-supply your freezer bag with new parings as you have them. You will have a side dish when you need it.
Try a slice of this CHEESE LOG on an Apple slice. Blend well:
1 large block cream cheese, softened
1 5 oz container bleu cheese crumbles
1 block cheddar grated
A couple of dashes each of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce,
Garlic powder
When blended form into e logs and roll in crushed walnuts.. Refrigerate. Freeze extra.

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