Cooking With Kristin

Fact: Church cookbooks are some of the This recipe has simplicity written all over it and If you love mashed potatoes AND you love a chocolatey, nutty best cookbooks ever. The variety of reci- that made me adore it! What a delicious dish per- cake, put them all together and you got Mashed Potato Cake. pes — some handed down from generation to generation — coupled with the creativity found in the use of ingredients is awe-inspiring. I had the opportunity to visit with Suzy and Diane Sukalski near Fairmont, Minn., at the headquarters for Sunshine Suzy, a corn nibblet company. Before I left there, Diane kindly sent with me a copy of her church’s latest cookbook as we were discussing my fondness for church cookbooks. The East Chain Lutheran Church, located southeast of Fairmont, put together a cookbook filled with page after page of downhome cooking. It was a joy to simply peruse the pages and read all the interesting recipes. I made a couple of dishes and will definitely try more of the fun recipes found within the book. Here are a few recipes which showcase some of the unique but wonderful food creations. I’ve had a lot of salads in my day, but grape salad was not one of them. This recipe intrigued me with the use of grapes, sour cream, brown sugar, cream cheese and other delicious ingredients. It was simple to make, and the result was a tasty and distinctive grape-tastic dish. Grape Salad Shirley Hannaman 4 ounces cream cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 2/3 cup brown sugar fect for these chilly fall nights. Grab a couple of sweet potatoes and some apples and get baking! Sweet Potato Treat Ethel L. Jensen 2 sweet potatoes 6 green apples Take two potatoes, peel and slice cut apples into small pieces. Place in a cover dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. No sugar is needed. n Not only does Suzy sell scrumptious corn nibblets; but she also has a great recipe for birthday oven-fried chicken. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate another year around the sun than some tasty, tender oven-fried chicken. Suzy’s Birthday Oven-Fried Chicken Suzy Sukalski 2 -1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds cut-up broiler-fryer chicken 1 tablespoon margarine or butter 2/3 cup Bisquick baking mix 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika 1-1/4 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat margarine in a rectangular baking dish or pan in the oven until melted. Mix baking mix, paprika, salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash in a plastic bag. Place chicken in the bag with coating mix and shake. Place skin sides down in the pan. Bake 35 minutes. Turn; bake about 20 minutes longer or until the juice of chicken is no longer pink when cenMashed Potato Cake Winnefred Luhmann 1-3/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup whole milk 3/4 cup butter 2 eggs (separated) 1 teaspoon soda 1 cup warm mashed potatoes 2 squares chocolate 1 cup nuts 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1-1/2 cups flour Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks beat well. Melt chocolate in warm potatoes. Then add chocolate, potatoes and milk. Then add soda, flour, cream of tartar and nuts. Beat egg whites and add last. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. A big thank you to Diane for providing me with all these amazing recipes. There’s much more in the cookbook that is just as wonderful. If you’d like a copy of your own, contact Janice Stromberg, East Chain Lutheran Church, 411 280th Ave., Blue Earth, MN 56013. Give these dishes a try and give your taste buds a taste treat today! Kristin Kveno scours the internet, pours over old family recipes and searches everywhere in between to find interesting food ideas for feeding your crew. Do you have a recipe you want to share? You can reach Kristin at kkveno@thelandonline.com. v 2 ounces Cool Whip ters of thickest pieces are cut. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla n 2 pounds red grapes slivered almonds Cream the cream cheese. Add the rest of the ingredients. Dry grapes before adding the topping. Toast almonds 5-10 minutes www.TheLandOnline.com at 350 degrees and sprinkle on the grape mixture. n

The name of the soup intrigued me. I don’t snowmobile much, OK not at all, but it doesn’t say you HAVE to be a snowmobiler to enjoy this soup. I made this and loved it as it’s chocked-full of a variety of vegetables and savory ground beef. Perhaps this means I need to give snowmobiling another try?!? Snowmobile Soup Gloria Mattson 1-1/2 pounds hamburger, browned and drained 1 quart canned tomatoes 1 can tomato soup 2 cups water diced vegetables

Add an assortment of fresh vegetables to the hamburger. I use potatoes, cabbage, celery, carrots and onions. Add tomatoes, soup and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours or until vegetables are tender. n

COOKING WITH KRISTIN

By Kristin Kveno Safety funds available from MDA ST. PAUL — Minnesota farmers who want to program reimburses farmers and schools at least 70 improve safety on their farms can now apply for percent of the cost to purchase, ship, and install a funding through two programs from the Minnesota rollover protection kit, limiting the cost to no more Department of Agriculture that help with the cost of than $500 per tractor. The National ROPS Rebate buying, shipping, and installing eligible safety equip- Program (NRRP) works with farmers to identify and ment. price the appropriate rollover protection kits for their Now in its second year, the Grain Storage Facility tractors. Safety Cost-Share program reimburses up to 75% of For more information and to apply, visit www.mda. the cost to buy, ship, and install eligible safety equip- state.mn.us/rollover-protective-structures-ropsment for on-farm grain bins or silos. The program rebate. will pay up to $400 per bin or silo, with a limit of $2,400 per farm per year. Both programs are accepting applications through June 30, 2022, or until all funds are exhausted. For more information and to apply, visit https:// www.mda.state.mn.us/grainstoragesafetycostshare. This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v The Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS) rebate