OK, I'll admit there are perks to this job. Just when I'm about to
complain about the traveling that's involved in putting together our
list of
Best Places to Live in Rural America, I remember a terrific
night's stay I had on the road or the hospitality of the locals who
showed me around. Or the enchiladas I had three nights in a row in
Kendall County, Texas (yes, they were that good).
So here are some of our favorite dishes from some of our favorite
places. Our food expert, Mary Gunderson, tested these recipes, and she
puts her stamp of approval on them. So do we. Enjoy!
Cream of Chicken & Rice Soup
1/2 pound chicken breasts,
cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 rib of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
8 to 10 (5-inch) bread bowls
8 to 10 whole green onions, trimmed leaving 3 inches green
Dust chicken in flour, oregano, pepper and salt. In Dutch oven, heat 3
tablespoons butter, stir in chicken and all the flour all at once,
stirring often until chicken and flour are lightly browned, 2 to 3
minutes. Set chicken aside.
Add remaining tablespoon of butter and saute vegetables for about a
minute. Stir in chicken and cook until onions are softened. Then add
hot chicken stock and rice. Bring to boil. Cover and cook over
medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in cream and warm over low heat about 5
minutes. Do not let boil. Remove from heat.
Prepare bread bowl by cutting about 1 1/2 inches from the edge. Pull off
top and remove soft bread from the interior. Reserve for croutons or
bread crumbs.
Ladle soup into each bowl. Place each green onion in the soup. Serve
immediately. Yield: 8 to 10 servings
From Brick Street Inn in Boone County, Indiana (No. 8); www.brickstreetinn.com
Rural Delight Sundae
4 (3- to 4-ounce) scoops of vanilla ice cream
2 medium Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped
1 1/3 cups hot caramel fudge
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup chopped walnuts and pecans
Spoon ice cream in four deep dishes. Divide the apple, hot caramel
fudge, whipped cream, and chopped walnuts and pecans among the dishes.
Yield: 4 servings
From Edgar's Soda Fountain in Union County, South Dakota (No. 2); www.edgarssoda.com
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Green Chile Enchiladas
6 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
10 to 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups pulled chicken or 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour Cream
Combine tomatillos, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and water in medium
saucepan. Bring to boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 15
minutes. Puree contents in blender, adding salt, garlic and white
pepper, being careful to vent the blender so the hot liquid doesn't
burst out. Return to saucepan and heat for three minutes to enhance
flavor. Yield: 2 1/2 cups sauce
Pour a little sauce in bottom of ungreased 12" x 7 1/2" baking dish. Dip
tortillas in tomatillo sauce. Top with 3 tablespoons pulled chicken or 3
tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll and place seam-side down in baking
dish. Pour any remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
Cover and bake at 350�°F for about 20 minutes. Uncover, top with 1 1/2
cups shredded cheese, and bake another 15 minute until mixture is bubbly
and lightly browned. Use two tortillas per serving. Top each with sour
cream as desired. Yield: 5 to 6 servings
From El Chaparral Mexican Restaurant in Kendall County, Texas (No. 5);
www.elchaparral.com
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Grape Pie
This is our version of a delectable Concord Grape Pie from Ontario
County, New York (No. 1 on our Best Places list). For much of the year,
Concord grapes aren't available to most of us. Try black seedless grapes
for a home version.
3 cups fresh, black seedless grapes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 to 1 cup of sugar (depending on sweetness of the grapes)
3 tablespoons small-pearl tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk
Rinse and halve fresh, black seedless grapes. Add lemon juice and
process lightly in food processor� �� ��don't puree. In medium pan,
combine grapes with sugar, tapioca and salt. Let stand 5 minutes.
Bring to boil; let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool about
20 minutes.
Pour cooled filling into prepared pie shell (recipe below). Top with second crust,
venting crust to allow steam to escape. Trim crust 1/2 inch beyond
edge. Turn pastry edge under itself around the pie. Crimp edge. Brush
milk on top crust and bake at 400�°F for about 40 minutes, shielding the
crust with foil during the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking. Bake until
filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool and serve. Yield: 1
(9-inch) double-crust pie; 8 to 10 servings
Pie Crust
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup ice-cold water
1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
Cut shortening into flour, sugar and salt with pastry blender or two
knives until mixture resembles the size of small peas. In separate bowl,
beat together egg, water and vinegar. Toss liquid gently with flour and
shortening until mixture is moistened. Don't overmix or crust will be
tough. Mold into ball. Chill at least 15 minutes.
Divide pastry in two balls. On lightly floured surface, slightly flatten
the first ball. Roll from center to edge into 12-inch circle. To
transfer to pie plate, fold crust in half and then in half again. Unfold
in 9-inch pie plate. Trim to edge of pie plate. Repeat with remaining
pastry ball for top crust. Continue as above.