Second Chance Grocery web site offers recipes, specials
By EMILY JONES/Starkville Daily News (Aug. 17, 2005)

In case you're looking for rock-bottom bargain grocery items or recipe ideas, you can go to www.SecondChanceGrocery.com and find a wealth of information.

This week, webmaster Allen McBroom offers a Pesto Pizza he guarantees will be a hit with your family. The recipe is reprinted below with his permission along with an unusual recipe for a mincemeat salsa.

The Second Chance Grocery, located on Highway 25 South, has a number of specials this week including candy bars for a quarter (Hershey Bars, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joys, Nestles Crunch and S'mores.) Salad dressings are a quarter and Ramen Noodles are a dime a box. Cake decorations are available for a quarter and spices start at a dime. Second chance is operated by Allen and Lynn McBroom.

The Pesto Pizza below requires a two step process, and needs to be started about three hours before you want to dine. This recipe makes two large pizzas.

Step One: Make the dough

4 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 package yeast (or 1 T., or one cake, etc.)

1 1/3 c. warm water

1 or 2 T olive oil

Mix all in a large bowl, knead for ten minutes, cover with a damp cloth, place in a warm place (100 - 110 degrees), and allow it to rise for two hours. (Dough recipe from the Joy Of Cooking).

Step Two:

Divide the risen dough into two pieces, shape into round pizza shapes with a lip on the edge. (Cookie sheet shapes work, too.) Prick the dough several times with a fork to prevent bubbling.

Brush the dough lightly with olive oil (prevents the crust getting soggy), and then top with pesto sauce. Second Chance has Classico Pesto for $1.99 a 10-oz. jar or you can make your own if you have basil in your garden and need a quick way to use it up. One jar of pesto is enough to cover two pizzas liberally.

For these pizzas, the pesto takes the place of tomato sauce.

Finish topping the pizzas with grated mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, black olive slices, diced green onion or whatever else your heart desires. Artichoke hearts go well on a pesto pizza.

Bake 30 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven, or until crust is browned around the edge and the top is bubbly. This feeds eight (or four twice).

Sweet Salsa

1 cup mincemeat

2 large green onions, chopped

2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed well

1 T. fresh cilantro, minced

1 T. Green Tabasco Sauce

1 t. black pepper

1/4 c. lime juice

Mix all ingredients well, chill, and serve as you would any other salsa. Goes GREAT with chicken tenders, or served with tortilla chips. If you like peach salsa, you'll love this one. Feel free to substitute a pickled jalapeno (seeded) for the Tabasco, add a couple of chopped Roma tomatoes, or add a dash of cumin.

(Cook's note: Mincemeat can be pricey unless you get it at the Second Chance Grocery.) McBroom made this for a party recently and it was gone in no time.