SECOND CHANCE NEWSLETTER
May 2, 2003
We haven't sent out any recipes in a while, so I think it's high time we
did.
Sausage and Grits At Camp
Okay, this is way overly simple, but it all came from SC, so I'm sticking it in
anyway.
A week ago, our two monkey-boys (ages 7 and 10) and I went on a Scout camping
trip. It was the usual great two days of sun, ticks, skeeters, loud Cub
Scouts, etc. The best part of Cub Scout camping, though, is the
food. Two meals are eaten in the camp mess hall, and three meals we fix in
camp. I told the boys we could cook one meal and take the other two as
prepared sandwiches, and they chose Saturday breakfast for the cooked meal.
This might not sound like an exciting menu, but believe me, after sleeping in
the tent in the cool night air, this was a simple and wonderful hot meal.
Ingredients:
One can Beverly cooked bulk sausage
Dixie Lily Quick Grits
Water
In a large pan, over the trusty Coleman stove, heat/scramble the canned sausage
until it's brown. Add three cups of water and bring it to a boil.
Add 1 1/3 cup of grits, and let cook about 15 minutes on low simmer.
Cover, let sit 10 minutes, and serve. Coupled with hot chocolate for the
boys and instant coffee for me (yeah, instant....... it's camp, remember?)
we had a good breakfast that stayed with us until lunch. Due to the
sausage, no extra salt was needed.
And Now, For Something Completely Different...................
Everybody borrows a line from Monty Python now and then, don't they? In
this case, the loan is accurate, as this is truly something completely
different. First, this is a much more tasty sounding recipe, and, a really
unusual twist, not much of this comes from SCG. Well, okay, some does, but
not a lot. The big thing is the pepper sauce, which was a gift
from Jim Mosier, owner of Oxford Falls. I had to dream up something to do
with the sauce, so here's what happened when I was left unsupervised in the
kitchen:
Catfish Pasta With Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound frozen catfish nuggets (near the seafood at Kroger), thawed
light olive oil (okay, this was also SCG)
20 whole raw baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 large red onion, sliced in rings
1 large green bell pepper, cut in 1-2" chunks
1/2 bottle Oxford Falls 3 Pepper Peach Sauce
corn starch (SCG as well)
water
vermicelli, spinach style (SCG)
vermicelli, regular (SCG)
Heat a large wok (high heat), fry the thawed catfish nuggets in 3 T olive oil.
Shake the wok frequently to prevent sticking. When the fish is completely
done, remove with a slotted spoon, and set the fish to the side. Add 2 T
olive oil, and lightly fry the carrots for 1-2 minutes, or until they start to
brighten in color. Add the red onion slices and the bell pepper chunks,
and cook with the carrots. Keep the wok moving to prevent sticking.
When the vegetables have turned color slightly, drain most of the olive oil off,
and then add 1/4 cup of water. Return the catfish to the wok. Make a
hole in the center of the wok food, and add 1/2 bottle of the Oxford Falls
pepper sauce. Toss everything in the sauce for a minute, add the
thickening agent (1 T corn starch in 1/2 C. cold water), and mix well,
Adjust water/thickening agent as needed to make the sauce slightly thick, so it
will adhere to the pasta.
Serve over a bed of pasta (half spinach vermicelli, half regular vermicelli).
About Oxford Falls
Second Chance doesn't sell Oxford Falls products, but I've had numerous
chances to sample their wares, and I think y'all should know about this little
company. They're located in Longview, Miss. (population 139, give or take
a hundred or so), right outside of Starkville. Jim and Kathy Mosier
started this company to market a line of sauces, drink mixers, dressings,
salsas, and finishing sauces. All of their products have been top-notch
quality, with good packaging and a bit of humor in the labels. Jim says
his products can be found at better gift and food stores, such as Giggleswick,
Gift and Gourmet, the Beau Rivage, Everyday Gourmet, Miss. Gift. Co., and the
Indianola Pecan House (also now in Tupleo).
Now, about that pepper sauce......... It's got a beautiful, nearly clear
light red color, and it's flavored with peaches and three different peppers
(including habanero). It's not overly hot, it's slightly sweet, and was
mild enough our kids wolfed down the catfish without asking for extra beverages.
As one who loves a good sauce, I'd describe it like this...... Try to
picture Tiger Sauce with fresher ingredients, a peach feel, and a more complex
pepper base. On second thought, it's not like Tiger Sauce at all.
Blows it out of the water (and I love Tiger Sauce on just about anything, except
maybe Raisin Bran).
Jim's works hard to maintain the quality of their products, and I'd like to
encourage you to try a sample of their wares. If you can't get to one of
the stores listed above, contact Jim at 662-323-9696, or by email at OxfordFalls@Earthlink.Net.
Time To Grill
Lynn mentioned her sales of Italian dressing are way up. Seems some
folks have found out that Italian dressing, at a buck a bottle, is a good
affordable marinade for grilled chicken, steaks, etc. She's also got
plenty of pre-packaged marinade mixes (just add water) for a quarter or so each.
Also, over on the Weird Aisle (where the non-food items are) there's still a
good selection of grill accessories, tongs, grill cleaners, etc. for sale for
little-bitty amounts of money.
Next Shipment Is On The Way
Lynn's next big shipment is this coming Wednesday, and a lot of the great
stuff should be on the shelves by Thursday afternoon. Come by and visit if
you have a chance, have a cup of coffee, and see what's new.
Remember, "Friends don't let friends overspend on groceries."
www.SecondChanceGrocery.Com
"...Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but His Who
sent Me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the
teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own." "
John 7 16-17