October At the Beach

We will be leaving for Hilton Head and Florida in the next few days. We are joining the Cincinnati Lechlers for a beach house (or two) stay. I have been gathering my favorite seafood recipes because I think we are invited only because they like my cooking. We will be going on to Florida to visit one son and his family too. Mike, Nate, and Matt will be staying behind for school and work...and for doggie boot camp. Mike says he will not put up with dog mischief and that they WILL eat what he puts before them or they won't eat at all. Sounds harsh to me.

I have not been to Hilton Head in the fall, but beach time is certainly on the schedule and many have pre-rented bikes for trail rides. (That won't be on my to-do list of favorites.) There is a seafood shop very close by, hence the hunt for seafood recipes. I am also taking a slow cooker for autumnal dishes, like beef stew, shoulder pork roasts with potatoes and carrots. Tom will be doing breakfasts otherwise they would be having doughnuts and frittatas every day for I am not good with breakfasts. Although I might work in that potato puff tart that I have written about and shown on this blog.

I think I have shown my favorite, tattered, cookbook called Virginia Hospitality. I have never tried a recipe that I didn't like listed in this well worn tome. One of the ones I tried in 1979 for a dinner party was flounder fillet in herb sauce with the left overs (if there are any) used for a seafood chowder the next day. What a lovely base for that good rich seafood stew. I haven't a picture of the dish, but here is the tried and true and easy to do recipe:

Flounder Fillet in Herb Sauce (I think any white fish would be good in this dish)

4 chopped ribs celery
2 teaspoons onion, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dill
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups condensed mushroom soup
1 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces of flounder or other dense white fish
Preheat oven to 375. Saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except fish, mix well. Pour into shallow 10x16 inch casserole. Lay the fish in the sauce and spoon some sauce over the fish. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 6. I will certainly have to double this or maybe triple it. Remember, use the left overs for a nice fish stew with added potatoes, carrots, more celery and a variety of fish like shrimp, scallops, more white fish etc. for the next day.

I hope to make this company crab casserole too.

Company Crab Casserole
1 pound crabmeat
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated onion
2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped finely
1/2 cup pimento, chopped\1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Pour milk over bread crumbs to soften; add remaining ingredients except eggs. Stir in eggs. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan or a 6x8 inch casserole. Set the dish in a hot bath to bake for about 45 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Serves 6

There will be more, but I will let you know what they liked best. Actually, I have not found anything that they didn't like. I am taking this cookbook with me along with many other books for the beach...watch it rain everyday :(

Reading:

I have just finished Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of Bread Alone and The Baker's Apprentice. I have liked them all.