Read The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook for Free Online Page B

you have a tasty salad that rises above the ordinary. But for most folks around here, variety is the spice of life. And why not, with fresh corn, greens, okra, squash, green beans, limas, zucchini and those sweet Vidalia onions available? And then there are the strawberries, blackberries, peaches and apples! Oh, my! Just wandering among the vendorsat our local farmers’ market is enough to get my mouth watering and my creative juices flowing. I always say that cooking is one part skill and one part inspiration.
    Now, it used to be Southern cooks tossed their vegetables into some water, boiled the very life out of them, added enough butter to clog the arteries and then seasoned with more salt than the most lenient dietary recommendations call for. We’ve wised up in recent years. Now we’ve found all sorts of new ways to perk up veggies. I promise you, some of these are good enough they’ll lure even the most suspicious youngster into gobbling them right up.
    You’re always free to eat that delicious corn straight off the cob at your backyard barbecue, but how about a hearty bowl of Southern smothered corn chowder as a change of pace? Or maybe a spring pea vischyssoise? Tired of your mama’s potato salad? Take a sweet potato tailgate salad next time you head to the ball park.
    As for all those delectable fruits that are available in summer, there’s nothing quite like berries picked straight from the vine, still warm from sunshine, and popped straight into your mouth with all that sweetness bursting on your tongue. Or a ripe peach just off the tree, its juice dripping as you take that first bite. Heavenly.
    But from time to time we all want to impress our guests with something a little fancier. Maybe it’s a fruit cobbler or an all-American apple pie. Or just maybe you can earn their praise with an apple salad with a sherry and honey vinaigrette that’s both tasty and healthy.
    Now, if it were up to me, I’d have my own garden right outside my kitchen, but as a practical matter that’s not likely to happen. I just don’t have the time to do all that weeding and watering. So, if you can’t find a patch of ground to grow your own produce, make sure you plan a visit to your local farmers’ market as often as you can.
    There are plenty of ideas right here in these pages for using whatever you find that’s in season and grown locally. Or just take a walk through the market, draw in a deep breath, and let your imagination soar. With fresh ingredients straight from the garden, I can just about guarantee that whatever you fix for dinner will be extraordinary.

    Pickled Green Tomatoes
    8 cups thinly sliced green tomatoes
    3 large onions, thinly sliced
    Â¼ cup salt
    6 pint-size canning jars, lids and screw-on bands
    2 broken (3") cinnamon sticks
    1 tablespoon black peppercorns
    1 tablespoon whole cloves
    1 tablespoon whole allspice
    1 tablespoon celery seeds
    1 tablespoon mustard seeds
    3 cups apple cider vinegar
    1 pound light brown sugar
    2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
    In a large glass or plastic bowl, combine tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
    The following day, remove from the refrigerator. Add enough cold water to cover tomatoes and onions. Let vegetables stand in water for 1 hour.
    Sterilize canning jars, lids and screw-on bands in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Drain well.
    Make a cheesecloth bundle to enclose the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, celery seeds and mustard seeds. Secure shut with kitchen twine.
    In a Dutch oven, combine vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add cheesecloth bundle, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 30 minutes.
    Add tomatoes and onions. Bring to a low boil, and simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Remove and discard cheesecloth bundle.
    Evenly distribute tomatoes and onions among canning jars. Evenly divide strips of red bell peppers among jars,