S'More Pie

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
8 T (1 stick) butter

3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 T sugar

large marshmallows

Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Pulverize graham crackers in food processor. Melt butter and mix into cracker crumbs. Press into deep pie pan and bake for 8-10 minutes to harden the crust.

In a medium saucepan, whisk cream and milk, and warm over medium-low heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Whisk the eggs, and temper them by adding a little of the milk mixture to the eggs while stirring vigorously. Add as much milk mixture as your container will allow, and then add the egg mixture to the saucepan. Pour slowly, and stir while adding. Tempering prevents the egg from being cooked by the hot milk mixture. Scrambled egg in chocolate custard is gross. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and stir until all is dissolved and mixed in. Pour into the pie pan, and bake until the custard is evenly puffed up in the center (15-30 minutes).

Cut the marshmallows in half. Place inside down on top of the pie, covering the pie completely. Set the oven to broil and toast the marshmallows. Watch it the whole time so you don't burn the marshmallows/pie- this only takes 2 minutes or so.

Chill for as long as you can take it. The warmer it is, the harder to cut and serve. The recipe suggests reheating in the microwave for 7-10 seconds, but ours never got cold enough to warrant that.

Requested by William O. Christmas 2011

Egg Casserole

20 eggs

½ cup flour

2 t baking powder

Dash salt

1 t dry mustard

1 ½ t thyme

32 oz cottage cheese

24 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 medium zucchini, shredded

2 roasted red bell peppers

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, mustard and thyme, and blend well. Add the cheeses, chopped bell pepper and the zucchini and mix until just blended.

Grease two 9 x 13 pans and pour in the mixture. At this point you may refrigerate them overnight. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more. Serves 20.

Stuffed Zucchinis

1-1 1/2 zucchinis per person
Pastina pasta
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Uncased sausage
Oregano
Basil
Marinara sauce
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Wash zucchinis and slice in half the long way. Mince onion and garlic, and sauté in olive oil.

Cook the pasta in a small saucepan. You can avoid draining by using a ratio of 1:2, pasta to water, and when it's cooked, add a little bit of oil to keep it from congealing.

Scoop the insides of the zucchinis out, chop, and add to the onion. Add the sausage, and cook until the sausage is cooked and the zucchini is soft. Mix in the herbs and pasta, allowing the filling to thicken and clump.

Preheat the oven to 400. Fill the zucchini to overflowing, and arrange in a baking pan. Pour marinara sauce over each zucchini, and then top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the zucchinis are soft, and then broil to brown the cheese.

For a vegetarian option, add some of the sautéed onion, garlic, and zucchini to the pasta. Mix in herbs and cheddar cheese, and fill the zucchinis. Be generous with the herbs, as it won't have the flavor of the sausage.

Persimmon Pudding Cake Recipe

Persimmon Pudding Cake Recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 cups of Hachiya persimmon pulp
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 cup chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts

• Whipping cream

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the persimmon pulp, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.
2 In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
3 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a third at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add the chopped nuts.
4 Bake in a square glass pan, buttered, at 400°F until done (about 50 minutes).
Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Yield: Serves 8.

Camping ideas that are not recipes

1. Rice-a-roni and broccoli
2. Over a fire pork tenderloin- get marinated or unmarinated pork tenderloin - if unmarinated generously salt and pepper- spray a sheet of aluminum foil with pam, wrap pork, and place over fire. Use a meat thermometer (remember to add to the camping kitchen) to check for doneness. Serve with warmed homemade apricot rosemary jam.
3. 
   

Clafoutis

We made plum clafoutis from this recipe. It puffs up like the beginnings of Yorkshire pudding, but the thick egg mixture forms a custard, with the add-ins baked in. We used plums we had gotten at the farmer's market 3 weeks before, in desperate need of being eaten (wrinkly but otherwise good), for this one.

Plums
3 T fruit liqueur- we used pomegranate schnapps - the recipe calls for Vieille Prune de Perigord
6 eggs
1 t salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 375. Quarter the plums, and soak in the liqueur. While they are soaking, blend the eggs to frothy, add the cream, salt, sugar, and then sift the flour in. Use an immersion blender or electric mixer on high to blend.

Butter and flour the pan (select a pan size which will allow you to spread your plums in a single layer on the bottom). I will admit that the Pam flour product works really well for this. I swear they sweeten it, and it gives a nice crisp underside rather than a floury one. Place the plums in the pan carefully so as not to disturb the butter and flour and pour the liqueur over them. Pour the batter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and the custard has set.

Serve with powdered sugar sifted on top if desired.

I've seen a lot of recipes use milk rather than cream, making a thinner custard. The recipe linked above has a lot of ideas for variations on this- different fruits, liqueurs, custard versus cake, etc.

Update: we've made this with apple, and it was good, but not as good. I tried a sweet dessert wine in one. The overripe plums gave an amazing flavor to the 1st round. I would think that ripe or overripe stone fruits of any sort or berries would be amazing.

Potato Leek Soup

3 cups potatoes
3 cups leeks
6 cups water
1 1/2 t salt
1 cup milk-based product: sour cream, whipping cream, creme fraiche, milk, or a combo of what's in the fridge
chive garnish

Dice potatoes, and thinly slice leeks (white and light green parts only). Put in a pot with the water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Blend with immersion blender, check seasoning. Mix in cream (if the cream is thick, mix some soup with it first before adding). Serve. 6 servings.