Pumpkin Custard Cake

PUMPKIN CUSTARD CAKE - 
recipe provided by Lesley Kershaw Tennessen

This recipe is for a 12" inch DUTCH OVEN

FILLING
1- 29oz can Pumpkin
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
½ C. sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 C evaporated milk

TOPPING
1 package yellow cake mix
1C chopped pecans:  See Note:
1C butter 

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the filling ingredients and pour into a 12" inch Dutch Oven. A parchment disk may be used in the Dutch Oven if desired. Cut butter into cake mix with a pastry blender or fork. Then sprinkle in 1/2 cup of pecan nuts and pour mixture over the filling.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the pecan nuts on top evenly. Cook for approximately one hour at 350 degrees ( f ) using 15-17 coals on lid and 11 coals underneath. 

Lesley Kershaw Tennessen

About the Cook: Lesley Kershaw Tennessen.  Lesley teaches others how to effectively cook flavorsome dishes using her cast iron dutch ovens. Originally design as a cookware capable of baking with, the Dutch Oven has been used to prepare delectable meals before the American Revolution. The heavy cast iron cookware survived the Lewis and Clark exposition, the Oregon trail and even the Cattle Drives as they move Texas longhorns to northern markets. While many types of lighter weight cookware has replace cast iron, the Dutch Oven has had a return of popularity in the last decade. Once use on the open fire pits or over the fireplace hearth before the invention of kitchen stoves, Lesley shows how this tool is idea inside and outside the home.
           

Although, while Lesley has master the art of Dutch Oven cooking, she continues to improve her culinary skills exploring other techniques which took her to Byers, Texas attending Kent Rollins Chuck Wagon Cooking School.  "We learned alot," states Lesley who has been cooking with Dutch Ovens now over ten years. She continued saying, "I got my education in cooking with 'nuclearator' fuel -- the mesquite. Additionally, cooking with various levels of trivets. Then there is the fine art of sourdough and the wonderful Texas twang, of chuckwagon cook Kent Rollins" which I already miss hearing."  Lesley highly recommends Kent's school and plans to return again this next year.
                                                                                                                 

Lesley who has taught her classes at "Women in the Outdoors Day" class, and is a member of several Dutch Oven Societies and will be making an appearance near Newburyport, Massachusetts doing the Village Driveway (DOG) Dutch Oven Gathering. 

Lesley Kershaw Tennessen

 Kent Rollings Cooking School, Photo provided by Lesley Kershaw Tennessen

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SALSA - Ranchera Gringo

SALSA

Salsa is one of the best side dishes serve with both Southwest Cuisine or Tex-Mex. It has an influence that developed from the native Americans, the Spanish and the Gringo. Often Salsa is thought of Mexican Cuisine although it is found throughout Latin American in many different forms. The word Salsa in Spanish means (sauce) while in Latin, it means (salty).  Early Salsa was made using mortar, pestle and tamis (pronounced "tammy") long before the modern blenders.

Ingredients
* 6 tomatoes, chopped Roma
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 seeded and minced jalapenos
* 1 chipote pepper seeded diced:
* 1 red bell pepper, fine dice
* 1/2 red onion, fine chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 lime, juiced
* Orange Zest, 1/2 teaspoon or less
* cilantro leaf, no more than five leaves
* Sweet Basil about 4 leaves fresh or 1/2 teaspoon ground
* Add black pepper about 1 teaspoon
* Salt to taste about 1 or 2 teaspoons. 

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and blend together. You can use a blender to mix everything but the tomatoes. Caution: Do not use to much Zest. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon to keep folks guesting. You should wonder about the taste but not know it is there. Also, Cilantro over powers flavors. Use very little. If you want more green leaf, use Parsley. When using parsley, chop enough to make about one heaping full tablespoon. After blending everything together, chop tomatoes very fine and mix together.

Refrigerate for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion. Before serving, be sure to stir thoroughly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mistakes people do with salsa: Tomatoes cut into large sections is not Salsa, it's Pico de gallo. Puree like water is just not right either, although many Mexican Restaurants serve it that way. A good Salsa should be a thicker blend.

Since Salsa and Guacamole are non-cooked, it is extremely important to ensure that sanitation of hands and service ware are clean and free of bacteria. Approximately 5,000 people per year die in the United States as a result of food poisoning according to the CDC.  3 percent of all food poisoning reported, is the result from Salsa served in restaurants either from contamination when preparing these foods or improper storage.

Commercially packaged Salsa can last up to two years but needs to be refrigerated after opening.  When canning, it should be stored in a dry, dark area with cool temperatures between 54 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Tamis or sieves as well as colanders are indispensable either for straining purees, forcemeats, gravies and broths, for draining purposes.

Jalapeno CORNBREAD

Photo: Daniel  "Danny" Canales from Ricardo, Texas is the owner of Cosineros Del Campo Chuck wagon. "Cosineros" also spelled cocineros is the true word of Americanism as the word was created as Texas began a Republic, meaning cuisine or cook from Spanish to English. "Cosineros Del Campo," in translation is "The Cook of the Camp.  Photo taken by Roger Edison at King Ranch, Texas.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup canned corn, drained
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper Mild heat, 1/2 cup unless you desire some extra heat, 

Directions: 

Mix dry ingredients together in lg bowl. 

In sm bowl, mix together eggs, milk,& butter; add to dry ingredients. 

Add remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Fill lightly-greased 12 c muffin pans ½ full w/ batter (or cast iron Dutch Oven cooking outdors). 

 

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 mins (30 minutes in dutch oven) or til top springs back when lightly pressed; remove from oven.

CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN: 

Lightly grease 4 quart size dutch oven.

Using about 10 coals under bottom and 15-18 coals on lid.  IF using firewood, set on coals with one shovel poured across lid.

Many ranch cooks today often use Jiffy Cornmeal mix rather than making from scratch. If using Jiffy, follow this recipe:

• 1 pkg. "JIFFY" Corn Muffin Mix
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 jalapeno peppers-cored, seeded and diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 4 Tbsp. margarine or butter, diced

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Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease 10" cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and preheat in oven.
Combine egg yolks, buttermilk and sour cream; mix well. Add muffin mix and diced peppers; mix until moist. Whip egg whites to stiff peak and fold them and butter pieces into batter. Pour mixture into heated skillet. Bake 25-30 minutes. 

Cast Iron cooking

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