Ready or not, rain or shine, we’re on our way to Memorial Day weekend. A day of special remembrance for those loved ones who’ve gone before us and, nowadays, an unofficial start to summer.
If it shines, goody, goody, families and friends will likely gather together for something like brats, b
urgers, franks or wienies over a campfire or from a barbecue in the backyard, on a patio or at a waterfront dockside.
Ah, but what if it rains — and let’s be honest here — as so often it does, what then?
Well, then, let’s hedge our bets with two recipes (but only one from a campsite setting) designed to work well no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. Both give us an early jump (the day before is not too early to begin) on the day’s offerings, and both should be people-pleasers designed to plug any menu gaps there might be.
The first, a nifty swifty spread, is courtesy of the folks at Spice Islands.
The second, a totally new take on that most popular of things, wings, comes to us via Campbell’s Kitchen. You’ll notice the wings take time (6 hours to overnight) to marinate and time (from 4 to 5 hours to 7 to 8 hours, depending on the Crockpot setting) to hit take-up readiness.
Here we go:
French cheese spread
1 cup butter, softened
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon leaf oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dill weed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon leaf thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon medium-grind black pepper
Crackers
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add the oregano, garlic powder, basil, dill weed, marjoram, thyme and pepper and blend mixture until thoroughly combined. Cover and chill a minimum of 4 hours to allow flavors to blend.
Serve at room temperature with crackers.
Makes 16 to 20 servings.
Mahogany wings from the Crockpot
6 pounds chicken wings (about 36 wings)
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth
2 bunches green onions, cleaned and chopped
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup bottled plum sauce (available in the Asian section of supermarkets)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup light molasses or honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Rinse wings and pat dry. Cut off wing ends and discard. Cut remaining wings in half at the joint and set aside.
Stir the broth, onions, soy sauce, plum sauce, garlic, molasses or honey and vinegar together in a large non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken wings and stir to coat with sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the marinade and the cornstarch; turn into a Crockpot. Add the wings and the remaining marinade, stir to mix well, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Makes about 18 servings.
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