Kitchen Tip

[Southern Belle 2067]

Did you know that you can freeze coffee in ice -cube trays for cold coffee and they won't dilute your drink as they melt.

Pour cooled black coffee into ice-cube trays, and freeze. Store in Zip-Loc bag,s this works as well for tea, just cool unsweetened tea and pour into ice-cube trays.

PASTA SALAD PERFECT

1. Match Shapes to Ingredients: If peas are one of your salad ingredients, toss them with pastas like orecchiette ( little ears) or conchiglie (shells) so that peas can nestle in the openings. The tight coils of fusilli or cavatappi work well with finely chopped herbs.

2. Give It A Rinse: Pasta that will be used in a cold salad needs to be rinsed under cool running water to help stop the cooking ans prevent sticking.

3. Chill Quick: Hot pasta acts like a sponge for sauces, so quickly drain yours after rinsing, then spread it on a jelly-roll pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes. The cool down will prevent your dressing, when added from disappearing into the pasta.

4. Keep Dressing thin: Vinaigrettes are the ideal consistency. If your recipe calls for a creamy sauce ( such as one that is mayonnaise based) thin it with vinegar.

5. Follow A Theme: Salads that work best carry a unified flavor from ingredients to dressing. A Greek salad for example is usually dressed with herb vinaigrette and tossed with such ingredients as feta cheese, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and olives.


FREEZING PEAS AND LIMA BEANS:

Did you know that you aren't suppose to freeze peas before washing. If you do they will be mushy when you thaw for cooking nor are you suppose to par-boil them. I did not know this and I have been freezing peas for a long time and washing and par-boiling them and this article is right when I thawed them they were mushy and tasteless. As par-boiling them takes the flavor away from the peas. I tried them this way after I processed a lot them this week-end and they taste like you just shelled them. As water inside the bag causes them to be mushy. Just put them in the bag right after shelling freeze do not wash them, this also applies to butter beans (Lima's), black-eyed, lady, cream, purple hull and crowder pea,s.

1. Snip off each pod,s end and remove the string that runs along the length of the pod. Don't tug--just pull gently.

2. Press gently against the pod,s seam with your finger to open, then gingerly run your finger down the inside back of the pod to pop out peas or beans. Discard the pod, plus any wilted or damaged peas or beans.

3. To freeze, fill a Zip-Loc bag with peas, and place in the freezer without rinsing. (Water frozen inside the bag will make peas and beans to be mushy when defrosted and do not par-boil as this results in tasteless peas or beans.) Use with in three months for best taste.