Potatoes—America’s Favorite Vegetable Recently I read that fresh pota toes are making a comeback. In my family, potatoes never lost their popularity for appearing as a com plimentary dish to almost every dinner. The versatile potato can be made and seasoned in so many dif ferent ways that we never tire of eating it. We obviously aren’t the only people who love potatoes, the potato stand at the Farm Show is jammed with eager customers who stand in line for as long as 15 minutes to get either French fries or a baked potato. For taste, recipes are hard to compete with the traditional baked, mashed or whole potato topped with brown butter, but the variety definitely adds enjoyment to those who consider the potato a basic pan of their diet A medium-sized potato con tains about 116 calories, according to the U.S. Agriculture Depart ment, has no cholesterol, is low in both sodium and fat, and rich in the B vitamins and vitamins C and K. CHEESE POTATOES 1 large bag country style frozen potatoes 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk 8 ounces shredded cheese Melt butter, blend in flour, add milk and microwave until thick and bubbly. Pour half the cheese into the hot sauce. Stir until melted. Put potatoes in a 9x13-inch pan. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and sprinkle the remainder on top. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 more minutes. Dauphin Co. Dairy Promotion POTATO-CHEESE SOUP 'A cup chopped onions 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons butter 2 cans of canned milk 2 cans (10% -ounce each) con densed cream of potato soup 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Cook onions with paprika in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients; heat, stirring occasionally. Recipe Topics If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingre dients and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our office one week before publishing date. Jan. 20- 27- Feb 3- Beef 10- Chocolate Lovers’ Month Home On The Range BROWN POTATO SOUP 'A cup celeiy, chopped 'A cup onions, minced 'A teaspoon caraway seed 2 tablespoons butter 2 cans condensed cream of pota to soup 2 cups canned milk '/< cup chopped parsley Pumpernickel croutons Brown celery, onions, caraway seed in butter. Cook until tender. Blend in soup, milk and parsley. Heat, stirring occasionally. Serve garnished with croutons made from leftover pumpernickel bread. Contributor writes that this soup is enjoyed in Germany and it takes no longer than 10 minutes to pre pare from start to finish. Betty Biehl Mertztown SOUR CREAM POTATOES 6-10 potatoes, cooked and grated '/ cup butter, melted VA cups sour cream 'A cup chopped onion 'A teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese Combine butter, sour cream, onion, pepper, salt and cheese with potatoes. Place in a buttered cas serole. Refrigerate overnight or bake immediately for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven. Juanita Plank Mifflin Co. Dairy Princess SKILLET FRANKS AND POTATO AU GRATIN 1 large onion, sliced thin 1 green pepper, sliced thin 2 tablespoons margarine 1 box au gratin potato mix I'A cups boiling water Vi cup milk 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon paprika 1 package franks, sliced '/> -inch thick In a medium-sized broiler-proof skillet, saute onion and pepper in margarine. Stir in potatoes with sauce mix, water and milk, mus tard and paprika. Stirring frequent ly, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in franks, simmer S minutes. Place skillet under broiler 3 minutes or until potatoes arc crusty and golden brown. Betty Biehl Mertztown Lamb Pancakes French fries remain a popular choice for kids. These Elizabeth Kauffman of Lancaster show their pleasure Farm Show in Harrisburg. PASTY 3 cups flour 1 cup shortening 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cold water Filling, combine: 2 thinly sliced potatoes 2 teaspoons chopped onions Salt and pepper 1 pound ground beef 2 thinly sliced small carrots Butter Sift flour and 1 teaspoon salt together. Cut in shortening. Gradu ally sprinkle water over mixture, mixing with fork. Add only enough water to hold pastry together. Divide pastry into two portions. Roll each about 9-inches round and 'A -inch thick. Place half of the filling on half of the pastry. Season with salt, pepper and but ter. Fold the other portion of pastry over and seal the edges with a fork. Slit the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 40 minutes longer, SNOWY MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 cup sour cream '/«teaspoon pepper V* cup chopped chives 2 teaspoons salt 1 clove garlic, crushed '/< teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon butter 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Place in large mixer bowl, beat until light. Beat in cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic at high speed until smooth. Stir in chopped chives. Spoon into lightly greased 10-cup casserole dish; sprinkle with paprika. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Serves 10. Peggy WLssler Brownstown Mary Werner PA Alternate Dairy Princess Josephine Matenus Dallas BROWN POTATO SOUP 2'A cups diced, peeled potatoes 4 cups water 1 tablespoon salt V* teaspoon pepper 'A teaspoon onion salt 'A teaspoon celery salt 4 cups milk 2 tablespoons butter V\ cup flour Cook potatoes until tender in 2 cups water. While cooking, add salt, pepper, and onion and celery salts. Drain and save. Add milk and remaining 2 cups water to drained, seasoned potato water. Featured Recipe Minnie Schlegel of Fleetwood, Berks County, captured first place in Saturday’s second annual Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest at the 74th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Representing the 1989 Reading Fair, Mrs. Schlegel earned $lOO for her Creamy Apple Pie. The recipe she submitted was nearly identical to her Bavarian Apple Pie which placed second last year. Fifty-nine contestants brought or sent pies for the contest, open only to top individuals who were first place winners in the apple pie class at their local fair during 1989. Judging was based on overall appearance, crust and filling. Second place in the contest went to the York Inter-State Fair apple pie winner, Belinda Myers of Dallastown. She earned $6O for her pie called Peachy Apple Pie. Third prize and $4O went to the representative from the Big But ler Fair, Shirley Hulihan of Slippery Rock. Her pie was called Breakfast Apple Pork Pie with a Cheddar Cheese Crust. Beat together: 'A cup soft butter. '/< cup granulated sugar 'A tsp. vanilla. Gradually add: 1 cup all purpose flour Press into bottom and up sides of a deep 9” pie pan, Beat together: 1 8-ounce package cream cheese '/* cup granulated sugar. Add: 1 egg , Vi teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread evenly over crust. Combine 4 cups thinly sliced apples 'A teaspoon cinnamon Vi cup granulated sugar. Layer over cream cheese mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with 'A cup chopped pecans or hickory nuts. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake an additional 30 minutes. If apples are getting too brown, cover with foil. three sisters, Ami, Emily and with those purchased at the Heat to boiling, simmer. While liq uid simmers, cut butter into flour until mixture lodes like crumbs. Brown these in small heavy skillet, stirring constantly. Stir browned crumbs into hot liquid; cook about 5 minutes, stirring. Add potatoes and heat about 5 minutes more. Serve hot. Excellent with crackers. Serves 6 to 8. Kynel Bomgardner Lebanon Co. Dairy Princess CREAMY APPLE PIE (Turn to Page B 8)