ON THE MENU MONDAY~ Week Of September 26, 2011

This week is FAIR WEEK! Our whole community virtually comes to a screeching stop for three days and the fair becomes the center of our lives. Huge green and white tents go up... the smell of funnel cake... barns full of animals children and youth have proudly raised... business and churches filling our hearts and heads with information and our pockets with giveaways... friendly yet fierce competition for everything from tobacco to chocolate cake... rodeo...greased pig competition... soup cook-off...fire hall dinners so good that you don't mind standing in line for an hour talking with people you haven't seen in months.

West Lampeter Fair is really a wonder filled oddity in this day and age! Started 80 years ago as a way to display the work of Agricultural high school students and to educate the outlying community, our fair still has agriculture as it's cornerstone. There are no carnival rides, no outside vendors, no entertainment.It is strictly a locally run and operated phenomenon! Yet 35,000 people come to experience this blast-from-the-past every year!

Over the years I have volunteered and entered my handicrafts and food in competitions. I have even come away with my share of ribbons!

My favorite way to serve my local fair is by being a judge in the FAIR QUEEN COMPETITION. Being a state certified judge, I have the privilege of meeting and helping to choose one lucky girl to wear the crown representing our community. This will be my 8th year.

This is not a beauty pageant, just as the crown is not a symbol of popularity. Each year one high school junior or senior girl is chosen to represent and SERVE our community. This queen will be a role model for younger children and teach them the values of citizenship, service and involvement in the fair. She will spend time meeting and greeting folks young and old. Our queen will to speak at functions on behalf of the Lampeter Community and Agriculture, and be beloved and admired by every little girl under the age of 10 in our area. She will spend hours and hours in big ways and small being a servant queen to our community. In January she will then go on to compete for the State Fair Queen Title. This is a life changing experience for every girl who enters. And the the winner will carry so much of what she learns over her year reign into the rest of her life!

I am so blessed to see the very positive side of the American youth through these lovely young ladies!

In the past years I have been to many of the fairs in our Commonwealth and have not found one quite like our! Do I sound proud? Well... I guess I am!

I invite you to come to my fair, The West Lampeter Fair in Lancaster County Pa. Come see a true slice of Americana where the spirit of tradition and community is alive and well!

Click to visit my fair.

Now What's On The Menu...

MONDAY

Chicken Parisian
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrots

Recipe: Chicken Parisian
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-8 TBS. Borsin Cheese
4 piece sliced good deli ham or Canadian Bacon
12 asparagus spears
1/2 cup flour
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Cut each chicken breast across horizontally. Pound each breast to about 1/8 inch thick. I use a zip lock bag with a couple of TBS of water in it...and a wooden mallet to pound chicken. Put the chicken on a work surface. Salt and pepper. Put 1 slice of deli ham on each chicken breast. Spread 1-2 TBS Borsin cheese on the ham. Lay 3 asparagus spears together across one of the width ends of the chicken. Roll up the chicken around the asparagus. Dredge in flour. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove chicken and add mushrooms and thyme. Cook until golden. Remove pan off of heat and add wine. Bring back to the heat and add chicken stock, scraping up brown bits.

Return chicken to the pan and slowly simmer for 15-20 minutes, lightly covered with foil.

Serve drizzled with sauce and mushrooms!
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Roasted Carrots

These are so sweet and caramelized... a savory sweet!
1 bag of baby carrots
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put carrots onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until the carrots are slightly browned, deflated and soft. YUMMY!

Printable Recipe

TUESDAY
Sausage Rotini In Vodka Sauce
Ceasar Salad

Recipe: Sausage Rotini In Vodka Sauce
This recipe says LOVE and COMFORT to me! What a great filling dish full of fabulous flavors. I can just imagine that this will taste even better the next day! Lunch! Kitty is a sweet blogging friend... you will love your visit! Click HERE.

Recipe: Cesar Salad
This is one of our favorites! Click HERE for the recipe and culinary tutorial.

WEDNESDAY~ LAMPETER FAIR FOOD
Eating at the Fire Hall tonight!

THURSDAY
Lemon And Wine Baked Haddock
Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Braised Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Shallots

photo credit

Recipe: Easy Scalloped Potatoes
When Rita shared this creamy potato dish ON THE MENU MONDAY last week I knew I would make it! Rita is right it is easy! Rita's blog Rita's Recipes started her blog as a way to easily access her recipes and also to share them with friends... Well, aren't we lucky!!!! We get all of her best recipes too! To access them for yourself and get this Rita favorite, click HERE.

Recipe: Braised Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Shallots
1 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts, cut in half
8 slices bacon, cut into cubes
1 small shallot, chopped
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups good chicken stock
1 TBS good white wine
Parmesan cheese
panko bread crumbs
2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
In a large ovenproof pan, add bacon and render fat, about 3-4 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and cook on each side until caramelized. Add thyme and cook for an additional minute.

Add chicken stock until Brussels sprouts are half covered and cook gently for 10 minutes, covered.
Add wine and cook for another minute or two.

Toss bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together and sprinkle over Brussels sprouts. Put in oven and cook until the dish is hot and crispy.
Printable Recipe

FRIDAY
Black Bean Quesadillas
Shredded Lettuce And Tomatoes

Recipe:Black Bean Quesadillas
8 ~10 inch flour tortillas
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups good salsa
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash beans in a bowl with 1 cup of salsa. Mix well. Put 4 tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread bean mixture evenly over the 4 tortilla. Divide the cheese and sprinkle over beans. Put a tortilla over the shredded cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cut into 6 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa and sour cream.
Printable Recipe

SATURDAY: SOUPS ON
Apple Harvest Soup
Beer Bread

photo credit

Recipe: Apple Harvest Soup
What is apple season without apple recipes? I found a great soup at TAKE SIX~ a delightful blog written by two sisters, Lisa and Tanya! They are just adorable and so is their blog. Stop by and see what fun things they have in store for their readers! To visit and get this savory fall apple soup, click HERE.

SUNDAY
Artichoke And Chicken Stuffed Shells
Arugula, Shaved Parmesan, Pine Nuts In A Lemon Vinaigrette

Recipe: Artichoke And Chicken Stuffed Shells

12 oz. large pasta shells

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 TBS chopped fresh basil

1 box frozen artichokes, defrosted and drained

2 cups cooked chicken

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup

Alfredo Sauce~ directions follows

Alfredo sauce:

3 TBS butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated and divided

1/2 tsp pepper

Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add artichokes, chicken and and chopped basil. Cook for a couple of minutes until warm and incorporated.

In a saucepan heat butter until melted. Stir in flour and cook for 4 minutes. Whisk in cheese and pepper. Continue to whisk until thick and no lumps, about 5-6 minutes. Add 1 cup of cheese sauce to the chicken mixture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour cheese sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Fill each shell with 1 TBS or so of the chicken mixture and place in sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese over the shells.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly, slightly browned and hot.

Printable Recipe

OTHER RECIPES ON THE MENU...

THREE INGREDIENT PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS