Food and Fund-Raising

Twenty years ago, the food at fund-raising events often was prepared by church groups or club members. Here are some recipes from charitable events held in 1983.

Members of Christ United Methodist Church prepared food for the Kentucky Hunter and Jumper Association’s horse show at the Kentucky Horse Park to raise funds for nursery furnishings and library shelves.

Committee member Judy Parrish got the recipe for antipasto from her neighbor, Frank Natta.

Frank’s antipasto
1 quart pickled mixed vegetables, drained
1 jar (13 ounces) green olives, drained
2 cans (7 ounces each) black olives, drained
2 jars (6 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 cans (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained
Wine vinegar
2 cans (8 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cans (7 ounces) tuna, drained
Tabasco sauce
Lemon juice
1 small can anchovies, optional
1 small can sardines in tomato sauce, optional
Combine mixed vegetables, olives, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms, and sprinkle with wine vinegar. Add tomato sauce and tuna. Sprinkle with Tabasco sauce and lemon juice to taste. If desired, garnish with a small can of anchovies and a small can of sardines in tomato sauce. Serve with crackers.

St. Hubert’s Church on the Grimes Mill Road in Clark County held its annual Day in the Country each fall featuring gourmet food and family activities.

The theme for the cafe in 1983 was Cuisine of the Sun, and the menu featured smoked turkey or spinach quiche, gazpacho, pasta salad, tabbouleh, couscous, baba ghannouj, hummus, and baklava.

Bulgur salad
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 large firm tomatoes, chopped and drained
1 1⁄2 cups parsley flakes
2 cups onions, minced
2⁄3 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons salt
2⁄3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dried mint
Soak wheat in cold water to cover for at least 10 minutes. It should double. Combine with other ingredients. It’s best if oil and mint are added shortly before serving.

Baba Ghannouj
2 pounds eggplant
2 onions, minced
3⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of 2 lemons
2 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
Prick eggplant, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Scoop out flesh when cool, and run through food processor with remaining ingredients. Serve chilled.

The Fayette Rose and Garden Club held an herbal tea party at Waveland Museum on Higbee Mill Road in July. The club maintained the herb garden at Waveland for years.

The menu featured a coriander pastry, herb-cheese balls, olive-butter spread with mixed herbs and cheese, curried cheese with chives, coriander crescents, anise cookies, sesame seed cookies, cardamon cake, coriander coffee cake; mint chocolate cake. Here’s one of the recipes.

Almond crescent with coriander
1 cup butter
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 teaspoons almond extract
2 1⁄2 cups flour
1 cup ground almonds
1⁄2 cup coriander
Confectioners’ sugar
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla and almond extract. Mix in flour with ground almonds and coriander.
Measure dough by the tablespoon, shape into logs, and bend into crescent shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly brown. While warm, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store in airtight containers.

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation held a Summer Social that was catered by member Mike Tuttle, who also was co-owner of the Pampered Chef in Chevy Chase.

Here are recipes for summer salad and stuffed chicken breast.

Summer salad
1 head cauliflower, chopped
6 new potatoes
1 pound asparagus
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Black olives
1 can garbanzos, drained
1⁄4 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Steam cauliflower, new potatoes, asparagus, and bell pepper, but leave crunchy. Add olives and garbanzos.
Combine salad oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and pour over vegetables.

Pampered Chef's stuffed chicken breast
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
1⁄4 pound Swiss or Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Ham or bacon, optional
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Melt butter. Stir in onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in drained, uncooked spinach. Add salt and pepper and shredded cheese. Stir until barely heated.
Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper. Divide spinach filling equally between chicken breasts and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.
Brown quickly in small amount of oil. Place in a casserole dish and bake, covered, for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.