By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

This is that time of year when gardeners are faced with lots of green tomatoes that probably won’t be able to get ripe. So, what do you do with them? Of course you can always fry them. And that’s one way.

These four recipes offer a little more variety. We like the chow chow as an accompaniment to field peas in the winter. Use it any way you like.

None of these are difficult, but some do take a little more prep time than others. It’s important to use green tomatoes before they begin to lighten in color and soften. The firmer, the better.

For the pickles, I use the smaller ones, about the size of a golf ball. For the chow chow, I always ask for a little chopping help. Please enjoy these.

By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

We take sweet potatoes pretty much for granted around here, and I admit a really good baked sweet potato is hard to beat. They’re moist, naturally sweet and a real comfort food when the weather starts cooling off.

Baking is not the only way to cook sweet potatoes, and you may be surprised at their versatility. One of the things most pleasing things about sweet potatoes are their color. The bright, vivid color really adds to their appeal.

By Olivia Fowler

For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

There are many different varieties of peppers on the market, and different levels of heat for each variety.

This week, we feature recipes with very mild to hotter peppers. The jalapeno poppers are the hottest dish featured, then the stuffed Poblano, the baked banana pepper poppers and the mildest sweetest recipe, the stuffed pimento peppers.

We are very fortunate in having access to many varieties of peppers brought to America from other countries, and we enjoy them prepared many different ways.

By Olivia Fowler

For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

If given a choice between pie or cake as dessert, pie is usually picked around our house.

Our crowd claims that all but a few cakes dry out too quickly.

They like the moist richness of cream pies. Favorites include chocolate, vanilla, banana and butterscotch.

This is fortunate for the cook, as all are variations of a basic cream filling.

This week we are featuring a basic cream filling with meringue topping and a chocolate, banana and butterscotch version of this pie.

By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier

The most important thing to remember about pears is to allow them to ripen before using.

Most of the pears in grocery stores are not ripe, but if left out of the refrigerator for a couple of days at home, they will ripen beautifully.

If you have access to a pear tree, you’ll know to pick the pears just before they’re ready and then let them ripen on the counter.

There’s nothing quite like a ripe pear. It’s mild in flavor, sweet and juicy. Please enjoy this week’s recipes.

By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com

Celery is a vegetable that is overlooked and often taken for granted. We’re used to seeing it in salads and paired with carrots as a vegetable to dip in various and sundry substances, but it’s time to regroup.
Don’t neglect celery as more than just a tired old snack food.
It has the advantage of being nutritious and a real plus as far as diets go, and it’s considered a negative-rated source of calories.
String it before eating, a task easily done with a

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