It’s July, it’s summertime, and it’s hot!  I have selected a couple of recipes that will help you cool off and “beat the heat”.

Cornucopia Salad

Salad:

1 Head Iceberg Lettuce
1 Cup Frozen Green Peas, Thawed, Drained
2 (8oz) Cans Sliced Water Chestnuts, Drained
3 Bananas, Sliced, (Tossed In 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice)
3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
6 Hard Cooked Eggs, Diced
3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans, Lightly Toasted
3/4 Cup Chopped Green Onions
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
10-12 Slices Crisp Cook Bacon, Crumbled

Dressing:

2 Cups Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon White Vinegar

Combine dressing ingredients.  Let stand 5 minutes while mixing salad.  Layer first 6 salad ingredients in large container.  Seal ingredients with dressing.  Sprinkle top of salad with pecans, onions, cheese, and bacon.  Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

Crust:

1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (Whirl the Graham Crackers in a Food Processor for Crumbs)
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Melted

Filling:

2 14-Ounce Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 Large Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest (More If You Wish)
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Topping:

2 Cups Heavy Cream
6 Tablespoons Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, granulated sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.  Pat into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the milk, yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour the lemon filing into the cooled crust.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until set.  Cool on a rack.  Chill pie for 30 minutes.  When the pie is completely cooled, whip the cream with confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form.  Mount the whipped cream on top of the pie and chill for 1 hour.

These recipes and many others are in the “Cooking with Avoyelles 4-H” (Grand Champion Avoyelles Commodity Cookery Recipes 2008-2012), available for $3.00 at the LSU Ag Center, located at 8592 Hwy 1 in Mansura, also home to Louisiana 4-H Museum. For more information, call (318) 964-2245.