VALDOSTA — Vanessa Fletcher says her granny, the late Ida Carter of Echols County, always comes to mind when she is cooking.
“I’m imagining that she would still tell me that I didn’t know what I was doing. Once when I was about 14 years old, I was at her house helping with dinner; we were having fish. I was salting the fish; she was telling me the whole time I didn’t know how to salt fish or cook them. She always told my mother (Faye Corbett of Lake Park) she was doing things wrong in the kitchen, too. Well, my mom turned out to be a wonderful cook, so maybe I will, too.”
Growing up on the outskirts of Lowndes County near Echols County, Fletcher graduated from Lowndes High School in 1983. She has been a floral designer for 28 years.
“I first worked in a flower shop at the age of 16. Twenty-eight years later, I’m still enjoying beautiful flowers. I am the wedding consultant for Valdosta Greenhouses. I enjoy weddings because they are always so different.
“Being a single mom with wonderful children (Nicole Tucker, 20, of Valdosta; Haley Tucker, 15, and Kristen Tucker, 12), I stay busy, but I do love to cook. I sometimes take dishes to work; my co-workers enjoy this and get spoiled easily. I love to cook for friends; I get this trait honest: My mom loves to feed everyone.”
It was her mother who taught her to cook.
“I love to cook for people and watch them enjoy it,” Fletcher said. “That’s a great feeling.”
Today, she has prepared both Sundried Tomato Chops & Artichokes and Marinated Italian Vegetable Salad for the viewing pleasure of the readers.
“The Sundried Tomato Chops & Artichokes was something I made up myself,” she said. “I had bought some artichokes one day and thought they would be good with pork chops. Then I was being brave and added the dressing for some added flavor, and it turned out to be a great dish.”
Sun-Dried Tomato Chops With Marinated Artichokes
9x12 baking dish
6 to 8 (1/2-inch) boneless pork chops
1/2 teaspoon meat tenderizer
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon Accent food enhancer
1 teaspoon cavender Greek seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic-herb seasoning
1 (12-ounce) jar Vigo marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing (with extra virgin olive oil)
Season chops with the first five ingredients
Place in baking dish; place drained artichokes on and throughout the chops.
Pour the dressing on top and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Marinated Italian Vegetable Salad
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut in half
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1 cup sliced stuffed green olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian dressing
Add green beans and cauliflower to boiling water in saucepan; cook until crisp tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain again.
Place in bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly.
Refrigerate three hours or until chilled.
Italian Cream Cake
1 stick butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups cake flour
1 cup chopped pecans
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 small can coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and oil gradually; add sugar; beat until smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time; mix well. Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Do not overbeat; add vanilla coconut and nuts; fold in stiff egg whites with spatula. Pour into four pans that have been buttered and floured.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Cook in pans five minutes, remove and place on racks to cool, and then top with the following frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box confectioner sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
— Glenda Bennett, Lake Park
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Cook of the Week Vanessa Fletcher offers Italian favorites
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