Southwest Lasagne

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken

9-10 wheat tortillas (more if using corn tortillas)

3 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob

three plum tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 can black beans, drained

1 jar chunky salsa (hopefully grown and packaged locally)

1 package taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (again, local is best)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brown meat in pan, then add tomatoes, corn, and beans. Stir until heated through and toss with taco seasoning. Add salsa and stir until warmed. Line the bottom of a 13X9 baking dish with tortillas. Break as necessary to fit one layer on the bottom. Spoon half the ground meat/vegetable mixture over the tortillas and spread until covered. Top with one third of the cheese. Repeat these steps to add another layer. Place a final layer of tortillas on top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the scallions. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas are heated through. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Ingredients needed:

• 1/2 cup local buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 local eggs
• 32 local okra pods, washed and cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• Salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• Creole seasoning from scratch
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Tomato Marmalade

In a mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce and eggs. Mix well. Add the okra and season with the salt and turn to coat evenly, and let sit for 30 minutes. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour and corn meal. Mix well and season with the Essence. Heat the oil in a large skillet to 360 degrees F.

Dredge each piece of okra in the seasoned flour coating completely. Fry the okra in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning once to evenly brown. Remove the cooked okra, and drain on a paper-lined sheet pan. Sprinkle some Essence over the cooked okra. Continue to cook the okra in batches until all the okra is cooked. Serve while hot with the Tomato Marmalade.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

TOMATO MARMALADE
Ingredients needed:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced local garlic
• 1 cup julienned local yellow onion
• 6 large local tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 to 1 cup fresh orange juice, from 1 to 2 oranges
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a sauté pan, heat the olive over medium high heat oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been cooked out of the tomatoes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid is reduced by 2/3, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve the marmalade in a heat-proof container either warm or room temperature.

Yield: a generous 2 cups