My Favorite Recipes by Linda Marler

Meet Peggy Bryan, LaCrosse

Peggy Bryan is excited about what is going on at Whitman County Library. She has been working for the library for 18 years and is now the business manager and associate director. The library staff is pleased with the improvement in their facilities and services over the years, and tops on their list is their renovated main branch facility in Colfax. The remodel has improved the space and usability for patrons as well as for the library staff.

Peggy is pleased that the changes help them better serve their customers. The library website offers a great number of resources, including links to all sorts of sites, from encyclopedias to ancestry searches. E-reader classes help patrons learn to download books to their devices from the library website. For those who have difficulty installing and using new devices or just find it frustrating, an appointment with a librarian is just perfect for getting an e-reader operational. As nice as e-readers are, free books downloaded from the library are even better.

Reading isn’t the only activity happening at the library. Storytime for small children, after school activities for students and yoga classes are just a few options. The Norma McGregor room in the lower level of the library serves as a comfortable, welcoming meeting space for a number of groups. To check out all the activities, log on to the online calendar on the library website.

Peggy is very pleased that the town of Lamont has recently joined the library district. The Endicott Library is being remodeled, thanks to grants from the US Department of Agriculture, Inland Northwest Community Foundation and Avista Corporation. Friends of the Library and members of the Endicott community deserve thanks for their support, as well.

As involved community members, Peggy and her husband are excited for the LaCrosse Library to move into the LaCrosse Market Building. LaCrosse Community Pride has worked diligently on this project. The Market is now open, and the library plans to move in as soon as the carpet is laid. Soon LaCrosse residents can buy groceries and check out books at the same location.

Peggy is married to Pete Bryan, who recently retired from the LaCrosse School District, and they will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. Their son Jason and his wife Gina live in Spokane. Daughter Allison lives in Prague, the Czeck Republic, teaching kindergarten at the International School of Prague.

While it was difficult for the Bryans when Allison moved overseas, first to Shanghai, China, and now to Prague, keeping in touch by phone and email makes it much easier. As a fringe benefit of a daughter in Europe, Peggy and Pete traveled to Prague and Italy a couple of years ago and are eager to return.

The downtown revival of LaCrosse is the fulfillment of long-term goals for the Bryans. They live in LaCrosse and enjoy having the Market and Sterling Bank open and helped paint the interior of the soon-to-open Grillbilly Cafe. Peggy feels that good things are coming to their town.

Since Peggy is a breast cancer survivor, she and Pete participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure each year in Spokane. They began walking the Komen for their daughter-in-law, Gina, at the first-ever Race for the Cure in Spokane. After Peggy’s diagnosis three years ago, she was treated by the same group of doctors who had previously treated Gina. Gina and Jason were a great resource of knowledge and support for Peggy and Pete. Peggy’s surgery was her cure, and she wants to share that support and help which she received with others who face breast cancer.

A beginning quilter, Peggy has made several T-shirt quilts for her children, nieces and nephews, which she enjoyed doing. The shirts each tell a story, and it was fun to put them together, she said.

Thanks to Pete, Peggy said, they raise a big garden. They enjoy vegetables from the garden throughout the year. Cabbage, carrots, beets, butternut squash and other vegetables in these recipes come from their own garden.

Recipes:

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

For the Salad

1 bunch (about 3) medium red beets

10 ounces mixed greens

3 ounces goat cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (best quality, such as Pompeian Gourmet)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Wipe or scrub 1 bunch medium beets (about 3); clean, then trim stems down to one-inch (leave “tails” on). Place beets on a large piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil, then wrap foil around them to form a neat packet. Roast in oven until tender, about 1 hour. Test for doneness by piercing the largest beet with a knife. Unwrap beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel (to prevent stains, use gloves) and cut into pieces. Set aside.

Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all your ingredients to a jar, cover with lid, and shake vigorously to blend.) Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Salad: Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Divide greens onto plates, then sprinkle with beets, walnuts and goat cheese. (The reason you don’t just mix it all together in a salad bowl is that the beets would cause the whole salad to turn pink.) Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Bisque

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced carrots

4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt and ground black pepper to taste

ground nutmeg to taste

1/2 cup half and half or cream (optional)

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion in the butter and oil until tender. Add carrots and squash to pot. Pour in stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool some. Puree the soup mixture in small quantities in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve warm with a dash of nutmeg.

Frozen Coleslaw

1 pound cabbage

1 medium carrot, grated

1 bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Shred or chop cabbage, add 1 teaspoon salt, and let stand 1 hour. Drain well, and add pepper, onion, and carrot.

While cabbage is standing, make a syrup of:

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix and boil 1 minute. Let stand until lukewarm, then pour over cabbage. Pour into containers and freeze. This coleslaw can be thawed in a few minutes, and what is left over can be refrozen.

Not from the garden, but just plain yummy—

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pound butter (4 cubes or 2 cups)

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons vanilla

3 eggs

6 cups flour (I usually add about 1/2 c. flour or a little more to make a softer cookie)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

4 cups chocolate chips (I use Nestle’s)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Measure and mix together flour, salt, and soda.

Cream butter; add sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop, place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.