My Favorite Recipes: Meet the Whitman County Branch Librarians

Whitman County Library branch managers are pictured following their spring 2016 meeting. Top, left to right: Petra Klander, Uniontown; Clancy Pool, St. John; Holly Meyer, Colton; Bev Pearce, Palouse; Rita Ackerman, Farmington; Diane Harp, Tekoa; Marcy Campbell, Rosalia/Malden; Tia Langston, Endicott. Bottom, left to right: Tami Schwartz, LaCrosse; Catalina Flores, Colfax; Sarah Anderson, Garfield; Lynn Flaharty, Albion; Shanna Jackman, Oakesdale; Kristie Kirkpatrick, library director.

In 1944, Whitman County residents voted to form a library district. By 1945, the library opened in a small storefront in Colfax and began opening branches. Hay was the first, followed by Tekoa, Thornton and Steptoe. The first all-staff meeting was in 1946, but the first photo of an all-staff meeting was taken in 1947 (see page 2B). By 1948, the library district boasted 25 branch locations and 44,000 books.

Today, the library has branches in 14 towns and provides traditional, online, outreach and innovative services. The staff still gathers each year for training, and Friday, May 20, 30 employees met to explore important services and topics.

All branches of Whitman County Library share resources, so any book in the system is available to any patron who orders it. Audio and online editions of many books are available by linking through Whitman County Library to the state system. Patrons who would like to access these services can go online to Whitman County Library’s website http://www.whitco.lib.wa.us or take devices into the library for assistance.

Most branches are open twice weekly for about four hours each time. Consulting the library website will show days and hours when they are open.

In addition to providing library services, the branch librarians have a repertoire of recipes to share.

Recipes from Current Branch Librarians

Cajun Chicken

Petra Klander

Uniontown branch manager

2 Tablespoons butter

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can evaporated milk

1 pack of spaghetti

Cajun seasoning

Johnny's Seasoning salt (if you have it)

Pepper/salt to taste

Basil

Thyme

Parsley

Cut chicken into bite-sized strips, place in a large pan to cook the meat, generously add cajun seasoning to raw chicken and a glob of margarine or butter. After about two minutes, add in the veggies (bell peppers, onion and garlic). Stir and cover on medium heat until veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Break pasta in half and cook until tender.

Once veggies have cooked through, add the can of milk and seasonings as desired. Drain pasta, add the rest of the butter and mix the whole thing together. Serves 5-6.

Serve and enjoy.

Frozen Fruit Salad

Tami Schwartz

LaCrosse branch manager

4 bananas, sliced

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

1 jar maraschino cherries

1 12-ounce carton of Cool Whip

1 16-ounce container sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar

Favorite fruits, sliced

Mix together and put in bowl and freeze overnight. Take out about one hour before serving. Very yummy dessert or salad.

Crispy

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato, Onion and Fennel

Lynn Fleharty

Albion branch manager

1 sweet potato, skin left on

1 purple onion

1 fennel bulb

2 Tablespoons butter, plus some for greasing pan

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease a large cookie sheet with butter.

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the butter and melt. Trim fennel and slice the bulb into 1/4-inch slices. Place sliced fennel in a medium-sized bowl and drizzle with half the butter. Toss to coat. Spread fennel slices on greased cookie sheet and put into oven to start roasting while you prepare onion and sweet potato.

Slice sweet potato in 1/8-inch rounds. Slice onion into 1/4-inch slices. Add onion and sweet potato to bowl; drizzle with remaining butter and toss until well coated. Add onions and sweet potato to the roasting fennel, being sure to spread them in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with salt and fennel seeds. Roast for 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden and fennel is tender, stirring items around on the pan at least once or twice to ensure even roasting.

Serves two as a side dish, one as a meal.

Grandmother’s Molded

Orange Gelatin

Rita Ackerman

Farmington branch manager

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup pineapple juice

2 cups hot water

1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice

1 can mandarin oranges, drained (2 if desired)

1 large package of orange jello

Drain pineapple, use the juice add add enough water to make one cup.

Dissolve the gelatin in two cups of hot water. Mix in frozen orange juice, mix until thawed. (Or you can thaw the OJ.) Add one cup of pineapple juice, the crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges. Mix together and refrigerate until set up.

Lunch Lady Brownies

Bev Pearce

Palouse branch manager

Brownies:

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup cocoa

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cocoa and sugar. Mix in flour and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix just to combine.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Batter will be thick, so you will have to use a spatula to make sure you get batter into the corners.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost while still warm.

To prepare frosting, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa and salt. Cream butter in mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar mixture to butter, alternating with milk. Mix until creamy. Spread over warm brownies.