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Slice the cucumbers and give them the Momofuku taste and texture by cutting cucumbers into ¼ inch thick slices and placing in a large, non-reactive bowl. Add sugar and salt and stir to combine. Place cucumber mixture in quart-sized re-sealable container and refrigerate for at least one hour. Drain the cucumbers after they have had time to mix with the salt-sugar mixture. Cut the bread into squares, four per slice, to give it the appearance of cucumber sandwiches. Add bread to a platter. Top the bread squares with a slice of pickled cucumbers, then a bit of thinly-sliced onion, then a dollop (a small dab) of barbecue and then serve.

Note: Copeland suggests patting the cucumbers down with a dish towel after they have soaked in the mixture, to make sure they are the right consistency. You also may need to repeat the soaking procedure multiple times.

Vegetable Summer Delight

Source: Glenda W., Bland, Va.

First Place Winner of Food Independence Recipe Contest

2 large white potatoes, diced in chunks

1 large red and green tomato, diced in chunks

1 large green pepper, diced in chunks

2 medium squash, sliced crosswire

1 medium onion, sliced in chunks

2 medium cucumbers, diced in chunks

2 ears of sweet corn, cut off of cob

½ head cabbage, chopped

3 cups of cooked green beans

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning

¼ cup olive oil

Put olive oil in a large skillet. Add potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, squash, onion, corn, cabbage and cucumbers. Cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add green beans. Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Note: This recipe serves six to eight.

Herb-Smoked Pork Chops with Succotash

Source: Lisa P., Blacksburg, Va.

Grand Prize Winner of the Food Freedom Recipe Contest.

Pork chops

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 tablespoon White wine

3 to 4 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard

Fresh or dried herbs: rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme

1.5 inch thick, 1-pound pork chops

Salt

Pepper

Stir a little bit of olive oil and white wine, about a tablespoon total, into mustard. Add a pinch of chopped fresh or dried herbs. Coat pork chops with the mustard mixture. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour coals in a grill and place more herbs on top of the coals and let them smoke for about two minutes. Add the pork chops and cook, covered, until desired tenderness, turning once or twice to char the outside. For medium-done, remove at about 150°F. Let the pork chops sit for 5 minutes before eating.

Succotash

1 bag frozen baby lima beans

1 small onion

1 small or ½ medium large red pepper

1 carrot

1 fennel bulb (optional)

2 tablespoons bacon fat

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 cloves minced garlic

1 to 2 minced chilies (jalapeno, Serrano, cayenne or others)

Fresh sage

Fresh thyme

Salt

Pepper

Dried red pepper flakes (optional)

4 to 6 ears of fresh corn (or 1 bag frozen)

1 tablespoon butter

Chopped fresh parsley and cilantro

Crumbled bacon or pine nuts (optional)

Prepare frozen lima beans by simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. Dice and sauté over medium to medium-high heat the onion, red pepper, carrot and fennel bulb (optional) in bacon fat and olive oil until translucent. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in minced garlic, chilies, fresh sage and thyme with salt, pepper and dried pepper flakes (optional) to taste. Cook for one to two minutes. Add in corn kernels, their milk (if fresh) and prepared lima beans. Warm through. Stir in butter. Finish with fresh parsley and cilantro. Optional garnish of crumbled bacon or pine nuts.

Note: Lisa uses generously-sized pork chops from Garden Mountain Farm in Burke, Va. They are about 1 lb each. The pork chop part of the recipe serves two hearty appetites or three to four smaller appetites. The succotash recipe serves four hearty appetites or six smaller appetites. Visit Lisa’s website for more recipes.

Lisa recommends Albarino wine with pork or any other medium-bodied, crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc, or a rose wine. The smoky flavors in the recipe would also pair with earthy, smoky reds, such as Bourgognes, Malbec and Tannat.

Virignia Crab Casserole

Source: Sallie G., Newport News

1 pound Back Fin Crab Meat (Chesapeake Bay – deluxe)

15 premium saltine crackers

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

Pick through crab meat for shells and set aside. Crush the crackers and mix in the parsley flakes, then set aside. Melt one stick of butter and add Worcestershire sauce. Beat the eggs and set aside. Mix all with hands and pack into a greased Pyrex 8 inch x 13 inch dish. Sprinkle the top with a little salt and red pepper for taste and color. Dot with butter squares and bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Note: This recipe serves six.

Crab Cakes with Dill Yogurt

Source: Lisa P., Blacksburg, Va.

Honorable Mention of Food Freedom Recipe Contest

Crab cakes

1 pound fresh crab meat
¼ cup total finely chopped sweet onion, celery, red bell pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, fennel
1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon mustard (Dijon, horseradish or whole grain)
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 to 2 eggs
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Freshly cracked pepper
Salad greens
Lemon wedges

Add all ingredients to fresh crab meat. Mix and form into cakes, then pan- or deep-fry in vegetable oil for about five minutes on each side at 375°F. Serve cakes on salad greens with lemon wedges.

Yogurt dressing

½ to 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Pinch of salt
Freshly cracked white or black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon wedge)
Olive oil

Whisk yogurt with dill, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil (to taste and consistency desired).

Note: Lisa added blanched haricots verts from her garden into the salad.

Lisa recommends adding a white Burgundy wine or other Chardonnay, Albarino, Viognier, Chenin blanc or Sauvignon blanc with the crab cakes and dill yogurt.

Gnocchi and Chicken Breast with White Wine Sauce

Source: Alvina G., Richmond, Va.

Honorable Mention of Food Freedom Recipe Contest

4 to 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Italian dressing
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon white pepper
5 to 6 tablespoon olive oil
punch cayenne pepper
1 cup flour
2 cups milk
¾ cup white wine
2 16 ounce boxes gnocchi
1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
1 pound broccoli florets
1 pound cauliflower florets
1 stick unsalted butter
½ cup white cheddar cheese
½ cup havarti light creamy cheese
1 cup Alfredo sauce
½ cup stilton cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 package of bread sticks

Using large pan, add the olive oil to the pan on medium heat. Season both sides of chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning. Brown and cook chicken until done, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat when done. Set aside using tent foil to keep warm. Add yellow bell pepper to same pan, cook until tender. Cook gnocchi as directed on box after three minutes or so, then add broccoli and cauliflower cook until tender then drain. Using 4 quart pot on medium heat, melt butter. After butter is melted, add flour and stir constantly over a low heat until it takes on a tan or pale color and loses the flour taste, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk after mixture becomes thick and then stir in cheeses, stirring constantly until all cheese is melted. Add nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne pepper, white wine and salt to taste. Add gnocchi, yellow pepper, broccoli and cauliflower to cheese sauce. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips and add to cheese sauce. Serve hot.

Note: Alvina said this recipe makes six servings.

Banana Rice Beans

Source: Mike G., Richmond, Va.

Honorable Mention of Food Freedom Recipe Contest

Sauce

Teriyaki marinade with pineapple
Water
Brown sugar
Honey
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Ground cloves
Frank’s Red Hot Creole Seasoning

Combine water, honey, spices and brown sugar. Simmer over medium to high heat, then add garlic, teriyaki, Frank’s and spices. Simmer until it smells good.

Chicken

Chicken tenderloins
2 cans black beans
Ground cloves
Salt and pepper
Creole seasoning
Honey
½ stick butter

Cube the chicken and then sauté it with honey, spices and butter. Once chicken is cooked, add cleaned beans and cook until hot.

Rice

1 cup rice
Cilantro
Salt and pepper

Add rice to ½ cup water. Add cilantro to water and boil until cooked.

Bananas

½ stick butter
2 bananas
Flour
White sugar
Honey
Egg
Salt

Melt butter and mix with egg and honey in a bowl. Mix flour, sugar and salt in another bowl. Cut bananas into ½ inch pieces and stick in egg, then coat in flour. Fry to brown and set aside.

To serve

First rice, then chicken, then bananas and top with sauce.

Note: Mike came up with this recipe during a game he and his fiancée play, where she picks out three ingredients (bananas, rice, black beans) and he has to make a delicious recipe using those three ingredients, plus whatever else is in the kitchen.