Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa

Sweet potato crostini.

Once a month the Cameron Village Library sponsors a Cookbook Book Club* and this month those attending took a dish containing potatoes---any kind of potatoes.  I chose this easy and tasty appetizer using frozen waffle-cut sweet potato fries. In this case, instead of toasted bread crostini I am garnishing toasted sweet potato fries. The recipe is from Southern Living October 2012.

Waffle-cut sweet potato fries.

Ingredients: 
20 large frozen waffle-cut sweet potato fries 
2 tablespoons red pepper jelly 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice  
1 cup quartered seedless red grapes 
1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper  
2 tablespoons finely diced green onions 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Bake potatoes in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet 12 minutes; turn potatoes, and bake 5 to 7 more minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Bake sweet potato fries.

Cool on a rack.

 2. Meanwhile, whisk together pepper jelly and lime juice in a small bowl; stir in grapes and next 3 ingredients.

Lime juice and red pepper jelly.

Add grapes, yellow pepper, and onions.

3. Arrange potatoes on a serving platter; sprinkle with goat cheese. Garnish with grape salsa, using a slotted spoon. Serve immediately.

Ready to enjoy.

The combination of flavors is wonderful and these provide healthful appetizers.

* I had to miss the book club meeting, because I had forgotten that one my grandchildren was playing basketball at the same time, and I chose the basketball game.  But my family enjoyed these appetizers, and I think you would like them too.

Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake

I was thinking grandson Tyler might be here after school the other day, so I made this cake to have a healthy snack ready for him.  The recipe is from Linda Watson's Wildly Affordable Organic cookbook.  The Cookbook Book Club's choice for June is this book, and I am trying out some of the recipes to decide what dish I will take to the meeting.  Tyler didn't stop by on Thursday, so Dan and I enjoyed the snack ourselves, and I had a piece the next morning for breakfast.  Tyler will be here next Tuesday, so perhaps I'll have a reason to make this cake again.  I'm certain there won't be any left by then, although I think it would freeze well.
Here's the recipe from Linda's book.

I had all the ingredients on hand, and this was quick to make.  It is very light, moist, delicious and healthy---whole wheat flour and pumpkin.

Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake.

The Cookbook Book Club

From Cameron Village Library Flyer.

Cameron Village Public Library (Photo from their website).

A book club featuring cookbooks is a great idea.  I attended my first meeting of this Club last night, and I must say it was a great deal of fun.  And what good food!!!  The group enjoyed a variety of dishes prepared by the attendees.  The dishes for this month were all prepared from recipes in some Southern Living cookbook.

 Each member described her dish and recipe to the group.

My plate.

As you can see from my plate there was quite a variety of dishes:  potato salad, egg salad, romaine lettuce and strawberry salad, Hoppin' John Salad, two kinds of bread and old-fashioned strawberry shortcake to mention a few.

Linda Watson is a member of this Club, and for the June meeting we will each prepare a dish from a recipe in her book Wildly Affordable Organic.  

I've belonged to book clubs before, but this is the first Cookbook Book Club I've known, and I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

Zucchini Nut Bread

Zucchini Nut Bread

I've had the Southern Hospitality Cookbook since 1976, and it is one of my favorite cookbooks.  The Cookbook Book Club this month will be discussing recipes from Southern Living Cookbooks, and each person will take one of the dishes that he/she has prepared to share with the group at the meeting tonight.  I'm sharing the Zucchini Nut Bread from this cookbook. Here's the recipe:

I first made this one summer in the late 70's when I had a lot of extra zucchini.  And I've made it frequently since.  It is a favorite at our house. For this one I used walnuts, but often I use pecans.  I use Canola oil.

Grated zucchini.

Dry ingredients sifted together.

Walnuts and raisins ready to add.

This is good plain or we like it with mascarpone cheese when it's warm just out of the oven.  It freezes well too.

Plain.

With mascarpone cheese.