November/December 1999 Issue

Festive Florida Favorites

We celebrate the holidays’ best moments with inherited recipes and warm memories. Flavors, aromas, and historic tales are reminiscent of our “olde” Florida-style holiday gathering. Sitting in the rocking chairs on the veranda of my grandmother’s home, we listen as stories eloquently told regale the days of growing up in Southwest Florida’s past.
   The simple food of yesteryear shared through tradition graces the holiday table. Ambrosia salad is made with sweet oranges, which in earlier times came from my great-grandfather’s orange grove.
   The melange of flavors rich in taste, such as roast pork loin marinated with key lime and garlic is comforting and inviting. Old-fashioned pumpkin casserole complements each family favorite. Fresh in-season vegetables steam in ceramic bowls laden with seasonings and a touch of butter.
   Dessert is the perfect tie that connects past to present. Great Aunt Slick’s orange carrot cake is always the ultimate ending to an unforgettable family celebration.

Jan Campbell, a lifelong resident of Southwest Florida, is a cookbook author and catering consultant.

Ambrosia Salad
12 Valencia oranges, sectioned
12 maraschino cherries, halved
1/4 cup of orange-flavored liqueur
1 cup of fresh grated coconut
(frozen may be used)
Several tablespoons of sugar
(depending on sweetness of fruit)

Mix all ingredients and garnish with additional coconut and cherries. Chill at least four hours.

Pumpkin Casserole
2 cans of pumpkin
11/2 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
1/4 stick of butter, melted
1/3 cup of whole milk
3/4 cup of vanilla

Mix well and pour into a greased baking dish, cover with topping mix.

Topping:
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 stick softened butter
1/4 cup of chopped pecans

Mix together and sprinkle on the pumpkin mixture. Bake for 35 or 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Roast Pork Loin with Apricot Glaze
1 pork loin
2 key limes, juiced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil

Mix all ingredients and place in a zip-lock bag. Massage marinade into meat. Refrigerate until roasting time. Remove from marinade. Season with additional salt and pepper. Bake in a shallow pan at 325 degrees until pork reaches the proper temperature on a meat thermometer. Brush on apricot conserve, turn oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes. Baste several times.

Apricot Glaze:
1 jar of apricot preserves
1/4 cup of brandy

Melt all ingredients over low heat in a saucepan until blended.

Aunt Slick’s Orange Carrot Cake
11/4 cups of Wesson oil
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
3 cups of grated raw peeled carrots
1 cup of finely chopped pecans

Combine oil and sugar, mix well. Sift together dry ingredients. Mix all ingredients except carrots and pecans for at least 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Mix in carrots and pecans. Pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove to a decorative platter.

Orange Cream Cheese Icing:
1 (3-oz.) package of cream cheese
2 tablespoons of orange juice
1 teaspoon of grated orange rind
3 cups of confectioners sugar
Dash of salt

Blend cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add all other ingredients and blend well.