Apricot Bars

LIBBY'S APRICOT BARS

1.  A FEW HOURS BEFORE:  If your jam has been in the refrigerator, bring  to room temperature
      12 oz. jar of apricot jam
   Amount: Libby said 1 cup.  A 12 oz jar is much more than 1 cup.  My advice is to start with what you've got and use it as sparingly or as generously as you like.  I've made these bars with as little as 1 1/3 cup of jam and as much as almost an entire 18 oz jar.  Experiment!
   Kind:  Libby said  "cheaper is better."  I buy the supermarket's house brand.  Nobody seems to carry jam any more, only preserves. Because the pieces of fruit in preserves aren't spreadable, sometimes I pull them out beforehand. Other times I just use them as is.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13 pan. 
I use glass except when I use two 8x8 vintage Wearever aluminum pans.  The advantage to using two 8" square pans is that you can serve one batch and freeze the other for another occasion.

3.  Melt and then set aside
     3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks: yes, it's a lot of butter)
I use a pyrex measuring cup and microwave for about 90 seconds at power level 5 or 6.

4.  In a big bowl, stir together
     1 1/2 c. flour
     1 tsp baking powder
     1/4 tsp salt
     1 c. brown sugar, tightly packed
     1 1/2 c. quick oatmeal
           ("NOT instant," said Libby, probably because instant
           is cut too small and will get mushy.  I once used
           old-fashioned and it was fine, although some oatmeal
           pieces were rather chewy.)

5.  Moisten dry ingredients with
     THAT BUTTER

6.  Remove about 1/4 of oatmeal mixture to a separate bowl for topping.  Press rest of mixture into baking dish.

7.  Drop by soupspoons
     THAT JAM
onto the pressed oatmeal mixture and spread jam gently with the back of the spoon to cover without breaking the pressed oatmeal.

8.  Sprinkle over top
     THAT RESERVED MIXTURE

9. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares or bars.

***

This is a great finger dessert without nuts or chocolate.   It can be stored on the counter for a few days, or in the refrigerator or freezer if you want to make it ahead.  Serve at room temperature.

Possible but untried variations:  plum jam, raspberry jam.  Use non-dairy margarine or maybe Crisco, to make vegan/ parve/lactose-free.

rjm 4/23, 5/1/01; 12/31/07; 8/23, 11/20/14
font problems fixed 5/24/15

Romaine - Nectarine - Havarti Salad

R3A2 BUSCH'S SUPERMARKET'S ROMAINE - NECTARINE - HAVARTI SALAD

When I lived in Ann Arbor, I loved the local supermarket chain, Busch's. From time to time their recipe creator would come by the store near my house with one of her latest creations. One summer featured this salad. I fell in love with it. I made it so often that summer that I became tired of it. Now I know that if I limit it to once or twice a season, it is always a big hit.

     SALAD INGREDIENTS
1 head romaine, sliced into narrow strips.

I cut the big leaves vertically into thirds, then slice them to make strips about 2" x 1/8". I usually use less than the whole head or else the result has too much lettuce.

3-4 nectarines, diced ~1/4".

I leave the skin on. If they're big, 3 is enough. When I can't find nice nectarines, I use red grapes (half a pound? a whole pound? I'll have to check next time), sliced in half, or ~2 big oranges, peeled and diced. Peaches are fine, too. I peel the peaches but I don't peel the nectarines.

1/2 lb havarti, diced ~1/4"

Busch's said "lite" but my view is that 1. when they reduce the fat (and the sugar, when there's sugar, not relevant for cheese, of course): A. the result is less favorful, and B. they add things that may be worse than fat or sugar, and 2. if you don't want to eat any fat or sugar, eat celery. Plus it is my understanding that you need some fat to digest and to extract the nutrients from raw greens. The dressing for this salad does not use much fat so you get it from the cheese.

1/3 medium red onion, diced 1/4 "

Busch's said 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced, but I like the red color and I think matching the size of the cheese and nectarines looks nicer.

      DRESSING INGREDIENTS
  Amounts in original:
1/4 c. apricot fruit spread (I use Smucker's)
3 T cider vinegar
2 tsp walnut oil
1 tsp Tabasco
salt and pepper (utterly unnecesary with the Tabasco)
  My daughter says that this is not enough dressing so I ~double it:
     1/2 c. jam
     ~1/3 c. cider vinegar
     4 tsps walnut oil
     2 tsp Tabasco

      INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Or forget the whisk and put them all in a jar, cover it, and shake to blend. Add to completed salad or serve on the side.
Put the lettuce in the bowl. Sprinkle on the nectarine, cheese and onion. I do them in sort-of layers. They won't cover the surface so they're always be places where you see all three. WARNING: DO NOT TOSS. If you do, the havarti, which is heavy, ends up on the bottom. Instead, convince the diners to dig down with those salad tongs. I suppose the best thing would be to serve the salad in individual bowls and pass the dressing. Maybe next time for company, I'll do that.

rjm 2003? original lost, re-typed 5/22/06, rev 5/5,23/14