Ripe Lindsay Olives Still on the Shelves

Question: Lindsay olives used to have a product, green ripe olives, available in most supermarkets. I haven’t seen them for the past two to three years. Are they still available and, if so, where might I find them? They were the greatest.

Answer: We contacted the Lindsay Olive Growers and were assured that they still produce green ripe olives. Here in Southern California they are available in selected Albertson’s Inc., Ralphs Grocery Co. and Stater Bros. Markets Inc. stores, and some independent markets.

Should you still have trouble locating the green ripe olives, they may be ordered by the case (24 cans) from Lindsay Olive Growers, P.O. Box 278, Lindsay, Calif. 93247. Write or call, (209) 562-5121, with your order, ZIP Code and telephone number. The company will return your call with the exact cost, including shipping.

If your travels take you to the Lindsay area, the company has an outlet store at 620 N. Westwood that is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lindsay is located about 10 miles east of Tulare, Calif.

Q: I had some Philadelphia scrapple on a recent trip to the East Coast. It was delicious. Can you tell me something about it? I have been unsuccessful in finding any at the local supermarket. Can you tell me if it may be purchased locally?

A: Scrapple, also known as Philadelphia scrapple, is “a very solid mush made from the byproducts of hog butchering; the mush is sliced and fried for a breakfast or supper dish,” according to the Women’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (Fawcett Publications, 1966). “Scrapple is the invention of the thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch farmers. Apart from the general ingredients, there is no set rule as to quantity and seasonings, so that scrapple is a highly individual product.

“The basis for the making of scrapple is a broth produced by the cooking of the hog’s head, liver, tongue, meaty bones and other scraps. The meat that remains in the broth is ground and other ground pork meat may be added. Meat and broth are then combined and seasoned and the mixture is boiled. Originally, buckwheat flour was used to thicken the scrapple; this was the old German custom. But in the New World, the Pennsylvania Dutch preferred a mixture of buckwheat and cornmeal, and nowadays generally only cornmeal is used.”

The book supplies the following recipe for scrapple. For a quicker version, prepare basic cornmeal mush and add cooked, crumbled pork sausage before pouring the mixture into a loaf pan and chilling until firm.

HOMEMADE SCRAPPLE

1 pound pork liver

1/2 pound pork heart

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork scraps

2 1/2 quarts water

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, optional

Salt, pepper

3 cups buckwheat flour

3 cups cornmeal

Shortening

Place pork liver, heart and scraps in deep kettle. Cover with water. Boil until very tender. Drain meat and reserve. Chill broth and remove fat from surface.

Trim meat and grind fine. Return broth and ground meat to kettle. Add sage, allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil.

Combine buckwheat flour and cornmeal. Trickle mixture slowly into boiling broth, stirring constantly to avoid limping. Lower heat and cook, stirring very frequently, about 1 hour, or until mixture is very thick and comes off sides of kettle.

Rinse loaf pans or molds with cold water and fill with hot scrapple. Cool.

When cold, cut into slices or fingers and fry in shortening until crisp and brown on both sides. Makes 12 to 16 servings.