Salsa adds sizzle to so many dishes
By Joyce Rosencrans
Cincinnati Post food editor
September 22, 2004
Craig Cornett, president of Frog Ranch Foods, dropped by Court Street last week on his round of media appearances to celebrate the Ohio company's 10th anniversary. His latest addition to his line of bottled salsas is a chipotle flavor (very faint smoke flavor from the mesquite-processed chilies).
Being a perfect morning, we sat to chat at a sidewalk café table about one block from the lengthy shadow of Kroger's high-rise headquarters at Court and Vine streets.
Cornett's a Kroger fan, of course, since the giant grocer agreed to stock his Frog Ranch salsas in 10 of 11 Kroger divisions across the country, including Texas.
You'd think a young man who grew up in Eaton, Ohio, and who started making salsa as something to do beyond pickling the peppers grown in the soggy bottom land of Frog Ranch would have a hard time breaking into the competitive ranks of chile-hot condiments.
After all, the tiny burg of Glouster -- about 12 miles north of Athens, Ohio, -- is not exactly known as a salsa capital.
Yet Cornett sells 40,000 cases of Frog Ranch products annually to Kroger's. And they're sold in Meijer's in the tri-state, plus Illinois and Michigan. Jungle Jim's stocks Frog Ranch, too, but then, name a salsa or any other jarred condiment the Jungle of Fairfield doesn't have on the shelf. Ditto, hot sauces.
Cornett hauled out a container of black bean salad he'd made with corn kernels and his Frog Ranch Salsa. It was tasty even before 10 a.m.
A couple of Frog Ranch posters were on the table. A guy in a pickup truck parked at the Court Street curb lowered his passenger-side window and politely asked if he was that "Frog Ranch guy."
Cornett immediately rose to shake the hand of this loyal salsa customer, and he ended up signing an autograph. It wasn't even his brother or anybody else in a publicity setup.
The guy's wife said he just loves Frog Ranch salsa. Cornett said part of the secret is using good Ohio tomatoes, specifically the ones grown south of Toledo for the De Fratelli brand of canned tomatoes.
Frog Ranch salsas are relatively low in sodium, he added, all the more reason to do as Cornett says and use the nutritious salsa blends in dishes other than dipping in salty tortilla chips.
"It's a common misconception that the only way to use salsa is with a tortilla chip in your hand," said Cornett. "We invite our customers to use salsa in literally any of their favorite recipes. A little experimentation can yield spectacular results, from stuffed chicken breasts to lasagna to salad dressing, even desserts.
"It usually surprises people when I tell them that my Mom makes a mean sugar cookie using a little bit of Frog Ranch's mild salsa, but they are delicious," Cornett insists.
Well, if Campbell's can promote a recipe for tomato-soup cake for decades, why not? Tomatoes are classified as a fruit, after all.
Frog Ranch has received the prestigious Golden Chile award at the National Fiery Food Challenge in Albuquerque, N.M., each year since 1998.
Frog Ranch is the company name because Cornett and some friends were sitting on the deck of his new homestead (40 acres near Glouster), sipping beer and listening to young frogs or "spring peepers" chirp. Cornett was lamenting his poor financial situation, a friend cracked that he'd bought a nice frog ranch.
A few years later, Cornett and a company co-founder were harvesting late garden peppers. He canned 200 quarts of pickled peppers and word got around. Frog Ranch products now include peppered pickles (cucumbers pickled with plenty of jalapenos) and a line of salsas, which sell a jar-a-minute after 10 years of mass-marketing.
Frog Ranch Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, thawed or cut from cooked
cobs
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Ground black pepper to taste
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup snipped or sliced fresh basil
3 cups cooked or canned black beans (about 1 cup dried
beans)
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 (16-oz.) jar Frog Ranch salsa
Yield: 6 servings
Slice kernels from briefly cooked corn on the cob, using an inverted spoon to scrape out the milky bits as well. Off-season, simply thaw frozen corn kernels.
In a large mixing bowl, add wine vinegar, garlic and pepper to olive oil. Tip the bowl and whisk vigorously to blend. Toss with the basil, black beans, corn, salsa and red onion. Serve garnished with whole basil leaves. -- From Craig Cornett, Frog Ranch Foods
Mom's Frog Ranch Baked Beans
1/4 pound bacon strips
2 or 3 celery ribs, chopped
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 (16-oz.) jar Frog Ranch mild salsa
1 (10-oz.) package frozen baby limas, thawed
2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15-oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Yield: 8 servings
Fry bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven. Remove, drain and cool bacon strips. Wrap and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, in bacon drippings, saute the celery until nearly tender. Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar and salsa. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the thawed lima beans and well-drained pintos and kidney beans. Blend well, then turn into a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dish from the refrigerator and uncover. Top bean mixture with the reserved bacon, crumbled or chopped, depending on the crispness left.
Bake, covered, for an hour to 90 minutes. Keep beans covered until the final 10 minutes, then finish baking uncovered. -- Adapted from Frog Ranch Foods
Frog Ranch Cornbread
1-1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup Frog Ranch salsa (use the chunky part, not the
juice)
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided use
Yield: 10 servings
Heat oven to 425 degrees (hot oven). Use shortening, not butter, to grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Be sure lumps of soda are pulverized and blended in. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sweet milk and buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter and salsa.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just moistened. Fold in half the shredded Cheddar, then turn batter into the greased baking pan and spread evenly.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and let it melt. Cut into squares to serve hot. -- Adapted from Frog Ranch Foods
Frog Ranch Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
6 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
6 ounces mild goat cheese
Salt and ground pepper
2 cups cooked black beans
1 (16-oz.) jar salsa, drained, divided use
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 limes, cut into wedges
Yield: 6 servings
Cut a 3-inch pocket in the thick side of each chicken breast. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and two tablespoons of the salsa. Push cheese into each pocket with a spoon; press and seal edges. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Have oven heating to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine black beans, red onion, remaining salsa and olive oil. Cut six 15-inch squares of foil and crease them in half on the diagonal. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the salsa mixture on one side of each foil piece, top with a chicken breast, fold empty half of foil over the chicken to cover and seal foil tightly. Set foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until chicken is done. Serve with lime wedges and rice or polenta. -- Adapted from Frog Ranch
Publication Date: 09-22-2004
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