It seems that the cool breezes of autumn have got people's minds awhirl ... mainly with thoughts of fall foods. I am backed up with e-mails, calls, letters and in-person requests for recipes and baking techniques.

But for this week, because Indian Field Campmeeting is in full swing near St. George, I am going to answer three requests for a recipe for a campmeeting delicacy -- pineapple sherbet. When I walked into my neighborhood grocery store this past Saturday, a group of ladies was gathered in the produce section, and they immediately requested that I write about the recipe for campmeeting sherbet.

Pineapple sherbet is made in huge churns at campmeetings in our area. Several years ago, when my dear friend, the late Louie Bozard, was quite ill, I was visiting him and his wife, the late Carolyn Bozard, on a Sunday afternoon when our topic of conversation turned to pineapple sherbet. Mr. Louie's family owned one of the refreshment stands, or "stores," at Indian Field Campmeeting, and he was well known as the master sherbet-maker. He made five gallons at a time, and because he had been making it for so many years, he just kind of loosely measured ingredients -- no precision was necessary. Some folks speculated that Louie's churns were magical, because every batch of sherbet turned out delicious. I so recall the long lines of people waiting in line for a cup of this wonderful frozen concoction.

Unfortunately, Louie never experimented in making smaller batches for ordinary one- or two-gallon churns. He felt that his regular recipe could be divided, but he felt someone would need to fine-tune the amounts of ingredients for the sherbet to have maximum flavor.

Well, Mr. Louie has been deceased about 5-1/2 years now. His "store" at campmeeting has been demolished and the ground given over to parking. However, for literally thousands of people, memories of Mr. Louie -- the twinkle in his eye, his quick wit and his excellent pineapple sherbet served with a smile -- will never be forgotten.

Because Indian Field Campmeeting is going on now, and because of the requests for sherbet recipes, it is in Mr. Louie's honor and in his memory that I answer readers' requests with the following recipes. For those of you who prefer frozen treats packed with calcium, I have included Rev. Jakie Walters' Creamy Sherbet and a simple, yet tasty, frozen yogurt recipe.

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Pineapple Sherbet

1 large can crushed pineapple

1/2 large can of pineapple juice (use a good, flavorful brand)

1 to 1-1/4 cups sugar (no more or the sherbet won't freeze well)

A few drops of yellow food coloring

Stir all of the ingredients together in the churn container. Add water to the "fill" line. Stir well. Put the dasher in and the top on. Use ice and rock salt in the churn. Follow manufacturer's directions to prepare your churn as if you were going to make ice cream. Churn as you would ice cream and allow to set. Enjoy! (Note: You may want to fine-tune the pineapple juice and sugar amount to sweeten this sherbet to suit your taste buds.)

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Rev. Jakie Walters' Creamy Sherbet

1 large can crushed pineapple

8 ounces pineapple juice

1 full teaspoon pineapple flavoring

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon yellow food coloring

1 regular-size can condensed milk

Stir all of the ingredients together in the churn container. Add water to the "fill" line. Stir well. Put the dasher in and the top on. Use ice and rock salt in the churn. Follow manufacturer's directions to prepare your churn as if you were going to make ice cream. Churn as you would ice cream and allow to set. Enjoy!

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Choose-A-Fruit

Frozen Yogurt

(For this recipe, you have to double all ingredients if you use a 4-quart or 5-quart ice cream freezer.)

2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, red raspberries, blueberries or boysenberries; cut-up, peeled peaches or nectarines, or pitted dark sweet cherries

16 ounces plain yogurt

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey or sugar

In a blender container, blend the fruit until smooth. Press through a sieve to remove seeds, if necessary. Stir in yogurt and honey. Pour into a 1- to 2-quart ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. This recipe makes one quart. (Note: This recipe is from an old "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook.)

Stay tuned next week for an answer to several requests for tailgating recipes.

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Perhaps you are searching for a special recipe, or you may have a recipe you'd like to share with T&D readers. If so, please feel free to write me at: Teresa Mizzell Hatchell, 179 Cherry Lane, St. George, SC 29477, or e-mail me a tgmhatchell@yahoo.com.

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