Imagine while preparing dinner you realize you've forgotten to purchase carrots and you'll need to dash off to the grocery or produce stand. Pioneers didn't have this modern day convenience. They had to make do with what they had stocked up with for in the summer with canning, preserving and their cellars. For them, gardening was their way to survive and nothing grown was wasted. Seeds and bulbs were carefully stored and planted at desirable season, and crops were carefully tended to.
Though some towns did have farmers markets, if you lived far away from town, you would have to stock up during a trip to town in your wagon. Or barter.
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Slow Cooked Snapped Green Beans
* This 130 + year old recipe has been in my family for generations, and originates from Missouri where my grandpa's family is from. It's one of my all-time Summer favorites. ~ Lady Belle Outlaw
Fresh, snapped green beans; enough to fill kettle or large pot half way full
6 -8 slices of cooked bacon
Butter, to taste (I prefer Country Crock churn style)
Dash of vinegar (* note: red wine vinegar really brings out the flavor)
Pepper, to taste
Put fresh green beans in kettle with enough water to boil. Add butter and pepper. Cook bacon until almost completely done; slice into bite size pieces and add to green beans. Lower heat to simmer; add more water if needed. Add vinegar. To bring out the flavors, allow to simmer for several hours. Can also be eaten right away. But nothing's better
than slooow cooked green beans. Enjoy!
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Green Pea Soup
(From The Young Housewife's Counsellor and Friend, by Mrs. Mary Mason, c. 1875)
Boil a quart of shelled green peas in two quarts of water till soft, then take them out of the water and mash them with a wooden spoon; return them to their liquor, with a few slices of cold ham, a few slices of cold beef, pepper, salt, parsley, marjoram, and thyme. Boil it up briskly, and serve it very hot. This is a dainty soup.
Brings to mind that very old nursery rhyme, "Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot 9 days old..."
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Potato Soup
8 cups peeled, cubed potatos
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
4 slices of crumpled bacon
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons salt
Pepper to taste
2 cups water
Cook potatos, celery, onion and salt in 2 cups water about 15 minutes or until spuds
are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients slow cook until soup is hot and thickened.
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Tomato Soup
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled,seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, heated almost to boiling
fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
In a large deep saucepan, over a medium heat, cook the tomatoes, onion, beef stock, basil, salt and pepper, nutmeg and coriander for 30 minutes. Let cool.
Whisk soup until smooth. Stir in the baking soda and sugar.
Blend the flour and butter together to form a smooth paste. Stir into the soup.
Cook the soup, over a medium-low heat, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in the warmed cream.
Return the soup to the heat and continue to warm it, JUST UNTIL it is piping hot and about to come to a boil. Do not let it boil.
Garnish and serve.
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Cabbage Salad
2 Cups grated cabbage
1 Cup chopped apple
1/2 Cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup grated turnip
1/2 Tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/3 Cup water.
Toss ingredients lightly.
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Sweet Potato Salad
2 cups cooked sweet potatos, cubed
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper
To make:
Toss sweet potato cubes lightly with onion, celery, and remaining ingredients.
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Cheese Salad
1 cup cheese, cut into small cubes
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup peas
Mayonnaise, to lightly coat
Dash of salt
In bowl, combine all ingredients.
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Deviled Eggs
Growing up, my grandma made deviled eggs all the time - for
dinner, picnics, potlucks, holidays. Us kids could devour them
in one sitting, they were so yummy. Sometimes grandma
fancied them up with different toppings, like ham or bacon,
and other times she made them the 'old fashioned way'. Today,
I still love deviled eggs.
Hint: Eggs that are a few days old are best. The fresher the eggs, the harder it is to remove shells.
What you will need:
One dozen eggs
2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/3 Cup mayonnaise (I prefer Best Foods)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Paprika
How to make:
Boil the eggs in saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover eggs - about 18 minutes.
Be careful not to overcook. Drain hot water in sink; cool eggs by filling saucepan
with cold water and let sit a few minutes.
Once eggs are cool, peel off shells. Cut eggs length-wise with butter knife and arrange on a
platter. Gently remove yolks into a large bowl.
Using a fork, gently mash yolks until they are fluffy. Careful not to over mash. Add mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Spoon mixture into egg halves. Sprinkle with paprika.
Other options:
1. Add small cubes of cooked ham to egg mixture.
2. Sprinkle chopped parsely over eggs.
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Cheese Salad
1 cup cheese, cut into small cubes
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup peas
Mayonnaise, to lightly coat
Dash of salt
In bowl, combine all ingredients.
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Cucumber Salad
3 large cucumbers, peeled
1/4 Cup onion, sliced length-wise
1 Cup vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
Water
Slice cucumbers into thin slices; place in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except water. Gently toss. Add enough water to cover cukes. Chill for at least one hour.
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Tomato Sandwich
Another one of my ultimate favorites. I'm not sure exactly how long tomato sandwiches
have been around, though in the 1920's and 1930's both my grandparents took this to
school for lunch with tomatos from their family's garden. As did their parents when they
were kids.
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise
2 slices your choice of bread
Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread. Add slices of tomatoes; salt and pepper.
Also tastes great with bread toasted.
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Fried Green Tomatoes
1/2 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 medium-size green tomatoes
Wash and slice green tomatoes into 1/2 thick slices. Sprinkle with salt. Roll each slice in flour until coated on each side. Heat oil in skillet. Place floured tomato slices in skillet. Fry over low heat until brown on both sides. Serve hot. Serves 4.
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Stewed Tomatoes
1 tespoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fresh, ripe tomatoes
To make:
Combine tomatoes, salt, pepper and butter in saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Serve hot.
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Fried Zucchini
My grandparents grew tons of squash in their gardens and was a staple around the dinner table
in the summers.
1/2 Cup flour
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 -6 medium-size green zucchini
Wash and slice zucchini into 1/2 thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll each slice in flour until coated on each side. Heat oil in skillet. Place floured zucchi slices in skillet. Fry over low heat until brown on both sides. Serve hot. Serves 4 -6.
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Beets
(From: The Young Housewife's Counsellor and Friend, by Mrs. Mary Mason, c. 1875)
Wash your beets carefully. Do not break off the ends, or they will bleed, and become colorless. Boil them an hour and a half; take them out of the pot, and wash it clean, then slice your beets; return them to the pot, with salt, pepper, a cup of rich drawn butter, and half a cup of vinegar. Serve them hot.
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Baked Squash #1
3 butternut or acorn squash
6 teaspoons butter
6 teaspoons brown sugar
Salt
Cut squash in halves lengthwise. Remove seeds. Place a teaspoon of butter and brown sugar in each halve. Sprinkle with a dash of salt on each. Arrange squash in shallow baking pan. Add enough water to fill one half inch in depth. Cover pan with foil. Bake in 400 degree oven 45 - 50 minutes.
Baked Squash #2
3 squash (acorn, butternut, etc.)
1 sweet or yellow onion
1/2 of a green bell pepper
6 dallops of butter -- one for for each halve
Dash each: sage, thyme, salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
Cut squash in halves lengthwise. Remove seeds. Boil in kettle or large pot until soft.
(Or steam squash instead, if desired) Arrange in shallow baking dish and add remaining ingrediants. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
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Parsips
Wash and scrape parsnips well. In large pot bring water to a boil and cook parsips until tender. Carefully remove from pot and split in half, lengthwise.
Another option:
Finely mash parsips. Mix with a dallop of butter, milk and tablespoon of flour. Heat lard in frying pan. Drop spoonfuls of batter into pan and fry until brown on either side.
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Sliced Potatoes
Peel and slice potatoes. Fry in lard in frying fan. While cooking, season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
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Cowboy Beans
(* from the recipe of Cook John White of the N Bar Ranch in Montana. This was one of the cowboys favorite dishes)
2 pounds pinto beans
2 pounds ham hock (or salt pork)
2 onions, chopped
4 tablespoons sugar
2 green chilies (or to taste)
1 can tomato paste
Wash the beans and soak over night. Drain, place in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until tender. Sample the beans while cooking. Add salt to taste and water as needed.
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