Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Prairie Recipes









No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.
our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.
trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.
so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.
prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.
the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.
the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.
how important owning land would be for Papa.
nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

Prairie Recipes


 

 

One of the favorite recipes from pioneer days was one for making pickles. The following is an old one for sweet pickles:

75 cucumbers, 3-4 inches long                        9 cups of sugar

2 cups salt                                                       ½ ounce celery seed

1 tablespoon alum                                           1 ounce cinnamon sticks

5 pints strong vinegar

Wash cucumbers; cut into slices ¾ inches thick. Place in stone jar; pour one gallon boiling water over the cucumbers. Let stand one week, skimming every day, if necessary. Drain cucumbers well on the 8th day; pour one gallon boiling water and alum over cucumbers. Let stand for 24 hours; drain. Mix vinegar, six cups sugar, celery seed, and cinnamon sticks; bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. On each succeeding day for the next three days drain off liquid. Each time reheat liquid, pouring over pickles and adding one cup of sugar. Cover the lid of the crock tightly. Yield about 2 gallons

Nearly 40 years ago, I was given this recipe for bread and butter pickles. Because I did not want  to use a water bath, I liked this version because it is kept in the refrigerator.

12 cucumbers                                                  1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

6 onions                                                           ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 pint vinegar                                                  1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup sugar

Slice cucumbers and onions and sprinkle with salt. Let stand one hour. Mix other ingredients and bring to a boil. Drain the cucumbers and boil 5-10 minutes. Seal and store in refrigerator.

So many versions of recipes abound for marinated salads and vegetables because pickling was a way to preserve summer abundance to be enjoyed in winter. This recipe was a favorite of my catering group.

9 Day Slaw

3 pounds cabbage                                                       1 cup vinegar

1 large green pepper                                                    2 tablespoon celery seed

1 large onion                                                               2 tablespoon sugar

1 cup vegetable oil                                                      2 tablespoon salt

Use a blender, food processor or chop cabbage, green pepper and onion finely. (I use a couple of packages of prepared cabbage to save time.)  If you added water to the blender or food processor, drain.                    

Next, mix in 2 cups of sugar. Blend the remaining ingredients and bring to a full boil, stirring over high heat. Pour this immediately over the cabbage mixture. Let it cool; cover and refrigerate. Keeps well for 9 days.                    




Most German communities had recipes for the making of sausages and cheeses with many variations and flavors depending on what spices or herbs were preferred. Below is a typical example.

Old Time Homemade Sausage


After butchering hogs in the fall, chunks of pork are put through a meat grinder. Add enough pork fat or lard to make it bind together. Season with salt, sage, cumin, thyme, pepper, several cloves of garlic and optional white wine or vermouth to taste. May need to fry some sausage to check for seasoning. Using a tin sausage gun fill casings or pig intestines with sausage. Twist the casings around several times to break the sausage into desired lengths. Store in a cool place to fry up as needed.
Over 40 years ago my mother-in-law gave me a recipe which became a family favorite. 


Super Summer Sausage 

2 #’s extra lean hamburger                  1and 1/2 t. liquid smoke
2 T. Morton’s Tender Quick Salt        1 c. water
¼ t. onion powder                               ½ T. whole pepper corns
½ t. garlic powder

Mix and form into two or three logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in refrigerator for 24 hours. Unwrap and place on a rack in a pan and bake at 300 degrees for one and a half hours. Cool and slice as thickly as you desire. Keeps a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.


My son makes jerky out of the deer he gets each year. This is a generic recipe which allows you to control the taste and marinade.


 Chad’s Deer Jerky


Using a sharp fileting knife slice meat into ¼ inch slices. Using your favorite marinade place deer in mixture overnight. Place meat on the grill heated to 180 degrees. Slowly cook for two and a half to four hours until dried to your specifications. Store in sealed bags.


Wood's Kitten (Skunk) Over the Coals

 My husband and children have always loved to hunt, but when the boys were younger did not like the gamey taste of wild birds.  One of the ten-year-old heroines in our writing project emigrates from Germany to the Great Plains in the 1870’s.  One of her first meals was roasted wood’s kitten for supper, and she planned on never eating it again.

1-skunk                    Salt to taste

Remove the scent bags located on each side at the base of the tail of the skunk.  Be careful to remove entirely without breaking or cutting into the gland.  Trim off excess fat.* Tie the carcass to a green stick or place on a roasting spit.  Roast over hot coals until done.  Salt and eat with bread cooked over the coals.

*Take rendered skunk fat and mix equal parts of goose grease to rub on the chest under a flannel shirt to break up a cold.


Smothered Wild Bird

 I never had anything as challenging as skunk, but did discover some ways to disguise the gamey taste of wild birds.  The standard method was freezing in salt water until ready to use.  Instead I froze the breasts (the only part the boys liked) in plastic bags, and when I planned to serve them I let them thaw in the refrigerator in Sprite or beer.  Then I was ready to cook them.

several bird breasts                              salt and pepper                        
corn meal                                             1/3 cup vegetable oil
seasoned flour                                      milk or chicken broth
                                                              as needed
2 eggs beaten with a                             fork                                                                     

Filet breasts from the bone and slice into small pieces.  In a skillet, heat oil until hot.  Dredge meat in seasoned flour, beaten egg, and then corn meal.  Cook until browned, turning often.  Add soup and simmer until soup penetrates the meat.* (Add chicken broth as needed to thin out sauce.) Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

*At this point, wine, beer or apple juice can be added to taste.

Turtle Dove Poppers

One of my favorite recipes I call Turtle Dove Poppers using the grill:
12 turtle dove breasts                          
softened cream cheese
6 jalapenos                                         
bacon
assorted chopped veggies

Slice the tops off the jalapeno and remove seeds.  (They may be kept in for added heat.) Slice peppers in half and fill with cream cheese.* Place pepper against the ribs on the underside of the pepper.  Wrap with ½ slice of bacon and secure with toothpicks.  Grill over medium coals until done.  Serves four and makes and excellent appetizer.

*One can add chopped onion, pimiento, mushrooms, chopped black olives or whatever you prefer to add more flavors.

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