Prairie Recipes

 

Prairie Recipes

By Collette

 

 

Callie Mae might have enjoyed this meal at her home in Mississippi or after she migrated to Kansas.

 

 Dandelion Greens-Potatoes and Dumplings

1 cup flour                                                           ¾ cup (about) milk

Salt                                                                       3 pounds dandelion greens
2 teaspoon baking powder                                   ¼ pound salt pork, cubed
1 cup cornmeal                                                     6 medium potatoes, peeled and
1 egg, beaten                                                            chopped

Sift flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, baking powder and cornmeal together; combine with egg and milk in large bowl. Mix well; do not beat. Place cleaned greens in kettle of unsalted boiling water; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for ten minutes. Drain; return greens to kettle. Cover half-way with boiling water; add one tablespoon salt. Slice salt pork down to rind; add to greens. Cover kettle; simmer for one hour. Add potatoes; cook for 30 minutes longer. Drop flour mixture by small spoonsful onto boiling greens and potatoes. Cover; cook for 15 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

 While traveling across the prairie, Callie ate roasted rabbit similar to the recipe below.
 

Spit-roasted Rabbit
1 cleaned rabbit left whole                                   day-old corn bread
1 quartered onion                                                 milk or water as needed
1 chopped carrot                                                  1 chopped stalk of celery
Butter or bacon fat                                               2 tablespoon chopped herbs
Slices of salt pork                                                salt and pepper to taste
Break up corn bread; add vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper. Add enough liquid to bind the dressing together. Stuff the body cavity with the stuffing. Wrap slices of salt pork around the outside of the rabbit. Hang on spit over the campfire. Place a drip pan below the rabbit. Juices from pan should be used to baste the rabbit. Watch carefully
and cook to desired doneness.