I occasionally see recipes that call for “green corn” in hundred-year-old cookbooks. Over the years, I’ve always skipped over those recipes because I was not sure what green corn was. Well, now I know. It’s corn on the cob (sweet corn). Here’s what it said in a 1925 home economics textbook:
GREEN CORN
In selecting corn for cooking, choose those ears that are filled with well-developed kernels, from which milky juice flows when pressed with the thumb. Cook as soon as possible after gathering.
To boil green corn remove silk and husk from the corn, place the ears in boiling water. Cook the corn until no juice flows from the kernels when pressed (usually from 12 to 20 minutes). Serve whole on a platter. The platter may be covered with a folded napkin.
To bake green corn select 6 ears. Remove the corn from the cob as follows: Cut through the center of each row of grains, slice off the tops of the kernels, and then scrape the pulp thoroughly from the cob. Put in a baking dish, add:
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoonful butter or substitute
1 teaspoonful salt
pepper
Bake in a hot oven (400° F.) 45 minutes. Serve hot.
School and Home Cooking (1925) by Carlotta C. Greer
Tasty, fresh, ripe tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market are at their peak, so I browsed through my hundred-year-old cookbooks for a tomato recipe. I found a recipe for Creole Tomatoes and decided to give it a try. The recipe called for cutting tomatoes in half, topping with chopped onion and green pepper (and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper), and then baking until hot and tender. The baked tomatoes are served on squares of toast that are surrounded by a lovely sauce made with browned flour.
I knew this recipe was a winner when my husband, after his first bite, said, “This is really good.” The tender, sweet tomatoes paired perfectly with the slightly bitter and tangy onions and green peppers, while the cayenne pepper added a bit of heat – and the toast and sauce provided additional delightful textures and flavors.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: Rumford Complete Cookbook (1925)
This recipe called for four large tomatoes – which would probably make four (if everyone had two squares of toast and a whole tomato) to eight (if everyone had a square of toast with 1/2 tomato) servings. This seemed like a lot of servings, so I halved the recipe when I updated it (though I did use the total amount of water called for in the original recipe). One-half cup of water was needed to adequately cover the bottom of the baking dish when baking the tomato halves.
I used butter rather than meat drippings when I made this recipe (though bacon drippings might add a nice additional dimension). The recipe called for using a mixture of milk and cream when making the sauce; I just used milk which worked fine, though the sauce was probably slightly less rich than if the mixture had been used.
This recipe called for melting the butter, then stirring in the flour and browning. I think that the usual way to brown flour is to put it in a heavy skillet, then heat using medium heat for a few minutes while stirring constantly, so that is what I did. After the flour was lightly browned, I added the butter and continued stirring until it was melted and combined with the browned flour.
I trimmed the edges off the toast and cut the pieces into squares as directed in the recipe, but whole slices of toast would work fine.
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon butter or meat drippings (I used butter.)
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
4 slices toast
Preheat oven to 425° F. In a small bowl, combine the chopped onion and green pepper. Set aside.
Remove the stem from the tomatoes, then cut them in half crossways. Lay the cut tomatoes (cut side up) in a baking dish. (I used an 8-inch square baking dish.) Evenly spread the chopped onion and green pepper mixture over the top of cut tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to put small dabs of butter on top of tomatoes. Pour the water into the baking dish around the tomatoes. Put in oven and bake until the tomatoes are tender and hot (about 20 – 25 minutes).
In the meantime, put the flour in a small heavy skillet (a cast iron skillet works well). Using medium heat, lightly brown the flour while stirring constantly. When the flour is lightly browned, add the butter. Continue stirring until the butter is melted, and the butter and flour are combined. Slowly stir in the milk and the liquid from the baking pan (after the tomatoes are baked); bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
If desired, remove the crusts from the toast and trim the toast into squares. (Whole slices of toast would also work.)
To serve, put a baked tomato half on each square of toast. Pour the sauce around the toast squares.
I bought some lovely green beans at the farmers’ market. When I got home, I started looking through my hundred-year-old cookbooks for a good green bean recipe. I found a recipe for String Bean Salad and decided to give it a try. It was different from any string bean salad recipe I had ever previously seen. The String Bean Salad basically was cold cooked green beans coated with a vinaigrette dressing, and then piled in the center of a plate with thinly sliced radishes arranged in a circle around the beans.
The String Bean Salad (or, as I prefer to call this dish, the Green Bean and Radish Salad) made a lovely, attractive presentation. The light and tangy vinaigrette dressing on the beans worked well with the crisp and slightly peppery sliced radishes to create a delightful, flavorful salad.
Here’s the original recipe:
Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)
I used green beans when I made this recipe. I thinly sliced 5 medium radishes (about 1 cup sliced radishes).
And, here is the recipe in the same cookbook for French Dressing:
Source: Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)
Since the String Bean Salad recipe only called for two cups of beans, I decided that the French Dressing recipe would make more dressing than I needed, so I halved it. For the oil, I used olive oil; and, for the vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar.
Over the years, I’ve made several hundred-year-old French Dressing recipes. All are very different from the modern bright orange French Dressing that is sold in stores today. This old French Dressing recipe is basically a vinaigrette dressing. When I updated the recipe, I called the dressing a vinaigrette since it seemed like a more accurate description.
2 cups cold cooked green beans (Before cooking, remove ends from beans and break into bite-sized pieces.)
1 teaspoon chopped chives or onion (I used chives.)
Vinaigrette Dressing (See recipe below.)
1 cup thinly sliced radishes (4 – 5 medium radishes)
Put the green beans and chopped chives or onion in a bowl; add the Vinaigrette Dressing, then gently toss to coat the beans with the dressing. Put the beans in the center of a plate and arrange the radishes in a circle around the beans.
Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Put all the ingredients in a small bowl, stir quickly to combine using a small whisk or fork.
Cucumbers are a vegetable that I generally either slice and eat raw or pickle, but there are some recipes in hundred-year-old cookbooks that call for baking them. I decided to give a 1925 recipe for Stuffed Cucumbers a try. The cucumber shells were stuffed with a mixture containing the seedy pulp from the center of the cucumbers, chopped onion, chopped nuts, and egg white. The Stuffed Cucumbers were topped with breadcrumbs and then baked.
The Stuffed Cucumbers were tasty with a nice crunchy texture because of the nuts.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: Diamond Jubilee Recipes (1925), compiled by The Sisters of Saint Joseph, St. Paul, Minnesota
This old recipe was very vague regarding some ingredients (like how many cucumbers to use) and very specific about other ingredients (1/2 cup of nuts and 1 egg white). For the ingredients without amounts listed, I decided to use 3 short, fat cucumbers that I got at a farmers’ market, 1/4 cup of chopped onions, 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. These amounts worked well. I also decided to just beat the egg white until it was foamy, rather than beating until there were stiff peaks, though I am uncertain what the recipe author intended.
3 cucumbers (I used short, fat cucumbers, but long ones would also work.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts.)
1 egg white, beaten until foamy
1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 350° F. Peel the cucumbers, then put them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the cucumbers are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and drain. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seedy pulp. Put the pulp in a bowl, add the salt, pepper, chopped onion. chopped nuts, and egg white. Stir to combine.
Put the cucumber shells in a baking dish or baking pan. Fill each half with the pulp mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and dot with small pieces of butter. Put in the oven and bake until hot and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned (20 – 30 minutes).
Summer is the season for picnics and reunions – and lots of good food. I have wonderful memories of lovely Coconut Cakes at family gatherings, so when I saw a Coconut Cake recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook, I decided to give it a try. The cake was delightful, but recipe had two unique features which resulted in this cake being a little different than some Coconut Cake recipes. The recipe called for adding coconut to the cake batter (and not just sprinkling it on top of the frosting). It also called for a teaspoon of orange extract. The cake is not very large, and works well in a 9-inch square baking pan.
The Coconut Cake was light and fluffy with a bold coconut flavor, and a subtle hint of orange. I definitely plan to make this cake again.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: The Daily Argus-Leader Home Economics and Cook Book (Newspaper Supplement), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1925)
When I updated this recipe, I updated the spelling of “cocoanut” to “coconut.” Cocoanut is an archaic spelling that I often see in hundred-year-old cookbooks, but that is seldom used today.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Put egg whites into a mixing bowl, and beat until peaks form. Set aside.
Put butter and sugar in mixing bowl, then beat to cream. Add egg yolks, milk, flour, baking powder, orange extract, and salt. Beat until well-mixed. Stir in the coconut, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Put the batter in a prepared 9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool. Frost with white icing, then sprinkle coconut on top of the frosting.
A hundred years ago alcohol was prohibited in the United States. The prohibition era went from 1920 to 1933. Cookbooks published during that time period seldom contain recipes that call for alcohol, but there are recipes for lots of nonalcoholic drinks. I recently came across a recipe for Dry State Punch in a 1925 cookbook. I was intrigued, and decided to give it a try.
I made this recipe on a 90° day and it was delightful. It’s a perfect summer drink. The Dry State Punch was zesty and refreshing. It contains grapefruit juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and pineapple juice.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)
It is a little confusing how the list of ingredients calls for “juice of grape fruit,” but the directions call for adding “grape juice.” I decided to go with grapefruit juice, but am not absolutely certain that is what the recipe author intended. I added all the fruit juices to the sugar syrup while it was still hot, and did not wait until it cooled to add the grapefruit juice.
I used lemon-lime soda when I made this recipe. Either candied cherries or Maraschino cherries would work as a garnish. Citron is listed as a garnish in the directions, but I didn’t use it.
I didn’t fresh-squeeze either the grapefruit or orange juice, but rather used juice that I bought at the store. I did an online search and found out how much juice a typical grapefruit and orange contain, and then went with that amount. For the pineapple juice, I opened a can of pineapple chunks and poured the juice off and used it. (I did squeeze the lemon to get the lemon juice.)
Put the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil using medium heat. Remove sugar syrup from the heat, and add the grapefruit juice, orange juice, and lemon juice. Chill. Just before serving, add lemon lime soda. Garnish with cherries.
A hundred years ago, cooked celery was a commonly served vegetable. Today, not so much. But, when I saw I hundred year old recipe for Creamed Celery with Almonds, I decided to give it a try. The subtle sweetness of the celery was lovely, and sliced almonds added a bit of crunch. I feel certain that I’ll make this recipe again. Making this side dish reminded me how much I enjoy this tasty and nutritious vegetable.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Source: The Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book
I used half milk and half celery stock when I made this recipe. This made the sauce lighter and more flavorful.
1 cup celery stock (Reserve 1 cup of the liquid that the celery was boiled in.)
1/3 cup almonds, sliced
Put the sliced celery in a saucepan; barely cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the celery is tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
In the meantime, melt butter in another saucepan, then stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually, add the milk and celery stock while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the cooked celery and the almonds.
I occasionally see recipes that call for “green corn” in hundred-year-old cookbooks. Over the years, I’ve always skipped over those recipes because I was not sure what green corn was. Well, now I know. It’s corn on the cob (sweet corn). Here’s what it said in a 1925 home economics textbook:
