Tag: recipe

Baked Corn in Green Peppers

Baked Corn in Green Pepper on plate

The farmers’ market is chock full of wonderful, fresh ,local vegetables. Green peppers and corn are at their peak. So, when I came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Baked Corn in Green Peppers, I decided to give it a try.

I’ve made stuffed peppers numerous times over the years; but, until I saw this recipe, I never thought about stuffing the peppers with a creamy baked corn mixture. This recipe is a tasty stuffed pepper variation. The corn and green peppers work well together.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Baked Corn in Green Peppers
Source: Pennsylvania State Grange Cook Book (1926)

This is a nice recipe, but it needed some tweaking. I think that green peppers were generally much smaller a hundred years ago than they are today. When I made this recipe, I used some medium-sized green peppers which I found at the farmers’ market. They were much smaller than most green peppers sold in supermarkets. Even though the peppers that I used were smaller than most, the recipe only made enough of the corn mixture to fill three green peppers, not six. When I updated the recipe, I indicated that three green peppers should be used rather than six.

I think that this recipe may be missing an ingredient. Whenever I have made Baked Corn in the past, the recipe called for eggs. I don’t think that Baked Corn will properly set without eggs, so I added an egg when I made the recipe. Even with the added egg, it took more than an hour for the baked corn in the green peppers to set, so when I updated the recipe, I indicated that two eggs should be used.

I wasn’t sure how to baste the corn and pepper with water and butter while they baked. Until the baked corn was set and became firm, the top of the Baked Corn in Green Peppers was very wet and did not need any additional liquid. I ended up pouring hot water and melted butter around the green peppers in the baking dish, though I’m not sure that is what the recipe author intended (and I don’t think it was needed, so I didn’t include basting when I updated the recipe).

When I have previously made stuffed peppers, I cut the tops off them and removed the seeds and membranes prior to cooking. I then put them in boiling water, and simmered for 5 minutes or so. I’m not sure why this recipe calls for pouring boiling water over the green peppers before the top, membranes, and skin are removed. That said, it worked fine to scald the green peppers by putting boiling water on the entire peppers. After the stuffed peppers were baked, the peppers were more wrinkled that some other stuffed peppers I have made in the past, but they still had a nice texture. Perhaps this was due to the scalding process, but I’m not sure.

I’m not sure why the recipe author said to “rub off the skin” of the peppers. It sounds like a lot of work, and that it would be easy to tear the green peppers in the process. It is very important to very carefully remove the green peppers’ membranes and seeds, since the corn mixture is very juicy before it is baked, and it would be problematic if the liquid leaked from a tear in a pepper.

I used milk rather than light cream when I made this recipe.

The corn from two fairly large ears made approximately 2 cups of corn.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Baked Corn in Green Peppers

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

3 medium green peppers

water

2 cups fresh corn (the corn and pulp cut from 2 previously cooked large ears of corn) or use 1 16-ounce can of creamed corn

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk or light cream

2 eggs

Step 1. Preheat oven to 374° F.

Step 2. Put enough water in a saucepan to fill it about 2/3’s full. Heat water to a boil, then remove from heat and add the green peppers; cover pan, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 3. Remove peppers from the hot water, and dunk in cold water to cool enough to handle. Cut the tops off the scalded peppers, then carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Use care not to tear the skin of the peppers.

Step 4. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk or light cream. Heat to boiling, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Step 5. Put eggs in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Place a small amount (approximately 1 – 2 tablespoons) of hot milk/cream  mixture into dish with egg; stir quickly. (The egg is first combined with a little of the hot mixture to prevent it from turning into scrambled eggs when introduced into the hot combination.)  Add egg mixture to the remaining hot mixture in the saucepan; stir. Add the corn and stir.

Step 6. Set the prepared green peppers in a baking dish, and spoon the corn mixture into the green pepper cavities to fill them

Step 7. Bake in oven uncovered until the corn mixture is firm and set (approximately 30 – 40 minutes.)

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New Potatoes in Cream

New Potatoes in Cream in dish

I bought some new potatoes at the farmers’ market a few days ago, and they are the best. The small, round potatoes were freshly harvested, and the skins scraped off easily. (They are different from the small potatoes typically sold in supermarkets, which are not freshly harvested and do not have skins that can be easily scraped off.) I love the delicate, moist firmness of new potatoes, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for a classic recipe for creamed new potatoes.

The New Potatoes in Cream were wonderful. The potatoes were coated with a lovely cream sauce and flecked with bits of colorful red potato skin and parsley. I thoroughly enjoyed the new potatoes. I definitely will make this recipe again. New potatoes are such a fleeting summer food. In just a few weeks, I will only be able to buy mature potatoes, and I will need to wait until next year to again get new potatoes

Here is the original recipe for New Potatoes in Cream.

Recipe for New Potatoes in Cream
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I used red potatoes when making this recipe. The bits of red skin clinging to the potatoes look nice when the potatoes are creamed.

If you don’t know how to scrape potatoes, you might find a post I previously did on how to scrape new potatoes with a knife helpful.

Scraping potatoes with knife

Here is the recipe for Cream Sauce that was in the same cookbook as the potato recipe:

Recipe for Cream Sauce
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

The Cream Sauce recipe is really just a recipe for a basic thin white sauce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

New Potatoes in Cream

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

about 1 1/2 pounds small, round new potatoes

water and salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash red or black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Step 1. Scrape the new potatoes with a knife, then put them in a saucepan and cover with water and add a little salt; boil until the potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes), then drain potatoes.

Step 2. In the meantime, melt the butter in another saucepan using medium heat, then stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cook until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.

Step 3. Add the boiled potatoes to the cream sauce and gently roll the potatoes to coat them with the sauce. Place the potatoes and sauce in the serving dish.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

Cherry tomatoes are colorful, vibrant, and zesty. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for a cherry tomato salad, I decided to give it a try.

Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) made an attractive presentation, and was tasty. Yellow and red cherry tomatoes are arranged on a bed of lettuce and then topped with a vinaigrette-style dressing.

The recipe called for peeling the cherry tomatoes. A hundred-years-ago tomatoes were often peeled, but, since they are almost never peeled today, I considered skipping that step. However, in the end, I decided to follow the old recipe’s instructions, and peeled the tomatoes. The peeling was a little tedious– but after peeling the first 2 or 3 tomatoes, I got the hang of it, and the rest went quickly.

The salad made a nice presentation and was tasty. The peeling of the tomatoes affected both the look of the salad and the texture. The peeled cherry tomatoes were soft and juicy without the usual firmness of the skins. The tomatoes looked lovely arranged in the bowl, but had a soft, textured look rather then their usual shiny waxy skin. Also, the peeled cherry tomatoes soaked up more of the dressing which added additional flavor.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

When I arranged the cherry tomatoes, in order to make a circle of red cherry tomatoes around the yellow ones, I needed more red tomatoes than yellow ones. When I updated the recipe, I increased the amount of red tomatoes to 1 1/2 cups, but this is a very flexible recipe, and the the number of cherry tomatoes needed of each color will vary greatly based on the size of the bowl and size of the tomatoes.

I’ve made several recipes this year which called for French Dressing. As I’ve previously indicated, a hundred years ago, French Dressing was a vinaigrette dressing, and quite different from the commercial, orange-colored French dressing that is common today. Here is the French Dressing recipe in the cookbook which contained the Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) recipe:

Recipe for French Dressing
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I halved the recipe when I made it. I’ve previously posted this same French Dressing recipe as part of the recipes for Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums) and Cottage Cheese and Tomato Salad.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

  • Servings: 4 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

water

1 1/2 cups red cherry tomatoes

1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes

French Dressing

heart leaves of iceberg lettuce (or use the leaves of another type of lettuce)

1 clove garlic

parsley, for garnish

Step 1. Put water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water, scald for 15-30 seconds. Remove from water and peel the loosened skins from the tomatoes.

Step 2. Put the peeled tomatoes in the French dressing (see recipe below).  Put tomatoes in refrigerator to chill and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3. Peel garlic and cut in half, then rub serving bowl with the garlic.

Step 4. Line bowl with lettuce, then put the peeled yellow tomatoes in the center and the red tomatoes around the yellow ones. If desired, sprinkle with additional French dressing.

Step 5. Garnish with springs of parsley.

French Dressing (Vinaigrette  Dressing)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

Step 1. Put the salt and paprika in a small bowl.

Step 2. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring constantly.

Step 3. Then slowly add the vinegar, a small amount at a time, while continuing to stir.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Usually when I select hundred-year-old recipes to make, I choose recipes that I think look tasty. However, occasionally I’m intrigued by a recipe that seems unusual or unique, and decide to give it a try. This is one of those times.

I had an eggplant and wanted to make a recipe that would use it. I came across a recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast in a 1926 issue of American Cookery magazine. It was very different from any eggplant recipe that I had ever seen – though I got the impression that the magazine editor really liked the recipe because the magazine included a grainy photo of the dish while most recipes did not have photos.  In any case, I decided to give it a try.

The recipe called for cooking strips of eggplant, and then adding them to a sauce that included lemon juice and nutmeg. The sauce was then put on toast points to serve, and topped with cheese and a sprinkle of paprika, which made an appealing, interesting presentation.

The eggplant mixture and cheese were delightful toast toppers. I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the Eggplant with Cheese on Toast was – though the lemon was the predominant flavor.

Here is the original recipe:Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast
Source: American Cookery (October, 1926)

I cut bread slices into points prior to toasting, and then toasted them in a toaster oven after they had been cut – but, they could be toasted prior to cutting.  Or, whole slices of bread could be used, rather than making toast points.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

1 medium eggplant (1/2 large eggplant)

lightly salted water

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

grated cheese (I used cheddar cheese.)

paprika

bread (If desired, it can be cut into points.)

Step 1. Peel eggplant, then cut into half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the eggplant into strips approximately 1/2 inch-wide. (If the eggplant is particularly long, cut the eggplant halves into half to make the strips a more manageable length.)

Step 2. Put water with a small amount of salt into a saucepan; bring to a boil then add the eggplant strips. Reduce heat and simmer until the eggplant is tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Step 3. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually, add the 1 cup water while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, then stir in the lemon juice.

Step 4. Put the cooked eggplant strips into the sauce and gently stir the mixture.

Step 5. If desired, in the meantime, cut slices of bread into points. For each serving, stack 3 slices of bread on top of each other and then cut from one side to the other, starting at one corner and going to the center of the other side. Then toast the toast points in a toaster oven or under the broiler.  (Disregard this step if whole slices of bread are used, and instead just toast the bread.)

Step 6. To serve: Arrange the toast points (use 3 per serving) or the toast slices on plates. Top with the eggplant mixture, then sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Peach Ice Cream

peach ice cream

When I was a child, Peach Ice Cream was a favorite on hot sunny days. The sweetness of the ice cream combined with the refreshing tartness of the peaches always hit the spot during the dog days of summer. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Peach Ice Cream, I decided to give it a try.

This Peach Ice Cream recipe is a winner. The ice cream was easy to make, and it had a lovely peach flavor. It tasted just like I remember, and made a recent hot day seem just a little cooler.

Here is the original recipe:

Recipe for Peach Ice Cream
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I used a small automatic electric ice cream maker to make this recipe, so I halved the recipe when I updated it. If a large ice cream freezer is used, the amounts in the original recipe should be used.

I was concerned that the peach slices might discolor and begin to turn brownish while they sat after the sugar was added; so, even though the recipe didn’t call for it, I also stirred in a little lemon juice.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Ice Cream

  • Servings: 8 - 10
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

2 cups ripe peaches, peeled and slices

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups half and half

Step 1. Put peach slices, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl; stir to mix ingredients. Let sit for 1/2 hour – 1 hour.

Step 2. Thoroughly mash the peaches. A potato masher can be used to mash the peaches into very small pieces, or the peaches can be briefly pulsed  in a blender or food processor. (There should not be large peach chunks or they will harden like ice cubes in the ice cream; conversely, the peaches should not be totally liquified.)

Step 3. Put the mashed peach mixture and the half and half in a bowl; stir to combine. Thoroughly chill the mixture in the refrigerator.

Step 4. Put  the chilled mixture in ice cream freezer, and freeze following freezer directions.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums)

Green Bean Nasturtium Salad

Cooking with edible flowers is a fun and playful way to change a mundane dish into a  really special, beautiful dish that is a work of art.

I planted nasturtiums this year for the first time in many years. The reason I planted them is because I saw a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for a green bean salad that called for nasturtiums. I’ve been anxiously waiting for the nasturtiums to bloom,  and, finally, they are blooming and I was able to make the recipe.

The Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums) was easy to make and tasty, and made a lovely presentation. The green beans are arranged on top of nasturtium leaves. Green onion slices are then sprinkled on top of the green beans, and the salad is garnished with nasturtium flowers. The green beans were lightly coated with a lovely vinaigrette dressing, and the nasturtium leaves have a nuanced sweetness, and mild peppery kick.

I made this salad twice. The first time I snapped the beans into short pieces, which is how I think cooks a hundred years ago would have made the salad. It looked lovely, but then I thought about how green beans often are left whole today, and decided to also make it that way. The salad with the unsnapped beans also looked great, and had a more modern look. (As you can see, I was having fun with this recipe.)

String Bean Salad with nastartiums

Here is the original recipe:

String Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums)
Source: Methodist Ladies Aid Cook Book: 1926 (Culbertson, Nebraska)

The original recipe was called String Bean Salad. Today we often refer to string beans as green beans (and they generally don’t even have strings anymore), so when I updated the recipe, I called it Green Bean Salad. I also included “with nasturtiums” in the recipe title since that is a unique part of this recipe.

I individually plated each serving, but the salad could be put in a serving bowl.

The old recipe called for serving the salad with French Dressing. A hundred years ago, French Dressing was a vinaigrette dressing, and quite different from the commercial, orange-colored French dressing that is common today. There was no recipe for French Dressing in the cookbook that contained the salad recipe, so I used a French Dressing recipe that was  in another 1926 cookbook:

Recipe for French Dressing
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

The French Dressing made more dressing than I needed so I halved the recipe.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums)

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

1 quart (about 1 pound) green beans

4 small green onions, thinly sliced

approximately 1 cup nasturtium leaves

nasturtium flowers (for garnish)

Step 1. Trim green beans. If desired, snap the beans (or they can be left whole). Lightly steam or boil the beans for about 5 minutes, then chill until cold.

Step 2. Pour French Dressing over the beans (see recipe below), and gently stir to coat beans with the dressing. (If desired, mix a few nasturtium leaves with the beans).  If there is excess dressing on the beans, drain the beans to remove it.

Step 3. Arrange nasturtium leaves on individual serving plates (or they can be arranged in a serving bowl). Top with the green beans that have been coated with French Dressing.

Step 4. Sprinkle the sliced green onions over the green beans.

Step 5. Garnish with nasturtium flowers.

French Dressing (Vinaigrette  Dressing)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

Step 1. Put the salt and paprika in a small bowl.

Step 2. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring constantly.

Step 3. Then slowly add the vinegar, a small amount at a time, while continuing to stir.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Muffins

Several months ago, I saw a recipe for Raspberry Muffins in a hundred-year-old magazine, and have been anxiously waiting to try it. Finally, the black raspberries in my backyard are ripe, and I dug the recipe out and made it.

The recipe was a winner. The Raspberry Muffins were soft, moist, and tasty. They had just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of cinnamon which worked perfectly with the sweet tartness of the berries.

I served these muffins with coffee to a group of friends. There was a discussion about whether I used blackberries (that are commonly sold in stores) or black raspberries (which are almost never seen in stores) when making the muffins. At least one person in the coffee group hadn’t even known that there was a fruit called black raspberries until I made the muffins.

The original recipe does not indicate whether red or black raspberries should be used. I used black raspberries, but red ones would also work well.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Raspberry Muffins
Source: Ladies Home Journal (June, 1926)

A hundred-years-ago many families still lived on farms; and, even in towns, much of the milk that was sold was not pasteurized. Back then, if the non-pasteurized milk was not used quickly, the “good” bacteria in the milk would turn it into a sour milk suitable for use in recipes that used baking soda as the leavening agent. Today’s pasteurized milk can be turned into a sour milk by adding a little vinegar or lemon juice to create a slightly curdled acidic milk that results on bubbles of carbon dioxide gas when combined with the baking soda which causes the baked good to rise.

The raspberries are coated with flour to make them less likely to sink to the bottom of the batter while baking.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Raspberry Muffins

  • Servings: approximately 12
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

1 cup raspberries (either red or black raspberries can be used)

1 1/2 cups flour + 2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

3 tablespoons shortening or butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

Step 2. Put the raspberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons flour; gently stir/roll the berries to lightly coat with flour. Set aside.

Step 3. Put the milk in a small bowl and stir in the vinegar/lemon juice. Set aside.

Step 4. Put shortening/butter and sugar in mixing bowl, then cream them together.

Step 5. Add egg, soured milk, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda; stir to combine.

Step 6. Add 1 1/2 cup flour, and stir until just combined.

Step. 7.  Add flour-coated raspberries; gently stir to distribute evenly throughout batter.

Step 8. Grease muffin tins (or use paper liners), and then fill each muffin cup 3/4th full with batter. Bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

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