It’s that time of year already. Mom’s Day, graduations, reunions, and a host of get-together events are coming at us fast. And if you are hosting an open house, your daughter’s bridal shower or a big birthday party, the moment has come. Yup, it’s time to pull out those recipes and plan your company’s coming menu.
We all have favorite recipes for those dish-to-pass, potluck events that come our way every year. Some cooks are well known for certain dishes. In fact, it’s always been that way, no matter the culinary fad, and there have been some odd ones.
The cooks in our family have been having a good time sharing some of the truly awful but real, recipes from the middle of the last century. They come from cookbooks, package labels, and magazine clippings. Of course, those were the days of entrees made with some kind of meat, mixed vegetables, pasta or potatoes, and cream of anything soup. Our desserts were Jell-o based. We all know that everything pairs with that jiggly favorite. Many recipes attest to the versatility of gelatin and the huge assortment of Jell-o molds to do it with. Who knew that lime Jell-o and tuna had an affinity?
We are hosting a family event in early June in memory of our late cousin, Frank who passed away last fall. We will be getting into our family gathering recipe box for the current favorites including tuna mac and pasta salad. We’ll have sandwiches and make the favorite sides, including Grandma’s Green Jell-o Salad, our generational favorite. Most of those who eat this ‘always room for…’ dessert these days, never knew the Grandma Berry from whose kitchen it comes.
Like many of the foods that show up at family gatherings, this one has a lineage and a story all of its own. From the time she found the recipe on the back of Philly Cream Cheese, this was the dish-to-pass Grandma Berry took to potluck functions, funeral luncheons, and all of our family gatherings.
My mother and Aunt Lola couldn’t get enough of this creamy, lime Jell-o, pineapple, and walnut delight. Both made Grandma’s Green Jell-o in turn and the recipe has trickled down through three generations. The recipe has changed a bit through time and makers, but there is still room for it on the table, no matter the flavor of gelatin used.
Everyone has a food favorite tucked away in the corners of memory. Even if the cook has long gone to her reward, the thought of Aunt Jenny’s Apple Crunch or Grandma’s bean soup brings a smile and a sigh. Food is comfort in so many ways.
Marion has always been blessed with good cooks, and lots of them. Just about everyone’s mom, aunts, and grandmas served up great food on a regular basis. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you. Grandma made the lightest dumplings and turned out a wicked cherry pie. Mom fried the tastiest chicken and had a fine touch with fudge.
Marion has been a do-it-yourself cookbook town for a long time. That’s how the favorites survive and others pass from memory. These cookbooks remain popular fundraising projects. Several of the local churches, VFW, local clubs and the Marion Area Historical Museum have compiled cookbooks through the years. I note that the recipes are as varied as are the many cooks. Tastes change. Thankfully, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen scalloped carrots or jellied meatloaf on a menu.
Since it will soon be rhubarb season we’ll share this classic long-time favorite recipe furnished by Ruby Peterson Johnson. Ruby was a fine cook and a very long time Marion resident, celebrating her 101st birthday before leaving us.
The recipe is basic. Don’t over-think it. If you’ve baked before, you know what to do.
Rhubarb Pie – Ruby Johnson
2 cups rhubarb – cut in cubes
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
Mix all ingredients together and put in raw crust and bake slowly for ½ hour. It’s great with ice cream.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
