Site search
sponsored by
Home
News
ENLARGE
Strawberry sun jam is a recipe found in a century farm/ranch cookbook.
|
ENLARGE
|
Eating It Up In Eden
The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Cookbook
By Richard Engeman
White House Grocery Press
Paperback $18.95
This must be the year of the cookbook. Several weeks ago on this page, I reviewed Sheila Thomas’ “Recipes Worth Sharing,” a collection of recipes from community cookbooks throughout the nation. This led me to explore and include the many Douglas County community cookbooks published over the years that contained recipes from local citizens.
Now comes “Eating It Up in Eden,” by Oregon historian Richard Engeman, who painstakingly compiled recipes from Oregon’s pioneer farm and ranch families, including several from Douglas County century farms. Engeman prepared the cookbook to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program and to be a tribute for the 150th celebration of Oregon statehood.
“More importantly,” Engeman writes, “it is a testament to the tenacity and creativity of Oregon’s farm and ranch families and their contributions to the state’s rich and deep agricultural heritage.” Engeman weaves the agricultural history in the state with the recipes, and includes the name and date of the founding of each century farm. He lists 54 farms and ranches in Douglas County.
The recipes in the book come from 50 contributors spanning Oregon, from Curry County to the Blue Mountains of Wallowa. The recipe ingredients are a cornucopia of Oregon’s agricultural products.
Interestingly, Engeman leads off with a recipe that may come in handy in this unusual weather year. It’s contributed by Judy Stevens, a descendant of the Stevens Century Farm in Morrow County.
This recipe for green tomato relish is attributed to Helen Stevens and dates back to 1904.
1 gallon green tomatoes
3 green peppers
3 red peppers
8 large onions
Directions:
Slice or cut all ingredients into pieces. Layer them in a dishpan and sprinkle with sea salt between layers and over the top. Cover and let stand overnight. Grind. Put in a large kettle and add:
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Cook until well done. Taste. Add more sugar as needed. Process in small jars with the proper sterilization and canning procedures.
Strawberry season in Oregon is almost here and that means putting away homemade strawberry jam. Margaret Dear Tilbury, who is still very much a part of the historic 2,500 acre Thomas and Dear ranch in Oakland, offers readers a simple, but delicious way to make strawberry jam.
Strawberry Sun Jam
4 boxes strawberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pour sugar over strawberries and cook eight minutes and let stand until juice develops (a couple of hours.) Then add three more cups of sugar and let stand overnight. Next day bring berries to a boil and cook eight minutes. Add lemon juice and cook two additional minutes Put on a platter and let stand in the sun.
If it is at desired thickness the next day, seal cold in sterile jars. Margaret notes it works well as a freezer jam.
Holly Michaels of the Lawrence Michaels 1898 Century Farm in Days Creek recommends this farm favorite dill dip recipe:
2 cups sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tblsp. chopped green onions
2 Tblsp. dried parsley flakes
2 Tblsp. Beau Monde seasoning
2 Tblsp. dried dill weed
Mix ingredients together. Cover. Refrigerate at least one day.
Holly notes that the recipe goes well with a platter of chopped vegetables or chips.
You can make your own Beau Monde seasoning with these directions:
1 Tblsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tblsp. salt
1 Tblsp. ground bay leaf
1 Tblsp. ground allspice
2 Tblsp. ground pepper
1 Tblsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. celery seed
Preparation: In a small mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients. Pour into a tightly closed jar and store in a cool, dry place.
Breakfast, according to nutritionists, is the most neglected meal of the day, yet is one of the most important for health reasons. Debra McCormick, the great granddaughter of Lloyd Spires founder of the Spires Century Farm in Coos County in 1890, provides the reader with a nutritious French toast recipe:
4 thick slices of French or Italian bread
2 or 3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tblsp. honey
Combine eggs, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey.
Prepare a coating:
1 cup corn flakes or granola ground into small pieces
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
In a small dish, mix together corn flakes or granola with cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture, turning to coat each side, then dip slices in cereal mixture. Saute coated slices of bread in a skillet
with melted butter, turning only once. Serves two to four persons.
Blackberries will soon be plentiful in Oregon and Sylvia Olsen shares a recipe from the John Fredrich Dworschak Century Farm in Clackamas for a blackberry pudding called “Crow’s Nest.”
Spread three to four cups of blackberries in a baking dish and lightly sprinkle with flour and sugar. Cover with a batter:
1 cup sugar
butter pat the size of a walnut
1 egg
1 cup milk
flour enough to thicken batter
Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
“One of my fond memories growing up on the farm was picking Himalaya blackberries off a large bush in the pasture,” Sylvia wrote.
Engeman has done a masterful job of blending recipes with the story of Oregon agriculture. The book is illustrated with handwritten recipes of the pioneer cooks, as well as color labels from Oregon’s farm products. It is a unique and worthwhile tribute to Oregon’s agricultural pioneers.
Bill Duncan can be reached at HYPERLINK “mailto:bduncan@nrtoday.com” bduncan@nrtoday.com or by writing to P.O. Box 812, Roseburg, OR 97470.
The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Cookbook
By Richard Engeman
White House Grocery Press
Paperback $18.95
This must be the year of the cookbook. Several weeks ago on this page, I reviewed Sheila Thomas’ “Recipes Worth Sharing,” a collection of recipes from community cookbooks throughout the nation. This led me to explore and include the many Douglas County community cookbooks published over the years that contained recipes from local citizens.
Now comes “Eating It Up in Eden,” by Oregon historian Richard Engeman, who painstakingly compiled recipes from Oregon’s pioneer farm and ranch families, including several from Douglas County century farms. Engeman prepared the cookbook to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program and to be a tribute for the 150th celebration of Oregon statehood.
“More importantly,” Engeman writes, “it is a testament to the tenacity and creativity of Oregon’s farm and ranch families and their contributions to the state’s rich and deep agricultural heritage.” Engeman weaves the agricultural history in the state with the recipes, and includes the name and date of the founding of each century farm. He lists 54 farms and ranches in Douglas County.
The recipes in the book come from 50 contributors spanning Oregon, from Curry County to the Blue Mountains of Wallowa. The recipe ingredients are a cornucopia of Oregon’s agricultural products.
Interestingly, Engeman leads off with a recipe that may come in handy in this unusual weather year. It’s contributed by Judy Stevens, a descendant of the Stevens Century Farm in Morrow County.
This recipe for green tomato relish is attributed to Helen Stevens and dates back to 1904.
1 gallon green tomatoes
3 green peppers
3 red peppers
8 large onions
Directions:
Slice or cut all ingredients into pieces. Layer them in a dishpan and sprinkle with sea salt between layers and over the top. Cover and let stand overnight. Grind. Put in a large kettle and add:
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Cook until well done. Taste. Add more sugar as needed. Process in small jars with the proper sterilization and canning procedures.
Strawberry season in Oregon is almost here and that means putting away homemade strawberry jam. Margaret Dear Tilbury, who is still very much a part of the historic 2,500 acre Thomas and Dear ranch in Oakland, offers readers a simple, but delicious way to make strawberry jam.
Strawberry Sun Jam
4 boxes strawberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pour sugar over strawberries and cook eight minutes and let stand until juice develops (a couple of hours.) Then add three more cups of sugar and let stand overnight. Next day bring berries to a boil and cook eight minutes. Add lemon juice and cook two additional minutes Put on a platter and let stand in the sun.
If it is at desired thickness the next day, seal cold in sterile jars. Margaret notes it works well as a freezer jam.
Holly Michaels of the Lawrence Michaels 1898 Century Farm in Days Creek recommends this farm favorite dill dip recipe:
2 cups sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tblsp. chopped green onions
2 Tblsp. dried parsley flakes
2 Tblsp. Beau Monde seasoning
2 Tblsp. dried dill weed
Mix ingredients together. Cover. Refrigerate at least one day.
Holly notes that the recipe goes well with a platter of chopped vegetables or chips.
You can make your own Beau Monde seasoning with these directions:
1 Tblsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tblsp. salt
1 Tblsp. ground bay leaf
1 Tblsp. ground allspice
2 Tblsp. ground pepper
1 Tblsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. celery seed
Preparation: In a small mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients. Pour into a tightly closed jar and store in a cool, dry place.
Breakfast, according to nutritionists, is the most neglected meal of the day, yet is one of the most important for health reasons. Debra McCormick, the great granddaughter of Lloyd Spires founder of the Spires Century Farm in Coos County in 1890, provides the reader with a nutritious French toast recipe:
4 thick slices of French or Italian bread
2 or 3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tblsp. honey
Combine eggs, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey.
Prepare a coating:
1 cup corn flakes or granola ground into small pieces
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
In a small dish, mix together corn flakes or granola with cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture, turning to coat each side, then dip slices in cereal mixture. Saute coated slices of bread in a skillet
with melted butter, turning only once. Serves two to four persons.
Blackberries will soon be plentiful in Oregon and Sylvia Olsen shares a recipe from the John Fredrich Dworschak Century Farm in Clackamas for a blackberry pudding called “Crow’s Nest.”
Spread three to four cups of blackberries in a baking dish and lightly sprinkle with flour and sugar. Cover with a batter:
1 cup sugar
butter pat the size of a walnut
1 egg
1 cup milk
flour enough to thicken batter
Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
“One of my fond memories growing up on the farm was picking Himalaya blackberries off a large bush in the pasture,” Sylvia wrote.
Engeman has done a masterful job of blending recipes with the story of Oregon agriculture. The book is illustrated with handwritten recipes of the pioneer cooks, as well as color labels from Oregon’s farm products. It is a unique and worthwhile tribute to Oregon’s agricultural pioneers.
Bill Duncan can be reached at HYPERLINK “mailto:bduncan@nrtoday.com” bduncan@nrtoday.com or by writing to P.O. Box 812, Roseburg, OR 97470.
