Blog

Some of my website articles are 12 years old now. I want to update my latest Baked Bean and Corn Bread cooking recipes. Being from New England, my favorite way to season and prepare dry beans is in the traditional Boston style with molasses. My favorite way to make Corn Bread is the simple hot water and freshly ground meal recipe. When using our Flint corn, be sure to allow the hot water to soak in for an hour or more to soften the corn meal if you plan to... Read more →

Want a delicious, healthy, easy vegetable for dinner tonight? Try this. I take one of my early Jersey Wakefield cabbages and cut it in half. Any cabbage will work but Early Jersey Wakefield has a wonderful delicate flavor. With a sharp knife, slice the cabbage. In the meantime heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a cast iron frying pan and add 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic. Saute the garlic until slightly browned then add the cabbage and stir fry until crisp tender. This is such an easy... Read more →

My family has been making succotash for generations. We make it the old-fashioned way, not by opening cans. This is our recipe: 1. 4 slices of thick bacon (diced) or a good sized piece of salt pork (diced) 2. 1 medium yellow onion (diced) Bring meat and onion to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes 3. Add 2 cups of beans (we use French horticulture in the green stage, before they dry) Simmer until beans are falling apart 4. Add 4 cups of fresh... Read more →

It is that time of the year again. The leaves are turning bright yellow, orange and red. The air feels crisp and chilly. Our Fall harvest is complete.This year we raised about 3 dozen Sugar Pie Pumpkins.They will be used in pies and breads. We also add pureed pumpkin when making corn bread. This provides extra nutrition,texture and moisture. One of my most cherished memories of my grandmother is her pumpkin bread. When she baked pumpkin bread the entire house had a sweet spicy aroma that I will never forget.... Read more →

Since it does take some time to soak, cook and simmer Boston Baked Beans, why not cook larger batches and freeze or can some of them for later meals? The usual recipe calls for soaking the dry beans in water over night. Change the water a couple times. Then cook the beans by boiling hard for an hour or two. To save a lot of both cooking time and fuel use a pressure cooker for 30 minutes instead. I prefer to use stainless steel pressure cookers for cooking foods and... Read more →

Chili is one of those things which is made differently around the country. When my Yankee father made chili, it was really a chili sauce used like ketchup. He simmered together about equal amounts of diced tomato, onions and vinegar and added dry pepper and some diced sweet peppers. Once cooked and mashed it would fit down a funnel into ketchup or soda bottles which had been washed and scalded. We used it up in the Fall and with all that vinegar it kept on the shelf good enough for... Read more →

Yield: 7 Pints 7 pounds of beets 1 cup granulated white sugar 2 cups water 3 cups white vinegar Pinch of salt and pepper Scrub 7 pounds of beets and roast them in a covered roaster at 400 degrees until they can be pierced easily with a fork. This takes at least one hour. I use a brush to scrub the beets. Then pour cold water on the beets and remove the skins. Make a brine by boiling together the above listed ingredients Cut beets in slices or chunks and... Read more →

The nights are getting frosty here in Southern New-England and the garden is just about ready to be put to bed for the winter. But wait there are still some beets, spinach, lettuce and turnips to harvest. These vegetables are so precious this time of the year. As I serve them for dinner I will not be tapping into my winter supplies. I also have some tiny green tomatoes that haven't had a chance to ripen. I decided to modify my refrigerator dill pickle recipe and pickle them. My daughter... Read more →

Yield: approximately 7 pints 10 cups finely chopped zucchini 4 cups finely chopped onions 1 green pepper, chopped finely 1 sweet red pepper, chopped finely 5 tablespoons pickling salt 2 1/2 cups white vinegar 1 large cayenne pepper with seeds 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons celery salt 4 1/2 cups of sugar Chop the vegetables and sprinkle with salt over them. Mix well. Let stand overnight. Drain the vegetables. Rinse thoroughly with cold tap water. Drain again.... Read more →

This is my great grandmother's recipe. My family enjoys it every Spring. Salad for 4-6 people Gather a brown paper grocery bag half full of dandelions. Cut the dandelions plant just below the root. Rinse well with plenty of water. 2 cups of water 1/2 cup of cider vinegar 3/4 pound salt pork , chop finely 7 hard boiled eggs Pick over, wash, and chop dandelions. Fry salt pork until crisp. Set aside fat. Boil water, vinegar, and about 1/3 of the fat. Mix boiling liquid with dandelions, stir well... Read more →