Easter Recipes: Spring Side Dishes

As with all holidays, each family has their special Easter dinner dishes. Our family table is never without ham, rolls, and potatoes, but I tend to mix it up as far as the other dishes. My grandmother was Polish and she often fixed kielbasa along with the ham, which I tend to do to if I can get into the city to a meat market. Today I have a few recipes that would be wonderful with Easter dinner if you want to mix it up this year too.

New Potato Fennel Salad

Ingredients:
10 small new red potatoes, sliced
4 eggs, hard-cooked
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/2 c. chopped fennel bulb
1/4 c. thinly sliced sweet onion
DRESSING:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. spicy mustard
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

In large pan, cook the sliced potatoes in boiling water until JUST tender; drain well. Chop the boiled eggs. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, fennel and onion. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients; whisk well. Spoon dressing over salad; toss gently. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Note: What I do with the onion is slice it very thin, then cut those slices in quarters. You can also dice the onion.

Dilled Cheddar and Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen green peas
1 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh dill weed

Rinse frozen peas under running cold water to thaw slightly; drain well. Toss the pea, cheese, celery, mayonnaise and dill. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes: I also like adding 5 or 6 diced radishes to this. The cheese should be the regular shredded cheese NOT the finely shredded. You can also dice a block of Cheddar with a sharp knife if you wish. Fresh dill makes all the difference in this salad.

Feta Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 c. quick cooking couscous
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & chopped
3 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. minced watercress
3 tbsp. minced green onion
5 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt
ground black pepper

Bring the stock to boil in a small pan. Mix in the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature. Add the couscous to a large bowl. Mix in the tomato, feta, watercress and green onion. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon, a dash or two of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Gently mix into salad.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled & sliced
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced then halved
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 slices bacon

In a medium pan combine the onions, soup, milk, salt, and pepper together and heat on medium low until warmed. Arrange 1/3 of the potato slices in the bottom of a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole. Top with 1/3 of the sauce, then the cheese. Continue layering. Lastly, place the strips of bacon across the top. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Notes: This recipe can be varied by using regular white or yellow onions, a different type of cheese or shredded instead of sliced.

On OFL we have a nice article on Polish Easter traditions:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/anna.html

~Brenda

Spring Recipes: Asparagus

One of my favorite spring vegetables is asparagus, especially when it's fresh and thin in size. It's still tasty even when fairly thick, as long as the tough ends are cut off before cooking. Those ends can be used in making stock for a little extra flavor. All of the recipes below use fresh asparagus, which should be washed and the ends trimmed or snapped off before cooking. Any of these dishes would be lovely with Easter or Sunday dinner.

Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into pieces
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, very thinly sliced
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped
1/4 c. Italian dressing

Cook the asparagus until just tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain and cool. Combine remaining ingredients. Add the asparagus. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. 4 to 6 servings.

Note: I also like sprinkling with Parmesan or Feta cheese before serving.

Italian Style Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Cook the asparagus until just tender in boiling, salted water. Drain. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add drained asparagus, cook, stirring until heated through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with zest.

Pasta with Asparagus and Feta

Ingredients:
8 oz. pasta, spaghetti or other type
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tomato, diced
4 oz. feta cheese
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried

Cook pasta according to package directions. Steam asparagus until just tender; cut into pieces. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add oil and tomato and heat gently until heated through. Add cheese and oregano and heat gently to heat. Toss lightly. Makes four servings.

Garlic Butter Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced finely
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Boil asparagus until just tender, after trimming ends. In large skillet, melt the butter, add the garlic and sauté until softened. Add the asparagus; and stir in while heating through. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a platter, then squeeze with lemon. Sprinkle generously with cheese.

On OFL I have a menu for a spring luncheon:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/luncheon.html

~Brenda

Spring Salads for Lunch or Dinner

Greens, whether in salad or cooked, are a nice spring treat for dinners and luncheons. Dandelion greens are a classic, but always be sure to use dandelions that have not been sprayed or treated with chemicals in any way. Many times they are available in the spring in the produce section along with other greens, if you prefer to buy them. The following recipes are from my copy of Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking, printed in 1949.

Dandelion Green Salad

1 cup finely shredded dandelion greens, very tender

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup sliced radishes

1 hard cooked egg, quartered and sliced

2 tbsp. crumbled Blue Cheese

Horseradish dressing

Use only the very tender heart leaves of either the wild or cultivated dandelions and shred by cutting with a very sharp scissors. Cabbage is best shredded by using a very sharp, thin bladed knife. Combine all ingredients and toss lightly with horseradish dressing. 4 servings.

Horseradish Dressing

1/3 cup prepared horseradish

1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup salad oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. onion juice

1 tbsp. ice water

1/8 tsp. paprika

Soak horseradish in vinegar overnight. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, pressing horseradish until dry. Discard dry portion and to the strained liquid, add remaining ingredients. Beat well with a rotary beater. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Spinach Medley

1/2 pound clean, crisp, raw spinach

1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

)1 cup grated raw carrots (2 large)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup French Dressing

1/2 tsp. salt

Vegetables should be cold and crisp. Cut spinach into shreds with a sharp scissors. Cut head lettuce with a sharp knife. Grate carrots. Combine all ingredients but carrots and mix very lightly but thoroughly using two forks. Do not stir. Add the carrots and toss two or three times only. Serve. 4 servings.

Mustard Greens and Spinach with Bacon

2 pounds fresh, tender mustard greens

1/2 pound bacon

1 quart boiling water

1/2 tsp. salt

black pepper to taste

1/2 pound spinach

Wash mustard greens very thoroughly, trimming off roots and tough stems; trim and wash spinach. Put mustard greens into kettle with bacon, add water, cover and boil gently for 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and put spinach into kettle, pressing down well. Again cover and cook until spinach is tender, from 10 to 15 minutes. More water may be added as needed. Serve hot. 4 servings.

Watercress is another green that can be grown from seed year round:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/watercress.html

~Brenda

March Garden Tips & Chores

It's hard to believe it's almost the end of March. I spotted the first of my daffodils opening this weekend, and all the trees and shrubs have buds on them, including both lilacs. I've always loved this time of year. Today I'm sharing Spring gardening tips.

Reminder: Don't prune any shrubs or trees that have spring blooms. Prune after the blooms have died off.

-The first spring chore should be walking around your landscape and cutting off any damaged or diseased wood from shrubs and trees. Mine made it through fairly well with just a small amount of damage to my Rose of Sharon. Use sharp garden shears that have been cleaned.

-The next chore is gently raking leaves and debris from all the garden beds that collected over the winter, and cutting back any dead foliage, or pulling up any annuals that were forgotten in the fall. If their isn't any disease present this can all be composted.

-Wait to till or dig in the garden until the soil is dry enough to crumble. If it's too wet from spring rains and moisture it will clump and be hard to work with later.

-If you didn't cut back the old wood on your butterfly bushes (for the type that grow from the ground each year, not on the old wood) then be sure to cut the old stems back to the ground now.

-Once the soil reaches a temperature of about 45 degrees and it's dry enough to work with you can plant peas, spinach, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, greens and calendula outside by sowing the seeds into the soil or containers.

-Cut back all ornamental grasses before they start to sprout from the ground so the new growth isn't accidentally snipped.

On OFL I have an article on growing peas:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/The-Spring-Garden:-Growing-Peas.html

~Brenda

St. Patrick's Day Traditional Food

One of my favorite things about Irish cooking and it's history is how the dishes always make use of ingredients that are readily available and inexpensive. That's why many of the recipes for traditional Irish dishes use lamb (mutton), potatoes and onions. I have articles on Old Fashioned Living for many of the traditional Irish potato dishes and breads, which I'll give links to at the end of today's blog, so today I thought I'd share a few recipes I hadn't written about previously.

DUBLIN CODDLE
Dublin Coddle is most likely a dish that developed from the Irish stew recipe, replacing the lamb with bacon and sausage. Some recipes add carrots and garlic as well.

Dublin Coddle

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds thick pork sausages, sliced, 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds slab or thick sliced bacon, diced (1 inch)
1 quart boiling water
2 large yellow onions, peeled, sliced thin
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, thickly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Boil the water in a large pan. Place the sausage and in the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, and place in a large ovenproof dish or Dutch oven. Layer the meat with the onions potatoes and parsley. Pour over the liquid so it JUST covers the meat and vegetables. Cover and either cook slowly on top of the stove or put in the oven and cook at 350 degrees F. Cook for about an hour until the liquid is half absorbed. Taste to season more if needed. Serve hot with bread.

IRISH COFFEE
There are several versions of who first made Irish Coffee, but most agree it was created in the 1940's in an Irish airport and served much like a hot toddy to cold and wet tourists. Below is a recipe that is similar to the original Irish Coffee drink.

Irish Coffee

Ingredients:
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/4 quality Irish whiskey
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar, not white
3 tbsp. heavy cream

Rinse a glass mug with hot water to warm the glass. Add the hot coffee to the mug immediately, stir in the whiskey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Froth the heavy cream quickly, and pour it slowly over the back of a spoon that is held JUST above the coffee, so it floats on top. Serve hot without stirring. The whiskey laced coffee should be sipped through the cream.

SHEPHERD'S PIE
Shepherd's Pie is another example of using what's on hand because it uses leftovers. The recipe below is pretty basic. Use leftover beef of any type, but roast beef works really well. The mashed potatoes should be fairly creamy, and adding shredded cheddar cheese makes a nice addition. Don't be afraid to add extra spices, a little extra meat, or other vegetables such as peas or cabbage.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium diced onion
2 thinly sliced carrots
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 tsp. minced fresh
1 pound cooked minced leftover beef or lamb
2 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

Add the oil to a large skillet to heat on medium. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the carrots, stir in the flour and saute until it's lightly browned. Slowly add the stock, and the thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the meat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Place in a pie dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Place into the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Boxty, Champ, and Irish Stew:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/irishfood2.html

Traditional Colcannon:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/colcannon.html

Irish Tea Traditions:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/irishtea.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

~Brenda

Garden Tip Hodge Podge

The sun is shining, and spring is trying to arrive, even in Michigan. Yesterday I noticed the first daffodil stems poking up in my garden, which always makes me smile. Today I'm grabbing two of my older gardening books and sharing tips I thought everyone would enjoy.

The Old Dirt Dobber's Garden Book, 1944

EVERGREENS: In spite of good care, an occasional arborvitae, juniper, pine or cedar will become so ragged and ill-shaped that it destroys the beauty of the planting. These trees are not generally pruned severely, but in cases like this a drastic treatment is the only recourse. If you decide to prune, don't stop half-way; cut the top one-third out and prune the side growth at least half-way back.

CUT POPPIES: Cut freshly opened poppies very early in the morning and sear the ends immediately with flame or boiling water. Treat an inch or two of the base of the stems and char them thoroughly. Then put them in fresh water and they will last for several days without wilting. Do not cut the stems after the first searing. The large Oriental poppies may be cut the same way.

Adventures in My Garden and Rock Garden

Louise Beebe Wilder, 1923

I find the notion that Primroses will not thrive in this country rather widespread, particularly among professional gardeners. Undoubtedly it is true that our hot, dry summers are trying for them, especially where no special provision is made for their comfort in sun-baked gardens. But where there is some shade, the soil may easily be made to suit them, and moisture supplied where necessary; and in many gardens are felicitous situations where these flowers would grow as luxuriantly as we would have them, even seeding themselves, which is the true sign of a plant's having made itself at home.

Mrs. Wilder goes on to say that she has over a thousand primrose plants, many grown from seed, in her garden. She includes the following in the family of Primula: English Primrose, cowslips, oxlips, auriculas, and forms from alpine and blog conditions. She mentions a new "blue" primrose which she doesn't care for and she wishes for a green variety that was available many years before. Below are conditions she gave her plants to thrive:

-a little leaf soil or rotted manure scratched in among their growths now and again.

-watered in dry weather with weak manure water

-their leaves kept clean and free from grit

-they require a deep, rich soil, stiff in quality and fairly moist

-shelter from cutting winds and shade for part of the day

Primroses "are for sheltered, shadowy corners, lightly wooded places, where they may have as companions Hepaticas, Violets, Bloodroot, Dutchman's-breetches, small ferns and emerald mosses."

I love Mrs. Wilder's writing and will share more from her books later in the spring.

On OFL I have an article on Forget-Me-Nots, another charming spring flower:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/forget-me-nots.html

~Brenda

St. Patrick's Day: Potatoes For All

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity. ~Sean O'Casey

In the 18th Century the potato became a staple for the poor in Ireland, though it had been introduced before that to the upper class. The Irish people were frugal in order to survive, and used the food that was most readily available to them. The potato was easy to grow, filling and had multiple uses which made it an important addition to a family table. Ireland has a rich history, and it's people survived against incredible odds, especially during the 1700's. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner I thought I would share a few recipes from my older cookbooks that use potatoes.

Rumford Complete Cook Book, 1934
Potato Griddle Scones

2 cups flour
1/2 level tsp. salt
3 level tsp. Rumford Baking Powder
2 level tbsp. shortening
1 egg
About 3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup mashed potatoes

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder; rub the shortening in lightly, add the potatoes and mix to a soft dough with the milk and beaten egg. Roll out about 3/4 of an inch thick, cut into three cornered cakes and cook on a hot, well-greased griddle.

Rumford Complete Cook Book
Potato Dressing

3 cups hot mashed potato
1 cup stale bread crumbs
1 grated onion
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped salt pork
1 tsp. powdered sage
salt and pepper to taste

Mash the potato, add the bread crumbs, onion, pork, sage, salt and pepper. Mix with the egg lightly beaten. Use as a dressing for goose, duck or pork.

Magic Chef Cooking, 1938
Mashed Potato Puff

1/3 cup hot milk
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 egg whites

Add the hot milk, butter and seasonings to the mashed potatoes (left-over may be used) and beat until smooth. Fold in the beaten egg whites and put into a greased baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. 6 servings.

International Cook Book, 1929
Potato Biscuits

1 cup potato water
1/2 cup mashed potato
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 yeast cake
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup shortening

Crumble yeast; add salt, sugar and water. Add potato and potato water. Stir in enough flour to make a stiff sponge. Add melted shortening. Add remainder of flour and knead until smooth. Put into greased bowl. Let rise for two hours. Knead. Let rise for 45 minutes. Shape into round balls. Put in muffin pans. Let rise again for about 30 minutes and bake at 425 degrees F.

Note: 1 yeast cake equals 2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast. Use in place of the crumbled yeast cake.

You'll find Irish recipes on OFL:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/irishfood.html

~Brenda