More Victory Garden Wisdom

Companion crops are a great way to save space and have more variety in your garden. The Victory Garden Manual from 1943 shares some tips on this along with some other great advice.

A mixture of radishes with the seeds of slow-germinating vegetables, such as parsnips, parsley, and carrots, is an excellent way to get enough yearly radishes to supply the average family without sowing a special row. Be sure to mix in very few radish seeds, not more than 5 or 10 per cent. The radishes will germinate and mature before the slower companions have begun to grow well.

A short season crop such as radishes or spinach can be sown between parsnips and chard to save space.

Here are a variety of tips I thought were interesting and helpful:

Carrots need not be thinned until they have reached an edible stage. When they are about a thick as a pencil they can be pulled and thinned at the same time.

Beets always grow in clusters because a beet seed is really many seeds together and they can be thinned when the young roots have just begun to thicken. Be sure to thin them or they will suffer from crowding.

Lettuce can be used from the time a leaf is 2 inches wide but growth is much faster if thinned earlier.

Reading through this helpful book I enjoyed these frugal ideas, which I summarized in my own words.

-If you don't have a seed spreader simply poke holes in the bottom of a coffee can and shake to spread seeds.

-Use a metal file to sharpen hoes and other garden tools and they will work much better than when they are dull. They should also be washed off and rubbed with an oily rag.

-Dried grass clippings can be used as mulch. After mowing, gather up clippings and allow them to dry before using around plants to avoid mold or mildew.

-Disease can be prevented at least most of the time by providing sunshine, plenty of air circulation and a clean garden. Never leave debris of any type (such as pulled weeds) in the garden. Keep it well maintained and watered on a regular basis. Always remove any plants or leaves that look like they could be diseased.

On OFL we have a nice article on growing peas this spring:

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

~Brenda

Tea and Sandwiches For Mother's Day

Who ran to help me when I fell, and would some pretty story tell,or kiss the place to make it well? My mother.
~Ann Taylor

Mother's Day is a wonderful time to plan a simple afternoon tea for your mother or grandmother. Serve tea sandwiches, cake or cookies and their favorite tea with cream and sugar. Give each guest a flower or small gift to take home. If you have little ones attending make sure to allow time to read a story too. I found this little tidbit on "Dainty Sandwiches" in my copy of The Ladies Union Cook Book from 1903.

Fashion has approved of the sandwich--probably because it is so English. Both white and fine grained brown bread are used and the sandwich is either rolled and tied with ribbon or cut in some fancy shape. Here are a few of the most popular sandwiches of the present moment.

Peanut sandwiches are perhaps the newest. Spread the thin slices of white bread with mayonnaise dressing and cover well with ground peanuts that have been well roasted. Served with sherry they are delicious.

Raisin sandwiches are quite the thing to serve with lemonade or sweet punch and are made by cutting large raisins in half with scissors and removing the seeds. Lay the fruit closely together between the thin buttered white bread and moisten with a suspicion of brandy or sherry, but not enough to reach the bread and make it soggy. Cut the bread in fancy shapes.

Hot cheese sandwiches are particularly nice for Sunday evening tea and are a great favorite with men. Slice the bread very thin and cut it round with a large biscuit cutter. Put a thick layer of grated cheese between the two forms, sprinkle with salt and a dash of cayenne pepper, and press the round pieces of bread well together. Fry them to a delicate brown on each side, in equal parts of lard and butter, and serve very hot.

(This is my favorite)

Between thin slices of white bread, buttered, place tender nasturtium leaves well covered with mayonnaise dressing. These are to be eaten soon after being made, as the leaves soon wither.

On OFL we have an adorable plan for a Mommy and Me Tea:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/teaparty2.html

I hope you all have a very special Mother's Day.

~Brenda

Tips from a Victory Garden

I've been reading my copy of Victory Garden Manual by James H. Burdett, published in 1943. It's a small, plain hardcover book filled with practical garden information. We can learn much from Victory Gardens because the times forced everyone to be as thrifty and practical as possible. It wasn't a matter of being "green" or taking up gardening as a hobby. For some families, it was a matter of survival. When we look at a home garden in this way it helps us to think of it in terms of providing food, and not something that requires the newest garden gadgets or the fanciest seeds.

The first tips revolve around picking a location for your garden. Here is a summary:

1. Convenience to the kitchen door

2. Will work well with the ornamentals you already have in place

3. 6 hours of full sun

4. Well drained and level

5. Free of tree roots and shrubs

I love the author's attitude on perfection in the garden:

If we were all perfectionists, there would be few gardens. I have made fine vegetable gardens for many years in soil which the experts assured me was not suited to vegetables. If your property does not provide a plot which seems right in all respects, so not give up the idea of the garden. Pick out the most suitable space and take steps to correct its deficiencies.

This goes along with my rant about perfect gardeners on television and in magazines wearing white shorts or pants, a pretty blouse, and lovely shoes when they garden. Proper gardening requires elbow grease and clothing that already has stains...something you won't worry about getting dirty while you are working.

The garden space should also be rather open, surrounded by a small to medium fence if you wish, but the air should be able to circulate around the garden. The book shows a garden that is 75 by 150 foot for a family of five. It's divided into four sections with paths between each, and the rows are neat and straight. However, the author reduced his own garden for a family of four to 24 by 50 foot using a picket fence on three sides to support tomatoes and beans. He also mentions having a surplus for family and friends, so this size garden was plenty for his family, yet smaller in space. Cucumbers can also be trained up a fence or trellis to save space.

My advice is to plan carefully, being honest with yourself about how much work you and your family will be able to put into the garden. The large garden mentioned for a family of five will need the entire family to put in daily garden work to really keep it maintained properly. It also was set up to grow 25 types of vegetables. It is most likely that your family may not need all 25 as listed:

lettuce

radishes

onions

carrots

beets

turnips

parsnips

potatoes

brussels sprouts

cabbage

tomatoes

spinach

okra

peppers

broccoli

kohlrabi

cucumbers

cantaloupes

watermelon

eggplant

peas

string beans

lima beans

corn

asparagus

Look over this list and cross out what your family wouldn't make use of, then study the vegetables that are left and determine which ones would be eaten in a greater variety. My family, for instance, would eat many more cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers then they would beans or peas. Once you figure this out, you can plan your garden specifically for your family.

I'll share more from the Victory Garden next week.

On OFL learn how to grow and use Lovage in your cooking:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/lovage.html

~Brenda

Old Fashioned Easter Party Ideas

How did they celebrate Easter in 1905? I have a small hardcover of Bright Ideas for Entertaining, written in 1905 by Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott. There is a small section on Easter Egg Hunts and other tidbits I'd like to share.

Easter Egg Hunt: Nests are made of paper moss. In them are placed eggs of different varieties, some genuine hard boiled eggs, some of china or wood and some of candy. The wooden eggs should contain tiny ducks or chickens. The nests are hidden in every nook and corner of the house. The guests are then bidden to go nest hunting, and a half hour is given for the hunt. Each guest is given a little fancy basket for the hunt in which to gather his eggs. The one securing the greatest number of eggs is given a prize of a large fancy egg. The baskets and eggs may be kept as souvenirs.

Children's Party Ideas: Give them small baskets to hunt for the eggs which the mother has a few days before blown and colored then hidden all over the house. (I assume this means the method of piercing the egg with a pin and blowing out the raw egg.) On the floor have little yellow chicks arranged as tenpins at one end and give the children each an egg and let them roll the eggs and see how many chicks they can knock down.

In the center of the table place a "nest" which on top is a large rabbit on his haunches, and in his front paws is an Easter Egg. From this to each plate run a different colored piece of ribbon, with a card attached. Upon the card have the child's name who sits at that place. At the end of the party each child will pull their ribbon which should have an egg filled with treats hidden under the rabbit.

Have all the refreshments upon the table--thin slices of bread and butter, sandwiches, nuts, tiny cups of chocolate, cake and ice cream.

Easter Salad: A delicious and most attractive salad for Easter may be made by building a nest of narrow strips of cold boiled potatoes upon a few very crisp lettuce leaves. Fill the nest with eggs made of cream cheese rolled in grated yellow cheese. Serve on individual plates with a well-made mayonnaise dressing and plain crackers, or thin slices of brown bread and butter.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend:)

~Brenda

Polish Food for Easter

My great grandparents were born in Poland, which is probably why I have a love of cabbage, kielbasa and sauerkraut in all their variations. Easter always brings to mind kielbasa and baked ham because I recall those two items always being on the menu when my grandmother cooked large meals. Today I wanted to share a few Polish recipes with you since they've been on my mind. My great grandparents and grandparents on that side of the family have passed away, but it's nice to know we can always cook up a batch of good Polish food when they come to mind.

The first recipe is for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, which have many, many variations. I made them once for my father who instantly told me "They aren't greasy enough." It's hard to get them just like grandma used to make so I stopped trying and added my own touches to the recipe.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls/Golabki

Ingredients:

Large head of cabbage

1 pound ground beef (chuck or round)

1/2 pound sausage (medium or hot)

salt and pepper to season

1 cup cooked white rice

1 small onion, minced

1 egg

1/2 tsp. thyme

15 ounce can tomato sauce

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. vinegar

Peel the leaves from the head of cabbage, carefully keeping them whole. I don't normally count the leaves. I use every whole leaf I can. Some will be larger than others; usually they will all fit in a 9x13 pan or a roaster.

Cook the cabbage leaves in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, or until just pliable. Remove and run under cool water, laying them carefully on clean towels or paper towel. If some leaves have a large center vein, carefully cut out so they will be easier to roll up.

Combine the ground meat, rice, onion, egg and thyme in a bowl with a very sturdy wooden spoon or your hands. Mix it well until all is combined. Shape a small "log" of meat and place on a cabbage roll. Fold the sides over the meat, then roll up. Toothpicks can be used to fasten. Usually I lay each one seam down in the pan and they stay rolled up. Use all of your leaves and meat. Mix together the tomato sauce, sugar, water and vinegar. Pour this over the cabbage rolls. Cover loosely with foil, and bake at 325 degrees F. for about an hour and 1/2 until the meat is cooked through. Check every once in awhile to make sure it isn't drying out-- if so, add a little water to the pan.

Notes: You can use more tomato sauce if you wish. Some people use spaghetti sauce, although that is not the traditional type of flavor. The vinegar and sugar give the tomato sauce a little bit of a sweet/sour taste. Also, you can vary the meat however you wish-- more sausage or less. IF you use instant rice you don't have to cook it first.

Polish Easter Soup

Ingredients:

2 quarts water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup of diced ham

1 cup smoked/cooked sliced kielbasa

2 hard cooked eggs

1 tbsp. horseradish

1 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. flour mixed in 1/2 cup water

Add all ingredients except the flour mixture and boil for 15 minutes or so. Add the flour mixture, straining any lumps that may have formed first. Cook a few more minutes until it thickens the soup slightly. Serve.

Notes: To me this is more of a leftover soup, made with the ham and and kielbasa served at Easter. I love adding sauteed cabbage to soup as well. This recipe is easy and it can be served as a side dish for Easter.

Sweet Sour Cabbage/Kapusta

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cabbage

3 cups water

2 1/2 tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp. bacon grease

1 onion, sliced thin

Combine all but the cabbage and bring it to a boil. Shred or very thinly slice/chop the cabbage, and add to the mixture. Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Notes: You can cook up some bacon to get the grease and use the same pan. It doesn't have to be exactly 2 tbsp. Remove the bacon when cooked, cool, chop and put back in with the cabbage. Serve this on the side with kielbasa or any type of sausage.

On OFL we have a lovely article on Polish Easter Traditions:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/anna.html

~Brenda

Spring and Wildflowers

I love reading out of print wildflower or garden books, especially when they are from the 1800's or early 1900's. I love the descriptive writing style and the peek they give us into the gardens and woods of their time. Today I am reading How To Know The Wild Flowers by Mrs. William Starr Dana. The edition I have was updated and published in 1900.

I looked up Trout Lilies, which are also known as Yellow Adder's Tongue, Dog's Tooth Violets. Each spring they are the first wildflower on our property to bloom.

The writer is unhappy with the two English names "there is little reason for calling a lily a violet", and she feels it in no way resembles an adder's tongue. However, she writes that the name trout-lily is not without charm, but prefers the name "fawn lily". She describes the flower as such:

We direct our steps toward one of those hollows in the wood which is watered by such a clear gurgling brook as must appeal to every country-loving heart; and there where the pale April sunlight filters through the leafless branches, nod myriads of these lilies, each one guarded by a pair of mottled, erect, sentinel-like leaves.

I often read this book for inspiration before or after I take a walk on our property. I always remember to keep an eye out for wild treasures that I might otherwise miss if I was in a rushed frame of mind.

I ran across another book I was given by family who know I love out of print homemaking and gardening books. It's a book of advice columns that were published in the Detroit News during the 1930's called Acres of Friends. This was before the days of Ann Landers where a long answer was at the most a couple of paragraphs. Readers "questions" went on for pages, and the answers much the same. The writing is very dramatic and often over the top, but there are some neat tidbits. One of which is this poem about spring; Bouquet from April, 1935:

Daffodils with green leaves for handles;

High tea at noon.

Violets, tiny, satin-breeched heralds of Spring,

Flushed with the lovely purple tints

Of cool and lingering twilight.

Acacia, Soft, yellow pom-poms, for the caps

Of dancing, fairy clowns

In shimmering moonglow.

~Muvver Lou

As you walk outside this week, think of the spring flowers as poetry and allow some whimsical words and thoughts as you stroll. It's nice to take yourself out of an often black and white world to dream a little.

On OFL I wrote a nice article on growing rhubarb, another spring favorite: http://oldfashionedliving.com/rhubarb.html

~Brenda

Homemade Pizza For Six or More

I've tried a lot of pizza crust recipes over the years. They were either more like bread dough, or took too much preparation. I also needed something that was very flexible as far as doubling or even making three times the amount. The recipe below finally passed the test. It's easy, tastes like real pizza dough, and can be made cheaply.

The recipe made as is will make three thin round pizzas the size of a round pizza stone, or metal pizza pan. I double it to make one round pizza and three rectangle baking sheets with crust the regular thickness. I buy a jar of yeast, rather than the small packets. It saves money, and I store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Pizza Crust Base Dough

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. or .25 ounce yeast

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

Place the yeast, sugar and warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine it all-- it won't completely dissolve, but will be close. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir with a large spoon until a dough is formed. I then oil my hands and knead it in the bowl lightly 5-6 times.


Allow this to sit for ten minutes. Divide the dough between the pizza pans.


The dough can be pressed onto the pan with your hands, but I found that a pastry rolling pin works perfect for rolling the dough while it's on the pan itself. Mine is about 4 inches wide. I start out taking out a section of dough, and shaping it as you see in the above picture. I roll it out to each end, then roll up on the one side, and down on the other, lengthwise. At this point it's easy to stretch or push the remainder of the dough to the edges.

Notes: This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily. This is the most flexible pizza dough I've ever worked with. You can pull gently to stretch it, or use the rolling pin as I did, or a combination of both. It's equally as good when it's thick or thin. My teens and their friends like it when I get the dough and toppings ready, then let them top the pizzas themselves.

Pizza Toppings: I use one jar of inexpensive pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, hot sausage or Italian sausage, pepperoni and ham. I also saute thinly sliced sweet onion until it's caramelized, then add a drained can of mushrooms, heating until they are warmed through. This really adds a lot of flavor to the pizza.

Cooking: I bake each pizza on the middle rack of the oven at 450 degrees F. I check it a couple of times, and remove when the cheese is lightly browned like the picture above. The time will vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the dough.

~Brenda