Who We Are



The past few years, the area where I live, Crawford County, Ohio, has seen a wonderful explosion of younger families who are embracing the joys and challenges of living off the land. Because of them, amazing things are happening which have been embraced by our community. Farmer’s markets have been created and on-farm stores have opened. Families dedicated to growing organic produce and naturally raised meats are meeting the public’s needs for locally raised foods. And at the heart of this movement are the women.



Ohio Country Journal is my attempt to share the essence of farm life, focusing on, but not limited to, women. My goal is to bring you into our circle of friendship by inviting you to share your stories and experiences with us. You don’t have to be a full time country woman to benefit from joining us; you just have to be you.





The full-time country women featured in Ohio Country Journal are an inspiration to anyone who dares to follow her dreams, whether it is to live in the country or to bring the country life-style to their urban neighborhoods.





Friday, July 17, 2015

Retro Recipes...Nine Ideas for Apples

I love vintage magazines for many reasons. The woman's magazines, especially, had wonderful, well written stories and were packed full of projects and recipes. But mostly I love them because they give a glimpse of true history...what was popular at the time.
Soon I will be decorating a room in our new building that will serve as both a workshop for me and, in season, a space to sort, store, and sell our apple harvest.
 
I am calling this room my Happy 50's Kitchen. Today I was bumming around in a local second hand shop (Galion Flea Market in Uptowne Galion, Ohio), looking for magazines to help me get an idea of what the interior of 50's kitchens truly looked like.
 
I found an October, 1953 edition of Woman's Day. The first page I opened was this page of ideas for apple salads. How appropriate is that? :)
 
Some things never go out of style. They are called "Classics" for a reason, and these recipes sound as yummy today as they did when Marjorie Henderson, of Woman's Day kitchen, designed them 62 years ago.
 
See if you agree...
 
1. Apple Luncheon Salad
Arrange  wedges of unpeeled red apple on greens. Top with ham, chicken, tuna-fish, or shrimp salad.
     *note: you could also top with cottage cheese
 
2. Apple, Carrot and Raisin Salad
Combine bite-size chunks of unpeeled red apple with shredded carrot and seeded raisins. Serve with mayonnaise.
 
3. Apple Glace` with Honey Cream Cheese
Simmer 4 peeled, cored apples in syrup made by boiling 2 cups pineapple juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and a little red coloring, until apples are tender and red, turning often. Drain; chill. Put on greens. Stuff with cream cheese softened with honey. Top with walnut halves.
       *note: keep the apples whole, like for a baked apple. I would not use red food coloring.
 
4. Danish Salad
Combine 1/2 cup each finely diced apples, cooked potatoes, beets, cooked veal, and pickled herring. Add small, diced dill pickle, a little mince onion, and vinegar. Season to taste. Moisten with heavy cream. Mix lightly. Pack into 4 custard cups; chill well. Un-mold; garnish with sliced hard-cooked eggs.
    *note: this recipe is more involved, but the combination of foods is intriguing to me. I have no idea what pickled herring tastes like because I am allergic to fish. But now I know why this is called "Danish Salad" :)
 
5.Apple-and-Orange Salad
Alternate slices of unpeeled red apple and orange on water cress. Serve with sweetened French dressing.
     *note: I think putting the fruit slices on any type of greens would work. For instance, a modern twist might be to put them on a bed of spinach, which is so popular right now.
 
6. Waldorf Salad
Combine chunks of peeled tart apple, diced celery, chopped walnuts, and cooked salad dressing. Garnish with cranberry sauce. 
     *note: what is cooked salad dressing? I know, right? Well, no fear...a quick search on Cooks.Com led to a slew of recipes. For me, well, I'd probably use mayonnaise >grinz< 
 
7. Two-Cheese Apple-Ring Salad
Core, slice large red apple. Put cottage cheese between and on top of two apple slices. Top with crumbled blue cheese.
     *note: again, because of allergy, I'd omit blue cheese and use any kind of crumbled cheese that I like...such as farmers.
 
8. Curried Apple, Onion, and Pepper Salad
Combine strips of apple with thin onion rings, crisp slivers of red and green peppers. Serve with mayonnaise seasoned with curry powder.
    *note: apples and onions? In Laura Ingalls Wilder's book, Farmer Boy, she wrote that one of Almanzo's favorite dish was fried apples and onions. I gave it a try and can honestly say that I am a fan! So I imagine that this combo is tasty in Marjorie's recipe. I would use a sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
 
9. Jellied Cinnamon-Apple Salad
Dissolve 1/3 cup red cinnamon candies in 2 cups boiling water. Heat, and pour over 1 package red, fruit-flavored gelatin dessert. Stir until dissolved. Chill until partially thickened. Fold in 3/4 cup each chopped celery and apple, dash salt, and 1/3 cup chopped nuts. Pour into molds; chill until firm. Unmold on greens.
      *note: I doubt if I would bother to use a mold, I think it would be just fine chilled in a regular bowl and scooped out onto the greens when ready to serve.
 
So there you are, nine retro recipes for apples. As our varieties ripen I will give each one of these a try, and (hopefully) make blog post updates to give you my opinions. :)
 
Marcheta *all in a Woman's Day
 
 

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