PLANTING A WINTER GARDEN

  From The Southern Gardener, 1896: Soil should be tilled but not plowed, and should be turned in advance of precipitation . . . Manure and other boosters should be added before tilling, or can be bunked near but not against plants to warm the soil as decomposition occurs . . . Planting should be done after the threat of frost is past . . . Crops should not be planted all at once . . . Beets and radishes grow in all months . . . Beans and snap peas make a good cover crop and improve the soil for later crops, but the peas must be grown from seeds that are germinated in water for a few days prior to planting . . . Leafy lettuce grows well in cooler temperatures, as do carrots and many varieties of onions . . . Some tomatoes will grow well in an area protected from wind . . . 

FIVE WINTERTIME REMEDIES

   With the cold and flu season upon us, third-generation Austin resident Janis Walton sends along the following family remedies that she says have worked for generations:

·       To sooth a sore throat and dissipate phlegm from a bad cold, sip the following: Hot water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey.

·       Or, for the same symptoms, add a bit of hot pepper, 1 tablespoon of honey and the juice from a lemon to a large cup of tea.

·       If you have nausea from the flu, rub 5 drops of peppermint oil around your navel. And if you have congestion, put a drop on your tongue and inhale.

·       Gargle salt water three times in 5-second intervals, four times a day, to relieve a sore throat or nasal congestion from a cold.

·       For winter ear aches, put one drop of warm garlic oil or a small garlic clove in in each ear for 30 minutes a day. 

RECIPE: CHRISTMAS IN A CUP

   Cedar Park resident Dominique Simonescu sent along this month’s recipe from her grandmother. “Wassail is an essential for a happy holiday season,” she says.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

·       1 gallon apple cider

·       4 sticks Watkins Cinnamon

·       ½ teaspoons Watkins Cloves

·       ½ teaspoons Watkins Allspice

·       ½ teaspoons Watkins Nutmeg

·       1 whole orange, sliced with rind

·       1 whole lemon, sliced with rind

·       4 cups orange juice

·       1 cup sugar, to taste

Directions

  Combine all ingredients in a large kettle. Steep just below boiling point for two hours. Remove cinnamon sticks. Serve hot in heat-safe cups or mugs.

RECIPE: GRANDMOMMA'S TURKEY

  Austin resident Fern Donnecker sent along this month’s recipe, which she says comes from her grandmother, an early-day Austinite. “It came from her mother. It’s the best turkey you’ll ever eat,” she says.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Turkey

·        One 17-pound whole fresh turkey, rinsed well & patted dry

·        1¼ stick (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened

·        2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

·        2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

·        2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

·        3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·        Salt and Watkins ground black pepper

·        3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

·        3 large stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

·        2 large onions, quartered

·        8 cups chicken stock

 

Sage Gravy

·        Turkey neck

·        ¼ cup fresh sage leaves

·        3 tablespoons unsalted butter

·        3 tablespoons flour

·        1 cup white wine

·        Salt and Watkins ground black pepper

·        1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Directions

 Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.

  Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
  Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes.

  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 2 to 2 ¼ hours longer.

  After that, remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

  For the gravy, strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (should be about 4 cups, if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the sage leaves.

  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the sage-infused stock and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and chopped sage.

RECIPE: YUMMY CHICKEN SALAD

 

 Triana Gebbe submitted this month’s recipe, which she says she got from her grandmother many years ago. Her take: Scrumptous.

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

·       3 lb.  Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

·       1 cupDiced celery

·       1 cup  Seedless red or green grapes, halved or quartered

·       1 cup  Real mayonnaise

·       1 8-oz. cartonDairy sour cream

·       Salt and ground Watkins black pepper

Instructions

  In a very large bowl stir together the chicken, celery, grapes, mayonnaise, sour cream, and salt, and pepper to taste until combined. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Makes 8 cups salad.

  Serve with Sweet Gherkin pickles, carrots and other garnishments. Can be served on biscuits sliced in half.

REMEDIES: PNUEMONIA & MORE

 From the Home Remedies Guide, 1881: “For pneumonia, take six onions, put into a large spider over a hot fire, add vinegar and rye meal to form a thick paste, stir and simmer ten minutes, Put into cotton bag, large enough to cover the lungs, and apply as hot as the patient can bear. In about ten minutes change the poultice, continue reheating poultice, in a few hours the patient will be out of danger. But continue until perspiration starts freely from the chest. Make two poultices. Also an excellent remedy for croup, when applied to the throat.”

  “For dysentery, take one tablespoon rhubarb root, one teaspoon baking soda, one teacup boiling water and a little peppermint. Take one tablespoon three times a day until unpleasantness passes.”

RECIPE: DUTCH-OVEN COBBLER

  Brynda Castelaro sends along this month’s recipe, which she says she got from her grandmother many years ago who once lived in a two-room log cabin. “She made this every spring with peaches she canned in the fall,” Brynda says. “It’s the best.”

Serves: 10

Ingredients

·       2 (16-ounce) cans sliced peaches in heavy or light syrup, or in fruit juice

·       1 pint fresh blueberries, optional

  • 1/2 cup baking mix (Bisquick)

·       1/3 cup sugar

·       Watkins Ground cinnamon

·       For topping, 2 1/4 cups baking mix (Bisquick)

·       1/4 cup sugar

·       1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

·       1/2 cup milk

·       Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar combined with 2 teaspoons Watkins ground cinnamon)

Instructions
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  Spray a Dutch oven with vegetable oil cooking spray. Drain one can of peaches. Combine both cans of peaches, including the juice from the undrained can, the blueberries (if using) the baking mix, sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Place this mixture into the Dutch oven.

  For the topping, combine the biscuit mix, sugar, butter, and milk in a plastic bag. Drop bits of dough, using your fingers, on top of the peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crusty.

 

HOME REMEDY: POISON IVY

 From Homestead Remedies, 1900: “For the rash that develops from poison ivy, boil oatmeal in water until it becomes pasty in consistency. When the paste is warm enough to be tolerated, apply to the affected area of skin. One or two tablespoons of baking soda can be added to the paste for relief of associated itching. An alternate remedy is to mix three teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of water, apply it to the affected area and let it dry. These treatments are tried and tested, and will relieve scratching and itching quickly if treated with proper haste.”

RECIPE: GRANDMOM'S PEA SALAD

  Ren Hutchinson passed along this month’s recipe that came from her great-grandmother, who she explains grew up on a windswept farm in Oklahoma where she homesteaded with her parents in the late 1800s. She says the recipe has been a family favorite for years: “My Grandmom marked “Delish-ous!” on the recipe card, and that’s how good it is.” She served it for lunch and brunch every spring.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

·       4 slices of cured bacon

·       10 ounces of freshly picked spring peas

·       ¼ small red onion, chopped or sliced

·       1 cup cheddar cheese, grated or cut in small cubes

·       2 hard-boiled eggs, cooked and chopped

·       3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

·       2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

·       Watkins freshly ground pepper

·       Salt to taste

Instructions

  Cook the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper or kitchen towel until cool.

  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the bacon, peas, onion, cheese, and eggs. Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately on fresh, washed greens.

RECIPE: SWEET POT ROAST

  Donna Clayton sends along this month’s recipe from Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, for a pot roast she says tastes just like the ones her grandmother made for years — and like the ones her family has loved for generations.

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

·       2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil

·       Watkins salt

·       One 3-5 pound chuck roast

·       2 fresh onions

·       6 to 8 carrots

·       Watkins black pepper

·       2 to 2 1/2 cups beef stock

·       3 or 4 fresh rosemary sprigs

·       2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs

Directions

  Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

  Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and while it heats up prepare the other ingredients.

  Generously salt the chuck roast on both sides. Cut a couple of onions in half from root to tip, then cut off the tops and bottoms and peel off the papery skin. When the pot is hot, place the onions in the oil and brown on both sides, about a minute per side. Remove the onions to a plate.

  Thoroughly wash the carrots, but don’t peel them. Cut them roughly into 2-inch slices, and put them into the pot. Slightly brown them for about a minute or so, then remove them from the pot and allow the pot to get really hot again. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Place the meat in the pot and sear it, about a minute per side. Remove to a plate.

  With the burner on high, deglaze the pot by adding 1 cup of the beef stock, whisking constantly. The point of deglazing is to loosen all the burned, flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot. When most of the bits are loosened, place the meat back in the pot, followed by the carrots and onions. Pour enough beef stock into the pot to cover the meat halfway.

  Next put in the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. The fresh herbs absolutely make this dish. Put them into the juice to ensure that the flavors are distributed throughout the pot.

  Cover the pot and roast for 3 to 5 hours, depending on the size of your roast. For a 3-pound roast, allow for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. For a 5-pound roast, allow for a 4 to 5 hour cooking time. When the cooking time is over, check the roast for doneness. A fork should go in easily and the meat should be very tender. Remove the meat to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and potatoes of your choice.

HOME REMEDY: MILDEW

 With all the recent rains and humidity, mold and mildew are increasing problems. Jeanne Fischer of Austin sends along this solution from her great-grandmother’s remedy book: “Pour distilled white vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing. The smell will dissipate in a few hours. For light stains, dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water.”

RECIPE: GRANDMA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

  Austinite Terri Johansen, a fifth-generation Texan, offers this recipe from his grandmother, Juliana Franklin, one that was passed down through generations. He remembers hearing stories about how she used to buy vanilla and other ingredients from a Watkins salesman traveling in a buggy.

SERVES: 12

Ingredients

  For the cake

·       2 cups flour

·       2 cups sugar

·       1/4 teaspoon salt

·       4 heaping tablespoons Watkins cocoa

·       2 sticks butter

·       1 cup boiling water

·       1/2 cup buttermilk

·       2 beaten eggs

·       1 teaspoon baking soda

·       1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

  For the frosting

·       1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

·       1 ¾ stick of butter

·       4 heaping tablespoons Watkins cocoa

·       6 tablespoons whole milk

·       1 teaspoon Watkins vanilla

·       1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

Preparation Instructions

  Use an 18x13 sheet cake pan, or two smaller.

  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.

  Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

  In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

  While cake is baking, make the icing.

  Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

  Cut into squares and eat.

HOME REMEDY: SPRAINS, HEADACHES

  From Nadine Miller, who sent along a copy of “Remedies for the Practical Housewife,” an 1893 book that her great-grandmother used. “She, her daughter, and her granddaughter used these with great success,” she reports.

·       “For a sprain, mix a little turpentine with flour and the white of an egg and apply it to the part. This cures a desperate sore.”

·       “For the head ache, snuff up a little juice of horse radish, or boil a hand full of rosemary in a quart of water. Put this in a mug and hold your head covered with a napkin over the steam as hot as you can bear it. Repeat till the pain stops.

RECIPE: SUMMER MELON SALAD

  Austin resident Mary Conrad offers this month’s recipe, a summer fruit salad that that was passed down from her grandmother. “She use to tell how she and her sisters would gather fresh melons and berries from the garden, and eat them in a heavy whipped cream. It was their special summer treat,” Mrs. Conrad explains. “At some point she substituted the whipped cream for yogurt because it was less fattening. But is still delicious. Our family has had this on their table for four generations.”

Serves: 6

Ingredients

§  1 cup lemon yogurt

§  1 tablespoon honey

§  1 teaspoon lemon juice

§  2 cups watermelon balls or chunks

§  2 cups cantaloupe balls or chunks

§  1 cup blackberries

§  Springs of fresh mint

Preparation

  In a salad bowl whisk together the lemon yogurt, honey and lemon juice until smooth, and gently fold in the watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and blackberries. Toss to coat and then serve in dessert classes., garnished with mint.

RECIPE: HOME-MADE ICE CREAM

  A number of readers have requested an 1800s recipe for homemade ice cream, a summer delicacy in those days. The following is offered from The Modern Homemaker, 1899, found and submitted by longtime Austin resident Miles Freeman. Many thanks.

  Miles notes the recipe, which has been a summer favorite in his family for decades, is usually doubled because the finished product so quickly disappears.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

·       4 egg yolks

·       ½ cup granulated sugar

·       1 cup whole milk

·       1 cup  heavy cream  or whipping cream

·       2 teaspoons Watkins vanilla extract

·       Crushed ice

·       Rock salt

Preparation

  In a medium-size bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar; beat until thick and lemon colored. Set aside. 

  In a small heavy saucepan over low to medium-low heat, add the milk. Slowly bring the milk to a gentle simmer or until it begins to bubble around the edges. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat.

  Gradually stir hot milk into beaten egg/sugar mixture with a wire whisk. Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Over low heat, stirring constantly, heat until the custard-like mixture thickens and will coat the back of a metal spoon with a thin film, after approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Your cooking thermometer should reach between 165 and 180 degrees F.

  Do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle. If your custard base does curdle, immediately remove from heat and place in a blender. Process until smooth.

RECIPE: PAW-PAW'S FALL BRISKET

  Georgetown resident Tom Reichmann send along this month’s recipe with this note: “Paw-Paw was my grandfather, and every fall he used to cook brisket in the oven, not in a smoker. We served it at family reunions and other gatherings, and everyone loved it. He said he got the recipe from his father, who homesteaded near Taylor. We updated the recipe with Liquid Smoke, but otherwise it’s the same it’s always been.”

Serves: 12

Ingredients

§  10 pounds beef brisket

§  2 cans beef consommé

§  1/2 cup lemon juice

§  1-1/2 cup soy sauce

§  5 cloves chopped garlic

§  2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke

Preparation

  Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable pan is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.

  When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices.  

  Barbeque sauce may be used, if preferred.

  You may store pan in fridge for up to two days or freeze for use at a later date. If fat collects and hardens at the top, remove and discard.

  Brisket is great with potatoes, mashed or in a potato salad. Serve with a salad and pie and you’ve got yourself an All-American winner. Brisket is also great on a sandwich with melted cheese.

1897: PLANTING A FALL GARDEN

  From the Texas Gardener’s Handbook, 1897: “Milder fall temperatures bring out better flavors in vegetable gardens. Insects and disease are less of a problem. Both warm- and cool-season crops can be grown.

  “Warm-season vegetables include beans, cucumbers and summer squash that will not grow when fall’s cool comes. Plant them soon, adjoining newly planted tomatoes. Cool-season crops include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, radishes, spinach and turnips. They can be cultivated alongside the others.

  “Plant crops where they will receive at least six hours of direct sun daily. Root crops such as turnips, and leaf vegetables like lettuce tolerate some shade, but fruiting types such as tomatoes and squash need sun. A south or southeastern exposure is best, and when possible, plant rows in an east-west alignment. A garden that catches the early morning sun will dry more quickly, reducing the chance that harmful fungi or bacteria will develop.

RECIPE: SADIE'S PUMPKIN MUFFINS

austin resident georgia renfro sent along this month’s recipe, which she says is a family heirloom from her Great Aunt Sadie. “It’s been modified over the years, but is absolutely as delicious as ever.” It’s perfect at Halloween, especially if the frosted muffins are decorated with orange sprinkles.

 Serves: 12

 Ingredients

 Muffins

·       1 cup All-Purpose Flour

·       ½ cup sugar

·       2 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder

·       1 ½ teaspoon Watkins Cinnamon

·       ¼ teaspoon Watkins Ground Ginger

·       ½ teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg

·       ½ teaspoon Salt

·       4 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

·       1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree

·       ½ cup Evaporated Milk

·       1 whole egg

·       1 ½ teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

·       ½ cup Golden Raisins, if you like them

 Topping

·       2 Tablespoons sugar

·       1 teaspoon Watkins Cinnamon

·       ¼ teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg

 Frosting

·       ¼ cup softened butter

·       4 ounces cream cheese

·       ½ pound powdered sugar

·       ½ teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

 Directions

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

  Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully mixed. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

  Pour into a greased muffin pan. The batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to half full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.

  To make the frosting, beat all ingredients until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or with a large pastry bag with a large star tip. Store in the fridge, as icing softens at room temperature.