Family recipe Monday: cooking outdoors

Camp grill and stove made from old oven parts and petrified wood, Lemmon, South Dakota.

Definitely (one hopes) one of a kind. I want it.

With summer almost on us (never mind what the calendar says--in museum land, it's Memorial Day to Labor Day), it's time to start thinking about field work and field cooking. We have a lot of potential sites to cover and a number of people to feed.

Our dear friend Pat has made a second (third? fourth? and all concurrent) career as a gifted camp cook for paleontological projects. Her philosophy is that people work, sleep and get along better if they are fed well. That does not mean two weeks of reheated canned chili. She has a fat file of recipes for dishes that can be easily expanded to fit the number (and appetites) of people at hand, prepared easily, and adapted to local ingredients and conditions. Hers may be the only field expeditions on which people gain weight. Leftovers have never been a problem.

Here is a classic and one of Pat's standards, with her permission. This is for anyone who doesn't believe that camp cooking can be both easy and good.

Pat's green chile chicken/vegetable stew for a crowd

Saute in olive oil *(about 1/4 cup):
1 large onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, halved

Cook until soft and add:
4 4-oz. cans diced green chile
2 28-oz. cans green enchilada sauce (salsa verde)

Cook briefly to combine and add:
2 T each: ground cumin, red chile powder, green chile powder*, ground coriander, chile-lime powder

Add and cook 15 minutes until soft:
6 medium potatoes (unpeeled, chopped)
2 zucchini, halved and chopped

Add:
1 24-oz packages grilled chicken strips
2 14-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 14-oz cans corn, drained
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
2 14-oz cans green beans (drained), ONLY if no zucchini available

Simmer on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, and grated cheese.

*New Mexicans will point out that this is the Christmas combination: red and green chile combined. Reduce the green chile powder to make the stew milder.

Now get out there and find something.

Family recipe Monday: fall poultry casseroles

Chicken casserole

We are digging like maniacs through the Simple Gifts family recipe files in preparation for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure yet what we'll be cooking, or where. When you work on a college campus, you start gathering in the Thanksgiving orphans about now and planning a family-style celebration for everyone who doesn't have time to get home and back. The kitchen and dinner house may not be decided until the last minute and may not even be the same house. I'll post the menu as it develops with everyone's contributions. The best dinners are always the ones that reflect everyone's culture and heritage from all points of the map.

In the meantime, here are some casserole recipes from the older West Texas girls. These are also spectacular with leftover turkey, which is why I am posting them now.

Chicken casserole

7 chicken breasts
Salt to taste
Poultry seasoning to taste
Onion pieces
Celery pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1 10-oz can mushroom soup
1 10-oz can chicken soup
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
½ lb. sharp cheese, grated
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. MSG
2 T chopped pimientos
2 cans asparagus tips
1 8-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
½ cup slivered almonds

Boil chicken in water seasoned with salt, poultry seasoning, onion and celery pieces. Sauté chopped onion in butter, and add remaining ingredients (except asparagus, mushrooms, chicken and almonds). Meanwhile, cool chicken. Bone and cut in bite-sized pieces. In a casserole, layer chicken, asparagus, and sauce. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Top with almonds. Bake at 350* F for 45-60 minutes. Serves 8-10.
--Audrey Smith

Note:  As I have mentioned before, I am presenting the recipes as written, without edits. I don't want to rewrite history, and the ingredients and methods of these recipes (condensed soups, pimientos, etc.) lock them firmly into their time and place. That being said, I think you can safely skip the MSG if you suspect that anyone is sensitive or allergic to it. You can (and I would) also substitute fresh mushrooms and asparagus for canned ones. This is a big recipe, so you can observe the two-casserole rule. In fact, you should. There are casserole sharing laws, you know.

There are dozens of versions of this Texas favorite; I went with the one from Aunt Melba. I'm with her on the corn tortilla question--it makes a better casserole base to have several layers. Dipping the tortillas in warm sauce or stock is essential: don't skip this step, especially if the tortillas have been refrigerated.

King Ranch casserole

1 large fryer
Corn tortillas
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 T chili powder
¾ lb. grated cheese

Boil chicken. Bone and cut in bite-sized pieces. Dip tortillas in chicken stock for a second and line bottom and sides of oiled casserole dish. Simmer onions and pepper in stock until tender. Mix with soups, tomatoes and chili powder. Put layer of chicken on tortillas and add layer of soup mixture. Put another layer of tortillas, chicken and rest of soup mixture. Top with cheese. Bake about 45 minutes at 350* F.

Melba’s note: I use several layers instead of 2 because we like the tortillas.
--Melba Campbell Johnson

Here is another one from Melba: simple but elegant.

Melba’s chicken and rice

Brown chicken in ½ to ¾ stick oleo. Add 1 cup rice, 2 ½ cups water, 1 package onion soup mix, salt and pepper. Mushroom soup may be added. Place chicken on top of rice and cook in oven 350* F for one hour.
--Melba Campbell Johnson

Happy Monday. What are you thankful for this year?

Family recipe Monday: soup's on

October light on a prairie church, which may have doubled as a schoolhouse

It's October, and soup sounds good on the chilly nights. Soup recipes include the ultimate comfort foods in our (and most likely your) families. There is nothing quite like them, especially for a crowd on a cool night. Many soups are meals in themselves. What’s even better is that many of these are very forgiving recipes that encourage and respond well to experimentation, substitutions, or panic-stricken corrections. Ask us how we know. Better yet, don’t.

Many soups really didn't have written recipes as much as they had vague directions that start with making a stock and end with "...and see what else is in the refrigerator that can be added." For many households, the soup pot stayerd at the back of the stove on a permanent low simmer, with ingredients tossed in the night before for the next day's supper. Dinner is the big main meal at noon in the country, remember. Supper is a lighter meal, at night, and often consists solely of a hot, hearty soup and some form of bread.

Here are a few of our favorites from the Simple Gifts files. We've already shared the definitive, classic chicken and dumplings recipe; the first three of these are from the Pennsyvania Dutch side of the recipe box.
  

Basic white chicken broth

6 lb. chicken backs, necks or bones, or 6 lb. stewing hen cut into 8 pieces
1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 bouquet garni (10 fresh thyme springs, 1 large bunch parsley, 1 bay leaf tied together, or 2 T dried thyme, 1 bunch parsley, including stems, coarsely chopped, and 1 crumpled bay leaf, all in cheesecloth bag)

Trim excess fat and all skin from chicken. Put vegetables and bouquet garni in the bottom of a 10- to 12-quart stockpot, add the chicken and pour over enough water to barely cover. Heat over medium to high heat until the eater comes to a simmer. Turn the heat down low enough to keep broth at a slow simmer and cook for about 3 hours, For the first 30 minutes, occasionally skim off any fat or froth that comes to the surface. When broth is done, strain into clean heat-resistant container. Let cool for an hour before refrigerating. Next day, spoon off and discard any fat on surface. Yield: 3 ½ quarts.
--Dolly Shaffner Hess

Dolly’s matzo soup

Sent to Gene, Friday, November 7, 2003. In her own words:
I like to soak the chicken in salt water overnight...Use as much chicken as you like, any parts you want. After soaking, rinse well and put into a pot big enough to hold it and enough water to cover it. This is not an exact science so you have to use common sense with the seasonings.

Add to pot:

• ½ to 1 tsp (more or less) coriander seeds—crushed—amount depends on how much chicken you use and how much you like the delicate lemon flavor of coriander
• 1—3 cloves (more or less) of garlic—chopped finely if you plan to leave it in or sliced if you intend to skim it out.
• 1—2 ribs of celery cut in chunks or ¼ tsp celery salt—not seed
• ½--1 tsp whole black peppercorns or ¼--½ tsp ground
• 1 tsp salt to start—add more later as needed
• If your matzo mix has a flavoring packet in it, add it at the end.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook an hour or so until chicken falls off bones. Remove chicken and let cool, then bone. Using a skimmer spoon, remove everything you can from the broth. Return chicken to broth. Add 2—3 envelopes Herb Ox chicken bouillon (or flavoring packet if you have one). This comes in a green box not a jar and be very careful you don’t get the low sodium junk. Bring broth to a boil and reduce to simmer. Taste for salt and flavor. Add more bouillon if needed.

Meanwhile, mix the matzo ball dough as directed on the box. Drop by small spoonfuls into simmering soup. Cook as directed on box. Serve immediately. Bon appetite!
 --Dolly Shaffner Hess

White bean soup with rosemary

2 T olive oil
1 ½--2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (1-2 medium)
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 large branch rosemary (5-7”)
~3 cups drained cannellini beans (2 14.5-ounce cans)
4 cups chicken stock or broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large, wide-bottomed stock pan or saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add onions, garlic and whole rosemary branch and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the beans and stock, cover partially, increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer and cool for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary branch. Transfer cooled soup to a food processor and puree in batches. Return soup to pot and place over medium heat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
--Dolly Shaffner Hess

This one will warm you through in any weather.

Tortilla soup

2 fresh medium tomatoes
½ cup light olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeño, chopped
8 cups chicken broth, with bay leaf
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 6” corn tortillas, cut into slivers

Hold tomatoes one at a time over the burner flame, using a long-handled fork, or cut in half and broil cut side down on foil under broiler. Skin will brown and is easily peeled off. Squeeze seeds and juices from peeled tomatoes and chop. Heat all but 3 T oil in a small skillet and sauté garlic, onion and jalapeño until wilted and just beginning to turn golden. Add tomatoes and sauté until juice evaporates and mixture thickens a bit. Add to chicken stock in a 3-quart saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes and adjust seasonings. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 T oil in a heavy 10” skillet and brown tortilla strips in batches, turning frequently so that strips are and even golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Divide strips among 6 to 8 bowls and ladle soup over them. Garnish with grated Monterey jack cheese, minced jalapeños, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream or yogurt and lime wedges.


Happy Monday. Happy 50th birthday to Gnat! We will provide a birthday feast when we see you next.

Family recipe Monday: chicken and pasta

Left to right: Vada Brooks Johnson, unknown child, Coy McLean Brooks, Mary Marcella Walker Brooks, Lubbock, 1940s. Daughter, daughter-in-law and mother.

We hit the Farmers' Market in Founders Park on Saturday, the first one of the summer. It's still a bit early in the produce year up here, but not too much so. Results: rhubarb, asparagus, radishes, a nice Hutterite chicken, and two triple-berry cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The rolls were on sale at a place that primarily sells fresh produce, therefore they were automatically health food by association. Honest. The tamales on sale will also be pure health food, for the same reason. Now we're trying to figure out if we make the resultant rhubarb pie with peaches and/or blackberries included, or if we leave the rhubarb in splendid isolation. That'll be health food, too, as it contains fresh fruit. We are practically exploding with health around here.

This particular chicken will be roasted to save all that free-range goodness, but the Simple Gifts files are full of other suggestions. Pairing chicken and pastry or pasta is especially frequent. Here is the classic family recipe that no one ever wrote down until Shirley and I sat down and pieced it together.

Chicken and dumplings

Boil 1 chicken (pieces) in 3 gallons water. Remove chicken and shred meat from bone. Reserve meat and discard bone and skin.

Make the dumplings by cutting Crisco into flour with pastry cutter until it looks like coarse meal. Add just enough ice water to make dough stick together and roll into ball. Roll out thin and cut into strips with knife. Cut strips into squares (about 2”) and add to boiling broth. When done, add 1/2 gal. milk to broth. Serve hot.
--Mary Marcella Walker Brooks, Vada Brooks Johnson

Another classic of country cooking and a comfort food without equal. This recipe was never really written down; it was one of those things that was just passed down. You're supposed to know this stuff genetically, I think.

Note: we usually leave the chicken meat on the side so that people can add as much as they like (or don’t). It can just as easily be added back to the broth before serving. The only other spices added to the broth might be salt and pepper to taste, and that is often left out of the cooking and placed on the side instead. I don't add milk to the broth, personally. You may, if you are not a strict traditionalist, prefer fresh or dried herbs in the dumplings; I can recommend lemon thyme highly.

This recipe makes Gene and me nostalgic for the Delaware diner we frequented. Sunday mornings featured all-you-can-eat chicken and dumplings starting at 10, a special not listed on the menu.You just had to know about it. Gene makes careful note of whether dumplings are floaters or sinkers, as good Pennsylvania Dutch cooks prefer the former. I can't say I ever noticed that there was a difference, possibly because this recipe makes sinkers and that's all we knew. There are slippery dumplings, too. Who knew? Shirley notes that, in her latter years, Vada substituted strips of flour tortillas for rolled-out dough dumplings as a work- and time-saver.

Here is a great crypto-classic. This makes a casserole, in case you're curious what the outcome is.

Chicken tettrazini

1 large chicken, cook and remove from bone
1 large package spaghetti or macaroni
1 lb. cheese
1 can pimiento
1 can mushrooms
1 can mushroom soup
½ can ripe olives
1 large onion, celery and 1 bell pepper, cooked in bacon drippings

Cook spaghetti in chicken broth.
--Vada Brooks Johnson

That's it. Those are the directions. What are you waiting for? This one practically needs a full concordance, doesn't it? You are going to cook the chicken in water until it is done and leaves you with a lovely stock/broth. After removing the chicken to cool and debone, you are going to use the stock to cook the pasta. Strain the pasta from the stock and save the stock for another day. Its job is done for now. Layer the ingredients with pasta first, then everything else in order, repeating as needed, with a layer of cheese on top. Bake the casserole at 350* for 30 minutes or so, until the top is nicely golden. This is enough for two casseroles, in accordance with the casserole rules.

The cheese is your call; I'd use a nice white cheese like a Gruyere or buffalo Mozzarella, but I'm sure that this recipe originally used a Cheddar more on the mild side than the sharp side, affectionately known as rat trap cheese. Obviously, you can use something other than bacon drippings to saute those vegetables. The can of mushroom soup puts this recipe firmly in the 1950s, as does the "pimmento," as does the pasta itself, which arrived relatively late in West Texas. This is a good solid Sunday night supper. Remember, dinner is at noon; supper is at night.

The third and final recipe today is another winner from our wonderful Aunt Coy. You can tell by the various cards' condition just how popular it has been. It has those 1950s ingredients, too.

Aunt Coy’s chicken spaghetti

1 fat hen
1 green pepper, chopped
3 stems celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 boxes spaghetti
1 can pimientos
1 can mushrooms
½ lb. cheese, grated
1 can mushroom soup

Cook chicken until tender in chicken broth salt and pepper to taste. Cool chicken, then remove from bone and cut into small pieces. Remove 1/4 cup fat from chicken broth and fry pepper, celery and onion in it until it is tender. Cook spaghetti until tender in chicken broth (add more water if needed) add chopped chicken and pre-cooked pepper, celery and onion. Place in casserole, cover with grated cheese, heat in slow oven until cheese is melted. (Good made day before and warmed on serving day.)
--Coy McLean Brooks

Happy Monday. Remember to keep one and share one.