More Wartime Cooking: English Stew with Barley and Baked Samp

FDA wartime propaganda poster

In her introduction to Two Hundred and Seventy-Five War-Time Recipes (1918), Carolyn Putnam Webber writes that the recipes in her book originally appeared “on the slips used at demonstration lectures,” but that she had assembled them for everyday use. She confesses that her recipes represent her belief that “true economy does not consist of going without but in making the most of what one has.” Expressing her conviction that frugal housekeepers in the United States represent a “volunteer army,” Webber adamantly stresses that their efforts can “help avoid rations or restricted diets and stabilize prices.”

Below are two recipes from Webber’s book. They can be served together, or as separate dinners. For the English stew, use whatever meat is most economical. And the samp for the baked samp recipe is not hard to find: Samp is the same thing as hominy, save that it is cracked into smaller pieces.

English Stew with Barley

1 lb mutton
4 potatoes sliced
2 tsp salt
2 onions
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 tsp chopped parsley

Cut meat in small pieces and brown with onions in fat from meat. Add barley and 2 quarts cold water. Simmer in covered dish 1 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft.

Baked Samp

2 c. boiled samp
1 tbsp. butter substitute
1/4 tsp paprika
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
crumbs

Arrange samp, cheese and seasoning in alternate layers. Add milk, put crumbs on top, bake 20 minutes.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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Economical Recipes: Gingersnaps and Chowchow

wallflower – Erysimum cheiri

An 1894 edition of Good Housekeeping includes a delightful and informative article on the everyday workings of a small farm in the Ozarks. The “brave and cheerful” housewife at this farm, called Orchard Hill Farm, is “a self-appointed committee of ways and means to see to it that the outgo does not exceed the income.” Indeed, the good farm wife shares a number of ingeniously economical recipes with the journalist from Good Housekeeping. For instance, upon praising the farm wife’s excellent coffee, the journalist finds that it was half sweet potato; “chop them fine, dry and roast them, then grind,” the farm wife reveals, “I use a tablespoon of sweet potato to every tablespoon of coffee.”

Below are two very economical recipes from Orchard Hill Farm: ginger snaps and chowchow, a pickled vegetable stew. Feel free to reduce the quantities given in the recipes; they are intended to feed large crowds of hungry farmhands.

Ginger Snaps

One half gallon of sorghum, two tablespoonfuls of ginger, two tablespoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of black pepper, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, two large cupfuls of lard, two tablespoonfuls of soda flour to make a very stiff dough. Bake quickly. This makes a bushel of ginger snaps.

Chowchow

Two quarts of cucumbers, two quarts of green tomatoes, two quarts of onions, two quarts of cauliflower or cabbage. Soak in a weak brine over night. Cook separately until tender. For the paste use one gallon of vinegar, one large cupful of flour, one pound of mustard, one and one half pounds of sugar. Stir the paste until it boils then pour it over the vegetables.

 
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For the Long Christmas Fast: Kartofelny Gribnoy Sup

vintage Orthodox Christmas greeting card

Devout Orthodox Christians often fast more than 200 days throughout the year. From the Great Lenten Fast in spring to the Apostle’s and Dormition fasts during the warm months of summer, times of austere fare far outnumber those of decadence and plenty. During the long Christmas fast, which lasts from late November until January 7 (the Russian Orthodox Christmas), no meat, dairy or red-colored foods reminiscent of blood may be eaten: tomatoes, beets, red peppers and even carrots are forbidden. Fish is allowed only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Such dietary restrictions may seem daunting, but throughout the ages, clever Russian cooks have developed a varied–and delicious!–repertoire of dishes to enjoy during these prolonged fasts. Cabbages stuffed with flavorful vegetables, turnips covered in currents, crisp rice cutlets in mushroom sauce and savory pumpkin puddings are just a few of the dishes that grace the Russian table during the dark months of the Christmas fast. The Russians use different oils (hemp, nut, poppy seed and pumpkin being just of a few of their favorite oils) and herbs like nettles and sorrel to change the flavor of a particular vegetable dish. The combination of flavors is endless and the resulting meat- and dairy-free dishes are as complex and satisfying as their more decadent counterparts.

Here’s a traditional recipe for kartofelny gribnoy sup (mushroom soup with potatoes) from Culinaria: Russia. It’s a dish commonly served during the long Christmas fast. Serve it with a dense sour rye bread and a green salad (but no sour cream, please!).

Kartofelny Gribnoy Sup (Mushroom Soup with Potatoes)

9 oz/250 g fresh mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, button) cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 tbsp. oil
1 lb 2 oz/500 g potatoes boiled in their skins, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 1/2 quarts/ 1.5 litres water or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Fry the mushrooms with the onion and carrot in the oil; add the potatoes and herbs; pour over the water or vegetable stock and leave the soup to simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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And, if you’d like to help the Kitchen keep cookin’, please consider picking up copies of my books, Why Fast? and Fermented Foods.

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