A Holiday Meal on the Trail

The following are some pioneer recipes that were served on special occasions like holidays...many of them we still eat today!

Greens with Bacon and Vinegar

10 fresh greens (spinach, mustard, swiss chard, dandelion)
5 slices of bacon
1 T vinegar
Wash greens, remove stems, tear in medium pieces, Toss.
Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.  Cook in Dutch Oven until crisp.
Add green to  2 T bacon drippings and cook until wilted 6-8 minutes.
Add bacon and 1 T vinegar and toss.  Serves 6.

(In Indiana growing up my Mother would make Wilted Lettuce with Hot Bacon Dressing...sounds very much like this recipe)
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Boiled Potatoes and Peas

3 large potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 c peas (thawed if frozen)
3/4 t dillweed
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Peel potatoes and cut 1/2 lengthwise.  Place in Dutch Oven add water to cover and boil.  Reduce to medium heat and cook 20 minutes until tender.  Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry until crisp.
Reserve 2 T bacon drippings in skillet.  Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
Add potato slices and peas to skillet.  Over medium heat cook 4 minutes  turning gently 4-6 minutes.  Stir in bacon, spices.  Cook 2 minutes.
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Dried Apple Dumplings

8 oz dried apples
7 cup of water
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1 T lemon juice
Chop apples in pieces and combine with water, sugar, cinnamon and ginger.  Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 25 minutes.
Add lemon juice, cook 5 min covered.  Remove cover and drop dumplings over simmering apples. Cover tightly over medium heat 15 minutes. (Do not remove cover)

The Dumplings
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 t baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup water
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl.  Beat egg and water by hand.  Add to flour.  Mix with spoon until moistened.  Do not over stir.  See above on when to add to apples.

Serves 6
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Venison Stew


1 large onion
2 lbs. venison
1 T oil
4 cups beef broth
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 1/4 t marjoram
2 carrots
1 medium parsnip
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup water
Chop onion.  Cut meat into 1 inch pieces
Heat oil in Dutch Oven over medium high heat.  Cook meat and onions until browned.  Stir in 4 cups broth, spices, and cook 40 minutes on low heat, partly covered.  Chop veges in pieces and stir in.  Cook 1 hour.
Mix flour and water until smooth, stir into stew and cook 5 minutes until thicken.  Serves 7-8.
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Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint strawberries
1 1/2 cup thick cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 t salt
1 cup canning salt
5 lbs. crushed ice.
Rinse strawberries, trim and slice in half.  Mash strawberries until smooth.  Add cream, sugar, and salt.  Blend until smooth.
Pour into coffee can, seal well.  Spread 2 inch layer of crushed ice in a large coffee can.  Set the smaller can with the strawberries in the middle.  Sprinkle 2 T canning salt on the top of the ice. Pack with ice up to 1/2 inch of smaller can height.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup canning ice on top. Pack ice to the top and sprinkle 2 T canning salt on top.  Seal larger can.  Roll back and forth slowly 5 min..  Carefully remove seal and pack ice  to the top again.  Sprinkle 2 T canning salt. Replace lid and seal again.
Repeat process of rolling and repacking 11-13 times.

(Obviously this was a summer treat, and one that would depend on the availability of fruit and ice...but it was such a cool way to make ice cream, I wanted to share it.)


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!