Welcome to the Kitchen Korner

I am always hoping more people will submit recipes. A few years ago Hazel Hill, Great Village would send me several recipes two or three times a year. However, since her passing incoming recipes are scarce. I encourage people to look through some of the family cook books and send along some entries. Photo copy and drop in the mail, or copy and submit by email to: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com

If you have a favourite family recipe and would like it published in the December issue, please send on or before November 15th. Send to: The Shoreline Journal, Box 41, Bass River, NS B0M 1B0; Fax: 902-647-2194 or email: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com

PLEASE NOTE: Hoping you will want to use some of the older recipes uploaded to the Nova Scotia Archives. Reading and interpreting the old recipes can be challenging. For example, the ingredients are given by weight and not by cups, tablespoons, imperial or metric measure. Ingredients were also known by different names. For example, baking powder was called pearl ash and gelatin was called isinglass. Today's equivalents for several of the recipes tried by archives' staff are found in the modern methods section.

What's Cooking is the latest addition in a continuing series of digital products developed and released by the archives. For more information about archives' offerings, go to https://archives.novascotia.ca/


Kitchen Korner - Archives 2023

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November 2024 - Off to the polls on November 26th

I hope you exercised your right and got out to vote in the province wide municipal election on October 19th. We can’t rest or get ready for Christmas. Premier Tim Houston has just pulled the plug and we are off to the polls for a provincial election on November 26th. That’s eight months earlier than Houston enacted "fixed-date" legislation not long after he was elected premier, which had set Nova Scotia’s election date for 2025.

It more or less proves that regardless of political affiliation, all politicians are opportunists and will do whatever they want when it suits them. On would think, we would receive better governance from a ruling party if a "fixed date" election could only be changed and an election was held earlier if they were defeated on a "non-confidence" vote in the Legislature.

Going to the polls now is not a surprise. Houston had signaled months ago he might go to the polls this fall. Since then his government has been doling out money like there was no tomorrow.

Let me get off politics and give you an outline of something that made me happy when suddenly a recipe arrived in the mail from an unidentified subscriber. It’s always nice to get good new surprises at any time, but by mail seems extra special. Even though unsigned, I’ve decided to print for your consideration and use.

Frozen Cucumber Pickles

(NOTE: The writer added this note to the mailing: I brought this recipe home from a relative living in another province)

  • 3 Quarts cucumbers, sliced thin
  • 1 bunch celery – cut up
  • 1 ½ lbs onions – cut up
  • 2 Green, 2 Red peppers – sliced in small strips
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 4 cups white vinegar

Method: Heat salt, sugar and vinegar till hot. (Do not boil). Pour over pickles, let stand overnight.

In the morning put in plastic containers. Thaw out before use.

I used empty used 1 cup size small containers.

Notes: These pickles can be made year round, as ingredients can be purchased or grown.


October 2024 Kitchen Korner

It is about three weeks until the Municipal elections on October 19th. It won’t be long until the leaves will turn to their multi-coloured brilliance and not long after that we will be wearing our Remembrance Day Poppies and going to the services on November 11th. Time will pass by so quickly in two months from today when you are reading this this column on September 25th and to our horror three months from today is Christmas Day.

Most certainly don’t want to see or hear anything about Christmas until the ghosts and goblins come visit on Hallowe’en. It won’t happen, but would be nice to celebrate Remembrance Day services before the Christmas rush is on.

I’m not going to back myself in the corner by commenting on the election result forecasts or showing preference. However I will say thank you and congratulations to all the candidate who put their name forward to run to be a councillor or mayor. It is a mammoth decision and takes a great commitment of personal sacrifice, but you do get paid.

A warning or piece of advice to the electors (taxpayers). If you don’t vote on October 19th, you do not have the taxpayer’s right to complain who is councillor or decisions they are making during the next four years.

GET OUT AND VOTE ON OCTOBER 19!

I’m constantly looking through cookbooks to see what might appeal to me. The other day I was looking in the "low calorie" section and the following recipe caught my eye.

Sausages with Apple and raisins

  • 1 onion
  • 2 tblspns butter or margarine
  • 2 large German sausages or 4 large pork sausages
  • 1 cooking apple
  • 3 tblspns raisins
  • 3 tblspns clear honey
  • 1 tsp paprika pepper
  • 1 tsp sale
  • ½ tsp white pepper

Peel and thinly slice the onion. Melt the butter or margarine in a frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, then push to one side.

Add the sausages to the pan and fry until well browned on all sides. Meanwhile peel and core the apple and cut into thick slices.

Remove the sausages from the pan and slice. Keep warm. Add the apple slices to the pan and cook until very soft. Strain off the excess fat. Stir in the raisins, honey, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix with the onions.

Return the sausage slices to the pan and heat through before serving.

Serves 2: (about 540 caleries per serving.

Variation: Add ½ - ¾ cup drained sauerkraut to the apple mixture.


September 2024 Kitchen Korner

Summer is over, produce aplenty

t’s hard to believe summer is over and kids going back to school within 10 days. Here we are with produce aplenty from gardens; roadside stands, or the many produce shops. It is canning and preserving time for late fall and next winter, A great way to reduce the food bill and eat higher quality vegetables that you will find at the supermarket. The family pride that you grew it yourself, plus invested time to preserve or freeze is a bonus to family joy.

Before you know it October will be here and the leaves will be turning. Not to wish time away, but by October we will be about a month ahead of the USA election . (What a mess they have on their hands)

Some time ago, a friend called leaving a voice mail for me to call her back as soon as possible. Thinking something tragic happened I called back as soon as I could, only to find out she was in a panic wondering what to do with all the green tomatoes, she had picked to get ahead of Jack Frost.

She mentioned she had already made several batches of green tomato chow, and had enough to give as Christmas gifts to family and friends, but she wondered what she could do to use up some more of her abundant crop.

I scurried around and came up with a great recipe for "Green Tomato Mincemeat". With the high cost of meat right now, about 50% more than this time last year, green tomato mincemeat is great way to get the texture, smell and flavour, and still be able to serve to those to refuse to eat meat. I’ll share it with you in case you have a surplus of green tomatoes:

Green Tomato Mincemeat

Makes about 6 X 500 ml jars Green Tomato Mincemeat is a savvy and delicious way to use green tomatoes at the end of the harvest season: excellent for gift giving during the holidays

Ingredients

 

Maurice Rees, Publisher
The Shoreline Journal
Box 41, Bass River, NS B0M 1B0
PH: 902-647-2968; Cell: 902-890-9850
E-mail: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com