Prairie Cooks

(Glorified Rice, Three-Day Buns, and Other Reminiscences)

by Carrie Young (University of Iowa Press, 136 pages, 1993)

Prairie Cooks : Glorified Rice,...

You’ll want to sit in a comfortable chair and read this book from cover to cover, perhaps rising from time to time to make coffee or see if you have the ingredients on hand for lefse (a thick Nordic tortilla) or Norwegian meatballs or hazelnut meringue torte. This delightful memoir combines the irresistible elements of humor, food, and love as the author tells about growing up, the youngest of six children, on her parents’ homestead farm in western North Dakota in the early decades of the 20th century. The hardy Norwegian immigrants who farmed those formidable prairies and braved the frigid winters tucked away prodigious amounts of food, drank vats of coffee, and marked occasions of happiness or sorrow with enough food to feed a small army.

The author’s daughter, Felicia Young, compiled and tested the 72 recipes in the book, deciphering notes written in Norwegian on scraps of paper and detailing the mysteries of lutefisk, lefse, and other legendary dishes, including those Three-Day Buns! A scratchboard illustration by artist Beth Krommes decorates the cover and title page. This book is a keepsake.

Recipes:

Florence’s Three-Leaf Clover Rolls

Proof yeast/warm water/honey mixture until foamy. Heat 1 cup water to boiling, remove from heat, and add the butter, sugar, egg, honey, and salt. Stir until butter dissolves, then cool to lukewarm. Add to yeast mixture along with 3 cups flour. Mix well and let rise for 1 hour, or until light. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour on pastry cloth, place dough on it, and knead until the flour is just absorbed. Place dough in a buttered bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at last 3 hours, or overnight. (Dough will keep up to three days. If storing, punch down once.)

Grease 18 muffin cups heavily with butter. Remove dough from refrigerator, punch down, and divide into 18 sections. Divide each section into three little balls and knead each one thoroughly before placing it in the muffin pan with two others. Brush tops with melted butter and let rolls rise about 90 minutes or until light in the pan. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Turn out of pans and serve warm. Makes 18 rolls.

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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pinwheels

Melt chocolate over boiling water, then let stand until it is cool but still spreadable. In a mixing bowl combine peanut butter, butter, sugars, and egg and beat well with electric mixer. Add vanilla, then 1-1/4 cups of the flour mixed with the soda and salt. With a wooden spoon stir in the remaining 1/4 cup flour until just combined.

Divide dough in half. On a well-floured surface or pastry cloth roll out each half to a rectangle about 1/8" thick. Pour half of the chocolate on each, spreading it very thin and almost to the edges. Roll up from the short side and wrap each roll in lightly floured waxed paper. Let cool for no more than 30 minutes. Slice rolls gently with a serrated knife into 1/4" cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 350°F, then lower heat to 325°F before baking the first batch. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 4 dozen.

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Rhubarb Jam

Wash fresh rhubarb. Do not peel. Cut stalks in half lengthwise, then slice thin. Coarsely grate orange peel, then cut orange in half and juice. Place rhubarb, orange peel, juice, and sugar in heavy saucepan. Let stand for several hours, then bring to a boil for one minute, remove from heat, and skim off top. Return to medium heat and cook until thick—about 30 minutes. Seal in hot sterilized jars. Makes five 8-ounce jars.

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Pioneer Pumpkin Pie

Refrigerate pie shell while mixing filling. Place pumpkin, brown sugar, and molasses in a large bowl and combine. In a small bowl combine eggs, melted butter, spices, and salt and beat well with an eggbeater. Pour over pumpkin mixture, add cream, and stir until smooth. Pour into pie shell. Place in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, then lower heat to 300°F and bake for up to an hour longer, or until a knife inserted in the filling comes out clean. Cool on rack and serve with liberal topping of freshly whipped cream sweetened with a little sugar and vanilla. Serves 8.

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Ginger Carrots