Field Meals: Menu 8

This past weekend, when the temperature nose-dived and the clock fell back, this focused farm wife was strategically considering the coming challenge.  Serving meals in a field in the dark in the cold.  What could I offer to keep everyone warm?  Soup.   And so a big pot hit the stove Sunday afternoon, ready for slurping tonight. Here’s the irony.  Today temperatures climbed to 65 degrees.  We slurped hot soup in the field in the dark on a lukewarm late fall evening. Mother Nature never cooperates.

Meal 8: Italian Vegetable Soup, French Bread, Glazed Apple Squares

Italian Vegetable Soup (from my mom)

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, do not drain
• 2 cups water
• 5 tsp beef bouillon granules (or 1 can beef broth)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1/2 cup small elbow macaroni

Brown beef; drain and add all except cabbage green beans and macaroni.  Boil, simmer 20 minutes (all day is better.), then add the rest. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when serving.

French Bread

I make french bread using the bread machine and recipe from Bread Machine, by Jennie Shapter.  OR buy a loaf at the store, add butter, maybe even garlic salt.

Glazed Apple Squares (from the Maytown Church Cookbook, Grace Bickett)

• 2 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 eggs, separated
• milk
• 1 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
• 5 cups apples pared, cored and sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening. In a measuring cup, beat egg yolks with enough milk to make 2/3 cup.  Add to mixture, toss slightly.  Divide dough almost in half.  Roll larger portion to fill a 15 x 9 jelly roll pan.  Sprinkle with corn flakes, spread apples over flakes.  Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples.  Roll out remaining dough.  Place on top and seal edges.  Beat egg whites until foamy; spread on crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool slightly. Combine powdered sugar, water and vanilla.  Spread on cooled squares.

TIPS: The dough will be sticky.  Add flour liberally to your counter-top or baking board and to your roller.  Don’t fret if you don’t cover the entire bottom of the pan.  And don’t worry about sealing the edges.  Edges, middles, it all tastes the same.  Delicious!