vintage recipes - grace grits and gardening

July Cobbler, an old Ozark recipe

July 8, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Have you heard of a July Cobbler? Until last weekend I hadn’t, but I found this recipe in an old Ozarks Collection Cookbook someone left in our Little Free Library. I LOVE old cookbooks, and I’ve been reading it cover to cover. The cookbook is filled not only with old regional recipes but also snippets about traditions of a “storied region”. And there are sketches throughout, small pencil drawings of barns and farmers and crops growing in fields. This treasure is a great example of one of the many benefits of having a Little Free Library. I never know what will show up next.Continue Reading

Company Chicken (for the company staying in our guest quarters)

March 9, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Hey, hey it’s been a while since I made a recipe from Keiser’s Kitchen vintage cookbook, but today I present Company Chicken (originally submitted by C.W. Bell). Since I have company staying for a week in my guest quarters, how could any other recipe be more perfect? Unless it was called Tom Sweeney Chicken because Tom Sweeney is the writer-friend holed up writing in our guest quarters.

In case you haven’t been following along, click HERE for my post about the origins of the charming Keiser’s Kitchen cookbook along with a picture of me wearing lots of Aqua Net and a cardboard crown. (Other recipes I’ve tested from the same simple cookbook are linked below along with pictures of my guest quarters that I may or may not occasionally rent out.)

The chicken was falling off the bone tender and flavorful. My company liked it and if he didn’t, I have no doubt he’d let me know. He’s from the Northeast.

Here’s the recipe. So easy!

Check out the purple mimeograph ink:) And yes, there are vintage stains on this page so obviously my mother made this recipe once upon a time.

Company Chicken

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 frier 2 to 2.5 lbs, cut in half (I used a Tyson chicken because this is Tyson country!)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt
paprika
cornstarch
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

Method

Place chicken, skin side up, in shallow pan. Add butter, lemon juice, salt and paprika (I used smoked paprika). Cover tightly with foil and place in 325 degree oven. Cook about 1.5 hours or until done.
Pour off broth and thicken with corn starch. Add 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds, pour over chicken, increase heat and brown.

I loved the addition of almonds.

Serve with Arkansas rice of course!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
― Ruth Reichl

[tweetthis]Company chicken & #Arkansas rice – pull up a chair and enjoy this vintage recipe! @RicelandFoods @TysonFoods [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Rosemary Clooney, Come On A-My House

Other Keiser’s Kitchen recipes:

Peking Roast

Milky Way Cake

Yum Yum Cake

Our guest quarters…

Peking Roast (a Keiser’s Kitchen recipe)

January 24, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Whoa. It’s been a while since I posted a recipe from the famous Keiser’s Kitchen cookbook. (Famous to those who lived around Keiser, Arkansas in the 1970s.) I made this Peking Roast back in November for Game Day when Arkansas shut out LSU. Let’s say that again. “Arkansas Shut Out LSU.” What a perfect Keiser cookbook choice as it was contributed by Ruth Barnett and her son Craig (my like-a-brother best friend) was visiting for the weekend. See the connection?

Do you remember eating this roast as a child? I asked.

No, he said.

So that’s how that conversation went.

This Peking Roast was delicious and simple because while we tailgated, the crockpot did most of the work. We did have to consult with Ruth via telephone because like many of the Keiser’s Kitchen recipes, the ingredients and/or directions are a bit vague per 21st century standards (i.e. add seasonings).

What seasonings?

We decided that meant salt and pepper.

Unlike regular pot roasts, this one has a special ingredient —black coffee. The coffee gives the gravy a richness unlike water or broth. You can eat the meat with potatoes, your favorite side dish or salad, but I shredded the meat and made sliders. Perfect Game Day snack for celebrating a Hog Shut Out.

Peking Roast

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

5 pound rump roast
garlic & onion no measurements provided...
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee
1 cup water
seasonings to taste salt & pepper?
1/2 cup vinegar I used Rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon marjoram

Method

Cut slits through the meat. Insert slivers of garlic and onion into roast. (I used 2-3 spoonfuls of chopped garlic.) Mix vinegar, mustard, bay leaves, chili powder and marjoram. Pour over meat. Make sure it runs down into slits where the garlic and onion have been placed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, place meat in a large heavy pot and well brown in oil on all sides. Pour in water and coffee and simmer on top of stove 4 to 6 hours. (I cooked mine in the crock pot on high for 6 hours. I also added the rest of the onion because why not?) If needed, additional water can be added. Salt and pepper 20 minutes before serving. The gravy may be thickened or left as is.
Great served as sliders with cole slaw!