Member Recipe: Emily Kohler

So I think Emily and Susanna are in a tie right now for best side commentaries in their recipes. Here are three by Emily, with the promise for a highly illustrated header too!

Scrapple + Apple Butter

Scrapple

2 pounds pork

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper, sugar to taste

½ teaspoon sage

¼ cup finely chopped onion

1 cup cornmeal

½ cup buckwheat flour

Preparation

Combine pork, water, onion in large saucepan. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Drain, save broth.

Mix cornmeal, buckwheat, 1 cup water, salt and 2 cups of broth in saucepan. Cook, stir until thick. Stir in meat, onion, sage, and paper. Simmer covered for 1 hour.

Pour into loaf pan. Chill. Cut unto slices and dust with flour. Fry with butter in skillet until browned.

Apple Butter

Indredients:

4 quarts apples

2 quarts water

1.5 quarts apple cider vinegar
1.5 pounds sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cloves

Preparation
Wash and slice apples. Do not peel or core.

Add apples, vinegar and water to a large pot. Boil until soft.

Press apples through sieve to remove the skin and seeds.

Add sugar and spices to apple pulp.

Cook mixture until thick while stirring constantly to avoid scorching.

Jar. Serve with scrapple or bread.

Dandelion Salad and Warm Bacon Dressing

Dandelion Salad

Hunt dandelion early in spring for tender greens. Fight off competition (i.e. rabbits) with stick or booted foot.

Clean leaves and chop into pieces.

Bacon Dressing

Ingredients (approximate):

- 5-8 slices of bacon

- 1 egg

- 2 tablespoons flour

- 3 tablespoons sugar

- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

- 1/8 tablespoon black pepper

- 1 cup water

Optional:

- Hard boiled egg

- Onion

Preparation

Fry bacon in saucepan. Cut into bits.

If watching midsection, pour off bacon fat. If wishing to embrace your destiny, save about 4 tablespoons to add to dressing. Mix remaining ingredients (amounts are approximate... add to taste) with bacon bits and pour into saucepan. Boil and whisk until thick.

Pour warm (but not hot) dressing on top of chopped dandelion. Optional: Toss in hard boiled eggs and onion slices.

Hickory Nut Cake

Pre-cake prep: Find hickory nut trees. Collect nuts. Spend the rest of your life shelling them. Okay, fine, just set aside an afternoon and invite lots of friends over. I suggest using a hammer. MAKE SURE TO REMOVE ALL SHELL BITS. Or risk a life without teeth.

Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

½ cup shortening

1 cup milk

3 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup hickory nuts, chopped

Preparation

Mix ingredients, beat well.

Pour into greased and floured sheet cake pan.

Bake for 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Icing

Ingredients:

½ stick butter

1 egg yolk

¾ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream or canned milk

½ cup chopped nuts

Preparation

Melt butter and mix ingredients. Boil for 10-12 minutes. Frost cake.