Bless Your Spoon

By Stephanie Williams Dean

 

What better way to welcome newcomers and guests than with a luncheon menu steeped in local tradition?

Such was the Bowman Gray Medical Center Guild’s newcomer’s brunch, each dish prepared with a touch of Moravian history. Traditional dishes and delicious desserts reflected the culinary attitudes and simple tastes of early Moravian settlers – yet every bit as good today as they were back then.

The next time you welcome guests to your home, add a touch of regional heritage with the same traditional Moravian meal – paying homage to these early German settlers of Old Salem – you just might want to polish up on your knowledge of Moravian history while you’re at it. Hire a brass band to greet folks, and you will have outdone yourself.

TRADITIONAL

CHICKEN PIE

3 cups chopped, white chicken meat

¼ cup flour

1 ¼ cup chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pastry

2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¾ cup Crisco shortening

7 Tbsp. cold water

To make pastry, mix ingredients into a soft dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll out one half the dough in a 10-inch circle. Lay the dough in a 9-inch round pie pan.  Pour filling into pie shell. Roll second half of dough into 10-inch circle. Cover filling with top crust. Pinch crust edges together to seal and crimp.  Cut two slits in the top for air to escape. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

GREEN PEAS AND LETTUCE

10 oz. chopped fresh spinach

1 small, chopped head of lettuce

6 chopped, hard-boiled eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen green peas

1 sliced red onion

½ lb. grated Gruyere cheese

½ lb. cooked, crisp, crumbled bacon

Dressing

1½ cups mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. sour cream

5 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

5 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp Worcestershire

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange bite sized pieces of spinach in bottom of large salad bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In layers, add ½ lettuce and eggs. Salt and pepper. Repeat. Spread peas over top. Top with slices of red onion. Combine dressing ingredients, and spread over salad. Spread grated cheese over the top. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, scatter crumbled bacon over the top.

FRESH FRUIT MEDLEY WITH DRESSING

1 pint fresh, halved strawberries

1 pint fresh blueberries

5 large, cut peaches

Additional fruits if desired

Poppy Seed Dressing

1½ cups sugar

2 cups vegetable oil

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. onion juice

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dry mustard

3 Tbsp. poppy seeds

In a mixer, add sugar, oil, vinegar, and onion juice. Blend well. Add salt and dry mustard. Blend until thick. Fold in poppy seeds, and blend a few more minutes. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 2 ½ cups. Serve over fresh fruit.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2 beaten eggs

1¼ cup sugar

1 stick melted, salted butter

1 cup milk

1¼ cups mashed, canned pumpkin

1½ cups sifted, bread flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup raisins

In a mixer, beat eggs. Add sugar and mix. Add butter, milk, pumpkin, and mix well. Add flour, baking powder, spices, and mix well, but do not overmix. Fold in pecans and raisins. In a greased muffin tin, bake in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes or until done. Makes 2 dozen.

SALEM COLLEGE FRUIT TEA

3 Quarts boiling water

4 sprigs fresh mint

10 whole cloves

1 ounce tea

1 cup sugar

1-46 oz. can of pineapple juice

8 large juiced lemons (2 cups)

6 medium, juiced oranges (1 ½ cup)

Bring water, mint, and cloves to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add tea and steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Keeping tea hot, stir in sugar until dissolved. Add fruit juices while still hot. Serve cold over ice. Garnish with mint sprigs.

CITRON TARTS

4 beaten egg yolks

1 cup sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup softened butter

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vinegar

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. corn meal

2 tsp. lemon zest

2 dozen tart shells

In a mixer, beat eggs. Add sugars. Add softened butter and mix well. Mix in lemon and vinegar. Add flour, and cornmeal and mix well. Blend in lemon zest. Fill tart shells. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden. Makes 22-24 tarts.

CHESS TARTS

3 beaten eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup melted butter

6 Tbsp. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

6-8 tart shells

In a mixer, beat eggs. Add sugar and mix. Add butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and mix well. Pour into tart shells. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees, and bake 10 minutes or until tarts are set.

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

2 large beaten eggs

2 ¼ cups sugar

1 ½ sticks softened butter

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. lemon extract

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp. cream of tartar

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. nutmeg

In a mixer, beat eggs. Add sugar and softened butter. Add extracts and mix well. Add flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Mix well. Form dough into ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Roll dough out on floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Don’t overbrown.

MORAVIAN SUGAR CAKE

½ cup warm water

½ tsp. sugar

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

¾ cup warm water

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. dry milk

¼ cup dry instant mashed potatoes

½ tsp. salt

½ cup melted, cooled butter

2 beaten eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup melted butter

In a mixer, add warm water and dissolve sugar. Add yeast. Set aside until yeast bubbles. Add warm water, sugar, dry milk, potatoes, salt, butter, eggs, and mix.  Add 1 cup of flour. Beat at medium speed. Add 2 more cups flour and mix slowly. Place in a large greased bowl and turn so that top and bottom are greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour until it doubles. Punch dough down and then spread in a 1-inch shallow greased 17 x 12 pan, and let rise for 30 minutes.  Spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle entire top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Make thumb indentions over entire top. Pour melted butter over the top. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

LOVEFEAST COFFEE (50 cups)

1 ½ lb. regular grind coffee

1 ½ gallons water

1 ½ lbs. sugar

1 quart whole milk

½ quart half and half

Percolate or drip coffee. Dissolve sugar in hot coffee. Steam milk and half and half. Add to coffee. Serve hot.