by Rev. Racquel Ray, Associate Minister of Congregational Life
Happy New Year! The change of the calendar and the change in the weather bring also remembrances and renewals. Many of us review the previous year and resolve to make changes in the coming year. Some may choose to release actions that are not beneficial. And some may choose to add aspirational activities. I tend to ‘reset’ toward a simpler time.
Our family celebrates New Years Day with a simple meal of baked beans and brown bread. Years ago, (when we lived out of state) I would mail order Kenyon’s Corn Meal for Johnny Cakes for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras). I baked Indian Pudding in a pumpkin shell for harvest dinner. Now, we grow pumpkins, corn, beans, and brew maple syrup in our own backyard. These old traditional recipes were the topic at a recent Coffee Chat where church members gather for tea, coffee and conversation.
After the recent culinary heaviness of the harvest and nativity holidays. I’m ready for new fare filled with old traditions. The cod fish and clam chowders, Johnny Cakes, corn bread, baked beans, Indian Pudding, roasted winter squashes, and hearty soups of New England history beckon from my antique recipe books. These old recipes are also economical, [mostly] plant-based, and locally sourced. Many of the ingredients are on hand from our garden harvest! My go-to cookbooks this time of year are The New England Butt’ry Shelf Almanac by Mary Mason Campbell, Olde New England’s Sugar and Spice and Everything by Robert Ellis Cahill, and The Tasha Tudor Family Cookbook by Winslow Tudor.
When I was young, a neighbor would invite me to visit after school. Mrs. [Natalie or Nan] Harris was a kind, older woman who was once a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. She had knee length grey hair that she wove in an Irish knot at the nape of her head and held it in place with hair pins. Her husband, Mr. [Bill] Harris had once played for Arthur Feidler in the Boston Pops and could play any instrument in the orchestra – and had one of each instrument in their house. Mrs. Harris taught me how to cook.
Mrs. Harris’ Cod Chowder
2lbs fresh cod fish cut into big chunks
1/2C finely chopped salt pork
1 stick of butter* dived in half (or dairy free of your choice)
1 large onion minced
6 celery stalks chopped
4 potatoes cubed
2 C broth (clam, fish, or if necessary chicken)
4 C milk (or cream*, half n half, or plain dairy free of your choice)
1 tsp each salt and pepper
*Nan had her dairy delivered and used fresh butter and milk for this recipe.
In a large soup pot saute the salt pork until crispy and brown. Remove the meat bits onto a paper towel covered plate and set aside. Add one half of the butter to the hot pan combining with the oil from the salt pork. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add the celery and saute until bright green. Add the potatoes. Add the broth and simmer until celery and potatoes are soft. Add the fish. Add the milk and salt and pepper and the remaining butter. Serve steaming hot in warm bowls with crispy salt pork bits sprinkled on top. (Nan would make sure each bowl also had a pad of fresh butter on top)
Johnny Cakes – thick or thin*
2 C Kenyon’s Corn Meal** (fine ground white flint corn)
2 C boiling water
1 tsp salt
Warm milk to thin the batter if needed
Heat a griddle to 380 degrees. In a large heat proof bowl combine the corn meal with boiling water and salt let stand for 5 minutes to soften the cornmeal. Add warm milk until the batter is to your desired consistency. Butter the griddle and scoop large spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle (like pancakes). Do not squish! Do not flip or peak for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes flip the Johnny cakes for another 6 minutes until golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
*Rhode Islanders are divided on this issue. Some prefer thin cakes (add more milk). Some prefer thick cakes (add less milk).
**Kenyon’s https://www.kenyonsgristmill.com/home.html is a RI historic mill and brand which was once ubiquitous but is now hard to find. It is still a working mill in Usquepaugh RI and is also available at Peter Potts Pottery https://www.peterpots.com/ . White flint corn is a variety indigenous to this area.
This is the time of year for warmth and health. For me, this means warm dinners and a wood fire crackling in the living room; a brisk walk outside in the warmest and sunniest part of the winter afternoon; and plenty of rest, nutrition, and hydration. And, as the calendar and season turns to new I am warmed by the old and healthy traditional recipes of olde New England.