When you start writing checks and other correspondence and put the date down as September you realize fall is just around the corner. School has begun and the leaves are starting to turn on some of the trees and the crops also show signs of maturity. I know I have to turn on the lights earlier if I want to see to read.
The garden is about done for the year although I can still pick a few tomatoes and more beans to share. The bean slicer that belonged to Robert’s mother is now in my possession and Mary also uses it. When the kids were little how they did enjoy putting the beans through the slicer. Grandma B. raised a flat bean she saved seed from for the next year. We still have some of those but I doubt they would even grow. I don’t think there could be much life in them anymore. I did find some flat bean seed but they didn’t produce like the seed we saved from year to year. Heirloom seeds are in demand and used for experiment. The new apple this year is First Kiss. I was listening to a report from the state fair and they were having a taste test. This apple is ready about two weeks before Honey Crisp and is quite tart. It didn’t seem like they were really enthused about it except for the color and crispness. It was probably a better pie apple than a raw taste.
My brother Donald passed away very suddenly on August 25. He was 88 years old and living in a nursing home for a while but had visited by telephone with his daughters that morning. While we knew his health wasn’t real great it was still a shock to have his life gone so unexpectedly. We will miss his sense of humor and interest in everything around him.
Cornbread was not on our menu when I was growing up however the Bloemendaal’s often had it, especially for breakfast. Others make it to serve with chili or some kind of soup. This recipe is more like what we refer to as a loaded dish. Warm syrup to pour over it and melted butter to serve with it. Moist with the added flavor of bacon. Anything is better with bacon so they say.
Cornbread
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup bacon drippings or butter, melted
1/8 teaspoons salt
Set a 9 or 10-inch cast-iron skillet on center oven rack and preheat oven to 450º. Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients in a bowl.
Carefully remove hot skillet from oven, lightly grease, and pour in cornmeal mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Slice into wedges to serve. 8 servings.
Breakfast Sausage
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Pinch ground cloves
2 pounds ground pork
Stir together brown sugar, sage, salt, black pepper, marjoram, red pepper, and cloves in a small bowl. Put pork in a large bowl and add spice mixture. Mix together well with your hands, then form into 12 patties, each 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. Uncooked patties keep up to 24 hours, covered, and chilled, or up to 3 months frozen.
Cook patties in 2 batches in a large nonstick skillet over medium -high heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest parts registers 160º in, about 5 minutes per side.
Mini Meatloaves
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stir together egg, cheese, milk, oats and salt in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to absorb milk. Add beef and mix well. Form 8 loaves with beef mixture and arrange in prepared baking dish. Stir together ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar in a small bowl, then spread over meatloaves. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of loaves registers 165º about 45 minutes. Serves 8
