While I was searching through stacks of cookbooks looking for different cookie recipes, low and behold I found two local based cookbooks. One is from the Woolwich Tomato & Heritage Festival.
The other was a very interesting book called Down Jersey Cooking. This is a collection of recipes from Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties.
I casually opened the book to a page that featured a recipe from Alice Jess who lived in Swedesboro and was involved with Old Swedes Church. I thought I’d share this with you, along with a recipe from Nancy Pedrick of Bridgeport, and one from the Haines Family in Mickleton.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
According to the book, “At church suppers at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Swedesboro meatballs have been served from the earliest times. The recipe presented here is from the late Alice Jess. This is a church-supper size (48 – 50 meatballs) so you might want to cut the recipe in half.”
2 lbs. finely ground beef
4 tbsp. onion, finely chopped
2 beaten eggs
1 ½ c. milk
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 tbsp. caraway seeds
½ c. butter
2 c. beef bouillon or broth
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the flour, butter, and bouillon. Mix ingredients well. Use a teaspoon to form balls.
In a frying pan over medium heat, cook balls in butter until evenly brown; remove from pan. Add bouillon to pan. Combine flour with 1/3 cup of water; add to pan, stirring constantly until thick. Return meatballs to pan; cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
CRANBERRY PUDDING & BUTTER SAUCE
“This sweet and tart dessert recipe comes to us from Nancy Pedrick, Bridgeport, who has prepared this pudding since her college days and continues to do so. She tells me it freezes well.”
1 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. whole milk
2 c. whole uncooked cranberries fresh or frozen
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Mix and sift sugar, flour and baking powder. Add and mix in milk and cranberries, thaw if using frozen.
Pour into greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until done by testing with a toothpick. It should emerge free of any batter sticking to it.
In the meantime, prepare the butter sauce. Serve warm with the butter sauce.
Butter Sauce
1 c. sugar
½ c. butter
½ c. cream
Add all three ingredients in a double boiler, stirring for 15 minutes. Serve warm.
SOFT GINGER COOKIES
“The Haines family, owner of Haines Pork Store, Mickleton, who trace their roots back to England, have compiled a book of family recipes. One of them, this soft ginger cookie, shows the long popularity of molasses and lard in baked items in Down Jersey. In case you might shudder at today’s use of lard, bear in mind that butcher’s lard (not the hydrogenated store lard) is all natural and has one-third the cholesterol of butter.”
1 tsp. baking soda, plus 1 c. boiling water
1 egg
1 tsp. ginger powder
¼ tsp. cinnamon powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 c. lard, melted
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dissolve soda in one cup of boiling water. Beat egg in a large, separate bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients together and blend well.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls on lightly greased baking pans. Bake for 12 minutes or until done, but do not allow them to brown further at which time they will then overcook, despite being somewhat soft. Variations: Today’s baker might prefer to add a teaspoon of ground allspice, a pinch of cloves and a dash of black pepper.
Down Jersey Cooking, Celebrating our Heritage from Past to Present, was compiled by Joe Colanero.
I’ll try and remember to give you a few recipes from the Tomato Festival Cookbook during tomato season.
