Depression Era Recipes Still Have
Appeal as Comfort Food

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Do you still crave the good comfort food that your grandmother made? Many times they were the simplest of recipes and made from very few ingredients, however, they were filling and something special on a cold winter's night!

My grandmother cooked the best red beans and anything else she made to go with them, was great.  But, she'd learned to cook during the Great Depression and knew how to season with the barest of meats and other seasonings to bring out the natural flavors. She's told of having to learn ways to serve beans for weeks on end, because that was basically all they had to eat. There wasn't any money for meat.

Try these Depression Era recipes for a great winter meal, that's sure to "keep the winter's chill from the door!"

 

 

 

 

Pinto Beans With Salt Pork

1 1/2 cups pinto bean

2 Tablespoons bacon grease or meat drippings

1 /8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon molasses

1 medium onion , minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Thin sliced bacon or salt pork

Cover the beans with boiling water and soak for an hour. Add one teaspoon salt, cover and boil until tender

(about 1 1/2 hours). Drain and save the liquid for soup or something else. Combine all the other ingredients,
chopping the salt pork or bacon. Add to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.
Remove the foil and bake until brown and crisp on top.

 

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Hot Cabbage Slaw

1 head of cabbage slaw, cut up fairly fine

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons vinegar

Put large skillet on fire with just enough bacon grease to keep cabbage from sticking.

Get the grease very hot and add the cabbage, stirring constantly to heat completely through,
adding vinegar gradually during the process (about 5 minutes).
Add salt and pepper and stir.

Serve immediately.

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These recipes are great served with fried green tomatoes and a pan of
cornbread, for a great winter meal!

 

 

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