Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen Read online

  Some of the heritage seed companies offer historic beans ready for cooking, so you don’t have to wait to grow your own. As a testament to this shortcut, I have a lovely five-pound bag of cranberry beans sitting in my pantry. The baked beans made from them following Miss Leslie’s method are simply delicious, although I will admit to adding the traditional “Boston baked bean” spoon of molasses. As the lightly peppered beans, salt pork, and water to generously cover sat all afternoon in the oven simmering in my mother’s old bean pot, the kitchen filled with their earthy smell.

  We do have an image of President Lincoln eating baked beans. Dr. Henry M. Pierce and his nephew called at the White House. They were shown into a room and discovered President Lincoln “eating a plate of Boston baked beans” for breakfast. This was not an uncommon breakfast during the era. Many period cookbooks suggest hearty breakfast fare in their sample menus and include baked beans among them. Mrs. Bliss wrote in her cookbook, “Baked beans having stood a day or two, are very good warmed over. In some parts of New England they are considered indispensable at a Sunday breakfast.”

  Like beans, cabbage is another key crop with many uses. Of course it is good fresh and it keeps nicely in the root cellar well into the winter. Transformed by the German traditional, salt-cured recipe for sauerkraut, it keeps even longer. The Lincolns’ German neighbors may well have shared some of this homemade kraut to round out one of the family’s favorite dishes, corned beef.

  Even if the Lincolns didn’t raise a vegetable garden, they did have apples. And something had to be done with them. Famously frugal Mary Lincoln would have seen to it that they were not wasted. There are a lot of uses for sweet early apples like Jonathans. They make fine pies and sauce. But two trees could produce a lot of apples. When excess fruit is the challenge, recipes that convert the most fruit into the smallest amount for easy storage work well.

  It seems to me that a traditional apple butter would be the perfect way to preserve the Lincoln apples. Still, I can’t see Mary Lincoln actually doing the “putting up.” With three young boys about the house, all the sewing and mending she did, not to mention entertaining, she had enough to keep her busy. Making apple butter takes several hours of watchful stirring. It makes much more sense to let live-in or daytime help take charge of preserving. Or maybe Mary would have split the harvest with Mariah Vance, the free woman of color who worked on and off in the Lincoln household for years. Vance could have made the apple butter at home and brought back the Lincolns’ share.

  Most period apple butter recipes cook the apples in cider. Miss Leslie offers an apple butter recipe “without cider,” an essential for the Lincolns’ crop, as cider would not be plentiful when these first-of-the-season apples were ripe. Her recipe is huge, calling for eight bushels of apples and gallons of water and molasses. With all of those apples, of course, the apple butter would take a good while to cook. Miss Leslie specified eighteen hours! This kind of recipe also requires a huge cast-iron kettle cooking away on a backyard fire—and close attention, stirring the apples as they cook down and thicken. I decided to make a much smaller batch and let my slow cooker do the scorch-free simmering. I did a few quick calculations, basing them on a forty-two-pound weight for a bushel of apples and reducing the other ingredients in proportion. Two pounds of apples cook down to a couple pints of very nice apple butter, and it only took six hours!

  PICCALILLI

  This recipe takes advantage of pre-pickled vegetables as the basis for the layering of the exotic “Indian” flavors. The earliest recipes in the 1830s called for cooking the raw vegetables in the seasoned brine, drying them, and then covering them with cold vinegar. By the 1850s, cooks discovered that the delightful mixture of “white and green pickles” could be made by steeping already pickled vegetables in the new flavored solution.

  2 (16-ounce) jars pickled mixed vegetables

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 tablespoon dry mustard

  ½ tablespoon ground ginger

  ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ¾ teaspoon ground allspice

  ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  2 cups white wine vinegar

  Drain the mixed vegetables, put into a nonreactive, heatproof container, such as a stainless steel pot, and set aside. Wash the pickled vegetable jars in hot water and set aside. Combine the dry seasonings in a small saucepan. Gradually add the vinegar, stirring to dissolve the spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 1 minute. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Stir from time to time as they cool. Put vegetables back in their jars, add the spiced vinegar to cover, and store in the refrigerator for the flavors to mellow, about 2 days. Piccalilli will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

  Makes 2 pints

  ADAPTED FROM PERIOD SOURCES.

  PINEAPPLE PRESERVES

  Fresh and canned pineapples were sold in the Midwest by the 1850s. Homemakers who wanted to have these hospitality-famed fruits available year-round could use this simple technique for preserving the fruit in a jam-like spread. These preserves are easy to make. Just make sure you keep the heat moderate and stir frequently. The only other caution: make sure you use a pot that is four times larger than the volume of juices. They bubble up quickly as they get to the gelling point.

  A medium pineapple weighs about 3½ pounds; a trimmed pineapple weighs about 1½ pounds. A cup of white sugar weighs a half pound.

  1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced with any “eyes” removed

  Sugar equal in weight to the trimmed pineapple

  In a food processor or bowl to capture the juices, chop pineapple into ¼-inch pieces. Combine the sugar and pineapple and let stand for a half hour, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the juices into a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan. Simmer until the juices have reached the gelling point, about 10 minutes. To test, spoon some hot juice onto a chilled saucer. Return the saucer to the fridge for a minute. Then look at the jelly; if it wrinkles when you push it from the side and seems tender firm, it’s time to add the chopped pineapple to the cooking liquid.

  Add the pineapple to the saucepan and simmer, stirring frequently, until fruit is cooked and the juices are thickened, about another 10 minutes. Preserves may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 6 months. See home-canning directions.

  TIP FOR SUCCESS: If you don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh the pineapple to determine the amount of sugar, don’t despair. Most grocery stores sell peeled and cored pineapples in the produce department. Weigh it on the self-serve scales and you’ll be in business.

  Makes two 2-pint jars of preserved pineapple

  ADAPTED FROM PERIOD SOURCES.

  CUCUMBER CATSUP

  During the nineteenth century, homemakers made ketchup out of just about anything they could find in the garden or at the grocer’s. Everything from lemons to walnuts to mushrooms joined cucumbers, and finally tomatoes, as produce they chopped, simmered, and strained. This cucumber catsup is a tasty accompaniment for chicken, fish, or pork dishes.

  3 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and grated

  1 small onion, peeled and minced

  1 tablespoon salt

  2 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  1 ½ cups white vinegar

  Mix the cucumbers and onions with salt. Put the vegetables into a cheesecloth-lined colander and let stand for 1 hour. Pour out drained juices and gently squeeze the vegetable mixture until dry. If you want to reduce the salt content, you may rinse off the vegetable mixture before you squeeze it dry.

  Mix the salted vegetables, pepper, and vinegar in a heavy 3- to 4-quart pot. Cook gently until the mixture is hot and has turned somewhat yellow, about 5 to 10 minutes. Process with an immersion blender. (Or cool and then carefully process in a food processor or regular blender until smooth.) Return the puree to the pot and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking as it reduces and thickens. Pour into clean, sterilized j
ars and seal. Keeps for a month in the refrigerator. Recipe may be doubled and the catsup may be canned, following the directions for home-canning, or frozen.

  Makes about 2 cups

  ADAPTED FROM “CUCUMBER CATSUP,” PRAIRIE FARMER, AUGUST 1854.

  RHUBARB SPRING TONIC

  Most of the rhubarb recipes in period sources are essentially the same as our modern rhubarb sauces and pies. However, this tonic deliciously sums up some of the thinking about the refreshing essence of rhubarb, the best thing to get your system back up and humming after sluggish winter doldrums.

  4 cups sliced rhubarb

  6 cups water

  ¼ to ½ cup sugar, depending on taste

  Peel from 1 lemon, sliced thin

  Combine the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time until the rhubarb breaks down, about 10 minutes. Cool.

  Line a colander with several layers of damp cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Strain the liquid from the rhubarb solids, discarding them. Pour the rhubarb tonic into a jar or pitcher, add the lemon peel, and serve chilled in small glasses.

  Makes about twelve 4-ounce servings

  ADAPTED FROM “SPRING FRUIT SHERBET,” MRS. N. K. M. LEE, THE COOK’S OWN BOOK, AND HOUSEKEEPER’S REGISTER, 1842.

  TOMATO KETCHUP

  Cloves, two kinds of pepper, and cider vinegar combine to make a significantly spicy ketchup that stands up to the robust flavors of barbecue and grass-fed or free-range meats. I’ve given a range for the spices. Start off with the lesser amount, cook a bit, and taste. You may add more if you like.

  4 cups peeled and seeded fresh tomatoes, or one 28-ounce can of crushed no-salt-added tomatoes

  1 tablespoon salt

  1 to 3 teaspoons ground cloves

  1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated or ground nutmeg

  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  1 cup white or cider vinegar

  Chop the tomatoes into chunks and mix them with the salt. Set aside in a cool place (or refrigerate) overnight. Drain off the accumulated juices and reserve for another purpose. Rinse the tomatoes if you want to remove the excess salt.

  Process the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. If you are using canned tomatoes, start here. Put the tomatoes in a 3- to 4-quart heavy nonreactive pot. Stir in spices and vinegar. Cook until thick over medium heat, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn’t scald. Ketchup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. It may be frozen, or you may can the ketchup following the directions for home-canning.

  Makes three or four 8-ounce jars

  ADAPTED FROM “TOMATO KETCHUP,” PRAIRIE FARMER, AUGUST 1858.

  PUTTING UP PRESERVES AND PICKLING: Back in Mary Lincoln’s day the local dry goods merchants advertised “new pattern preserving glass jars,” and the state fair awarded prizes for all manner of home-preserved fruits and jellies.

  Traditionally, those ladies stored their pickles in heavy stoneware crocks and sealed their jelly jars by the somewhat hopeful method of soaking a sturdy cloth in brandy, putting it over the top of the jar, and securing it with a strong piece of string. Sometimes they advanced to using a pig’s bladder.

  Modern canning jars are a lot easier to seal securely, and they still come in pretty pressed-glass patterns. Home canning of preserves, pickles, jams, and jellies is fairly simple. It does involve boiling water, hot jars, and some common sense. These steps will work for the preserve and ketchup recipes in this book.

  You will need jars specifically designated for home canning and their related two-part lids. You will find them in most grocery stores. You also need a very large, deep pot with a lid. Hardware and cookware stores sell specialized “canner kettles” with racks that hold the jars up off the bottom of the pot. They are not very expensive and do a good job. Clean kitchen towels, a pair of kitchen tongs, and a ladle or 2-cup glass measuring cup round out the equipment.

  As your preserves or ketchups are cooking, wash the jars and then sterilize them either in the dishwasher or by boiling them, open side up, in the canning kettle for 10 minutes. Keep them warm in the dishwasher or kettle. Wash the lids and put them in a saucepan of just boiled water. Set the screwbands aside.

  When your preserves finish cooking, it’s time to can. Lift out a jar, drain out the water if necessary, and carefully pour the hot preserves into the hot jar using a ladle or the measuring cup. Do not fill the jar all the way to the top. Leave a ½ inch of head space between the preserves and the jar’s rim. Wipe the edge of the jar so that it is perfectly clean. Using the tongs, pull a warm lid out of the water and set on the rim. Take a screwband and screw it on until it is fairly tight, but not all the way.

  The next step is putting the filled jars back in the canner kettle. Do not fill more jars than will fit into the kettle. If you are using a regular pot, put a folded kitchen towel in the pot so that the jars are not in direct contact with the bottom of the pot. Also, when you put the filled jars in the pot, make sure to leave space between them so that the jars do not touch each other during processing.

  Now it is time to process. There should be enough water in the canner kettle to cover the tops of the jars by at least 1 inch. Return the water to a full boil and start keeping time. All the recipes in this book should be processed for 15 minutes for half-pint or pint jars. If you live at high altitudes, the timing will be longer. See the resources below for more information.

  After the processing time is finished, turn off the burner and carefully lift the jars out of the canning kettle and place on a heatproof surface away from any drafts. A sudden chill could cause the jars to break.

  If all has gone well, you will soon hear the cheery sounds of the jars sealing down. These “plinks” let you know your jars are safe to store in a dark cupboard or to give as gifts. As another test, you can press on top of the lids once the jars have cooled. If the jar is safely sealed, the lid will feel just like the lid on a tin can—sturdy and immovable. If some of the jars didn’t seal, not a problem. Just put them in the refrigerator. They will still keep for several weeks.

  There is an excellent online resource for home canning: the National Center for Home Food Preservation based at the University of Georgia, http://nchfp.uga.edu/index.html. There are other sources as well, including those by the manufacturers of canning jars.

  TOMATO TART

  Even though this tart might look like a pizza, the taste is very different. With a simple crisp piecrust base, the spiral of tomato slices mellow under the slightly sweet and spicy sugar and cinnamon topping. As the tart bakes, the topping transforms the surface of the tomatoes almost into tomato jam, with the still-fresh slices below. An elegant appetizer or snack from four easy ingredients.

  ½ of the Double-Crust Pie Dough recipe

  6 to 8 fresh plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

  2 tablespoons brown sugar

  1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll the pie dough out to a 10-inch circle and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Fold the outside inch of crust inward to form a slightly raised edge. Place sliced tomatoes on the crust, overlapping slightly in concentric circles. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and dust over the top of the tomatoes. Bake until the crust is lightly browned around the edges and the tomatoes are tender and lightly glazed, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  Makes 1 tart, to serve 4 to 8 as an appetizer

  ADAPTED FROM “TOMATO TART,” PRAIRIE FARMER, JULY 1860.

  BAKED BEANS

  Prolific cookbook author Miss Leslie called this “a homely dish, but it is by many persons much liked.” Attesting to its satisfying sustenance, she calls the dish “Pork and Beans” and categorized it with meats as a main dish, not as a vegetable. The beans are simply delicious. The key is the long and slow simmering with the salt pork before baking to concentrate the flavors.

  1 pound dry navy or white kidney beans

  ¼ p
ound salt pork

  ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  3 tablespoons molasses (if making Boston baked beans)

  The night before you want to serve this dish, wash the beans and remove any stray inedible bits. Put the beans in a large pot and add warm water to cover the beans by at least 4 inches. Let stand overnight.

  In the morning drain the liquid from the beans. Then add the salt pork, pepper, and enough cold water, again, to cover by 4 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Reserving the cooking liquid, spoon the beans into a bean pot or 3-quart casserole dish. Bury the salt pork in the middle. Add enough of the cooking liquid to cover the beans by about ½ inch. If you want Boston baked beans stir the 3 tablespoons of molasses into the pot. Cover the pot and bake until the beans are completely tender and the sauce is thickened, about 3 to 4 hours. Check about halfway through and add more of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary, to keep the beans from becoming too dry.

  Makes about eight ½-cup servings

  ADAPTED FROM “PORK AND BEANS,” MISS ELIZA LESLIE, DIRECTIONS FOR COOKERY IN ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES, 1845.

  MOCK-MOCK TURTLE SOUP

  Turtle soup was a rarity, but mock turtle soup recipes, where a calf’s head took the place of the turtle, appeared in many of the era’s cookbooks. A recipe for bean soup in the October 1855 issue of American Farmer takes the mocking one step further, using black beans instead of the calf’s head. “It is so like turtle soup that very many, who may eat of it, would smack their lips under the pleasing conceit that they had really partaken of the genuine article.” This is a thin soup, typically served as a first course.