Country Kitchen:
Trails End Quilters and Cooking
By Mary Emma Allen
As I considered the quiltmakers in my family, I realized there were more
than my daughter, granddaughter and me. They went back to former
generations to give us truly a century or more of quilting heritage which
included my aunt, my grandmother, and other relatives.
I've begun to refer to our group as the Trails End Quilters since those
original quilters lived on a farm at "the end of the trail". Our present
home also is located at the end of a long driveway near the end of a dead
end dirt road. Eventually my grandparents' farm became known as "Trails
End".
Memories of Quilting
Some of my quiltmaking memories consist of sitting beside the wood
burning cookstove in my grandmother's kitchen hand sewing quilt pieces.
Nanny wanted to make quilts for each of us four children. I still have
the one with my initials in the corner...well worn, but surviving.
Then when the quilt tops were pieced together, my aunt, grandmother and
Susie, a neighbor lady, gathered for a quilting bee. Actually they tied
the quilt back, flannel filling, and back together with tufts of yarn
instead of stitching.
They didn't have a quilting frame, so spread the quilts on the large
dining table,. There they sat and chatted and tied. I was so pleased they
included me in the gathering so I could help with this phase of my quilt.
A Mother's Encouragement
My mom wasn't a quilter, except in her childhood. However, for some years
she operated a small country general store and sold quilts during the
Bicentennial years of the 1970s. With her encouragement, I began
quiltmaking again to provide quilts for her customers. This evolved into
a mail order quiltmaking business as well.
My daughter and granddaughter have taken up this art and I'm excited to
see the designs they create. They're introducing me to many novel new
techniques in today's world of quiltmaking.
Foods for Quilters
Quilting bees long have been associated with the quilters' favorite
recipes. Also, today's quilters need easy-to-prepare meals, or those they
can prepare ahead so their families aren't neglected while the
quiltmaking is accomplished.
I have recipes from the early quilters in my heritage as well as those
from quilters of today. Some quilt guilds also put together cookbooks as
fund raisers for their groups.
Perhaps I should compile a cookbook with recipes from my Trails End
Quilters heritage.
HANDY HAMBURGER SOUP - This is a "make-ahead" recipe my daughter
developed.
Brown 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey in Dutch oven. Drain off fat.
Add 3 1/2 cups water, 3 beef bouillon cubes, 1 chopped onion, 1 can (10
oz.) stewed tomatoes, 1 can (10 oz.) tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon
oregano, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 3 sliced carrots, 1 stalk chopped
celery and 3 medium potatoes cut into chunks. Simmer until vegetables are
cooked through.
Then add 1 can (10 oz.) or 1/2 bag frozen corn and 1 bag frozen Italian
vegetables. Simmer until these have cooked.
Each time Beth makes this dish she uses the basic recipe and varies the
vegetables depending on what she feels like putting in, has on hand, or
finds in season. Hamburger Soup can be cooked in the Dutch oven or a slow
cooker.
Good served with freshly baked bread or rolls.
Article (C) 2004 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing cooking columns for 40 years. She and
her family compiled a cookbook to preserve their food heritage. She
teaches workshops to show others how to do this, along with scrapbooking
their family recipes.
Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
