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Wednesday, June 27, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Journey
through
Thyme
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Traditional foods
for Fourth of July
Next
We d n e s d a y,
Americans will celebrate the
signing of the Declaration
of Independence, the event
that sparked the American
Revolution and led to the
eventual creation of the
United States of America.
The Fourth of July is
a beloved holiday among
Americans — and the perfect
opportunity to fire up the grill
with family and friends.
No Independence Day
celebration in America
would be complete with-
out a picnic table filled with
some traditional favorites:
Hamburgers, hotdogs, buns,
potato salad, corn on the cob
and watermelon.
But when our forefathers
signed the Declaration of
Independence, it’s likely that
they celebrated with a feast of
rabbit, pigeon, lobster — and
turtle soup.
No one knows for sure,
but according to legend on
the very first celebration of
America’s birthday, John
Adams and his wife, along
with thousands of other
Americans on the East Coast,
sat down for a celebratory
meal of green turtle soup. The
traditional meal also included
poached salmon with egg
sauce, green peas, boiled
potatoes, Indian pudding or
apple pandowdy.
The popularity of turtle
soup died out when concern
about protecting the species
of turtle grew.
On the other side of the
plate, tomatoes and potatoes
have been a perfect pairing
for centuries. And as early
as 1781, Thomas Jefferson
served French-fried potatoes
with tomatoes at Monticello.
In 1927 according to
“Good Housekeeping’s Book
of Good Meals,” a good
July 4th dinner consisted of
canned tomato soup, broiled
lobsters, stuffed potatoes,
luncheon rolls, stuffed green
pepper salad and cherry pie.
Here are a couple of
“Porch Picnic” menus
that were published in the
Washington Post for July
4, 1934: Assorted breads,
rye, white, graham and fin-
ger rolls; assorted meats and
spreads including salami cut
in thin slices, spiced gold
tongue, ground ham with
grated pineapple and chopped
walnut spread, cream cheese
and green pepper spread. The
other Porch Picnic menu con-
sisted of hot ham shortcake,
pineapple and cucumber gel-
atin salad, ripe olives, cheese
crackers, iced tea, raspberries
and ice-box cookies.
In 1950 the Daily Tribune
reported: “It’s the custom in
New England to serve cold
salmon steaks on the Fourth
of July. No one knows where
it started, or why, but the cus-
tom is spreading to all parts
of the country. Perhaps the
color was responsible, but we
think it more likely that it’s
because salmon fishing is at
its height in July.”
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And in 1966 in the Navy
Food Service publication was
a “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
supper for the Fourth, which
featured a chili mac and
cucumber and sour cream
salad.
The recipe was submitted
by the USS Madera County
(LST-905)
CHILI MAC (10 portions)
2 1/4 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup onions, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons pepper
1 1/4 cups macaroni
2 1/2 cups tomato puree
3/4 cup canned tomatoes
3/4 tablespoon chili
powder
Cook beef, onions, salt
and pepper in skillet over
low heat until browned.
Cook macaroni according to
package directions; drain.
Add tomato puree, tomatoes,
macaroni, and chili powder
to browned meat. Simmer 30
minutes.
Today, food has become
less formal as it has changed
with the technology of our
times.
So why do we celebrate
Independence Day with
hot dogs and hamburgers?
Probably because America
is a nation of immigrants
with diversified taste buds.
The nation as a whole came
together with differing culi-
nary backgrounds, and that
helped to create and popular-
ize what is currently on your
Fourth of July picnic table.
But if you’re still craving
the historic dish, Americans
in the South make mock turtle
soup with veal or beef.
Here is a great version of
MOCK TURTLE SOUP:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 celery stalks chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 pounds ground
sirloin
1 (15-ounce) can tomato
puree
1 (14.5-ounce) can
chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can beef
broth
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
mixed with 1 cup water
1/2 cup Worcestershire
sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried
thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh
parsley
6 large hard-cooked eggs
peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sherry
Garnish lemon slices
In a large saucepan over
medium-high heat, melt but-
ter. Add celery, onion, and
garlic, and cook until just
softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add
sirloin and cook until meat
is browned and vegetables
are tender, about 15 min-
utes. Transfer to an 8-quart
slow-cooker.
To slow-cooker, add
tomato puree, broths, flour
mixture, Worcestershire,
ketchup, hot sauce, bay
leaves, thyme, salt, and pep-
per, and stir to combine. Cook
over low heat for four hours.
Add lemon juice and cook
30 minutes. Remove bay
leaves, and stir in parsley,
eggs, and sherry. Garnish
with lemon slices, if desired.