From Ree Drummond’s www.thepioneerwoman website, we have her recipe for Glazed Easter Ham. She says, “Look for a fully-cooked, bone-in ham that isn’t spiral cut – it stays juicier in the oven! Shank-end hams are the big, beautiful hams you’re used to seeing for the holidays, and they work great here.” The sticky-sweet glaze is made with a can of soda and a few other ingredients, then thickened in a pan on your stove for about 15 minutes. Even I can handle that! 

Gnocchi takes this simple pasta primavera to the next level! This recipe also comes from Ree Drummond, who began blogging many years ago about ranch life and homeschooling. She called her blog, The Pioneer Woman. About a year later, she posted her first recipe and a tutorial on “How to Cook a Steak.” 

From Joyce LaFray Young’s book “Country Cookin’,” we are going to try a very simple dish: Fried Squash. This recipe comes from Hopkins Boarding House in Pensacola. You can use either yellow squash or zucchini. They describe it as, “A nice change for an old favorite!” 

For a showcase dish for your Easter Dinner table, this Spinach, Strawberry, and Hearts of Palm Salad from pauladeen.com fills the bill very well. Not only nutritious, it is beautiful and delicious! 

Hearty Country Cooking has another treat for us: fried apples. Mark Sohn says they aren’t really fried; they are braised. They are not candied or glazed, and you do not caramelize the sugar or thicken it with long, slow cooking. Serve these warm for breakfast, with pork chops, country ham, sausage, gravy, grits, eggs, biscuits, and hot sorghum. Add orange juice, milk, and coffee. 

From Taste of Home, we found a lovely recipe for Lemon Pudding Cake. Reviewers gave it a five-star rating! It is a real make-at-home cake! 

GLAZED EASTER HAM 
By Ree Drummond 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 whole fully cooked bone-in ham (15 to 18 pounds) 
Whole cloves 
3 cups brown sugar 
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard 
1 can Dr Pepper or Coca Cola 
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. 2) Score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern about 1/8-inch deep. Place cloves in the middle of each diamond. Place the ham in a large roasting pan with a rack, tent it with foil, and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours for a ham portion, or longer, for a whole ham. (Some hams may require 3 to 3-1/2 hours at a lower temperature; just check the package directions.) 3) In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and soda until bubbly. Cook until glaze is reduced and a bit thicker, about 15 minutes. 4) After 1-1/2 to 2 hours of baking time (depending on the size of the ham), remove the foil and brush the glaze on the ham in 20-minute intervals (put the ham back in the oven, uncovered, in between) until it’s nice and glossy. You want to glaze 3 to 4 times.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving. 

GNOCCHI PRIMAVERA 
By Ree Drummond, thepioneerwoman.com 

INGREDIENTS: 
Kosher salt to taste 
2 cups broccoli florets 
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
10 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
2 17.5-ounce packages refrigerated gnocchi 
Juice of 1/2 lemon 
4 tablespoons salted butter, cubed 
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
Finely chopped fresh chives, for topping 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it nearby. 2) Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. 2) Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove the broccoli and set the strainer in the ice bath. 3) Return the water to a boil and repeat with the asparagus, then the green beans in the same pot, placing each in the ice bath. Drain the vegetables. 4) Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and stir. Cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the gnocchi. 5) Return the gnocchi to the pot along with the vegetables, lemon juice, butter, parmesan, pepper and 1⁄2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Stir well and season with salt; add more cooking water as necessary to coat the gnocchi and vegetables. Serve topped with chives and more parmesan. 

FRIED SQUASH 
from Hopkins Boarding House in Pensacola 
Country Cookin’ by Joyce L. Young 

INGREDIENTS: 
2 pounds yellow squash (may substitute zucchini) 
Salt 
Self-rising flour 
Fat for deep fat frying 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Wash and slice squash into 1-inch pieces. 2) Sprinkle salt over squash so that all pieces are lightly salted. (The salt draws out the extra liquid.) 3) Let sit 1 hour. Pour off liquid. 4) Dip and completely cover each piece in self-rising flour. 5) Fry in deep fat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until brown and crisp. Serves 6. 

SPINACH, STRAWBERRY, AND HEARTS OF PALM SALAD 
From pauladeen.com 

INGREDIENTS: 
1-1/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and torn into pieces  
1/2 teaspoon paprika 
1 teaspoon dry mustard 
1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds 
1/2 small grated red onion 
1 cup vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
3/4 cup sugar 
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 can drained and chopped hearts of palm 
2 cups stemmed and sliced strawberries 
1 cup chopped walnuts 

DIRECTIONS: 
For the dressing, combine the vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, whisk in the oil, onion, poppy seeds, dry mustard and paprika until thoroughly combined. Set dressing aside. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, hearts of palm, strawberries and walnuts. When ready to serve, add some of the dressing, and toss gently. Serve the remaining dressing alongside the salad so diners may add more, if desired. 

FRIED APPLES (Fat-Free Fried Apples) 
From: Mark F. Sohn’s Hearty Country Cooking 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 cup sugar 
1/4 cup cornstarch 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
3 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples 
3 cups peeled and sliced Rome Beauty apples 
Yield: 8 servings 

DIRECTIONS: 
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon, stirring until the cornstarch is fully distributed. Arrange the apples in a casserole dish, and cover with the sugar mixture. Cover, and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until the sugar is melted. Stir and cook, uncovered, another 4 minutes, or until the apples are soft through to the center. They should be fork tender. Stir and serve. 

LEMON PUDDING CAKE 
Recipe from Taste of Home 

INGREDIENTS: 
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature 
1-1/2 cups sugar 
1 cup whole milk 
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
6 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
Optional: Confectioners’ sugar, lemon slices and whipped cream 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, beat egg yolks. Add sugar, milk, flour, lemon juice, zest and salt; beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into lemon mixture. Pour into 6 ungreased 6-ounce custard cups (cups will be very full). 2) Place the cups in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Pour boiling water into pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. If desired, top with confectioners’ sugar, lemon slices and whipped cream.